Japan Airlines Corp said it would start talks to merge its ailing cargo business with a unit of shipping firm Nippon Yusen as the airline looks to return to profit with the help of State-backed funds.

Tourism ministry has proposed visa-on-arrival to tourists from nine countries, including Japan, Germany, South Africa and Brazil. The Forex Converter Where Re comes from & goes proposals aims to improve tourist inflows from foreign countries that has come down following a slowdown in the world economy.

Stung by the global meltdown, terror attacks in Mumbai and now swine flu, EIH Ltd, a member of the Oberoi Group, is “curtailing” capital expenditure for the next 18 months, not adding employees and trying to increase sales despite the "unprecedented downturn".

Swiss International Air Lines Ltd, or Swiss Air, will introduce a first class section on its flights on its Mumbai-Zurich route beginning September and its New Delhi-Zurich route in October, the company said. The new section is in addition to its business and economy classes.

Air India is to cut by 50 per cent the Productivity Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for its employees and flying allowance to the crew.

Coinciding with the traditionally lean travel months, the swine flu scare has spelt lower fares, in several instances almost 50 per cent lower than the peak fares this year on metro routes. A Delhi-Mumbai trip currently costs less than Rs 2,500 on a low-cost carrier, half of the amount the flyer shelled out in February earlier this year. The discount is applicable only to round trips, and not to one-way fares. It’s mostly the low-cost carriers who are offering competitive fares. But they insist fares might pick up once in festive season.

The last thing the travel industry needed, in the wake of the economic slowdown, was the swine flu pandemic. And as the number of people succumbing to the disease goes up by the day, it will take some time before many resume travelling.

Civil aviation ministry has proposed that Parliamentarians should travel only by Air India to help the ailing airline tide over the financial crisis, reports ET. “The proposal is currently under the consideration of the House Committee,” a senior official in the civil aviation minister said.

Traveling through the country’s most popular tourist circuit, the Golden Triangle – Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur – is set to become hassle-free soon.

Japan Airlines has decided to reintroduce fuel surcharge on all international tickets issued from October 1, with the passengers having to pay an additional $39 for travel on the India-Japan sector.