A regional passenger plan operated by Skyward Express crash landed in Kenya this afternoon.Accoring to the Kenya Civil Aviation Administration all passengers escaped from the plane. No casulties are reportedThe plane crash landed at a KKenya military base in Elwak, in the remote province Mandera The small passenger aircraft operated by Nairobi-based s regional airline Skyward Express was able to crash land in Boru Hache near the Kenya- Somali – Ethiopian border. The aircraft appears to be a Dash8- Q 300 Mandera is the capital of Mandera County in the former North Eastern Province of Kenya. It is situated at around 3°55′N 41°50′E, near the borders with Somalia and Ethiopia. Skyward Express, is a private airline operating in Kenya. It serves local destinations, from its two operations bases at Wilson Airport for passengers and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for cargo. Both airports are located in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital city. The airline maintains its headquarters at Wilson Airport, within Nairobi, Kenya’s largest city and the country’s capital. Wilson Airport is located approximately 5 kilometers (3 mi), by road, southwest of the city center. The airline maintains a private building at Wilson Airport, for the exclusive use of Skyward Express staff and clients. The building is “equipped with a modern cafeteria”, among other amenities. Skyward Express was established in 2013, by two pilots; one of whom serves as the chairman of the airline, while the other serves as its managing director. Skyward Express inherited some equipment and some routes from the defunct Skyward International Aviation. With the cessation of service by Skyward International Aviation, the two licensed pilots, Mohamed Abdi and Issack Somow started Skyward Express and began commercial operations in 2013. Initially, the airline offered passenger charter and cargo service between Nairobi, Kenya, and destinations in neighboring Somalia. These services included the shipment of miraa from Nairobi to Somalia. With the acquisition of more aircraft, the airline has expanded and diversified its passenger and cargo service to include more destinations and frequencies to oil-rich northwestern Kenyan counties and the coastal tourist attractions.

Qatar Airways, Etihad and Emirates are globally competing for passengers changing planes in their transit hub Doha in Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE.In the battle to be the pre-eminent travel hub in the Middle East, the latest research, which has the world’s freshest and most comprehensive fight booking data, reveals that in the first half of 2021, Doha seized and consolidated a lead over Dubai. In the period 1st January to 30th June, the volume of air tickets issued for travel via Doha was 18% higher than it was through Dubai; and that relationship looks set to continue. Current bookings for the second half of the year through Doha are 17% higher than through Dubai. At the start of the year, air traffic through Doha was at 77% of Dubai; but it quickly reached 100% for the first time during the week commencing 27th January. The major factor driving the trend was the lifting, in January, of the blockade of flights to and from Qatar, which was imposed in June 2017 by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, who accused Qatar of sponsoring terrorism – an accusation strongly denied by Qatar. As soon as it was imposed, the blockade had an immediate negative impact on flights to and from Doha. For example, Qatar Airways was forced to drop 18 destinations from its network. In addition, various flights through Doha suffered extended journey times, as planes had to make detours to avoid blockading counties’ air space. The destination and its major carrier, Qatar Airways, did not respond to the blockade by cutting back; instead, it opened 24 new routes to utilize what would otherwise have been idle aircraft. Since January 2021, five routes, Cairo, Dammam, Dubai, Jeddah, and Riyadh, to/from Doha have been reopened and traffic on other routes has grown. The reinstated routes which have made the most substantial relative contribution to visitor arrivals are Dammam to Doha, reaching 30% of pre-blockade arrivals in the first half of 2017, and Dubai to Doha, 21%. In addition, new connections with Seattle, San Francisco, and Abidjan, were established in December 2020, January 2021, and June 2021 respectively. The major existing routes which have shown the strongest growth compared to pre-pandemic levels (H1 2021 vs H1 2019), by a total number of passengers arriving in Qatar, are: Sao Paulo, up 137%, Kyiv, up by 53%, Dhaka, up 29% and Stockholm, up 6.7%. There have also been notable increases in seat capacity between Doha and Johannesburg, up 25%, Male, up 21%, and Lahore up 19%. A deeper analysis of seat capacity shows that in the coming quarter, Q3 2021, seat capacity between Doha and its neighbors in the Middle East will be only 5.6% less than pre-pandemic levels and the majority, 51.7%, of it is allocated to reinstated routes to/from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The last major factor, which has given Qatar an edge over Dubai, has been its reaction to the pandemic. During the height of the COVID-19 crisis, many routes in and out of Doha remained operational, with the result that Doha became a major hub for repatriation flights – most notably to Johannesburg and Montreal. A comparison of market share during the first half of 2021, against the first half of 2019, reveals that Doha has substantially improved its position against Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Currently, hub traffic is divided 33% Doha, 30% Dubai, 9% Abu Dhabi; previously, it was 21% Doha, 44% Dubai, 13% Abu Dhabi. Olivier Ponti, VP Insights, ForwardKeys commented: “Without the blockade, which encouraged the establishment of new routes as a strategy to replace lost traffic, perhaps we would not have seen Doha charging past Dubai. So, it seems that the seeds of Doha’s relative success were, ironically, sown by the adverse actions of its neighbors. However, one needs to bear in mind that flights through the Middle East during H1 2021 were still 81% below pre-pandemic levels. So, as the recovery gathers pace, the picture could change significantly.”

Bangkok – Samui (roundtrip) 2 flights per day Sealed routes flights between Bangkok and Samui, that will accommodate international transit passengers (3 flights per day) Samui – Phuket (roundtrip) 4 flights per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday), these flights will be available from 16 July 2021 onwards  Last week it was reported that Bangkok, the Bangkok, the City of Angels is under another COVID-19 surge. Today Bangkok Airways reacted and canceled the following domestic flights: 1. Bangkok – Chiang Mai (roundtrip)  2. Bangkok – Phuket (roundtrip) 3. Bangkok – Sukhothai (roundtrip) 4. Bangkok – Lampang (roundtrip) 5. Bangkok – Trat (roundtrip)   Samui – Singapore (roundtrip) 3 flights per week (Monday, Thursday, and Sunday), these flights will be available from 1 August 2021 onwards. Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited is a regional airline based in Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore, and Vietnam. Its main base is Suvarnabhumi Airport. Passengers who are scheduled to travel before 31 July 2021 can have fees waived for rebooking or alternatively may request a refund in the form of a travel voucher to be used for future ticketing. Passengers can make any necessary changes up to 24 hours prior to their flight. More information can be seen at www.bangkokair.com/travel-voucher (terms and conditions apply).  Passengers who wish to amend their travels with no new specified travel date (open ticket) can submit their request via https://forms.office.com/r/WjcEEfQX2L within 24 hours prior to the proposed departure date. The airline will use information provided via such form in order to further accommodate passengers.    Passengers can contact the airline via the following channels;  Passengers who booked their tickets through travel agencies are advised to directly contact their agents for further arrangements.  Moreover, the airline encourages passengers to check announcements, orders, and travel procedures, for each destination prior to travel from the related authorities such as:  The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)    http://www.moicovid.com/ข้อมูลสำคัญ-จังหวัด/  Airports of Thailand www.airportthai.co.th/en/ Department of Airports www.facebook.com/DepartmentOfAirports/ 

Jamaica could become the aviation hub for the Caribbean connecting to new markets that include the United Arab Emirates, or Saudi Arabia.The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia already became a global tourism hot spot. With a little help, Jamaica could be on its way to become the center for Caribbean Tourism.Saudi Arabia has the money and connections. Jamaica is seen as a global tourism trend setter. A new winning partnership is in the making, and perhaps on fast track. A revolution Bob Marley style may have done the magic. A new era of a tourism opportunity just started in Jamaica, when the Minister of Tourism for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia HE Ahmed Al Khateeb was seen with his host, the Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, HE Edmund Bartlett. Both ministers were wearing a baseball hat indicating a “Revolution.” A Travel and Tourism revolution, Bob Marley style? Saudi and Jamaica Minister of Tourism have a vision. Saudi Arabia has become the hot spot for global tourism. UNWTO opened a regional headquarter in Saudi Arabia , so did WTTC and the Global Resilience & Crisis Management Center may follow. Known for always thinking out of the box and having a global mindset the Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett was seen all smiling when he met with his Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb the Minister of Tourism for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi minister was in Jamaica for the recently concluded 66th regional meeting of the World Tourism Organization. This was an opportunity to discuss the possibility of an air link between the Caribbean and the Gulf region. Such an air link would be an opportunity for Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean to establish a never before seen opportunity to connect the Middle East, India, Africa, Asia with direct air links to the Caribbean. Jamaica could become the airline hub with feeder flights from other Caribbean countries to connect. This would not only generate new markets for the Caribbean, but also increase connectivity between island nations. Barlett said about his meeting with the Saudi Minister: “We talked about air connectivity and how to link the Middle East, the Asian market, and the areas within that side of the world. We talked about mega airlines that are in those areas. Particularly Etihad, Emirates and Saudi Arabian Airlines.” As a result the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Jamaica signed an agreement of intend. This was reported by eTurboNews on Friday. A drink (no alcohol) “The agreement that Minister Al Khateeb will bring to the table are those major airline partners, while I will be responsible for coordinating with the countries that are cooperating with us in the multi-destination tourism framework, to enable a Hub. Having such a hub in Jamaica traffic can move from the Middle East and come into our area and have a distribution from one country to the next,” he added. Bartlett thinks this possible multi-destination approach is critical to the development of tourism in the region and will broaden the market to create the critical mass that is needed to attract larger airlines and major tour operators to become interested in Jamaica and the region. It’s not only about air connectivity from gateways in the UAE, or Saudi Arabia to Jamaica. It’s the feeder flight opportunities from India, Africa, Central and South East Asia via the Gulf gateway to the Caribbean without having to worry about strict U.S. visa policies. Jamaica could become the tourism and global business hub for the Caribbean region. “For us, this is a game-changer in the making because small countries like Jamaica will never have the capacity to have large airlines like Emirates Airlines or Saudia coming to us with direct flights. However, we can benefit from these airlines coming into the Caribbean space, landing here in Jamaica but having distribution to other countries in the region,” he explained. A wining team and a final dance Al Khateeb, was also firm on strengthening connectivity between the Middle East and the Caribbean. The Saudi Minister said in Jamaica: “We discussed with my colleagues very critical topics and we are in support of creating bridges between the Middle East and the Caribbean. I thank Minister Bartlett for this opportunity and look forward to expanding the corporation for expanding the Middle East and the Caribbean,” he said. Both ministers also discussed other areas of possible collaboration, including human capital development, community tourism and building resilience within the region. Bartlett explained: “One of the key areas that we discussed was the development of resilience and crisis management, as well as sustainability as critical pillars on which the recovery of tourism must be predicated. But more so, the importance of building capacity within countries that have tourism as the driver of their economies – countries that are weakly resourced and vulnerable to disruptions. We are going to see collaboration in the building out of the resilience centre here in Jamaica and the resilience centre that is in Saudi Arabia,” said Bartlett. Currently there is no timeline on these ideas, but certainly tourism is moving forward in Jamaica and beyond – and it may not only be with North American and UK visitors only.

Sabre Corporation a software and technology provider and Virgin Australia have a renewal of their global distribution agreement.  Under the renewed agreement, Sabre will continue to distribute Virgin Australia flights and services through the Sabre GDS marketplace, I will ensure that hundreds of thousands of Sabre-connected agencies will continue to have access to Virgin Australia’s great value products and services.   “Although international borders remain largely closed at the moment, there is a lot of pent-up demand and positivity in the domestic market,” said David Orszaczky, General Manager Digital, and Distribution, Virgin Australia. “We’re committed to creating an ecosystem that delivers great value for customers and ensuring our agency partners can help deliver the many travel experiences we offer in their preferred channel.”   “We are thrilled to reaffirm our longstanding collaboration with Virgin Australia at this important time for the carrier and for the travel industry,” said Rakesh Narayanan, Regional General Manager, Asia Pacific, Travel Solutions, Airline Sales. “Our renewed agreement provides certainty to the travel industry that Virgin Australia’s travel agency content will continue to be available on the Sabre GDS as well as being testament to the commitment of both Virgin Australia and Sabre to providing rich content through our global distribution network.”  

Has Southwest Airlines been attacked by a computer hacker, a foreign country, or a virus? There is speculation and a lot of suspense.Southwest Airlines flights within the U.S. have temporarily suspended today.The FAA issued a temporary nationwide ground stop at the request of Southwest Airlines while the company resolved a reservation computer issue. Please contact the airline for further details. A passionate Southwest Airlines passenger said: “I’d like to remind everyone, as I sit in the St Louis airport waiting to board, that the outages today on @SouthwestAir are not the fault of the employees working at the desks and on the planes today. They are doing everything they can. Do not yell at them.” The airline tweeted: “We are aware of system issues and are working quickly to resolve,” the airline tweeted. “We will share more info soon.” A frustrated passenger said: Southwest staff told me at the gate, “Air traffic control is canceling flights, not Southwest, and because of that we can’t compensate you.” I was LIED to. I had to spend my own money on a hotel and a ride to it from the airport. Don’t defend them! The airline also stated: We are in the process of resuming normal operations after a system issue this afternoon that created flight disruptions throughout our network. We know many Customers still require assistance and are working to address those concerns as quickly as possible. So far 478 flights were canceled and 528 delayed at Southwest Airlines The reason for the computers going down remains a mystery. No information was found on Southwest Airlines website. On social media and by insiders the issue may be related to a cyber-attack or ransomware incident. To keep everyone calm Southwest Airlines just issued this tweet:This week, we turn 50. That’s why we’re giving you 50% back on 50 days of travel in the fall. All you gotta do is book by Thursday, using promo code SAVE50. Yes, this is real. Yes, this is epic. Southwest Airlines Co., typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world’s largest low-cost carrier airline. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 115 destinations in the United States and ten additional countries.

London Heathrow has faced 15 consecutive months of suppressed demand, with passenger numbers languishing at 90% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels – a loss of over 6 million passengers in the month.One month after the Government hailed the restart of international travel and assured the public that a risk-based traffic light system would unlock low-risk travel, the system has yet to achieve what it was designed to do. Ministers’ refusal to provide transparency on the data behind the decision-making and failure to introduce a green ‘watchlist’ has undermined consumer confidence. At the next review for the UK Government to evaluate COVID-19 restrictions on June 28th, officials must rely on the science and restart travel to low-risk countries like the US, clear a pathway to restriction-free travel for vaccinated passengers, and replace expensive PCR tests with the lateral flow for low-risk arrivals. With Ministers now promising to prioritize the domestic unlock and no clear end date to travel restrictions, a bespoke support plan for the beleaguered and neglected travel industry must be forthcoming. The sector employs tens of thousands of people across Britain who will be wondering what will happen to their jobs and livelihoods after another lost summer. The Government should provide targeted compensation to the sector, starting with business rates relief and an extension to the furlough scheme whilst Ministers continue to keep travel locked down. Reopening transatlantic travel is critical to the UK and US and we welcome the establishment of the joint travel taskforce. Earlier this week the CEOs of American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic and Heathrow Airport joined forces to stress the need to safely reopen the transatlantic corridor. CEBR research shows that Heathrow’s US passengers accounted for over £3bn pounds of spend across the UK in 2019. Pre-pandemic Britain was the top destination for US tourists, but this leadership position is at risk of being snapped up and our Global Britain ambitions undermined by France and Italy, who are already set to open their doors to vaccinated American travellers in the coming weeks. G7 leaders must seize the opportunity to join forces and tackle one of the biggest challenges facing our generation, climate change. Major carriers within G7 states have committed to net-zero flying by 2050, however, we can only achieve this goal by rapidly scaling up the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). The technology exists – Heathrow took its first delivery of SAF last week – but we need the right Government policies to build confidence in demand. We are calling on world leaders to collectively commit to escalating mandates of 10% SAF use by 2030, growing to at least 50% by 2050, and price incentive mechanisms that have kick-started other low carbon sectors. The G7 should take a global lead in committing to net-zero aviation, agree to at least 10% SAF in its communique, and build a global coalition for those who back that ambition.

Ryanair is back at Belfast City Airport and has today commenced its summer schedule which will connect passengers to Europe following the easing of travel restrictions in Northern Ireland.Flights taking off this week to five destinations will allow passengers to enjoy the sun and fun in both Portugal and Spain, with flights to Italy to follow at the beginning of July.Ryanair will operate up to 14 flights per week to Faro in Portugal, while passengers will be able to travel to Alicante, Malaga, and the popular Balearic island of Mallorca up to 14 times per week, as well as Barcelona up to ten times per week throughout the summer season. Katy Best, Commercial Director at Belfast City Airport, said: “With travel restrictions easing, we are seeing an increase in demand from passengers keen to return to flying and travelling internationally. “Welcoming Ryanair’s first flights today is significant as it marks the start of a busy summer schedule from Belfast City Airport.” The inaugural flights mark the return of Ryanair to Belfast City Airport following an eleven year absence. The airline will commence further flights to Valencia, Ibiza, and Milan taking off on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd July respectively. Katy continued: “Ryanair’s low fares and hassle-free service appeal to a wide range of passengers and it’s great to have the airline back flying from Belfast City Airport once again.” Ryanair’s Director of Marketing, Dara Brady said: “We’re delighted to be returning to Belfast City Airport this summer, offering the lowest fares to our customers holidaying in popular European hotspots. “The successful rollout of the UK vaccination programme coupled with the easing of travel restrictions has given a much-needed boost to consumer confidence and we look forward to welcoming our customers on flights to Spain, Portugal & Italy this summer.” Find flights and fare information for Ryanair’s eight new sunshine routes from Belfast City Airport at ryanair.co.uk For the latest travel advice, visit nidirect.gov.uk and Belfast City Airport’s dedicated webpage. Passengers should also consult the latest entry requirements for the country they are travelling to for their dates of travel.

Emirates in rough waters over suspended flights to India flights, the main feeder and transit market for the Dubai based carrier. The airline may have contemplated government bailouts is the rumor.Emirates will resume flights between Dubai and Venice from 1 July According to HRH Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, CEO of Emirates, these flights will Increase trade and tourism connectivity between the UAE and Italy. The airline will also increase services to Milan from 8 to 10 weekly flights in July. This will comprise of a daily service on the Dubai-Milan-New York JFK route, and a 3-weekly return flights between Dubai and Milan. Together with Emirates’ 5 weekly flights to Rome and 3 weekly flights to Bologna, this will take the airline’s total services to Italy to 21 weekly flights to 4 cities in July. Emirates will serve Venice, Milan, Rome and Bologna with its modern and comfortable widebody Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Emirates’ expansion of flight services in Italy follows the start of “Covid-Tested flight”arrangements, which allow its passengers to travel to Italy without quarantine on arrival. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive said: “We welcome the Covid-Tested flight arrangements and would like to thank the Italian and UAE authorities for their ongoing efforts to ease and facilitate international travel. The UAE has a strong and longstanding relationship with Italy and the safe return of air connectivity will help boost mutual trade and tourism. As a global commercial hub, and home to people from more than 200 nations, Dubai and the UAE have spared no effort to keep communities safe from the pandemic – from our world-leading vaccination programme to our bio-safety protocols across all sectors including recreation and entertainment facilities, to schools, businesses and airports. We hope that more countries will consider similar arrangements to facilitate quarantine-free travel.” Effective 2 June, Emirates customers travelling to Italy aged 2 years and above, are required to hold a negative COVID-19 PCR-RT or Rapid Antigen test result valid for 48 hours prior to departure. Travellers must also take a Rapid Antigen swab test on arrival in Italy, at their own cost. For more details on entry requirements to Italy, customers can check the travel requirements page on emirates.com. With missing connectivity between Dubai and many Indian cities, Emirates is in a difficult position with such missing transit travel. India has been hit by a strain of COVID-19 infections, promoting Emirates to suspend operation to this country of more than 1 billion people until June 30. Emirates remains focused on taking various steps to ease travel and has been a leader in introducing initiatives in cooperation with health authorities and organisations to protect the health of customers and to ensure their safety. Emirates introduced measures on the ground throughout all touchpoints and onboard to provide its passengers with the highest safety and hygiene standards at every step of the journey. The airline has also recently introduced contactless technologyto ease the customer journey through Dubai airport. Knowing their safety and wellbeing is looked after, customers across all classes can enjoy more than 4,500 channels of entertainment on ice, the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system, along with regionally inspired gourmet meals. Emirates continues to lead the industry with innovative products and services that address traveller needs during a dynamic time. Recently the airline took its customer care initiatives further with even more generous and flexible booking policies, an extension of its multi-risk insurance cover, and helping loyal customers retain their miles and tier status.

IATA estimates domestic markets will start to recover during H2 2021Global regulations, passenger confidence and flexible airline propositions key to sector recoveryShort haul leisure travel to recover first – massive pent-up demandIndustry will fully recover by Q3 2024 During the Arabian Travel Market , the conference session entitled ‘Aviation – the key to rebuilding international travel, restoring confidence, global solutions and building business’, was moderated by TV and radio presenter Phil Blizzard, with guest panelists including, George Michalopoulos Chief Commercial Officer, Wizz Air; Hussein Dabbas, General Manager Special Projects for MEA region, Embraer and John Brayford, President, The Jetse Overall, the panel was bullish about the recovery citing pent-up demand, which could initially outstrip the availability of flights until airlines resume their regular pre-COVID scheduled services and routes, particularly on domestic and regional routes which they agreed would be the first to recover. “Domestic and regional leisure passenger traffic will recover first. This will be driven by massive pent-up demand, helped by relaxed ‘local’ restrictions and improved consumer confidence,” said Dabbas. “This trend will ultimately increase demand from airlines for smaller more cost-effective aircraft – a maximum of 120 passengers, on direct routes, with increased frequency of service,” he added. To illustrate his point, Dabbas pointed to the Air France-KLM pre-pandemic decision to order 30 A220 jets while announcing the retirement of their A380 fleet, in a bid to improve the airline’s fuel efficiency and costs. “IATA estimates that domestic markets could recover to 96% of pre-crisis levels in the second half of this year, a 48% improvement over 2020 and a return to pre-COVID levels in the third quarter of 2024,” said Dabbas. Talking about improving consumer confidence, the panel agreed that there had to be some form of global regulation, a collaboration between industry bodies, governments, airports and airlines, that would be easy to understand and universal. “As it stands the quarantine rules and other COVID regulations are confusing, they need simplifying. Governments should concentrate on PCR testing and vaccines. Passengers need a secure source of information covering the flight and the destination,” said Dabbas, “We are a one-world industry.” Michalopoulos added, “Vaccine passports are the way forward and it is also important that we communicate just how safe onboard air conditioning is. Some people think that recirculated air in planes is not safe, that simply isn’t true. Aircraft have filtering systems which are as efficient as hospital ICUs.” Looking to the future, Brayford an industry stalwart whose company The Jetsets is pioneering fractional ownership in private business jets, said that airlines would need a clear plan moving forward. “A niche today might become a mainstream trend tomorrow, so no opportunity should be overlooked, the way in which some airlines have supplemented reduced passenger numbers with cargo is a good example. Flexibility and managing costs will also be key.” Running through until today (Wednesday 19 May) at the Dubai World Trade Centre, this year’s event has 1,300 exhibitors from 62 countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, Germany, Cyprus, Egypt, Indonesisa, Malaysia, South Korea, the Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and the US, underscoring the strength of ATM’s reach. ATM 2021’s show theme is appropriately ‘A New Dawn for Travel & Tourism’ and spread across nine halls. This year, for the first time in ATM history, a new hybrid format will mean a virtual ATM running a week later, from 24-26 May, to complement and reach a wider audience than ever before. ATM Virtual, which made its debut last year, proved to be a resounding success attracting 12,000 online attendees from 140 countries.

Just 12 countries and territories made the so-called “green list” in the UKAfter May 17, UK citizens will be allowed to book a holiday to Portugal, Israel, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Iceland, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, South Georgia, and the Sandwich Islands, St. Helena, Tristan de Cunha, and Ascension Islands.Not only the United States but tourism leaders in Spain, Italy, Bahamas, Jamaica, Ireland, and many more countries are disappointed, upset and alarmed. The Green list issued by the UK Foreign office will be renewed every three weeks, but countries could be added or removed anytime. The UK made it illegal for its citizens and residents to travel on holiday, and May 17 is the magic day to reverse this. Demand for travel to Portugal, Israel, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Iceland, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, South Georgia, and the Sandwich Islands, St. Helena, Tristan de Cunha, and Ascension Islands will be enormous, and the travel and tourism industry in these countries feel rewarded, some also worried.

Fraport AG and the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) sign contract for the transfer of security management tasks Fraport to be responsible for the organization, management and performance of airport security checks Federal Police will continue to supervise screening – Security remains an overriding priority – BMI and Fraport to commence a new chapter in their partnership The handover is governed by a contract between Fraport AG and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) signed recently by both parties. Fraport AG’s executive board chairman, Dr. Stefan Schulte, said: “We will assume management of aviation security at Frankfurt Airport from 2023. While this entails great responsibility, it will allow us to apply our experience and expertise to the operational management of the screening process – leading to reduced waiting times, to the benefit of all passengers.” Before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, waiting times at Frankfurt Airport checkpoints were one of the main causes of complaints among passengers and airlines. By assuming responsibility for screening tasks, Fraport hopes to implement integrated management of the majority of passenger-facing processes to achieve greater efficiency and potentially reduce waiting times.  Schulte added: “Negotiations with the Ministry and the Federal Police were very constructive. We wish to offer our express thanks for the positive working relationship and spirit of trust enjoyed in recent years. Together, we will continue to ensure that passenger safety and security remain the top priority.” In addition to the organization, management and performance of the security checks, Fraport will be assuming responsibility for procurement of security equipment from January 1, 2023, as well as for calculating the corresponding fees and invoicing airlines.  Specifically, in compliance with the requirements defined by the Federal Police, Fraport will decide  When security lines are opened and closed.How many staff will be deployed on each line.Which BMI-certified devices will be procured.Which BMI-certified devices will be deployed at which checkpoints.How the security check process will be organized in concrete terms. Which service providers will be contracted to perform the checks. Dr. Pierre Dominique Prümm, Fraport board member and Executive Director Aviation and Infrastructure, explained: “The Federal Police remain responsible for all security-related issues and define the requirements we must fulfill. This ensures that security remains the overriding principle.”  In other words, even when management tasks are transferred to Fraport, the BMI remains the most senior aviation security authority in Germany. The Ministry defines the type of security checks to be made, and specifies the devices to be used. Consequently, the staff of the contracted security company will perform the checks on behalf of Fraport AG, but in accordance with the Ministry’s specifications, and under the supervision of the Federal Police. The staff who perform screening must meet the requirements and possess the qualifications defined by the government authorities.  Prümm added: “In close cooperation with the federal authorities, we will now move quickly to draw up an infrastructure plan and to establish the parameters for future collaboration with service providers for security screenings. Our strategic and operational plans for the organization and performance of security checks will also be closely coordinated with the corresponding government agencies and the airlines.” 

The India COVID-19 variant carries two mutations including the L452R and E484Q which have been seen separately before in other variants but never together in one variant. In light of the spread of the B1.617 COVID variant, FlyersRights renewed its call for social distancing on planes and at airports in the United States, temperature checks, rapid testing, and waiver of change fees. The World Tourism Network wants IATA and ICAO to take this initiative on a global platform. In a letter to the US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and FAA Administrator Steve Dickson, FlyersRights.org highlighted how studies show that blocking middle seats significantly reduces the spread of COVID-19. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that the state has confirmed the first case of the India variant of COVID-19 B1.617, which has been dubbed a “double-mutant” variant. Working against it is a new double mutation version of the deadly COVID-19 virus making it spread faster and deadlier. In India, this version killed more than 200,000 people as of Wednesday and counted for a never-before-seen record of 362,757 new infections in just one day. US-based Flyers Rights organization under the leadership of attorney Paul Hudson rang the alarm bells appealing to airlines to add safety features. For US airlines, Hudson wants the middle seat open again and additional measures to assure social distancing in airlines and airports. Currently, many airlines fly at capacity on passenger flights in the United States. Leisure travel has been picking up tremendously. Even though Flyers Rights specifically deals with US airlines only, World Tourism Network echoed the request to be implemented worldwide and in global cooperation. World Tourism Network is asking IATA and ICAO to support Flyers Rights. Flyers Rights sent this urgent letter to US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg: Read the full letter on the NEXT page.

Hong Kong and Singapore have delayed a planned Thursday announcement of the launch of a long-awaited travel bubble to next week, according to two Bloomberg NewsAn unidentified source said there was no reason given for the delay in the announcement, but it was initiated by the Singapore side.It is expected the start date of the quarantine-free travel arrangement would be moved to May 26, from May 19. A spokesperson for Singapore’s Transport Ministry told local media both sides had not fixed a date to announce the resumption of the travel bubble “but will do so once we are ready, hopefully very soon”. Singapore has been a vocal proponent of the arrangement in a bid to boost the aviation and tourism industries that have taken a big hit from the Covid-19 pandemic Since November, Singapore has only had a few locally-transmitted infections each day, typically ranging from no cases to about five, but had on average seen 10 to 40 daily imported cases, as foreigners with work passes and student passes return to the country. On Wednesday night, the manpower ministry announced 11 migrant workers at a dormitory tested positive. This came after a 35-year-old Bangladeshi worker, who lives in the same dormitory, tested positive on Monday during routine testing, despite being fully vaccinated. The worker had completed his second vaccination dose on April 13. The 11 others who tested positive included his roommate, and they had positive serology test results – indicating past infection. “These cases were immediately isolated and conveyed to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases to investigate for possible reinfection,” the manpower ministry said in a statement issued late on Wednesday. The bulk of its more than 60,000 Covid-19 cases since the pandemic started occurred in the dormitories that house a mix of South Asian and mainland Chinese migrant workers who are on work permit or S-passes, and hold lower-paid jobs in construction, shipyards and processing. Hong Kong had requested for these individuals to not be eligible for the travel bubble arrangement, ahead of the initial launch last November. Singapore has one of the fastest vaccination rates in Asia-Pacific, having administered 2.2 million doses for its 5.7 million citizens. Domestic life has largely returned to normal, though concerns of reinfection are growing as new virus variants emerge and global cases tick up. Hong Kong has seen between one and 30 new Covid-19 cases per day in the past week and is expected to record more than 20 new cases on Thursday according to a source, with the majority likely to be imported cases. Experts are also increasingly concerned about the spread of more infectious coronavirus variants. To date, about 10 percent of the Territories 7.5 million population has received at least their first vaccine dose. 5.3 percent of the population, are fully vaccinated.

Korean Air Lines Co. is will be flying in the black in the first quarter of this year. This surprising, data was released Sunday, as the company expanded its logistics business after the new coronavirus pandemic virtually suspended passenger travel.This airline in South Korea is expected to post an operating profit of 76.6 billion won ($68.3 million) for the January-March period. Sales, meanwhile, were estimated to have decreased 26 percent over the period to 1.7 trillion won. Korean Airlines had a loss of 82.3 billion won posted a year earlier, according to a poll released by Yonhap Infomax, the financial arm of Yonhap News Agency. The strong performance of Korean Air’s logistics business contributes to this success. “The amount of cargo handled by Korean Air reached a record high amount last month,” NH Investment & Securities Co. said in its report. “The disturbed travel at the Suez Canal led to more demand for air shipping services.” Star Alliance Member Asiana Airlines Inc., which awaits a merger with its bigger rival Korean Air, is expected to post a profit in the first quarter, compared with the previous year’s loss of 70.3 billion won. 

The OXERA-Edge Health report, commissioned by IATA, found that antigen tests are:Accurate: The best antigen tests provide broadly comparable results to PCR tests in accurately identifying infected travelers. The BinaxNOW antigen test, for example, misses just one positive case in 1000 travellers (based on an infection rate of 1% among travelers). And it has similarly comparable performance to PCR tests in levels of false negatives.Convenient: Processing times for antigen tests are 100 times faster than for PCR testingCost-efficient: Antigen tests are, on average, 60% cheaper than PCR tests. Assessment of the effectiveness of rapid testing for SARS-CoV-2 resulted in the following statement: “Restarting international aviation will energize the economic recovery from COVID-19. Along with vaccines, testing will play a critical role in giving governments the confidence to re-open their borders to travelers. For governments, the top priority is accuracy. But travelers will also need tests to be convenient and affordable. The OXERA-Edge Health report tells us that the best-in-class antigen tests can tick all these boxes. It’s important for governments to consider these findings as they make plans for a re-start,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.OptionsTesting requirements are currently fragmented, which is confusing to travelers. Moreover, many governments do not allow rapid testing. If the only options available for travelers are PCR tests, these come with significant costs disadvantages and inconvenience. And in some parts of the world, PCR testing capacity is limited, with first priority correctly given to clinical use.“Travelers need options. Including antigen testing among acceptable tests will certainly give strength to the recovery. And the EU’s specification of acceptable antigen tests offers a good baseline for wider international harmonization of acceptable standards. We now need to see governments implement these recommendations. The goal is to have a clear set of testing options that are medically effective, financially accessible, and practically available to all prospective travelers,” said de Juniac.

WTTC research reveals global Travel & Tourism sector suffered a loss of almost US$4.5 trillion in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19 2. Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to GDP plunged a staggering 49.1% in 2020 3. Job retention schemes look to have saved millions of jobs – but the threat remains WTTC has not lost its faith in the recovery of the International Travel and Tourism Industry and releases its Economic Impact Report (EIR) today indicating a road to recovery, and its hope for international travel to resume by June, in just 2 1/2 months. How realistic this is with a deadly third wave attacking Europe and Brazil waits to be seen. Some may think it would be too good to be true, but the WTTC CEO Gloria Guervara needs to be applauded to keep her optimistic outlook alive. The report reveals the full devastating impact of COVID-19 had on the global Travel & Tourism sector last year, which suffered a massive loss of almost US$4.5 trillion. The annual EIR from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, shows the sector’s contribution to GDP dropped a staggering 49.1%, this compared to the overall global economy which dropped by just 3.7% last year. Vast losses run up during 2020, paint the first full picture of a sector struggling to survive in the face of crippling travel restrictions and unnecessary quarantines, which continue to threaten the urgent recovery of the world economy. Altogether, the sector’s contribution to global GDP plummeted to US$4.7 trillion in 2020 (5.5% of the global economy), from nearly US$9.2 trillion the previous year (10.4%).

Even a guy like Sir Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Atlantic has no crystal ball when it comes to the damage the COVID-19 pandemic is inflicting on the aviation industry including his airline. The light at the end of the tunnel with vaccine and some help is visibile - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Safe Air travel during COVID-19 is critical, specifically when re-launching the travel and tourism industry. 19 airlines made the score of excellent in regards to safety. - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Bangkok – Samui (roundtrip) 2 flights per day Sealed routes flights between Bangkok and Samui, that will accommodate international transit passengers (3 flights per day) Samui – Phuket (roundtrip) 4 flights per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday), these flights will be available from 16 July 2021 onwards  Last week it was reported that Bangkok, the Bangkok, the City of Angels is under another COVID-19 surge. Today Bangkok Airways reacted and canceled the following domestic flights: 1. Bangkok – Chiang Mai (roundtrip)  2. Bangkok – Phuket (roundtrip) 3. Bangkok – Sukhothai (roundtrip) 4. Bangkok – Lampang (roundtrip) 5. Bangkok – Trat (roundtrip)   Samui – Singapore (roundtrip) 3 flights per week (Monday, Thursday, and Sunday), these flights will be available from 1 August 2021 onwards. Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited is a regional airline based in Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore, and Vietnam. Its main base is Suvarnabhumi Airport. Passengers who are scheduled to travel before 31 July 2021 can have fees waived for rebooking or alternatively may request a refund in the form of a travel voucher to be used for future ticketing. Passengers can make any necessary changes up to 24 hours prior to their flight. More information can be seen at www.bangkokair.com/travel-voucher (terms and conditions apply).  Passengers who wish to amend their travels with no new specified travel date (open ticket) can submit their request via https://forms.office.com/r/WjcEEfQX2L within 24 hours prior to the proposed departure date. The airline will use information provided via such form in order to further accommodate passengers.    Passengers can contact the airline via the following channels;  Passengers who booked their tickets through travel agencies are advised to directly contact their agents for further arrangements.  Moreover, the airline encourages passengers to check announcements, orders, and travel procedures, for each destination prior to travel from the related authorities such as:  The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)    http://www.moicovid.com/ข้อมูลสำคัญ-จังหวัด/  Airports of Thailand www.airportthai.co.th/en/ Department of Airports www.facebook.com/DepartmentOfAirports/ 

Flying in the Russian Far East from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Palana may have been deadly for 23 passengers and 6 crew mebers of an Kamchatka Airlines passenger plane.The AN-26 stopped communication before landing and crashed into the Pacific Ocean.Emergency services are on the scene looking for survivors in bad weather. Russian rescue ships are currently in the rough sea of the Western Pacific Ocean Tuesday afternoon for survivors on this Kamchatsky Airlines flight. Signals from the black box had been located. Among the 29 people on boards were 2 children. The weather conditions are extremely difficult in the region and may have contributed to the crash. The local government said that the aircraft had a valid certificate of airworthiness and the crew had passed a pre-flight inspection. A criminal case was initiated on violation of traffic safety rules and aircraft operationThe airline has not yet confirmed the crash Kamchatka Airlines is a Russian carrier based at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport. The carrier previously operated charter services with a fleet of turboprop and narrow-body equipment.   Passenger plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean when trying to land in Petropavlovsk 3 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy is a city and the administrative, industrial, scientific, and cultural center of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. Its population is 179,780. The city is widely known simply as Petropavlovsk. The adjective Kamchatsky was added to the official name in 1924. The city has a magnificent setting on Avacha Bay and is overlooked by two giant volcanoes and surrounded by a long line of snow-capped mountains. More news on plane crashes on eTurboNews

DOING THE RIGHT THING is very different from DOING WHAT IS RIGHT.American Airlines vs. JetBlueWhat an Executive Platinum Member of American Airlines for several years really means to the Airline? This is a bit of a rant and a long post so continue reading at your own will. But reading and sharing this might help other pet owners/lovers who plan to fly their pets one day. I just don’t want my horrible experience with American Airlines happen with other people. American Airlines turned my Frenchie, Roxie away from our flight from PBI – DFW – LAX because apparently, she is not able to stand up in the carrier while it’s closed and turn around. She is able to turn around but she does go over the top of the carrier. As far as I know, only miniature dogs and really small puppies can do that given the size of the allowable size of the carriers. I have flown Roxie with American Airlines several times and this has never been an issue. As a result I have had to cancel my flight and unable to take my flight to LA. This really put me and Roxie in a very uncertain situation at the airport. I really do not understand the rational for our rejection. American Airlines have been canceling hundreds of flights on a daily basis because of their inability to manage the surge and constantly overbooking flights. This does not seem to be happening with other airlines so it’s an indication of their incompetence. Prior to this incident, they were asking for volunteers to give up seats for money. Then they canceled my original flight two hours before the flight. Then rebooked me on a flight that lands in Burbank instead of Orange Country which is close to the house. I believe this happened because they are finding any reason to free up seats so they could fill the up the overbookings and all the flight cancellations.

As of Sunday afternoon, 123 flights were canceled Saturday, 178 on Sunday, and 97 were canceled for MondayAmerican told ABC News that most of the cancelations are on A320 and 737 aircraft, but that it may continue to cancel at least 50 to 60 flights per day for the rest of June and 50 to 80 flights per day through July.We made targeted changes with the goal of impacting the fewest number of customers by adjusting flights in markets where we have multiple options for re-accommodation,” according to an American Airlines statement. The US economy is switching from an emergency stage of less flights operating to a stage, where more flights than before COVID-19 are needed. Major airlines, like American Airlines, are trying to make up for the year of downtown overextending possible options. It included jets more crowded, shorter turnaround time, but it also put an enormous burden on staffing and logistic issues. This now is resulting in a high number of sick calls, combined with maintenance and other staffing issues. A frustrated passenger tweeted: @AmericanAir support has refused to answer any questions or offer any sort of solution to rectify the situation – so I’m still in Miami. still waiting to get to NYC. no idea when or if I’m gonna get there. this is by far the worst travel experience I’ve ever had. A 1K member of United Airlines phrased it: Now there were some amazing @americanair employees that did their best to compensate for the terrible ones. But all in all – this is my hollow promise that I’m never flying with AA. I status with @UnitedAirlines_ and this is what I get for cheating on them.

Fraport Traffic Figures May 2021 had been releasedin May 2021, Frankfurt Airport (FRA) welcomed 1.25 million passengers.Cargo volumes continued to grow despite the ongoing shortage of belly capacity normally provided by passenger aircraft May’s numbers however, this is compared with a low base value for the previous year, when a surge in infections brought aviation to a virtual standstill. Now, as travel bans are being lifted and incidence rates fall, European vacation destinations in particular have seen demand climb compared to April 2021. More than 50,000 passengers traveled through Frankfurt Airport on four separate days in May 2021 – the highest figures since the first lockdown was eased in summer 2020. Nevertheless, passenger traffic was still 80.0 percent lower than in pre-pandemic May 2019. In the first five months of 2021, FRA served a total of more than 4.7 million passengers. Compared to the same period in 2020 and 2019, this represents a decrease of 59.2 percent and 82.6 percent respectively.   Cargo volumes continued to grow despite the ongoing shortage of belly capacity normally provided by passenger aircraft. May 2021 saw a 27.2 percent increase to 204,233 metric tons (up 10.0 percent over May 2019). With 16,977 takeoffs and landings, aircraft movements climbed 118.7 percent compared to May 2020. Accumulated maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs) rose by 66.2 percent year-on-year to 1.29 million metric tons.  Fraport Group airports around the world saw passenger traffic develop positively. All recorded a significant increase, in some cases of several hundred percent – albeit compared with sharply reduced air traffic in May 2020. When contrasted with pre-pandemic figures for May 2019, Fraport Group airports witnessed a significant decline in passenger numbers.  In May 2021, Ljubljana Airport (LJU) in Slovenia served 14,943 passengers. The Brazilian airports of Fortaleza (FOR) and Porto Alegre (POA), combined, registered 415,866 passengers, while Lima Airport (LIM) in Peru handled 738,398 passengers.  Fraport’s 14 Greek regional airports welcomed 472,937 passengers in May 2021. On the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, traffic at the Twin Star airports of Burgas (BOJ) and Varna (VAR) rose to a total of 44,013 passengers. Antalya Airport (AYT) in Turkey recorded 719,254 passengers. Pulkovo Airport (LED) in St. Petersburg, Russia, saw traffic rise to over 1.5 million passengers, while traffic at Xi’an Airport (XIY) in China grew to over 3.9 million passengers.

Currently more than 50 percent of all people residing in Hawaii are fully vaccinated.Starting June 15, interisland travel will be available without restrictions.Hawaii will be moving to restriction-free travel for everyone. Hawaii Governor David Ige today announced the “Safe Travel” initiative restricting travel to the Aloha State will be eliminated, once 70 percent of every resident in Hawaii is fully vaccinated. At this time, more than 50 percent are vaccinated in Hawaii. Once 70 percent of all residents are vaccinated, all mask-wearing requirements including the indoors will be lifted. Starting June 15, inter-island travel will be made available without restrictions. Once 55 percent of all residents in Hawaii are vaccinated, such vaccinated residents will be able to travel to the other US states and territories and return to Hawaii without any further testing. This is also expected to start on June 15, 2021. Once 60 percent of all residents in Hawaii are vaccinated, everyone, including tourists, that are fully vaccinated can travel to Hawaii without any additional testing. Once 70 percent of all residents in Hawaii are vaccinated, all travel restrictions to the state will be lifted, opening the Aloha State up again for travel and tourism as it was prior to the pandemic. Hawaii’s Governor announced many local restaurants and merchants will be giving special rates to vaccinated guests throughout the month of June. Governor Ige, however, warned such freedom may be restricted if the pandemic develops in an unexpected way. Hawaiian Airlines will donate 1 million miles to be awarded to a lucky resident getting vaccinated in the state. The lifting of restrictions only applies to US domestic travel.

Air Astana will launch a direct service from Almaty to the ancient city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan on 9th June 2021, with flights operated using Airbus A321 aircraft on Wednesdays and Sundays.On Wednesdays, the flight will depart from Almaty at 15.40 and arrive in Samarkand at 16.15, with the return flight departing at 17.45 and arriving in Almaty at 20.20. On Sundays, the flight will depart from Almaty at 11.20 and arrive in Samarkand at 11.55, with the return flight departing at 13.25 and arriving in Almaty at 16.00. All times local.Samarkand will become Air Astana’s second destination in Uzbekistan, with direct flights to Tashkent, the country’s capital, having been operated since 2010. Samarkand is a city in Uzbekistan known for its mosques and mausoleums. It’s on the Silk Road, the ancient trade route linking China to the Mediterranean. Prominent landmarks include the Registan, a plaza bordered by 3 ornate, majolica-covered madrassas dating to the 15th and 17th centuries, and Gur-e-Amir, the towering tomb of Timur (Tamerlane), founder of the Timurid Empire. Return airfares including fees, start from US$163 in economy class and from US$518 in business class. Tickets are available on the Air Astana website and at sales offices, as well as accredited travel agencies. Passengers are advised to familiarize themselves in advance with entry and transit requirements for travel between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan at www.airastana.com

The Seychelles Tourism Board was present at the 4th Dong Luxury Travel Connection Workshop in China at the end of April. Founded in 2018 by Dong, a sister company of the 8 Continents Travel Agency, the trade event focused on the luxury tourism sector within China.As China slowly starts to function again, the workshop created the perfect opportunity to reconnect with the old and meet new luxury trade partners within the market and discuss the way forward in the new normal. The 2021 Connection Workshop witnessed the participation of nearly 200 buyers and suppliers across China and other countries including Seychelles. During the three-day event, the STB Team had 64 meetings, with 39% new buyers and trade partners within the market, updating them and sharing information about what the island destination has to offer to its potential guests. Although the pandemic has changed the travel world, Chinese travellers have not lost their passion for discovering far off places. The Labour Day holiday witnessed strong domestic demand for tourism resulting from the successful control of the pandemic and rising vaccination rate within China. According the official Chinese media’s reports, Chinese tourists made around 230 million trips over the past May holiday as domestic travel surpassed pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.“As Seychelles reopened its borders at the end of March, we have been working with our different partners in the Chinese market to welcome Chinese visitors back to the Seychelles. This has slowly been picking up, as we have been seeing overseas Chinese visitors travelling to Seychelles by booking their trips through our different trade partners within China.  This was also a hot topic during the Dong Luxury Roadshow, as the Chinese luxury travel trade have large networks of overseas Chinese clientele.”, said Mr Jean-Luc Lai-Lam, Director for the Seychelles Tourism Board in China. “The Chinese market is a tactical market and the Dong Luxury Roadshow gives us the opportunity to meet our luxury partners under one roof, keep the destination visible, promote our new niches (e.g., workcation), address any concerns and prepare for the reopening of the Chinese market when interest in overseas travel and revenge travelling is at their highest.”, added Mr Lai-Lam. According to Forbes’ recent April publication, 5 out of the top 10 cities in the world with the most billionaires are from China and these include Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Hangzhou.

Travel Operators in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), are gearing up for Saudi’s Arabia resumption of international flights.According to the Saudi Ministry of Interior, the travel ban will be lifted on 17 May for specific groups and tourists.A major booking platform, saw a 52% increase in international flight searches and a 59% increase in international hotel searches, following the announcement. Around 25% of travelers are looking to travel within the 15 days of Saudi resuming flights where the search demand for this period has increased by 80% since the date of the announcement. Egypt topped the list for the flight search destinations, followed by Philippines, Morocco, Jordan and Turkey. We also saw new vacation destinations emerge for flight searches such as Maldives, Tunisia, Ukraine, Greece, and Sri Lanka. Saudi Arabia constitutes a significant percentage of the tourism sector in the Middle East. The country has been handling the pandemic very well, reinstating confidence for travelers. Those who are allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia include citizens who received two doses of coronavirus vaccine or who passed 14 days after taking the first dose of the vaccine as well as people who have recovered from coronavirus, given they have spent less than six months since their infection as confirmed by the data displayed on Tawakkalna App. In addition to the citizens who are under the age of 18 years, provided that they show an insurance policy before traveling approved by the Saudi Central Bank. Departing travelers out of Saudi Arabia need to show a PCR test certificate from an accredited screening center in the Kingdom. Upon return to the country, travelers will have to quarantine for seven days and take a PCR test at the end of the week. Resorts are leading the searches for travelers with 58% growth, followed by the apartments and hotels. Around 68% of travelers searching for flights are solos, 20% families, and 12% are couples. Saudi Arabia is has been rolling out the COVID-19 vaccination to its residents. It has one of the lowest new cases per capita in the MENA region. Travelers are feeling more reassured where airports and hotels are reinstating the confidence in travel. With stringent precautionary measures followed and safety measures that meet the high standards, we expect a steady recovery for the tourism sector. Source: Wego

On 23 March 2021 EUROCONTROL issued a Data Snapshot with an analysis of the evolution of the ATM costs in Europe since 1998. Using those data ATCEUC offers its considered opinion on the EUROCONTROL analysis. Since spring 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous effect on the whole aviation sector showing that none of the stakeholders had foreseen these events nor had an emergency plan to handle a systemic crisis like this. Therefore, in a late and unilateral response, in November (eight months after the breakout of the pandemic and the drop in air traffic) the European Commission issued Regulation IR 2020/1627 which aims to alleviate the impact of the pandemic, but on airspace users only.   Currently the EC is trying to force the States to enforce the ad-hoc recommendations issued by the PRB, but the figures they suggest, especially those on cost-efficiency, were not agreed by the Member States and the revised Union-wide performance targets for the ATM network for the third reference period (2020-2024) are now under appeal.   While the traffic drop was drastic and ATCEUC agrees with the principle that airspace users shouldn’t be left to bear the consequences alone (and they haven’t…), this crisis must not be used as a pretext to impose unjustifiable financial measures on ANSPs right at a crucial moment when they most need to invest on newer technologies in order to be ready for the recovery. 

The World Tourism Network (WTN) started its initiative Health Without Borders | Santé sans FrontiersNo one is safe until everyone is safe. Tourism, business travel, and the MICE industry will not be back until everyone is safe.The key to re-launch tourism is a vaccination opportunity for everyone in our interconnected world. Some may say the COVID-19 issue is exclusively an issue for Health Authorities, or Domestic and Foreign ministries. eTurboNews earlier reported about the unequal distribution of the vaccine. World Tourism Network believes the global travel and tourism industry should be very much part of the discussion. COVID-19 is affecting the travel industry like no other sector. Because there is no way to separate travel from the world’s current, or future pandemics, and tourism is about bringing people together, the WTN recognizes the need for the global travel and tourism industry to become an integrated part of the decision making and policy process in a response to the current COVID-19 and should there be future pandemics. The world’s Statemen and Nobel laureates recognize that in an interconnected world No one is safe until everyone is safe. In the modern world, the travel and tourism industry plays an essential role in this vision. It is for this reason that the WTN’s international project “Health without Borders/ Santé sans Frontiers” seeks universal vaccine coverage for all people around the world. The WTN aligns with the idea the “travel and tourism” industry supports an international focus on countries and regions unable to get full access to the vaccine.The WTN, representing international small and medium-sized businesses around the world recognizes that these are the first businesses to suffer during a pandemic and travel closure.The WTN pledges its efforts not only to increase cooperation between countries by working closely with stakeholders, but it also seeks to facilitate the international movement of tourists by addressing restrictive travel barriers and fostering mutual understanding and collaboration.The WTN extends its hand not only to other organizations and initiatives in the travel and tourism industry but to NGO’s, health professionals, government leaders, and the pharmaceutical industry. WTN’s “Health without Borders” initiative seeks a world with greater international cooperation, thus allowing people a safe and healthy world in which to exercise their human right to travel. One step toward this goal is universal vaccination thus creating global herd immunity. The WTN encourages all to join in as it seeks a more humane world and a world in which the global tourism industry can help the world to see the first blossoms of greater health and prosperity. WTN will be inviting ministers of tourism and heads of tourism authorities later this month to meet virtually and take part in this important discussion. In the last 24 hours ministers from 10 countries already confirmed participation. “Anyone interested in this subject has an opportunity to participate. WTN is ready to listen and welcome experts and entrepreneurs. WTN is ready to shout if necessary. WTN is ready to cooperate with any government, organization, entity, or person that can assist and contribute. WTN is not a political organization. “COVID-19 and tourism are connected and everyone’s business. It takes cooperation and communication to make this work,” says Juergen Steinmetz”, founder, and Chairman of WTN. Click on the Health Without Border Interest Group for more information.Join the World Tourism Network so you can be part of this interest group from the very beginning. Go to www.wtn.travel/register to become a member and check “Health Without Borders” as an interest group. Visit www.wtn.travel and www.rebuilding.travel for more information.

The newly formed U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, led by Chairwoman Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Ranking Member Rick Scott (R-FL), held its first-ever hearing today, entitled “The State of Travel and Tourism During COVID.”U.S. Travel Association’s Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy, joined three other expert witnesses representing the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, MGM Resorts International and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association in sharing testimony relating to the impact of the global pandemic on the travel economy.Specific policies should be implemented to improve the industry’s long-term competitiveness and ensure we come back stronger and better than ever U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chair of the Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, today convene a hearing titled, “The State of Travel and Tourism During COVID,” This hearing examined the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism industry, with a particular focus on the hotels, conventions, and the broader hospitality industry. The overall message was to reopen borders and the international travel and tourism industry in the United States. Economic concerns clearly overshadowed health challenges, when the UK was categorized as a safe country and the meeting industry was pushing for conventions to relaunch.

Arriving airline passengers in Honolulu or Maui have a way to bypass COVID-19 testing checks and questioning when flying certain Airlines.What had been in place by United Airlines, Alaska Airlines is now also offered to Southwest Airlines passengers. This is to bypass lengthy lines in Honolulu and Maui after arrival receiving a pre-clear before leaving the US mainland. Southwest Airlines has a “maybe” in its stipulation and remains quiet about what this “maybe” could be It appears United Airlines, Alaska and Southwest Airlines may have just become the most attractive airline to fly visitors to Hawaii, so they can get a headstart on their Hawaiian vacation in getting to Waikiki Beach, Wailea, or Kaanapali Beaches. According to a press release received by Southwest Airlines, the airline now makes it a lot easier for its passengers to get to Hawaii’s resort hotels. What Southwest Airlines isn’t telling in its release is this service was already available to passengers of competing airlines, such as United Airlines passengers. Southwest Airlines is following other airlines and is giving its passengers the opportunity to present evidence of their compliance with the Hawaii Safe Travels program before they even leave the US mainland. Customers who have uploaded an approved negative COVID-19 test result required travel information and completed a health questionnaire before departing the mainland may be eligible to bypass airport screening when arriving in Honolulu (Oahu) and Kahului(Maui). The keyword is “maybe” is a stipulation mentioned by Southwest Airlines. eTurboNews tried to get verification on the “may be”, but SouthWest Airlines had no comments.

ICAO, the UN Special Agency for Aviation, will have a new Secretary General, Mr. Salazar. He will discuss his views for the new normal that aviation is facing past COVID. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is the UN specialized institution responsible for coordinating much of this process. McGill University hosted an interactive webinar with special guest, Juan Carlos Salazar, LLB, LLM (McGill), MPA (Harvard), the Secretary General-elect of ICAO. Senior experts from the global aviation industry including Vijay Poonoosamy, Chair Aviation Group World Tourism Network , attended. During the event, Mr. Salazar discussed his vision of ICAO’s role in navigating civil aviation to a new normal into the future and took questions from audience participants. Juan Carlos Salazar joined the IASL’s LLM in Air and Space Law in 1998.

Thailand has low number of COVID-19 infections, but had always put safety over tourism. Starting in October the Kingdom sees a realistic chance to reopen tourism to its southern resort destinations for vaccinated visitors. - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Hawaiian Airlines is among the safest airlines in the world. Domestic long-haul flights are however a risk for the United States having a tremendous spread of COVID-19 virus Hawaii has the lowest infection rates in the US. Hawaii needs tourists, Florida needs tourists. How safe is it to connect Orlando with Honolulu during the COVID-19 pandemic? - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Frankfurt Airport achieves continuing robust cargo growth – Traffic decreases reported at most of the Group airports worldwide. Fraport Traffic Figures – February 2021: - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online