Mumbai: IndiGo will operate India’s first Airbus A321XLR aircraft between Mumbai and Athens from January 23, becoming the only airline to fly directly from India to Greece. The airline is set to foray into long-range narrowbody operations with its first extra long range aircraft.

India’s largest airline according to marketshare, IndiGo, announced on Friday its thrice weekly direct flights to Athens from Mumbai and Delhi from January 23 and 24 respectively. The inaugural flight on India’s first A321XLR, 6E-1903, will be operated from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on January 23 at 9.50am and reach Athens at 2.15pm local time. The return flight 6E-1904 will depart at 3.25pm and reach Mumbai at 2am the next day.

Similarly, Delhi-Athens route’s first flight 6E-1901 will depart on January 24 at 9.10am and reach Athens at 2.25pm while the return flight 6E-1902 will depart at 4pm and reach Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport at 3.10am the next day.

Pieter Elbers, chief executive officer of IndiGo, said, “This momentous development marks the beginning of a new era for IndiGo’s long-range narrow body operations, making us the only Indian carrier offering direct connectivity between India and Greece. With the induction of the A321XLR aircraft into our fleet, IndiGo will increasingly be able to operate deeper into Europe while maintaining the cost efficiency and operational reliability that have long defined our service.”

The Airbus A321XLR is a next-generation narrow-body aircraft with a range of up to 8,700km, which will enable IndiGo to operate non-stop flights from India to Southern Europe while maintaining its USP of cost efficiency. This aircraft will feature 12 IndiGoStretch seats in a 2X2 configuration with a generous 44-inch seat pitch and a 6-inch recline along with 183 economy class seats offering a 31-inch seat pitch and 5-inch recline.

IndiGo has partnered with Bluebox to offer next-generation digital inflight experience on its A321XLRs. It enables customers to enjoy a wide range of entertainment on their personal devices including popular Indian and Hollywood films, TV shows, games, anime, and animated series. Complimentary hot meals and beverages inspired by local and global flavours will be served to all customers on this route according to the airline.

Due to the change in weather conditions, Mumbai recorded above-normal temperatures on Friday. The maximum temperature recorded at the Santacruz observatory was 37.0 degrees Celsius, which was 3.3 degrees Celsius above normal. Meanwhile, the Colaba observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 35.6 degrees Celsius, 2.4 degrees above normal. The minimum temperatures recorded at both observatories were 25.5°C (Santacruz) and 24.5°C (Colaba), about 1°C above normal.

The sweltering hot day was followed by a thunderstorm with rainfall that Mumbai witnessed on Thursday night. “The rising temperatures are due to a change in wind circulation pattern and the delayed sea breeze setting. The high temperatures are expected to continue over the weekend,” an IMD officer said.

Mumbai has experienced a sudden change in weather conditions since the withdrawal of the monsoon. The southwest monsoon withdrew from Mumbai and Maharashtra on October 10, marking the beginning of the post-monsoon transition period that often triggers temperature fluctuations.

Palghar, Maharashtra: The Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Crime Branch has arrested two men from Bhiwandi for allegedly blackmailing an 18-year-old girl after recording her obscene video during a video call. The accused had extorted money from the victim and threatened to make the video viral.

According to police, the victim received a friend request on Instagram in August 2025 from a man claiming to be from Delhi and currently doing business in London. The two began chatting on WhatsApp soon after. On the night of September 6, 2025, the accused allegedly coerced the girl to undress during a video call and recorded the act.

The next day, he called her again—this time posing as an officer from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)—and threatened to leak the video online unless she paid ₹18,000. The victim, unable to arrange the full amount, transferred part of the money to a bank account provided by the accused.

Despite this, the harassment continued, with the accused calling from different numbers, demanding more money, and even sending the obscene video to her father and brother to increase pressure.

A case was registered at Naya Nagar Police Station under Sections 75(1), 77, 78(1)(ii) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 66(E) and 67(A) of the Information Technology Act.

During investigation, the Crime Branch Unit 1, Kashimira, launched a parallel probe. Technical analysis and inputs from informants revealed that the extorted money had been received in the account of Mohammad Shadab Ansari, a resident of Bhiwandi, who later transferred it to another Bhiwandi resident, Mohammad Taha Ansari.

Upon interrogation, Taha Ansari admitted to converting part of the ransom into USDT cryptocurrency and sending it to a foreign-based contact identified as Waqas Khan. Both accused were handed over to the Nayanagar Police for further legal action.

Police have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to be cautious while interacting with strangers online and to immediately report any incidents of sextortion or cyber blackmail to www.cybercrime.gov.in or the nearest police station.