Travel News & Entry Updates

Hours after Jakarta’s airports resumed, Anak Krakatau’s ash shut them again — along with six more, with no reopening time set. Diverted flights are going to Kertajati.

Indonesia’s aviation regulator has ordered airlines to rebook or refund passengers after volcanic ash closed six airports. Soekarno-Hatta reopened on Sunday evening — and was closed again hours later.

Oman’s tourism ministry says Indian arrivals rose about 11% in 2025 and accelerated in the first half of 2026, with direct flights from more than ten Indian cities to Muscat.

Volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau shut Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport for much of Sunday 6 September, affecting 301 flights. Bali’s airport stayed open but its Jakarta services were hit.

Erosion at Krishnabhir has severed the Prithvi Highway. Pokhara’s tourist buses are parked, air traffic on the route has nearly tripled, and a 252-metre temporary track has just opened.

Cyclone Ditwah damaged 97 locations on the Upcountry line. Track work between Rambukkana and Kadugannawa is due to finish on 15 September, with Peradeniya–Colombo services resuming in October.

A ministry-licensed platform now issues a Saudi visa bundled with a booked return flight and a four-star-or-better hotel, for stays of two to 90 days, at SAR 402.21 including insurance.

Two flights a week on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 connect Cairo with Zanzibar, and the inaugural went out more than 90% full. It makes an Egypt-and-Zanzibar trip bookable on a single airline.

Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and others have suspended Gulf services with resumption dates running from September to January. Indian carriers are still flying.

OAG schedule data shows Indian carriers offering 22.7 million seats this month, with the sharpest international cut on Thailand routes and the only big increase on the UK.

The river peaked on 3 September and has now dropped below its warning level. Boats and cruises remain fully suspended, and the Ganga Aarti is still on the raised platform.

The 15 September changes also drop business activity from the visa exemption and cap visa-exempt land entries at two per calendar year. Arrive by 14 September and you keep the stay you were given.

From 1 October the UNESCO-listed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway runs a steam-hauled Red Panda at ₹1,530 and a diesel Muktadhara at ₹1,030, through to 3 January.

Maharaja Club members now earn Air India points on stays at IHG hotels worldwide, and IHG One Rewards points convert to Maharaja Points. A 3x launch promotion runs 15 September to 31 December 2026.

The Japan Meteorological Corporation issued its first 2026 kōyō forecast on 2 September. Maples in Tokyo peak around 29 November and in Kyoto around 11 December; Sapporo runs 11 days late.

Akasa Air operated the first Mumbai–Hanoi flight by an Indian carrier on 4 September, four times a week. IndiGo has announced a daily service from 25 October 2026.

Ahmedabad became India’s third hub-and-spoke airport on 1 September. Two Air India flights to Delhi now connect to 26 international destinations with immigration done before you leave Gujarat.

From 6 September 2026 Schengen border posts can no longer suspend fingerprint and facial-image capture to clear queues. Expect longer waits on arrival in Europe and avoid tight connections.

Moxy Niseko Village is the brand’s first alpine hotel in Japan and its fifth in the country, opening before a ski season that also brings a new eight-person gondola.

Immigration New Zealand will require 23 visitor visa categories and the transit visa to be filed through Immigration Online. Paper applications lodged before the date are still processed.

Kuala Lumpur adds East Asian frequencies for the winter: Fukuoka daily from 1 December, Busan resuming 2 December, Brisbane daily from 25 October.

GDRFA figures show the Red Carpet service processing passengers without a passport check or an officer. Who qualifies is the part the announcement does not spell out.

A decree effective 1 September lets Indian citizens enter for 30 days without a visa, but only if they hold a live multiple-entry visa from one of eight countries and an onward ticket.

The state tourism corporation’s "Spiritual Triangle" bundles VIP darshan at Kashi Vishwanath and Ram Mandir with transport, guide and four nights from ₹13,000 per person.

Civil Aviation Authority figures show 81.1 million passengers at UK airports in April–June, record European growth, and a 50% collapse on Dubai routes.

Mumbai–Manchester and Delhi–Manchester ended on 31 August. IndiGo calls the suspension temporary and blames airspace restrictions and costs; London Heathrow is still on hold until 2027.

Karnataka’s new tariff took effect on 1 September: a jeep safari is now ₹1,500 per adult, a bus safari ₹1,000, and lenses over 200mm carry a ₹1,500 charge plus GST.

Italy’s transport ministry register lists a 24-hour security strike at Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino, a 24-hour easyJet Italy strike and shorter actions at Pisa, Florence and Sardinia on 13 September 2026.

The Museum of the Future shut its galleries on 1 September 2026 for a complete rebuild of its exhibitions and plans to reopen in the first quarter of 2027. Dubai itineraries this season need a substitute.

After the 26 August flood on the Nepal–Tibet border, the Rasuwagadhi–Kerung crossing used by Kailash Mansarovar groups is out of action. India’s MEA reports 158 Indians rescued; Nepal’s main leisure hubs are open.

A Jetstar A320 became the first passenger aircraft to land at Western Sydney International on 1 September 2026, as the airport tests its terminal before commercial flights begin on 25 October.

Thailand’s 60-day visa exemption ends on 15 September 2026. Indian passport holders stay visa-free, but a tourist stay is capped at 30 days and land-border entries at two a year.

The Thai low-cost carrier’s only Indian route is on sale. We checked its booking engine: DD 959 leaves Hyderabad at 00:45 on a 737-800, and nothing is bookable before 15 October.

Visa-free entry for Indians currently works only through Manila and Cebu. The tourism department is pushing to add Clark, Caticlan, Bohol and Palawan.

JR is selling three consecutive days of unlimited local and rapid travel nationwide for ¥7,850, usable 3–18 October. The shinkansen is not included, and that is the whole catch.

IATA’s July 2026 data shows worldwide passenger demand up just 0.2% year on year, with Middle East carriers down 9.5% and India’s domestic market down 6.3%. Load factors stayed at 85.2%.

An amendment gazetted on 31 August makes an inbound tourism product taxable in the Maldives even when the seller has no business there — and it catches agency and booking services too.