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Mangaluru: Air India Express (AIE) has postponed its much-anticipated direct flight service between Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) and Singapore, citing low bookings. Passengers who had booked tickets for the inaugural flight scheduled for January 21 and subsequent dates have been notified of the cancellation through email.

In its email, AIE assured passengers of alternative travel arrangements, including connecting flight options between MIA and Singapore. However, the decision to delay the direct service has left travelers and travel agents disappointed.

An AIE official attributed the postponement to operational challenges but clarified that the airline has not abandoned plans for the route. “We are committed to starting the service, but there is no immediate confirmation on the new launch date,” the official stated. He further explained that sustaining a route requires consistent demand, and seasonal travel alone is insufficient to justify operations.

Another AIE representative admitted that the number of bookings for the inaugural flight was below expectations but declined to disclose specific figures.

Rajesh H Acharya, director of HQ Connections Pte Ltd in Singapore and coordinator of the Singapore Tuluver community, expressed his disappointment. Acharya, who has been advocating for a direct flight between Mangaluru and Singapore since 2017, said, “After years of effort, we finally convinced the airline to start this service, but it has now been deferred.”

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Acharya posted: "Did not expect such behavior from @AirIndiaX, now owned by @TataCompanies & @SIAirlines. If there are issues, travelers deserve to be informed well in advance. This decision needs investigation at the highest level."

The delay has raised questions among the travel community, with many hoping the airline will address these concerns and provide a clear timeline for the launch of the Mangaluru-Singapore direct flight.

Two cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) were reported in Bengaluru on January 6 - a 3-month-old baby who has been discharged and an 8-month-old who is recovering at a hospital in the Karnataka capital. This marks the first reported cases of HMPV in India.

The infected infants and their families have no recent travel history, ruling out exposure from other regions or countries, the health department said.

HMPV is a respiratory virus that often causes mild symptoms resembling a cold but can lead to other complications, particularly in infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. The virus can occasionally trigger pneumonia or exacerbate chronic respiratory conditions. Cases typically rise during the winter and early spring.

The Centre announced on Sunday that it is monitoring HMPV and other respiratory viruses, especially following recent reports of increased respiratory illnesses in China. A Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) convened on January 4 to evaluate the situation, with representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and other health organisations participating.

Respiratory illnesses in China align with seasonal variations caused by viruses such as influenza, RSV, and HMPV. Current surveillance data from India does not indicate any unusual surge in respiratory infections, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As a precaution, the Centre has increased laboratory capacity for HMPV testing. The ICMR will monitor HMPV trends throughout the year, alongside other respiratory illnesses such as influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI). A robust network of surveillance systems, including those operated by ICMR and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), continues to track respiratory infections across the country.

Hospitals have been advised to strengthen isolation protocols for suspected cases, ensure the availability of essential medicines, and promptly report ILI and SARI cases through the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP).

Precautions to Take:

To reduce the risk of HMPV infection, individuals are advised to:

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid close contact with people who have respiratory symptoms.
• Wear masks in crowded or high-risk areas, especially during seasonal outbreaks.
• Maintain good indoor ventilation by keeping windows open when possible.
• Disinfect commonly touched surfaces regularly, such as doorknobs, toys, and tables.
• Monitor infants, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses for symptoms like persistent cough or breathing difficulties.
• Seek prompt medical attention if respiratory symptoms worsen or persist. 

New Delhi: Social media giant Meta is set to get a summons from a Parliamentary Standing Committee over its boss Mark Zuckerberg's remark on the 2024 Indian general election. Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP and chairman of the House panel on Communication and Information Technology, said Meta would be summoned on grounds of spreading misinformation.

"Misinformation on a democratic country maligns its image. The organisation would have to apologise to the Parliament and the people here for this mistake," Mr Dubey said in a post on X.

In a podcast on January 10, the 40-year-old Facebook co-founder said the Covid pandemic had led to an erosion of trust in incumbent governments the world over. He incorrectly cited India's example in this connection. "2024 was a very big election year around the world and all these countries, India, had elections. The incumbents basically lost every single one. There is some sort of a global phenomenon - whether it was because of inflation or the economic policies to deal with Covid or just how the governments dealt with Covid. It seems to have had this effect that's global," he said.

Soon after, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw fact-checked Zuckerberg's remark and said the people of India had reaffirmed their trust in the NDA led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha election held last year.

"As the world's largest democracy, India conducted the 2024 elections with over 640 million voters. People of India reaffirmed their trust in NDA led by PM @narendramodi Ji's leadership. Mr. Zuckerberg's claim that most incumbent governments, including India in 2024 elections, lost post-COVID is factually incorrect," Mr Vaishnaw, who handles portfolios of Railways, Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and Information Technology in the Modi 3.0 government, said in a post on X.

"From free food for 800 million, 2.2 billion free vaccines, and aid to nations worldwide during COVID, to leading India as the fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi's decisive 3rd-term victory is a testament to good governance and public trust. Meta, it's disappointing to see misinformation from Mr. Zuckerberg himself. Let's uphold facts and credibility," he added.

The ruling BJP, which had scored thumping victories in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, suffered some setbacks in the general election last year and ended below the majority mark. The NDA alliance, however, crossed the magic figure comfortably with key allies bolstering the BJP's numbers. A united Opposition led by the Congress did make gains, but fell well short of the numbers required to turn the tables. With Modi 3.0, Prime Minister Modi became only the second Indian Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to get the top post for three consecutive terms.