Designer Cyril Diagne has developed an augmented reality app that can copy objects from the real world and paste them into a Photoshop document.

We studied 10,000 websites and found that their design has become more uniform over time.

Conversations happening around systems, processes, career advancement, and why our understanding of collaboration is flawed in a remote-first world.

A typeface choice could influence your perception of the lawyer opening a new law office, or the coffee shop you never noticed before.

CSS Comparison Functions become supported in Firefox on 8 April 2020, which means that they are now supported in all major browsers.

In another example of how the constraints of the pandemic are fostering creativity, artist Claire Salvo is creating edible versions of artworks.

I just released a new version of Actual and a big change is a rewrite of the budget table.

‘A bona fide football man…Whelan should be celebrated’ The Independent

Few figures in British business or sport have enjoyed Dave Whelan’s success. As a footballer he played in all four divisions. As a businessman he created one the country’s leading high street brands. And as chairman of Wigan Athletic he’s taken his club all the way from the Third Division to the Premiership.

Dave’s story is one of ambition, enterprise and tenacity – but also of a fierce loyalty. It begins in wartime Wigan with the Whelans’ desperate struggle to survive. Dave describes the terrifying wasp-like hum of the Luftwaffe; he remembers the deathly winter of 1942, peeing on his hands to stop his fingers from freezing; admits how hunger drove ordinary families to lie, cheat and steal; and relives a remarkable reunion with the father he’d never known – a returning soldier.

In peacetime a boyhood love affair with football leads him to sign with Blackburn Rovers and when national service calls he joins the Army football team, becoming close friends with ‘Busby Babes’ Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards.

Then, a vicious tackle in the 1960 FA Cup final spells the twilight of his playing career – but a new dawn in business. Starting as a market trader, he breaks the mould from day one: taking on Boots single-handedly in the Appeal Court; negotiating the sale of his supermarket chain to Ken Morrison – whilst stood at a urinal; and transforming a single tackle shop in Wigan into JJB Sports, the UK’s biggest sports retailer and a £1 billion PLC.

In 1995 he used his personal fortune to buy struggling, hometown Wigan Athletic, vowing to take the Latics all the way to the Premier League. At the time he was ridiculed, but ten years later, on the final day of the Championship, Dave watched, ecstatic, as his club beat Reading 3-1 to finally secure their place.

Sometimes tragic, frequently controversial and always heartfelt, Playing to Win lifts the lid on a life lived on the pitch and in the boardroom and tells how a hungry kid from Wigan’s backstreets became a national success and a local hero. Whelan's story was a great success in hardback, turning him into a local hero and now with the new release in paperback, Playing to Win offers football fans and general readers another chance to catch this engaging read.

Dave Whelan was the founder of retailer JJB Sports and is the chairman of Wigan Athletic Football Club. All the author’s profits will go to the new Wigan Boys and Girls Club

Playing to Win is available to buy in paperback now in local bookstores and online via the following link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dave-Whelan-Playing-Win-Autobiography/dp/1845135792/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284559060&sr=8-2

The Making of The Empire Strikes Back
J.W. Rinzler
Foreword by Ridley Scott

An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of arguably the greatest and most cherished of all the Star Wars films, the most important motion picture sequel of all-time, and a movie that changed pop culture forever: Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back.

J.W. Rinzler, author of the acclaimed The Making of Star Wars, once again uses his unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm archives, and their treasure trove of never-before published photos, design sketches, paintings, production notes, interviews, anecdotes, and scripts, to take us back thirty years to relive the entire production process for one of the most anticipated movies ever produced- along the way unveiling stories as entertaining, enthralling and mind-boggling as the film itself.

As a longstanding member of the Lucasfilm staff, J.W. Rinzler has enjoyed unparalleled co-operation and support from the original moviemakers, including both George Lucas and veteran director Irvin Keshner. The result is a truly definitive account that is destined to become a must-have for all true Star Wars fans and serious cinephiles.

Johnathan Rinzler is a New York Times bestselling author and longtime editor at Lucasfilm Publishing.

“It’s not often we come across jobs we’re envious of, but JW Rinzler’s role as official chronicler of LucasArts films sends us into fits of jealousy. As with his Star Wars and Indiana Jones books, this is an immaculately presented trawl through the dustiest recesses of the Skywalker Ranch activities, packed with unseen concept art, on-set pictures and hours of interviews recorded in 1980 (but never used) that capture the uncertainty about the film that plagued the set. Unendingly fascinating.” The Shortlist


The Making of The Empire Strikes Back is available to buy online here.

Excitement has surrounded the launch of J.W.Rinzler’s new book, The Making Of: The Empire Strikes Back. For months, fan websites and blogs have been ablaze with activity as Star Wars fans and cinephiles across the world eagerly anticipated the sequel to Rinzler’s critically acclaimed The Making Of: Star Wars. Fortunately, they have not been disappointed. With its exclusive access to the Lucasfilm archives, The Making Of: The Empire Strikes Back offers a treasure trove of never-before published photos, design sketches, paintings, production notes, interviews, anecdotes, and scripts, to offer a complete behind-the-scenes look at the production of an iconic film.

On Saturday fans celebrated the launch of The Making Of: The Empire Strikes Back at Bristol’s Forbidden Planet with an Empire Strikes Back themed extravaganza. Complete with costumes and lightsabers, fans from all generations enjoyed celebrating both the movie and the launch of this highly anticipated book. Similar celebrations have been planned at Southampton’s Forbidden Planet for this Saturday (23/10/10).




The Making of The Empire Strikes Back is available to buy online here.

• The follow up to last Christmas’ Best Seller AM I ALONE IN THINKING..?

• Another hilarious collection of letters

• Over 70,000 copies sold of its predecessor

• #1 Independent bookshops’ Christmas bestseller

'SIR – My first thought on seeing your headline, "Pupils to be taught about sex at seven" was "What, in the morning?"'

‘SIR- If anyone is unsure or not to vote for David Milliband, I would draw their attention to the photo of him in The Daily Telegraph wearing a two-buttoned suit with both buttons done up.’

'SIR – Having seen some pictures of Tiger Woods’ acquaintances, I’m thinking of taking up golf.'

In 2009 a small volume of unpublished letters to The Daily Telegraph, Am I Alone in Thinking….? captured the public imagination and became a Christmas bestseller. But to those who compile the newspaper’s daily Letters page the book’s huge appeal was no surprise. While they can publish no more than 20 letters each day, another 600 will have gone to waste and for every serious contribution there are many more that are simply very funny, and, alas, there’s never enough room to include them all.

Here then is the eagerly-awaited sequel chronicling yet another year through the whimsical preoccupations and hobbyhorses of the Telegraph’s wonderfully waggish readers. Chris Evans’ supplanting of Sir Terry Wogan on Radio 2; Tiger Woods’ peccadilloes; Gordon Brown’s long farewell – such are among the issues that exercised 2010 epistolarians.

Iain Hollingshead was deputy Letters editor of the Daily Telegraph and is now one of the paper's feature writers. He lives in London.

I Could Go On... is available to purchase online here.

Leonard Rossiter:
Character Driven
The Untold Story of a Comic Genius

Affectionate, honest and long overdue, Character Driven is the first biography of one of Britain’s greatest, but least-known character actors. Whether playing seedy landlord Rupert Rigsby in Rising Damp or frustrated suburban dreamer Reggie Perrin, Rossiter’s performances were iconic and utterly memorable. Like Peter Sellers or Ronnie Barker, his characters loom larger in our national consciousness than the actor who played them. Until now, Rossiter himself has remained a mystery.

Via exhaustive research and in-depth interviews with those who knew and worked with Rossiter, Guy Adams reveals the man behind the threadbare cardigan and manic grimace.

Leonard Rossiter: Character Driven will finally shed light on the personality of one of the greatest comic actors of the twentieth century, and reveal why he was able to give such epoch-defining performances.

Guy Adams worked as an actor for twelve years before becoming a writer, specialising in TV and entertainment. He is the author of the official guide to Life on Mars and the bestselling humour book based on the series, The Rules of Modern Policing: 1973 Edition. He also wrote the Torchwood novel The House That Jack Built.

Leonard Rossiter: Character Driven is available to purchase here.

Fifth Avenue, 5.A.M.
Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s

by Sam Wasson

‘A brilliant chronicle of the creation of Breakfast at Tiffany's… This is a memorable achievement’
Peter Bogdanovich

‘A sparkling time capsule of old Hollywood magic and mythmaking… as infectious as Mancini’s score’
Kirkus

Before Breakfast at Tiffany’s Audrey Hepburn was still a little-known actress with few film roles to speak of; after it – indeed, because of it - she was one of the world’s most famous fashion, style and screen icons. Truman Capote’s original novel is itself a modern classic, its high-living author of perennial interest.

Now, this little book - the first about Audrey Hepburn’s greatest screen role - tells the story of how it all happened: how Audrey got the role (for which at first she wasn't considered, and which she at first didn’t want); how long it took to get the script right; how she came to wear the little black dress; and how Henry Mancini’s soundtrack with its memorable signature tune ‘Moon River’ completed the irresistible package.

Sam Wasson is also the author of a biography of Blake Edwards.

Fifth Avenue, 5.A.M. Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's is available to purchase here.

Lost Victorian Britain
A Vanished World of Nineteenth-Century Architecture
Gavin Stamp

"This is a book which no member of the Victorian Society should be without" The Victorian

"This is an important book. It tells the story of the loss of so much grace and beauty in the English architectural landscape. It should be on the desk of every architect and every town planner.” The Northern Echo

Aurum’s series of large-format, lavishly-illustrated architecture titles has in recent years hit a rich seam with its chronicles of lost architecture. The books cover the magnificent and grand buildings from previous centuries that for a variety of reasons – but above all cavalier demolition by twentieth-century planners devoted to the cause of modernism – are now no more, and exist only in heartbreakingly poignant photographs. Gavin Stamp’s own Britain’s Lost Cities was the most recent.

Now, Stamp follows with another superb book, chronicling an astonishing and depressing array of the finest Victorian architecture – all sacrificed to the wrecking ball. From public baths to hotels, town houses, factories and banks; photographs are all we have left. Gavin Stamp’s indignant and scholarly text looks back at the circumstances of their loss, and analyses the twentieth-century mindset that could hold so many magnificent buildings in such little regard.

Gavin Stamp is one of Britain’s most eminent architectural historians and writers. His other books for Aurum are Lutyens Houses and the acclaimed Britain’s Lost Cities. For many years he was Chairman of the Twentieth Century Society.

Lost Victorian Britain is available to purchase here.

To The Last Round
The Epic British Stand on the Imjin River, Korea 1951
by Andrew Salmon

On the eve of Remembrance Day 2010, a book on Britain's bloodiest - but almost completely unknown - post-1945 battle won the inaugural Hampshire Libraries (Special Collections) Award for the Best Military Book of 2009 from a field of 60 key military titles.

“In a list of very strong military books, this is an excellent book," said renowned broadcaster and bestselling historian Professor Richard Holmes, the patron of the award. "It well-deserves the winning award."

"A neglected battle that in fact deserves to join the first rank of British military actions, To the Last Round is a book that does its subject proud," added Librarian Andrew Dalziel. "This is easily one of the best books I have read on a military subject in recent years: truly inspiring."

The inaugural award is designed to highlight the three "armed services" collections - aviation, naval and military - in Hampshire Libraries. The military collection alone boasts 18, 000 titles.

Salmon, a Seoul-based reporter, sent an acceptance speech filmed on the Imjn battleground, where the 1951 British positions remain fortified to this day against the North Korean threat.

"I'd like to thank the award panel for recognizing an unknown author writing about a forgotten war," Salmon said. "Though Korea remains the biggest, bloodiest and most brutal conflict fought by British soldiers since World War II, it is almost completely unknown in the UK; I hope this award will bring veterans some long-overdue recognition."

Salmon and film makers Dan Gordon and Howard Reid are hoping to create a documentary on the book. The author is currently finalizing a prequel, Scorched Earth, Black Snow which tells the story of the Australian and British soldiers in North Korea in winter 1950, the most dramatic, but most terrible months of the war, in the words of the men who came home. It will be published by Aurum in early 2011.


Richard Holmes handing the award to Sam Mercer (representing the author), a veteran of the Gloster battalion annihilated on the Imjin, and a survivor of the grim North Korean POW camps. A chance meeting with Mercer, who lost a leg and an eye in the fighting, provided Salmon with the inspiration for his book. Richard Sullivan of Osprey Publishing (the award sponsors) stands between them.


Graham Eames was there on behalf of Aurum Press and Andrew Salmon

Ashes 2011 by Gideon Haigh

England's stunning victory over Astralia in the Ahses series galvanised the nation. Now, Gideon Haigh, aclaimed as the 'finest living cricket writer', has written the first book about this remarkable sporting feat. Following each Test day by day, mixing vivid reportage with erudite wit, Haigh's chronicle is no 'instant bok' but rather a characteristically considered and memorable work.

Coming: February 2011
Format: Hardback, 256pp w./ 8pp colour plates
Price: £12.99



The Sport of Kings, Queens and Four-Legged Athletes Edited by Martin Smith

Horse racing is a massive commercial industry with a multi-million pound turnover in betting, breeding and prizemoney. But it is also a fun day out. The Sport of Kings... relives racing's greatest moments through the passion and authority of the sports pages' true thoroughbreds inclusing John Oaksey, Brough Scott and J.A. McGrath.

Coming: February 2011
Format: Hardback, 384pp
Price: £20



Mile by Mile on Britain's Railways by S.N. Pike

Back in 1947 someone called S.N. Pike - we know almost nothing about him - published three pamphlets which mapped in forensic detail one of Britain's mainline rail routes. Today, Aurum reissues those three - adding a fourth in the same style - in this single volume. Full of period interst, this delightful book reminds us of what once could be seen at leisure on a long railway journey.

Coming: March 2011
Format: Hardback, 160pp w./ line drawings throughout
Price: £12.99



The Cheltenham Festival by Robin Oakley

The Cheltenham Festival is nowadays the biggest event in the racing year in visitor numbers and 2011 marks a hundred years since the birth of the Festival. A work of both hisory and celebration, Oakley's book is a must have for both the committed festival-goer and the armchair racing fan.

Coming: March 2011
Format: Hardback, 304pp
Price: £20




Subdued Magic : Raymond Chandler a Life by Tom Williams

A majour new biography of one of the twentieth century's most popular, influential and enduring literary figures. Tom Williams' fascinating book covers everything from Chandler's isolated upbringing to his growing alcohol problems, pointing out the origins of his prose, characters and style along the way.

Coming: April 2011
Format: Hardback, 400pp w./ 16pp B&W plates
Price: £20




The Man Who Invented The Daleks by Alwym W. Turner

Terry Nation was one of the most successful and prolific writers for television and radio that Britain ever produced, and his most famous creations, the daleks, ensured the success of Doctor Who. This is the first serious, mainstream account of Terry Nation's life and tremendous contribution to British television.

Coming: May 2011
Format: Hardback, 356pp
Price: £20


The VW Camper Van: a biography by Mike Harding

The Volkswagen Camper van has long escaped its military origins and become the embodiment of freedom and the open road. Combining his endless curiosity flair for stand up comedy, Harding has created a wonderful social history of the postwar yearsthrough the prism of a single transport icon.

Coming: April 2011
Format: Hardback, 256pp
Price: £16.99

Whitney Port, MTV reality star turned clothing designer, now launches her new lifestyle guide, True Whit; a personal and honest template for ‘designing a life of style, beauty, and fun’. Through a range of chapters on everything from career advice and relationship issues to fashion tips, fitness plans and even decorating ideas, Whitney shares the secrets to an independent and glamorous world.

Now, Aurum Press, in association with Lookfantastic, are offering you the chance to quiz the girl herself and receive some individual advice and ‘Whittyisms’ on any element of creating a fabulous and stylish life of your own. All you have to do is send your question to the Lookfantastic Twitter page and, on 19th May 2011, Whitney will be personally responding to a selection of submissions. For full details about the competition and how to enter, follow this link: http://blog.lookfantastic.com/?p=3563.

Whitney Port, True Whit is available to buy now: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/184513673X/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1A1GA14XN229ZJ1NQEFE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128533&pf_rd_i=468294

You can see cosmopolitan.co.uk’s feature on the book here: http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/campus/student-careers/interview-tips

‘Intimate and honest, this book provides tips on everything from dating to decorating’- Heat Magazine.

‘A tale of monsters, megalomaniacs and the golden age of British television’

In 1963, the Daleks were first introduced to British television and straight away became impressed on the nation’s consciousness. There they have remained, instantly recognisable, terrifying and delighting generation after generation. In his new biography, The Man Who Invented the Daleks, Alwyn Turner explores the often strange worlds of their creator, Terry Nation; a man whose impact on modern British culture has, until now, been relatively unexplored.

Turner not only reflects on how the Daleks became an overnight success, to be immersed in British pop culture for all time, but also reveals their inventor’s bemusement at the phenomenon he created, reflecting on tales of fan mail being addressed to simply ‘the Dalek man, London’. This biography however goes beyond the world of Dr. Who and his greatest nemesis to explore a career that influenced a great deal of the television culture we know today.

Alwyn W. Turner is the author of, amongst other titles, Crisis? What Crisis: Britain in the 1970s and Rejoice! Rejoice!: Britain in the 1980s.

‘Alwyn Turner shapes Nation's extraordinary career into a wonderfully rich account of British popular culture since the war. Carefully researched and beautifully written, his book covers everything from the early days of Doctor Who’ http://www.doctorwhoappreciationsociety.co.uk/Celestial_Toyshop/Books.html

The Man Who Invented the Daleks is released in May 2011 and is available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Who-Invented-Daleks-Strange/dp/1845136098/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305207125&sr=8-1

The Ray Harryhausen Fantasy Scrapbook
by Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton

Widely acclaimed as one of the most influential film animators of all time, Ray Harryhausen is responsible for such classic films as Clash of the Titans, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts. In the film world his name is synonymous with the pioneering of stop motion animation and he has been an inspiration to household names such as Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas, among many others.

The Ray Harryhausen Fantasy Scrapbook gives us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life and works of this creative genius. Designed in the form of a scrapbook, this collection includes everything from concept drawings, scripts and poster designs to outtakes from classic films, models from unrealised projects and letters from cast and crew. This book is a must-have for film buffs, Harryhausen fans and anyone interested in animation, graphics or the film-making process.

Coming: November 2011
Format: Hardback, 192 pp, 900 colour and b&w illustrations
Price: £30

We're two weeks into the New Year, so if you haven't quite got round to joining the gym or learning a language yet, why not make it your resolution to read one of these great new books from Aurum:

The Austerity Olympics by Janie Hampton

It can't possibly have escaped anyone's notice that London's Olympic year has finally arrived. But while we're getting caught up in this summer's excitement, 2012 will also be a time to look back to when Britain last hosted the Games.

The London Olympics of 1948 were a vastly different occasion to this year's extravaganza. With the Blitz fresh in the city's memory and rationing still in force, the Games were organised for less than one hundredth of a per cent of 2012's massive budget. Janie Hampton's The Austerity Olympics is a vivid account of the Olympic Games of the past. With tales of athletes being ferried to events on double-decker buses and sewing their own kit in makeshift accommodation, the book depicts a world that is far removed from the Games of 2012. It will be a fascinating read for Olympic fanatics and sceptics alike.

Interviews with some of the athletes who competed in 1948 can be read in Kate Youde's fascinating article for the Independent here.

"[Hampton] has an illuminating sense of detail, and her book tells a story that goes beyond that of a sporting event - a story of innocence, hope and pride." The Daily Telegraph

"Hampton's excellent book should be compulsory reading for everyone involved in the 2012 London Olympics." Daily Mail Critics' Choice

Re-issued: April 2012
Format: Paperback, 368 pages
Price: £8.99

The previous edition of The Austerity Olympics is available to buy here.


Banksy: The Man Behind the Wall by Will Ellsworth-Jones

From his home city of Bristol to Los Angeles, New York and London, Banksy's exhibitions have attracted huge audiences. New works of graffiti go viral almost instantly, and such is the commercial value of his work that people have hacked whole walls from buildings because they bear his trademark stencilled designs.

But how much do we really know about this notoriously secretive artist? How has he become the phenomenal success that he is today, and how does he protect his anonymity under the glare of worldwide fame? In Banksy: The Man Behind the Wall, Will Ellsworth-Jones pieces together his subject's life and builds a picture of the world in which he operates. Incorporating interviews with friends and enemies, those who knew him in his early, unnoticed days and those who have watched him come to terms with his new-found fame, this is a book that gets to the very heart of who Banksy is and what his life's work adds up to.

Banksy: The Man Behind the Wall is released in March. In the meantime, you can see a few of his best works at his official website.

Coming: March 2012
Format: Hardback, 320pp
Price: £20


Just Boris: The Irresistible Rise of a Political Celebrity by Sonia Purnell

In May, Londoners will go to the polls to choose their next mayor. The question on the minds of many will be whether the capital keeps Boris Johnson or ends his four-year spell at City Hall. Speculation that he has one eye on Downing Street continues to bubble to the surface, but one thing remains certain: Johnson is Britain's most recognisable and comically self-deprecating politician. He has become notorious for his gaffes and attracted controversy with his candid manner, but has climbed to one of Britain's highest political offices nonetheless.

As a former colleague of Johnson's at the Daily Telegraph, Sonia Purnell holds a unique vantage point over the Mayor of London's remarkable career. In Just Boris, she examines how the archetypal old Etonian came to be a Man of the People capable of charming London; how a shy young boy from a broken home became one of our most distinctive political figures; and how the Johnson family has built a media and political dynasty.

The first comprehensive account of his life and career, Just Boris unravels a political enigma and asks whether the man who has made his mark on London has what it takes to be Prime Minister.

You can read Carole Cadwalladr's review of Just Boris for the Guardian here.

"Sonia Purnell must have had huge fun writing this wonderful book. The only person who won't be amused is Boris himself." Michael Crick

"Future biographers will always be in her debt. Purnell has accumulated a wealth of previously unknown detail." Andrew Grimson, The Spectator

Coming: March 2012
Format: Paperback, 464 pages
Price: £8.99

Just Boris is available to buy in hardback here.

Over the past 30 years, Prince Rogers Nelson has been one of the most original and charismatic figures in music. Known for seminal hits such as 'Kiss', 'Little Red Corvette' and 'Let's Go Crazy', his restless creativity has made a profound mark on the music industry and popular culture. Even more remarkable, perhaps, is the scale and longevity of his success; at the height of his fame, his album Purple Rain sold a million copies a week in the US, and just four years ago his sell-out London concerts attracted over 350,000 fans.

Prince: Inside the Music and the Masks is the most intimate and authoritative biography ever to be written about this fascinating artist, and Aurum are delighted to be releasing it this February. Acclaimed music journalist Ronin Ro lays bare the life of one of one of the most extraordinary musicians of our time, chronicling Prince's journey from teenage obscurity to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Through unrivalled access to producers, bandmates and close friends, he peels away the masks to tell the story of a true modern icon.

You can read an exclusive excerpt from Prince: Inside the Music and the Masks at the Vanity Fair website.

Coming: February 2012
Format: Hardback, 384 pages
Price: £20

Despite numerous logistical challenges due to the lockdown, BLR Airport, backed with cutting-edge tech-assets for cargo processing, ensured that products reach their destination, while still offering the same freshness, quality and appeal.

IATA has already sought a ‘rescue package’, including direct financial support and a host of other one-time concessions, from GoI to mitigate revenue losses. Every passenger lost by an airline is a corresponding passenger loss — and consequent revenue loss — to airports.

The move paves the way for these consortia, which include ones floated by budget airline SpiceJet, Nandan Nilekani-backed ShopX, Google-backed Dunzo and drone maker Throttle Aerospace, to pilot the use of drones to transport goods, once approved.

Spicejet on Wednesday informed pilots that they will be paid only a small percentage of their salaries for the period that the airline has to ground services due to lockdown.

The first flight for evacuating Indians, mostly Keralites, stranded in Abu Dhabi departed from Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) at 12.30 pm on Thursday, official sources said .

For all flights between India and the USA under the Vande Bharat mission, Air India is charging a fixed fare of Rs 1 lakh per passenger. For flights between India and Singapore, the charge is Rs 18,000-20,000 per passenger, and it is Rs 50,000 per person for India-UK flights.

Many airlines have already started undertaking salary cuts for their employees, including leave without pay and laying off pilots and crew members to cut costs. However, until the cash inflows resume, the airlines would require funding support to meet their expenses, it said in a report.

Puri suggested that airlines should encourage contact-less checkin and customers should take precautions like wearing masks and protective gear while they travel. He said the Indian airlines have a short-term problem of paying loans to their debtors but could revive quickly as India has a wide customer base.

“While we had paid employee salaries in full for the months of March and April, I am afraid that we are left with no option but to implement the originally announced pay-cuts from the month of May 2020,” CEO Ronojoy Dutta told staff in a letter. Dutta said the leave would range from 1.5 to 5 days and would’t impact level A or the bottom rung of employees.

Air India's pilot unions IPG and ICPA has urged Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to "urgently" provide financial support to the national carrier amid private airlines' cry for a bailout package in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The flight was part of the Vande Bharat mission which started on Thursday to bring back stranded Indian nationals home amid the novel coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Air India employee unions have moved the Bombay High Court against the airline's decision to slash allowances, which form a major part of salary, by ten per cent because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The airports located in North East are quick connecting links between the states and the people living here and during the nation-wide lock down, the AAI has been providing air navigational and on ground services for the- Life Line Udan flights enabling smooth and timely flow of medical goods and supporting items to the states.

Passengers will be tested for temperature, one of the symptoms of COVID-19, before boarding and only those showing no symptoms would be able to make the journey.

Quality of forecasts as meteorological information from aeroplanes has fallen up to 90%.