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☆ How to reduce — or avoid — airline fees for checked bags
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A checked bag is one stored in a plane's cargo hold during a flight. While that service was free in years past, it's now standard for major airlines to charge for checked bags, experts said. Today, it's about double: $30 to $35 for one checked bag, Nastro said. The carrier allows two free checked bags. Buy a luggage scale, lightweight bagsBuying and using a luggage scale before traveling can help travelers avoid surprise fees at the airport due to exceeding a weight limit on checked bags.

Persons: it's, Katy Nastro, Nastro, Eric Napoli, Daniel Garrido, Emirates —, Aiden Higgins, Higgins, Napoli Organizations: Major U.S, Bureau, Transportation, Finance, Airlines — Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Emirates, Air, Napoli, Spirit Airlines Locations: Major, U.S, New York, Los Angeles

☆ I flew 13 hours in business class on Air India from New York to Delhi. The seat was awkward and offered no privacy, but wasn't as bad as I feared.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Air India is getting a makeover. During its golden days, Air India was considered a top-tier carrier with fancy on-board bars, lounges, and luxe cabins. However, the government took over in the 1950s and ran Air India into disarray. Under Tata, however, the company has invested hundreds of millions into a total revamp — including everything from updated uniforms to fancy new business class seats. AdvertisementTo see the transformation, I tried out Air India's old — and notoriously awkward — Boeing 777-300ER business class product from New York to New Delhi (Business Insider paid a media rate).

Organizations: India, Tata Group, Air, Tata, Boeing, Business Locations: Air India, New York, New Delhi

☆ I toured Air India's new Airbus A350 — which it hopes will compete with elite competitors like Emirates and Qatar. See inside.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewAir India welcomed its new Airbus A350 in December — a first for the nation's flag carrier — and it's an incredible improvement from the airline's notoriously mediocre product. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The next-generation aircraft represents a new era for Air India, which debuted the Airbus model on Monday. To see the progress, I toured Air India's new A350 widebody at the Wings Airshow in Hyderabad last week — and I think customers have a lot to look forward to.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, India, Airbus, Business, Air India, Tata Group, Air, Wings Locations: Hyderabad

Find the Chase Sapphire Lounge post-security in JFK's Terminal 4, open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card review and other best credit cards for airport lounge access. Access the Chase Sapphire Lounge JFKLocation and hoursThe Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club with Etihad Airways is located in Terminal 4, post-security on the mezzanine level above Gate A2. Chase also operates Sapphire Lounges in Hong Kong, Boston and New York's LaGuardia, as well as a scaled-down Chase Sapphire Terrace in Austin. Our Chase Sapphire Lounge guide reviews these locations, lists future planned locations, and tells you how to get into each lounge for free.

Persons: Chase, —, John F, Angela Sun, Chris Dong Here's, cardholders, Sapphire Burger, Lamb, — Chase, Joe Coffee, LaGuardia, You'll Organizations: JFK's, Etihad Airways, JFK, Etihad, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Service, The Club, Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia, JPMorgan Chase Art, Chase Sapphire, China Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, KLM, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, American, Chase Chase, Sapphire, New York's LaGuardia, Chase, Passengers, romesco, New, TSA, FDIC Locations: JFK, New York, Abu Dhabi, Aeromexico, Air India, China, LATAM, U.S, Hong Kong, Boston, Austin, New York City

☆ Akasa Air: Boeing gets some good news as Indian airline orders 150 737 Max jets
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

India’s newest airline is purchasing 150 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, in the first major order the troubled planemaker has announced since the dramatic Alaska Airlines incident in which part of the fuselage of a 737 Max 9 fell off mid-flight. Akasa Air has ordered the 737 Max 10 and 737 Max 8-200 aircraft to be delivered through 2032, the airline said at an event in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. On Wednesday, the US Federal Aviation Administration said it was expanding its probe to include Spirit AeroSystems (SPR), which builds the fuselage of the 737 Max 9. Akasa Air, which was launched in 2022, is not the only Indian carrier that is buying a lot of Boeing planes. Last year, Air India said it would buy 220 Boeing planes.

Persons: planemaker, Max, ” Stephanie Pope, Ethopia, Antony Blinken, Vinay Dube, ”, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, Boeing, Max, Akasa, Alaska Airlines, US Federal Aviation Administration, Economic, Air, Indian Locations: New Delhi, Alaska, Indian, Hyderabad, Portland , Oregon, Indonesia, Wells, Washington, Davos, Switzerland, India, Air India

HYDERABAD, India (AP) — India’s newest airline will buy 150 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, in the first major announced sale for the manufacturer since a panel blew out of another Max model in midflight earlier this month, the airline announced Thursday. Akasa Air CEO Vinay Dube announced the order of the Boeing 737 Max 10 and 737 Max 8-200 planes at an airshow in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. It currently operates a fleet of 22 Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 8-200 planes. Political Cartoons View All 253 Images“This milestone demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Akasa Air," Boeing Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Pope said in a statement. Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Vistara, Air India Express and Akasa Air are among India's main airlines.

Persons: Vinay Dube, Max, Dube, Stephanie Pope Organizations: Boeing, Max, Akasa, Alaska Airlines Boeing, Air, Air India Express Locations: HYDERABAD, India, Indian, Hyderabad, Portland , Oregon, South Asia, Air India, Vistara

☆ Indian gov't official directed Sikh separatist's assassination plot in US, DOJ says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Nov 29 (Reuters) - An Indian government official directed an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on U.S. soil, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday, in announcing charges against a man accused of orchestrating the attempted murder. Prosecutors did not name the Indian official or the target. According to prosecutors, the official recruited Gupta in May 2023 to orchestrate the assassination. The Indian government has complained about the presence of Sikh separatist groups outside India, including in Canada and the United States. The groups have kept alive the movement for Khalistan, or the demand for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India.

Persons: Nikhil Gupta, Gupta, Damian Williams, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Nijjar, Luc Cohen, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Porter, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Indian, U.S . Justice, New York City, Prosecutors, Biden, Administration, Air, Air India Boeing, Thomson Locations: U.S, Manhattan, New York, India, Czech, New York City, Washington, United States, New Delhi, Canada, India's Punjab, Vancouver, Air India

Prosecutors did not name the Indian official or the target, although they did describe the latter as a U.S. citizen of Indian origin. The Indian official is described in the related indictment as a "senior field officer" with responsibilities in "security management" and "intelligence" employed by the Indian government who "directed the plot from India." It was a "matter of concern" that an Indian government official was linked to the plot, foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday, adding, "This is also contrary to government policy." 'WE HAVE SO MANY TARGETS'According to U.S. prosecutors, the Indian official recruited Gupta in May 2023 to orchestrate the assassination. The groups have kept alive the movement for Khalistan, or the demand for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India.

Persons: Nikhil Gupta, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Gupta, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Damian Williams, Biden, Bill Burns, Narendra Modi, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Arindam Bagchi, Bagchi, Adrienne Watson, credibly, Pannun, Nijjar, Luc Cohen, Krishn Kaushik, Shivam Patel, Jeff Mason, David Brunnstrom, Heather Timmons, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, Indian, U.S . Justice, New, New York City, Prosecutors, Biden, National, National Intelligence, White House National Security Council, Reuters, Administration, Air, Air India Boeing, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, New York, India, United States, Canada, Czech, Vancouver, New Delhi, China, Air India, Washington

☆ The FAA has given Boeing the green light to start certification test flights of its long-awaited 737 MAX 10
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The FAA gave Boeing the green light to start certification flight testing of its 737 MAX 10. The variant is expected to enter service in 2024 after years of production delays. The 737 MAX 10 will rival Airbus' best-selling A321neo praised for its capacity and efficiency. The 737 MAX 10 is one of Boeing's two MAX variants — the other being the MAX 7 — not yet certified to fly. Both the MAX 8 and 9 were officially ungrounded in November 2020, and Boeing expected its 737 MAX 10 to enter service in 2022.

Persons: —, Boeing's, Mike Fleming, Ed Clark, Wayne Tygert Organizations: FAA, Boeing, Airbus, Service, Business, Federal Aviation Administration, Seattle Times, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Ryanair, Air Locations: Air India

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/NEW DELHI, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The United States is treating a reported plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil with utmost seriousness and has raised the issue with the Indian government "at the senior-most levels," the White House said on Wednesday. The Financial Times reported, citing unnamed sources, that U.S. authorities thwarted a plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the United States and issued a warning to India over concerns the government in New Delhi was involved. It stated he threatened in video messages to not let Air India operate anywhere in the world. The case comes against the historical backdrop of a bombing in 1985 of an Air India aircraft flying from Canada to India that killed 329, and for which Sikh militants were blamed. Pannun told Reuters on Tuesday that his message was to "boycott Air India not bomb."

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Evelyn Hockstein, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Pannun, Adrienne Watson, Biden, Arindam Bagchi, Bagchi, Hardeep Singh, Shivam Patel, Krishn Kaushik, Jeff Mason, David Brunnstrom, Andrew Goudsward, Andrew Heavens, Alex Richardson, Alistair Bell Organizations: India's, White, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Financial Times, Air India, Indian, Washington, FBI, U.S . Justice, India's National Investigation Agency, Sikh, Reuters, Air, Justice, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, DELHI, United States, India, New Delhi, Canada, Vancouver, U.S, New York, Air India

☆ Singapore Airlines posts record half-year profit as air travel demand soars
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Singapore Airlines plane is seen among the planes in the static display at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore, February 16, 2022. "The robust demand for air travel continued into the Northern Summer travel season, led by the rebound in passenger traffic to North Asia with the full reopening of China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, and Taiwan," the airline said in a statement. Singapore Airlines and its budget arm, Scoot, carried around 17.4 million passengers during the half-year, an increase of 52.3% year-on-year. The firm also intends to redeem 50% of the zero-coupon mandatory convertible bonds (MCBs) that it issued in June 2021 to support its balance sheet amid an almost total shutdown of air travel during the pandemic. ($1 = 1.3543 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Rishav Chatterjee and Nausheen Thusoo in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane VenkatramanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Caroline Chia, Rishav Chatterjee, Nausheen, Janane Organizations: Singapore Airlines, Singapore, REUTERS, Companies, India, Air India, India's Tata Group, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Asia, North Asia, China , Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Taiwan, Bengaluru

☆ India's aviation watchdog proposes less work, more rest for pilots - draft
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 4 (Reuters) - India's air safety watchdog proposes reduced night work hours and more rest for pilots, among measures to address rising complaints of pilot fatigue, according to draft regulations seen by Reuters on Saturday. The proposal from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation come more than two months after it decided to conduct a review of pilot fatigue data collected during spot checks and surveillance of airlines. The review was launched after an IndiGo (INGL.NS) pilot collapsed and died in August before his flight. Changes would include cutting the maximum flight duty period to 10 hours from 13 hours for pilots operating at night, and increasing the minimum weekly rest period to 48 hours from 36 hours. IndiGo, India's biggest airline, has said the pilot who died had a 27-hour break before duty and was in good health.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Aditi Shah, YP Rajesh, William Mallard Organizations: IndiGo, REUTERS, Reuters, Civil Aviation, Tata, Air, India's, YP, Thomson Locations: Chhatrapati Shivaji International, Mumbai, India, DELHI, Air India

[1/2] A miniature airplane is placed on the displayed Air India Express and Akasa Air logos, in this illustration taken October 30, 2023. Akasa did not comment on its communication with Air India, but said the issue of pilot exits was "now behind us ... we are squarely back in growth mode". Air India declined to comment and the two chief executives did not respond to requests for comment. The dispute comes at the time of a hiring spree by Air India, with its arm, Air India Express, seeking to more than triple its fleet to 170 over five years. In recent weeks, Akasa has lost about a tenth of its 450 pilots, who left without serving out notice periods, some to join Air India Express.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Campbell Wilson, Vinay Dube, missive Dube, Akasa, Wilson, Dube, India's Wilson, Aditya Kalra, Aditi Shah, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Air India Express, REUTERS, Tata's, India Express, Air, Akasa, Reuters, Air India, Tata Group, Tata, of Indian Pilots, Thomson Locations: India, DELHI, Air India

☆ Airbus confirms 55 jet deliveries in September
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Airbus on Monday confirmed it had delivered 55 aircraft in September, bringing the nine-month total to 488 jets. Deliveries included the first A350 for Air India, part of a batch of six originally sold to Russia's Aeroflot. Air India placed orders for 470 Airbus and Boeing jets earlier this year. Reuters reported last week that Airbus had delivered around 55 aircraft in September, unchanged from the same month of 2022. Airbus sold 23 jets in September, bringing the nine-month order tally to 1,280 jets or 1,241 after cancellations.

Persons: Stephane Mahe, Tim Hepher, Sandra Maler Organizations: Airbus, REUTERS, Rights, Air India, Aeroflot, Boeing, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Toulouse, France

☆ Multiple airlines cancel flights across Israel after government declares war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Multiple airlines have canceled flights in and out of Tel Aviv, home to Israel’s largest international airport, after Israel formally declared war on Hamas. In a statement to CNN, American Airlines said it was suspending flights until Friday as it closely monitors the situation on the ground. US carriers have temporarily suspended flights to Israel,” according to the embassy. Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific canceled its Tuesday flight to and from Tel Aviv. Ireland’s Ryanair said Monday it was canceling flights in and out of Tel Aviv until October 11, citing operational restrictions.

Persons: Ed Sicher, Israel, Ben, Israel’s Ben, Yoav Gallant Organizations: CNN, American Airlines, Allied Pilots Association, Federal Aviation Administration, Ben Gurion, Cathay Pacific, Tel Aviv . Air Canada, Ryanair, Air India, Lufthansa, Norwegian Air, Korean Air, Israel’s Ben Gurion, Israel’s Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Hong Kong, Incheon, Gaza, Jerusalem

☆ Israel markets sink, businesses shut after Hamas attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A building is ablaze following rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel October 7, 2023. Israel has retaliated with air strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza. Gaza militants also fired thousands of rockets into Israel, some reaching as far as Tel Aviv, prompting airlines to suspend flights to and from Israel. Air India said flights to and from Tel Aviv would be suspended until Oct. 14. "We are closely monitoring the situation in Israel and taking steps to safeguard and support our workers," a spokesman said.

Persons: Ron, Jonathan Katz, Bezalel Smotrich, Arkia, Israir, Jensen Huang, Ron Tomer, Steven Scheer, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Key Tel, Capital Markets, Bank of Israel, Hamas, Israel . Finance, Bank, Israel, AIR, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Nvidia, Tel, Manufacturers, Association, Intel Corp, Tower Semiconductor, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, Key, Key Tel Aviv, New York, Atlanta, TLV, India, Athens, Larnaca, Cyprus

☆ More than 55 global airlines still fly over Russia, including to and from the US: 'a crisis in the making'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementEven though Russian airspace is closed to US airlines, many Americans may still end up flying through Russian skies. This includes four European carriers: Air Serbia, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, and Belarus' Belavia. Emirates' flight path from Dubai to Los Angeles on September 25 showed it flew over Russian airspace. Looking at the time of writing for mid-November, a ticket on Air India is nearly $2,000 cheaper than American. This was a particular concern earlier this year when Chinese airlines were using Russian airspace on routes to the US.

Persons: —, FlightRadar24, Robert Menendez, James Risch, Putin, Roman Protasevich, Scott Kirby, Kirby Organizations: Carriers, Air India, Service, Moscow, Air, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, US ., Los Angeles, Uzbekistan Airways, Reuters, Travelers, NBC News, White, Malaysian Airlines, Ryanair, United Airlines, overflying, Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, American Airlines, Google, Current, Delta Air Lines Locations: Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Asia, Emirates, Russian, Air Serbia, Turkish, Belarus, Moscow, Africa, Air China, US . Emirates, Dubai, Los, West Coast, FlightAware . Emirates, Los Angeles, Air India, New Delhi, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Tashkent, Qatar, Doha, China, detouring, Uzbekistan, American, Belarusian, Australia, overflying Russia, America, India, United

☆ Why is India's Modi so worried about Sikh separatist calls for Khalistan?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Amplified calls for the creation of Khalistan date back to when India gained its independence in 1947. At the same time, some Sikh supporters of Khalistan have made comments perceived as anti-national and threatening toward India and its government. And in counterinsurgency operations, Indian security forces were accused of a multitude of human rights abuses. The first photos of the damaged Akal Takhat after the army stormed the sikh Golden Temple complex in Amritsar on June 9, 1984. “The larger [Sikh] community is standing by the statements from Trudeau and they want action upon this,” said Jasveer Singh, a British Sikh and senior press officer with the Sikh Press Association.

Persons: Justin Trudeau’s, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, “, Nijjar’s, –, Andre Durand, Guru Nanak, hasn’t, ”, Amandeep Sandhu, Amritpal Singh, India’s, Singh, Stringer, Modi, Suhasini Haidar, Sondeep Shankar, Indira Gandhi, Gandhi, Harsh Pant, Cole Burston, Pant, Nijjar, Justin Trudeau, Blair Gable, Trudeau, Jasveer Singh Organizations: CNN, Air India, Sikh, Canadian, Air, Air India Boeing, Getty, India, British, Keystone, Pew Research Center, Panjab, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Police, Khalistan, Observer Research Foundation, Protesters, Reuters, Sikh Press Association Locations: Montreal, New Delhi, Ireland, Indian, Punjab, Canada, Hardeep, India, Air India, Cork, AFP, Pakistan, Amritsar, British India, Ottawa, “ India, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Toronto, British

☆ Exclusive: Boeing sets record 737 production goal for July 2025 -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Valerie Insinna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] An aerial view of a Boeing 737 MAX 10 airplane parked at King County International Airport-Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, U.S, June 1, 2022. The schedule targets 737 production to reach 42 jets a month by December 2023, affirming statements made by Boeing Commercial Airplanes head Stan Deal to Bloomberg TV in June. An earlier version of the plan, which Reuters reported in April, had seen 52 jets per month production a month later, in January 2025. Before the 2019 grounding of the 737 MAX, Boeing was producing 52 737s a month on its way to a target of 57. Boeing's formal 737 production target is 50 per month for the 2025-2026 timeframe, unveiled by the company last November during an investor day.

Persons: Lindsey Wasson, Stan Deal, Dave Calhoun, MAXs, Calhoun, Valerie Insinna, Peter Henderson, Jamie Freed Organizations: Boeing, King County International Airport, Boeing Field, REUTERS, Rights, Airbus, planemaker, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Bloomberg TV, Reuters, Air India, Thomson Locations: Seattle , Washington, U.S

The Indian government has complained about the presence of Sikh separatist groups outside India, especially in Canada. The groups have kept alive the movement for Khalistan, or the demand for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India. One such group called Sikhs for Justice is based in the United States and has been organizing an unofficial so-called "Khalistan Referendum". The demand for an independent Sikh state surfaced most prominently in India during a violent insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s and paralyzed the state of Punjab. Canada last month alleged that India may have been involved in the killing of Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whom New Delhi labeled as a "terrorist".

Persons: Erin Scott, we're, Indira Gandhi, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Simon Lewis, Kanishka Singh, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, State Department, Justice, U.S . State Department, Air, Air India Boeing, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, India, Canada, U.S, Punjab, Air India, New Delhi, Washington

☆ US, Asked About Sikh Separatist Groups, Says It Respects Free Speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Simon Lewis, Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, we're, Indira Gandhi, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Kanishka Singh, Gareth Jones Organizations: State Department, Justice, U.S . State Department, Air, Air India Boeing Locations: United States, India, Canada, U.S, Punjab, Air India, New Delhi, Washington

BAY ISMOYO/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Friday there was a "climate of violence" and an "atmosphere of intimidation" against Indian diplomats in Canada, where the presence of Sikh separatist groups has frustrated New Delhi. "Because there is freedom of speech, to make threats and intimidate diplomats, I don't think that's acceptable," Jaishankar told reporters on Friday evening in Washington. Canada is home to an influential Sikh community, and Indian leaders say some fringe groups there remain sympathetic to the cause of an independent Sikh state. The insurgency killed tens of thousands of people and the Khalistan movement is considered a security threat by the Indian government. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984 by two Sikh bodyguards after she allowed the storming of the holiest Sikh temple, aimed at flushing out Sikh separatists.

Persons: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Jaishankar, Justin Trudeau, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Trudeau, Indira Gandhi, Kanishka Singh, Leslie Adler Organizations: India's, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, India, ASEAN Foreign Ministers, Rights, Indian, Washington . Relations, Canadian, Air, Air India Boeing, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Canada, New Delhi, Washington, India, Punjab, Air India

India has vehemently denied the claims, calling them “absurd and motivated.” Bagchi said Canada has provided “no specific information” to support the allegations. Over the years, violent clashes have erupted between followers of the movement and the Indian government, claiming many lives. In counterinsurgency operations, Indian security forces arbitrarily detained, tortured, executed, and “disappeared” tens of thousands of Sikhs, the rights group said. The Khalistan movement nowThere is no insurgency in Punjab today and analysts say supporters of the Khalistan movement remain very much on the margins in India. Nijjar’s death shocked and outraged many within the Sikh community in Canada, which has more than 770,000 members and is one of the largest outside India.

Persons: Arindam Bagchi, India’s, Bagchi, Justin Trudeau, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, ” Bagchi, Nijjar, “, Indira Gandhi, Gandhi Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, ”, that’s, Canadian, India’s Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, India’s, Indian National Investigation Agency, Khalistan, Human Rights Watch, Air Locations: New Delhi, India, Canada, Delhi, Surrey, British Columbia, India’s Punjab, Punjab, Pakistan, Air India, Toronto, Britain, Australia

Akasa told the court it cancelled 600 flights in August and would be forced to cancel up to 700 more in September if the resignations continue, the person added. Akasa has dragged the pilots, many of whom have joined rival Air India Express, to court and initiated legal proceedings against the aviation regulator to enforce the notice period. The notice period ranges between 6-12 months, depending on the pilot's rank, according to the aviation regulator. "All our actions are aimed at creating a durable and reliable airline for the long run," Akasa said in a statement. "Akasa is a well-run airline with strong finances and a solid plan," he said.

Persons: Vinay Dube, Akasa, Dube, Aditya Ghosh, Aditi Shah, Varun Vyas, Aditya Kalra, Louise Heavens, Christian Schmollinger, Kim Coghill, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Akasa, Air India Express, IndiGo, country's, Tata, Air India, Go Air, Boeing, Thomson Locations: DELHI, Delhi

The Sikh religion was founded in Punjab in the late 15th century and currently has about 25 million followers worldwide. Sikh separatists demand that their homeland Khalistan, meaning "the land of the pure", be created out of Punjab. The Khalistan movement is considered a security threat by the Indian government. In April this year, India arrested a self-styled preacher and Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh for allegedly reviving calls for Khalistan, sparking fears of new violence in Punjab. Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng is postponing a planned trade mission to India.

Persons: Nanak, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Chris Helgren, Justin Trudeau, Indira Gandhi, Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Gandhi, Amritpal Singh, Narendra Modi, Trudeau, Mary Ng, Rupam Jain, Shivam Patel, YP Rajesh, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Canadian, Air, Air India Boeing, Indian, India . Canadian Trade, YP, Thomson Locations: Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, DELHI, India, Punjab, New Delhi, Air India, Britain, Australia, U.S

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