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PIA’s Roosevelt Hotel | Govt. to approve $35.58 Mn Bailout Package

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday considered a second bailout package worth $35.58 million for the Roosevelt Hotel, New York, which is owned by Pakistan International Airlines Investment Limited.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has decided to form a panel to provide the bailout package for the property that has fallen into debt.

According to a report in Hotel Management, a hotel industry magazine, the panel approved $142m to provide immediate financial support. This amount was arranged as a loan from the National Bank of Pakistan with a per annum mark-up of $5.9m.

It also approved $13 million as an annual carrying cost until a lease agreement is finalised.

Earlier in 2019, Pakistan International Airlines Investment Limited risked losing the Manhattan property and the Scribe Hotel in Paris following the enforcement of an international settlement decision by the British Islands that would have resulted in the handing over these properties as a settlement to the Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) for the canceling of its mining license in Balochistan.

Pakistan had invalidated the mining licenses of the Tethyan Copper Company for the Reko Diq gold and copper mines in Balochistan due to irregularities. However, the company had claimed that they had been illegally stopped from conducting operations.

CAA Issues | New SOPs For International Flight Crews

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KARACHI: The Civil Aviation Authority has issued new SOPs for international flight crews entering Pakistan.

In a notification issued by CAA Air Transport Director Irfan Sabir, flight crew from Category C countries such as Britain and South Africa won’t be allowed inside the country without a negative coronavirus PCR test result.

The test will have to be taken 72 hours before boarding the flight. If any members from these countries don’t show symptoms of the virus, they will be allowed into Pakistan without a PCR test.

The advisory stated that the flight crew will be be processed at a separate counter. After landing, they will be immediately taken to a hotel for quarantine.

During the stay at the hotel, the crew will be served food inside their rooms and SOPs will be implemented strictly. If someone shows any COVID-19 symptoms, they will be tested by the health department, the notification added.

Int’l Snowboarding Festival | The Event Attracts Tourists in Malam Jabba

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PESHAWAR: The men and women’s giant slalom and parallel giant slalom competitions attracted tourists on the secondary of the Pakistan International Snowboarding Championship and Festival at the Malam Jabba ski resort in the scenic Swat valley on Saturday.

Commissioner Malakand division, Zaheerul Islam, was the chief guest, who inaugurated the men and women’s giant slalom and parallel giant slalom competitions on the occasion.

Over 44 national and international players, including four women players and enthusiasts of snowboarding games from European countries, Belgium, France Afghanistan and Pakistan participated in the event.

The men and women’s giant slalom and parallel giant slalom thrilling competitions mesmerized the tourists and visitors when the players exhibited their skills on the white snow at the Malam Jabba ski resort.

The foreign tourists said that they were proud to be in Pakistan, particularly in the Swat valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to participate in the snowboarding games and visit the tourist spots.

They said that Swat was a stunning valley with enormous beauty and sereneness on its mountain and plains.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KP-CTA) under the auspices of the Tourism, Sports, Archaeology, Culture, Museums and Youth Affairs Department and the Samson Group of Companies have jointly organized the spectacular event.

Besides snowboarding game, traditional foods and music festival is also part of the gala to entertain the tourists and visitors.

Music programme were also being organized at the evening to entertain the tourists and players.

The concluding ceremony of International Snowboarding Championship and Festival will be held today.

The championship is aimed at bringing the serene spots, including Malam Jabba, Madyan, Bahrain and elsewhere in the valley, back to life and attracting tourists to these destinations.

Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered slope while standing on a snowboard attached to a rider’s feet.

The game is so popular that it even features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games at the international level.

Malam Jabba is the only civil skiing resort in Pakistan at about 8500 feet above the sea level.

The organisers said that the snowboarding championship would send a positive message to the world that peace had been restored and tourism activities in full swing in Malakand and Hazara divisions and elsewhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They said that strenuous efforts were being made to develop scenic spots and make facilities available there to attract domestic and foreign tourists to the province.

Leading Hotelier & Professional | Azeem Qureshi Signs JV With Legend Hotels Management

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KARACHI: After serving in the Pakistan hospitality sector for decades at senior executive positions throughout his career in  all  leading  and  significant chains and  groups and at all major properties, Azeem Qureashi who is renowned to transform hotels to their exceptional, matchless and maximum potential when it comes to quality, splendor, affluence and hosting social events with no compromise on quality and  entertainment is now introducing a new venture with Mr. Zahid Afzal, a young entrepreneur and businessman.

Legend Management is a hospitality company focused on providing its clientele with the most illustrious and luxurious experience they expect from grand hotels.

Legend has established its first hotel in Islamabad; a beautiful boutique hotel offering 60 rooms, 4 restaurants alongside conference room and banquet halls!

Legend Islamabad has a equipped auditorium that can accommodate an audience of 250+.

Legend Hotel is located in  center location of Islamabad, that is the business hub, making it approachable with scenic views for its guests.

The hotel has a reserved parking, ensuring safety and security. The gymnasium located within the hotel is has the most modern equipments to provide its guests with the best and safest experience.

Soon to be introduced, Legend Management is establishing properties in the beautiful Northern areas of Pakistan, providing you with safe travel opportunities amidst the uncertain conditions of the world! Legend Management is excited to boost local and international tourism in Pakistan, with the support of its clientele.

Mr. Azeem Qureashi will be spearheading this venture as M.D with the support of Chairman Legend Management, Mr. Zahid Afzal.

Turkish Airlines To Start | Sialkot-Istanbul Flights

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SIALKOT: Chairman SIAL Mian Naeem Javed has said that the decision of the Turkish Airlines, the national flag carrier of Turkey to start flights between Sialkot and Istanbul is an early opportunity. The visit of the Turkish Airlines team is the first in this regard for which we warmly welcome them. He expressed these views in a briefing after a meeting with a delegation of Turkish Airlines. 

Naeem Javed said that it is a matter of great pleasure for Sialkot International Airport that the national airline of our very sincere friend Islamic country Turkey is going to start its operation from SIAL. Officials of Turkish Airlines have accepted our request to start flights between Sialkot International Airport and Istanbul. He thanked Turkish Airlines officials for sending their team to Sialkot under the leadership of its General Manager Punjab Mr. Hamid ELDELEKLIOGLU. After reviewing the facilities provided to passengers and airlines at the Sialkot airport, it has hinted to start flights between Sialkot and Istanbul in March or April. Chairman SIAL Mian Naeem Javed added that Turkish Airlines’ flights to Sialkot and The launch of air service between Istanbul will be of great benefit to business people, tourists and general travelers going to Europe and the United States, while also facilitating the delivery of cargo. General Manager, Punjab Mr. Hamid expressed his views during his visit. “We will strive to provide the best possible facilities to air travelers in Sialkot and adjoining districts,” Chairman SIAL Mian Naeem Javed also presented General Manager Punjab Mr. Hamid SIAL Shield.

Station Manager, Lahore Burhan Yildrim, Representative, Regional Marketing Punjab Kamran Abid Hussain, Airport Manager Nisar Ahmed, Business Development Manager Amir Yaqub and Public Relations Manager Abdul Shakoor Mirza were also present on the occasion.

Covid Temporarily Shuts | Famous Makati Shangri-La’s Doors

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MANILA: After nearly 30 years of operation, Makati Shangri-La Hotel in Manila will suspend operations beginning February 1, and let go off a number of staff, as part of a reorganisation exercise due to the pandemic’s financial impact.

In a statement, a Shangri-La Group spokesperson said that “the prolonged recovery timeline has resulted in increasing financial pressure on the company here in the Philippines”.

Makati Shangri-La made the decision to shut temporarily due to “prolonged recovery timeline”

“Owing to continued low business levels and having considered all viable options over weeks of consideration and deliberation, we unfortunately must now make the extremely difficult decision to reorganise our workforce and operations in the Philippines as we continue to navigate an uncertain business environment,” read the statement.

Since the Covid-19 outbreak, the hospitality group has implemented several cost-cutting measures, including salary reductions at management level, shorter work weeks, hiring freeze and cuts in non-essential spending.

All affected employees will receive a fair compensation package that is “higher than local statutory guidelines”, as well as healthcare coverage and grocery support until the end of this year.

Shangri-La said that it would reopen Makati Shangri-La “at a later date when business conditions have improved”.

Int’l Snowboarding Festival | Kicks Off At Malam Jabba

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PESHAWAR: The Pakistan International Snowboarding Championship and Festival has kicked off at the scenic Malam Jabba tourist spot in Swat valley.

Over 44 national and international players, including four women players and enthusiasts of snowboarding game from European countries, Belgium, Afghanistan and Pakistan are participating in the event.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KP-CTA) under the auspices of the Tourism, Sports, Archaeology, Culture, Museums and Youth Affairs Department and the Samson Group of Companies have jointly organized the spectacular event.

Besides snowboarding game, traditional foods and music festival is also part of the gala to entertain the tourists and visitors.

According to programme, men and women joint slalom and parallel joint slalom thrilling competitions will be held today in which the players will exhibited their skills. Music programme will also be organized at the evening to entertain the tourists and players.

The concluding ceremony of International Snowboarding Championship and Festival will be held tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Mahgul Kabir, a yoga trainer from Gilgit-Baltistan, also imparted yoga training to the participants at Malam Jabba.

Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered slope while standing on a snowboard attached to a rider’s feet.

The game is so popular that it even features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games at the international level.

Malam Jabba is the only civil skiing resort in Pakistan at about 8500 feet above the sea level.

The provincial government has taken worth mentioning steps that led to promotion of tourism, sports and preserving the rich heritage, cultural and archaeology sites in the province.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has abundant natural beauty of lush green valleys, snow-capped mountains, deserts, rivers, landscapes, rich cultural and traditional heritage and history, springs, streams and serene spots.

Because of these attractions, millions of people visit to experience the beauty it has to offer.

The KP Tourism Department had also arranged the thrilling snowboarding games championship at the scenic Malam Jabba resort last year. The event was well-received by all and a large number of people from across the country and international tourists had participated in the event.

The organisers said that the snowboarding championship would send a positive message to the world that peace had been restored and tourism activities in full swing in Malakand and Hazara divisions and elsewhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They said that strenuous efforts were being made to develop scenic spots and make facilities available there to attract domestic and foreign tourists to the province.

The championship is also aimed at bringing the serene spots, including Malam Jabba, Madyan, Bahrain and elsewhere in the valley, back to life and attracting tourists to these destinations.

United Airlines Records | $7.1Billion Loss For 2020

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NEW YORK: United Airlines has revealed its full-year 2020 financial results. The carrier lost over $7 billion in the year, including a nearly $1.9bn loss for the end of the fourth quarter. The results cap off a difficult year, though it has a lot of hope going forward.

For the full year of 2020, the airline recorded a loss of $7.069 billion. This compares to a $3.009 billion net income for 2019. In the fourth quarter, United Airlines lost $1.897 billion. The airline’s cash burn for the fourth quarter was around $19 million per day. This was down from the $38 million per day from the second quarter and $24 million from the third quarter.

In terms of liquidity, the carrier raised over $26 billion in 2020, but it ended the year with $19.7 billion in liquidity. This includes the undrawn revolver and funds available under the loan program from the US Treasury Department.

Operating revenue for the year was down about 64.5% from 2019’s level to $15.4 billion. Operating expenses were down 44% at $21.7 billion. In terms of revenue, the airline’s brightest geographic region for the quarter was domestic, with $1.8 billion in revenue, though this was down 72% from the fourth quarter of 2019.

Compared to Delta Air Lines, United lost about $5 billion less in 2020 than the Atlanta-based competitor. Nevertheless, a $7.1 billion loss is still a staggering amount.

From the onset of the crisis, the carrier cut scheduled capacity for the year by 57%. In the first quarter of 2021, United is anticipating scheduled capacity to be down at least 51% versus the first quarter of 2019. The airline will continue to proactively evaluate and cancel flights on a rolling 60-day basis until there is a recovery in demand. The airline is now expecting demand to remain suppressed until the vaccine is widely distributed.

In 2020, the airline reduced its planned capital expenditures and has now reduced operating expenditures for 2021.

In early 2021, United and the US Department of Treasury entered into a Payroll Support Program Extension Agreement (PSP Extension Agreement), which will provide the airline a total of approximately $2.6 billion. In return, the airline has to recall its furloughed employees or those involuntarily terminated between October 1st, 2020, and January 15th, 2021. These recalls, however, may only be temporary. United also has to back-pay them.

In addition, the carrier is not allowed to use the money for anything beyond employee wages, salaries, and benefits. United cannot buy back shares or pay dividends until March 31st, 2022.

United will still need to be vigilant in 2021 as the carrier is not out of the woods yet. Demand remains weak, the vaccine rollout is taking time, and most countries are still closed off to tourists. United has to tough it out until then.

flydubai to Launch | Double Daily Flights To Doha

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DUBAI: Flydubai, the Dubai-based airline, has announced the resumption of flights to Qatar. A double daily service from Dubai International (DXB) to Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) will start from January 26.

 Commenting on the announcement, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “With today’s announcement we see the flydubai network grow to 64 destinations.  Flights to Doha will start from 26 January and to meet expected demand we are pleased to launch operations with a double daily service.  We hope to be able to continue to grow the service.”

 Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations (UAE, GCC, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent) at flydubai, said: “flydubai offers convenient and reliable travel services between both countries. Passengers have the opportunity to choose how they would like to travel whether it is in the comfort of Business Class or a customised experience in Economy Class. Tickets are available to book today on flydubai.com.”

 Passengers will have the option to experience Business Class enjoying space and privacy in the cabin, a comfortable spacious seat, inflight entertainment with films and TV shows available to watch and a range of delicious snacks and complimentary hot and cold beverages.

 Passengers travelling in Economy Class will enjoy a Recaro designed seat offering optimal levels of space and comfort in the air. flydubai continues to roll-out wi-fi across its fleet enabling passengers to stay connected during their flight and can browse the web, send emails, use social networks and get the latest news. Passengers are able to choose between bundled (Flex/Value) or unbundled (Lite) fares depending on their travel needs.

 Flydubai’s passenger experience has been redesigned to enable travel in a safe environment that minimises crew and passenger contact and offers passengers confidence to travel at every step of their journey. The airline has recently introduced an extended multi-risk travel insurance that includes Covid-19 cover to offer passengers greater piece of mind when travelling. In the UAE, flydubai has also partnered with Aster DM Healthcare and NMC Healthcare to offer passengers PCR testing at special rates. To take advantage of these special rates, passengers must be able to present a valid flydubai booking confirmation along with their Emirates ID or passport copy.

Arif Alvi Welcomes | COTHM Team At President House

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Islamabad: A team comprising of students and management had the opportunity to meet and talk with President Arif Alvi when the team visited President House on 14th January.

Led by a coach Miss Neelma Gul and supervisor Mrs Sadia Fuad, the students took questions from the President on their decisive victory in International Eurhodip Challenge 2020.

It is pertinent to mention that over 100 teams from 39 countries submitted their entries for this year’s competition, out of which 10 were shortlisted. The theme of this competition revolved around the role of a digital influencer in promoting a hotel brand amongst hotel school students.

The COTHM team comprised of 3 student members, Syed Mubashar Ali, Syed Hammad Bukhari and Abdul WahabAwan. Ms. Sadia Fuad and Neelma Gul served as the team’s coach while Mr Zaheer supervised the entire project with great zeal. Technical support was extended by Sarmad, Waqasand Adnan.

Not only met the President Alvi, but talked to him about a range of issues, including the importance of degree with skills, the need of vocational training, provision of employment opportunities and human resource development.

President Alvi lauded the collective efforts of faculty and students who managed to bag 1st position in international Eurhodip Challenge 2020 organized by Stenden Hotel Management School.

COTHM recruits, trains and develops outstanding professionals in the field of hospitality. The college leads the academic element and its founder, Mr Ahmad Shafiq added:

“It is really pleasing that the government and the President is finally taking an active interest in the education and vocational training in the field of hospitality and tourism.

“College of Tourism and Hotel Management continues to go from strength to strength and is proud to be playing such a major part in this exciting new development,” said Mr AhamdShafiq CEO and Founder COTHM.

“The University of Bedfordshire is at the forefront of innovative practice in social work higher education and we are delighted to be involved in delivering the Frontline Programme, which is making a major contribution to social work education and having a positive impact in support of vulnerable children.”

“When he was speaking to us, it was clear that he really valued our opinions and wanted to answer questions in the way most helpful to us,” the coach said. “He kept the mood light, making jokes, and it was great to see the genuine, funny and compassionate person behind all of the public appearances and policy decisions,” added a student.

Speaking to the team, the president answered a number of acute questions on employment, the necessity to raise scholarships and ensured government’s assistance to COTHM in future.

Traveling to Islamabad and meeting with the President and other Government Officials, was an experience the students and management of the college will never forget. What a perfect start to the New Year!