The Dutch government designated the United States a “very high-risk” nation after a surge in new Omicron cases. The United States was added to the Netherlands‘ list of “very high-risk” countries yesterday, alongside Afghanistan, Haiti, Jordan, Somalia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela. Under restrictions implemented last week, those arriving from very high-risk countries “must self-quarantine for 10 days, even if they have proof of vaccination or proof of recovery,” meaning that COVID-19 self-isolation period is now required for all new US arrivals, and even fully vaccinated travelers arriving from the United States will now have to undergo 10 days of quarantine in the Netherlands. The self-isolation period can be reduced if a traveler tests negative for coronavirus halfway through the quarantine. Travelers aged 12 and over will also have to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test on entry to the Netherlands. The new restrictions are significant due to the fact that they apply to vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers alike, with some studies suggesting certain COVID-19 vaccines fare worse against Omicron than against previous strains. Since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, the US has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths worldwide, at 52 million and 800,000 respectively, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It has also registered the most cases globally over the past seven days, at 1,600,000 – nearly three times as many as the runner-up, the UK, which had 600,000.

The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority issued an air operator’s certificate (AOC) to Norse Atlantic Airways. The new airline is on track to start transatlantic flights in spring 2022.   “We would like to thank Norway’s Civil Aviation Authority for a constructive and professional process. We are now one important step closer to launching our attractive and affordable flights between Europe and the U.S. in spring next year,” said CEO and founder Bjørn Tore Larsen of Norse.   “We’ve had a good and constructive dialogue with Norse throughout the process of issuing a Norwegian AOC. We wish them the best of luck and look forward to a continued fruitful relationship going forward,” said Director General of the Civil Aviation Authorities of Norway, Lars E. de Lange Kobberstad.  An AOC is the approval granted by a national aviation authority to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial purposes. This requires the operator to have personnel, assets and systems in place to ensure the safety of its employees and the general public.  “I would also like to commend my colleagues at Norse for their outstanding efforts getting the important AOC in place,” Bjørn Tore Larsen added.  Norse plans to start commercial operation in spring 2022 and the first flights will depart from Oslo to selected cities in the U.S.   Norse Atlantic Airways is a new airline that will offer affordable fares on long-haul flights, primarily between Europe and the United States. The company was founded by CEO and major shareholder Bjørn Tore Larsen in March 2021. Norse has a fleet of 15 modern, fuel-efficient and more environmentally friendly Boeing 787 Dreamliners that will serve destinations including New York, Florida, Paris, London and Oslo, among others. First flights are expected to take off in spring 2022.

Global full-service aircraft lessor Aviation Capital Group (ACG), wholly owned by Tokyo Century Corporation, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for 20 A220s and a firm contract for 40 A320neo Family aircraft, of which five are A321XLRs. “We are delighted to expand our portfolio with additional A220 and A320neo Family aircraft.  These highly advanced aircraft will enhance ACG’s strategic objective to offer our airline customers the most modern and fuel-efficient aircraft available,” said Thomas Baker, CEO and President of ACG. “The order is another gratifying endorsement of our single aisle products by one of the world’s premier aircraft asset managers, ACG and the Tokyo Century Group. It also forcefully confirms the A220 as a growingly desirable aircraft and investment in the commercial aviation landscape. We congratulate and thank ACG for its decision to select both the A220 and A320neo Families,” said Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International. The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market and brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation PW1500G geared turbofan engines. Featuring a 50% reduced noise footprint and up to 25% lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, as well as around 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards, the A220 is a great aircraft for regional as well as long distance routes operations. The A320neo Family is the most successful commercial aircraft family ever and displays a 99,7% operational reliability rate. The A320neo Family incorporates the latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklet wing tip devices, while offering unmatched comfort in all classes as well as Airbus’ 18-inch-wide seats in economy as standard. The A320neo Family provides operators with at least a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The A321XLR version provides a further range extension to 4,700nm. This gives the A321XLR a flight time of up to 11 hours, with passengers benefitting throughout the trip from Airbus’ award-winning Airspace interior, which brings the latest cabin technology to the A320 Family. With this order ACG is supporting the recently launched multi-million-dollar ESG fund initiative by Airbus that will contribute towards investment into sustainable aviation development projects. 

Marisa Fotieo, a teacher from Chicago, IL, was on her way to Europe for a vacation when she suddenly developed a sore throat midflight somewhere above the Atlantic Ocean, aboard Icelandair plane. Fotieo, who brought several COVID-19 rapid testing kits with her on the flight, went to the plane’s lavatory and used one of them, only to find out that she was COVID-19-positive. The woman immediately notified the flight attendant of her conditions, but there weren’t enough empty seats on the plane to properly isolate her. Fotieo, who feared she might infect other passengers then asked if she could “just stay in the bathroom for the rest of the flight.” She had to self-isolate in an airplane’s lavatory for four hours, until the aircraft landed in Reykjavik Airport. “I can’t believe I spent four hours in that bathroom, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” the woman said. After the Icelandair flight landed in Icelandic capital city of Reykjavik, the woman was placed in the Red Cross Humanitarian Hotel, with her ten-day quarantine currently in progress. However, she said she had been feeling well and planned to leave in a few days. Fotieo’s father and brother, who were on the same Icelandair flight, have both tested negative for the virus and could continue their journey to Switzerland.

The 2021 Gay Travel Awards has released its list of official winners. This year has been another challenging one for travelers. With the pandemic ebbing and flowing across the globe and the uncertainty related to the latest Omicron variant, many are restricted from traveling or waiting for a safer time. The Gay Travel Awards affords everyone a moment to focus on the industry’s best as a prologue to getting back out there. The Gay Travel Awards support and promote LGBTQ+ travel and tourism by identifying and rewarding select destinations, properties, events, influencers, and other organizations that exemplify a spirit of inclusiveness and hospitality excellence. These distinguished winners lead by example and inspire other inclusive companies and brands. Every year, especially now, The Gay Travel Awards offer something to look forward to, while inspiring future travel. The Gay Travel Awards are akin to The Oscars for LGBTQ+ travelers. Returning for its sophomore year, “The Gay Travel Influencers” category consists of creators who inspire travel with their inclusive spirit, a drive for diversity, and a desire to change the world for the better. The 2021 Gay Travel Awards Winners by category appear alphabetically below:

According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 151,701 stopovers in November 2021, 51.5% more than the 100,102 stopovers received in October 2021. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 19th, 2020, and reopened to international tourists arriving by air as of November 2020. It reopened its land borders in April 2021. Costa Rica consequently received 37,573 stopovers in November 2020. The 151,701 stopovers received in November 2021 were 61.8% of the 245,643 stopovers received in November 2019. Costa Rica received 86,348 stopovers from the USA in November, 56.9% of the overall total, and 10,434 stopovers from Central America. The volume of stopovers increased by 20.6% in the first eleven months of 2021, growing from 936,938 stopovers in the first eleven months of 2020 to 1,130,377 stopovers in the first eleven months of 2021. The 1,130,377 stopover visitors were 40.2% of the 2,812,086 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2019. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 91.9% in the first eleven months of 2021, from 389,115 stopovers in 2020 to 746,575 in 2021 while the number from Central America declined by 67.2%, falling from 195,717 in the first eleven months of 2020 to 64,140 in the same eleven months of 2021. The share of visitors from the USA grew from 41.5% in the first eleven months of 2020 to 66.0% in the first eleven months of 2021.

Prague Airport remains a safe place for travel as confirmed by the ACI Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) Certificate, re-assigned to Prague Airport for a high level of protective measures implemented, which ensures increased safety of passengers flying through Prague. The Certificate appreciates the fact that the set standards meet the requirements of international organizations in the aviation industry. “The airport has repeatedly demonstrated an admirable continuation of its efforts to provide a safe airport experience for all travelers which is in line with the recommended health measures established in the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force Recommendations,” Luis Felipe de Oliveira, ACI World Director General, stated in the reaccreditation letter. Prague Airport has maintained its accreditation for the next 12 months. The measures implemented have been in place since the spring of 2019, applied by Prague Airport as one of the first entities in the Czech Republic. “To obtain the Certificate, it was necessary, for example, to present information on all set measures and processes, including detailed records of cleaning and disinfection schedule, draft an overview of changes in passenger check-in procedures as well as share specific steps aimed at protecting the health of airport employees. In this regard, we have introduced our own sophisticated system for tracing contacts in the workplace. Therefore, I am immensely happy that the set protection measures work, eliminate health risks for travel and thus increase the safety of flying from Prague,” Jiří Pos, Chairman of the Prague Airport Board of Directors, said. Departure and arrival heck-in is performed under strict hygienic conditions. All passengers and visitors are obliged to wear FFP2 class respirators while inside the airport, to maintain a safe distance, and to pay thorough attention to hand hygiene and disinfection. For this purpose, over 300 disinfection tanks are located throughout the airport. Since June last year, a commercial test point has been run in cooperation with an external laboratory, where passengers can get COVID-19 tested before departure or after arrival. The airport is also subject to increased disinfection and cleaning of all busy areas, including passenger gates. “We inform passengers about the set measures in a number of ways, including airport announcements, repeated at regular intervals, alongside information signs located throughout the airport, and floor stickers in places where queues may form,” Daniel Otta, Customer Experience Manager, added. ACI Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) is an official certification program that is open to all member airports of this organization worldwide. Under the program, the ACI evaluates airports according to individual criteria and thus assesses their set protective measures and other tools they use in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Obtaining the accreditation then confirms that the airport is well prepared and that passengers can fly safely and with ease from the certified airports. At the same time, thanks to this accreditation, hygiene standards are being implemented throughout the aviation industry with the goal to increase the safety of travel, boost the confidence of passengers in accredited airports, and fuel the demand for air travel. Airports Council International (ACI) is a global industry association that brings together approximately 1960 airports in a total of 176 countries. It was founded in 1991 and aims to promote cooperation among members and other partners in the field of air transport.

Stuttgart Airport is to achieve its 2050 climate target ten years earlier. This was decided by the management and supervisory board of Stuttgart Airport. The state airport plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to an absolute minimum by 2040 in order to contribute to achieving the state’s climate targets. To reach the ambitious new goal, the airport has adapted its original Climate and Energy Master Plan 2050. The required climate actions must now be implemented much quicker to reach so-called net greenhouse gas neutrality as early as 2040. Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transport of the State of Baden-Württemberg and chairman of Stuttgart Airport’s supervisory board: ‘With the fairport strategy, the airport has already been taking responsibility for climate protection for many years and is consistently implementing the strategy, for example by electrifying the apron fleet or through landing fees. In its coalition agreement, the state government declared that it wants to develop Stuttgart Airport into Germany’s first climate-neutral airport – the STRzero. We are working together on this with great commitment.’ Walter Schoefer, spokesman of Stuttgart Airport’s management board: ‘Our contribution to the energy transition should be substantial and really make a difference. We will therefore avoid or reduce almost all our emissions. Only the small remainder is to be brought to net zero through carbon neutralization.’ The holistic carbon concept covers the areas of energy efficiency and generation, smart grids, as well as mobility and transport. According to the calculations, the most important lever for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving the ambitious climate target is to consistently upgrade the energy performance of operational buildings through refurbishments. This includes the airport terminals in particular. Some of them are over 30 years old. Among other actions, Stuttgart Airport plans to expand solar energy plants on the entire airport campus and to install further charging infrastructure. In comparison to total emissions of air traffic, airport operations are only responsible for a small share. For this reason, Stuttgart Airport is supporting the transformation process of air traffic toward zero emission flights, for instance through research funding.

Delta Air Lines turned back a flight from Seattle to Shanghai, that was already halfway to China, after new pandemic-related cleaning rules at Shanghai Pudong International Airport forced the US carrier abruptly halt service to one of two major airports in Shanghai that handles mostly international flights. That recent midair reversal reportedly left quite a few Delta Air Lines‘ passengers stranded with expiring COVID-19 tests and visas. The new Shanghai Pudong International Airport‘s mandates “require significantly extended ground time and are not operationally viable for Delta,” the airline said in a statement issued today. The second-largest US air carrier didn’t elaborate on what the rule changes were or why it was necessary to call back a flight that had already been in the air for about six hours. As of now, Delta Air Lines has canceled its Seattle-Shanghai flights through at least Thursday. The aborted flight was reportedly entering Russian airspace last week when it made a U-turn and headed back towards Seattle. It was due to land in Seoul for a crew change before continuing on to Shanghai. While a Delta spokesperson said the rule change was made after the flight left Seattle, Chinese media outlets report that Shanghai Pudong officials denied any recent change to entry requirements. Without naming Delta Air Lines, the Chinese consulate in San Francisco said yesterday that many US flights to China had been delayed or canceled in recent days and claimed it lodged a complaint with the carrier that called back a flight midway. Taiwanese airline EVA Air has suspended flights from Kaohsiung and Taipei to Shanghai Pudong Airport until February 3, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA). EVA Air cited new requirements for disinfecting inbound planes more thoroughly, which it said were implemented on Friday. The new rules would cause return flights to Taiwan to be delayed by up to five hours, an EVA official said. China has significantly tightened travel restrictions in an attempt to slow down the spread of COVID-19 as it prepares to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, which are scheduled to begin on February 4.

Ethiopian Airlines announced on Monday that it is finally bringing troubled Boeing 737 MAX aircraft back to service after the 2019 crash that killed 157 people. Boeing’s best-selling, single-aisle 737 MAX airplane was grounded worldwide after two separate crashes just six months apart, which killed 346 people. In 2019, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX bound for Kenya, crashed six minutes after takeoff from the capital, Addis Ababa, killing all 157 passengers and crew. It was the second Boeing 737 MAX disaster in six months, after a Lion Air jet crashed in October 2018 in Indonesia, killing 189 people. Investigators identified faults in the sensors and new flight control software that had not been explained to pilots. In today’s statement, the airline said that it was satisfied with the aircraft’s safety, and it is planning to resume flying Boeing 737 MAX planes in February of next year. “Safety is our topmost priority… and it guides every decision we make and all actions we take,” Ethiopian Airlines‘ chairman, Tewolde Gebremariam, said in a statement.  “We have taken enough time to monitor the design modification work and the more than 20 months of rigorous rectification process… our pilots, engineers, aircraft technicians, cabin crew are confident on the safety of the fleet,” he added. Boeing 737 MAX returned to service in late 2020, with airlines around the world taking deliveries of the aircraft.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) keeps insisting that the quality of supplied air on board an aircraft is much better than most indoor environments, therefore aircraft cabin remains a very low-risk environment for contracting COVID-19, even though the new Omicron strain of the virus appears to be more transmissible than other variants in all environments. According to IATA, factors that contribute to the very low risks include aircraft design characteristics (direction of airflow, rate of air exchange and filtration), the forward orientation of passengers while seated, well-enforced masking, and enhanced sanitary measures.  Other cabin features including the mandatory usage of masks on board and the requirements around tests and/or vaccination certificates, make the risk of contracting COVID-19 to be very low, IATA claims. Public health authorities have not suggested further measures for indoor environments as a result of Omicron; and IATA’s advice for travelers, including correctly wearing masks, is also unchanged. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is a trade association of the world’s airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences that served as a forum for price fixing. Consisting of 290 airlines (2016), primarily major carriers, representing 117 countries, the IATA’s member airlines account for carrying approximately 82% of total available seat miles air traffic. IATA supports airline activity and helps formulate industry policy and standards. It is headquartered in Canada in the city of Montréal, with executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland.

Blaming it on the staff shortages caused by the lightning spread of the new COVID-19 Omicron strain, global airlines have canceled over 4,500 domestic and international flights worldwide during the peak Christmas weekend. US airports accounted for more than a quarter of all flight cancelations, with United Airlines and Delta Air Lines being among the worst hit.  According to the latest global data, 2,380 flights were called and another 11,163 delayed globally worldwide on Christmas Eve. There were 2,388 cancelations and 2,579 delays as of the Christmas Day’ afternoon. Another 747 flights scheduled for Sunday have been canceled as well. The majority of the cancelations came from five airlines, with China Eastern forced to call off more than 1,200 journeys over the weekend. Meanwhile, Air China, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Jet Blue, and Lion Air have reported large numbers of canceled flights. There were 688 flights canceled across the US on Friday, and another 980 have been canceled so far over the peak travel weekend. German carrier Lufthansa said on Friday that it was canceling 12 transatlantic flights over the holiday period due to a “massive rise” in pilots calling in sick, and despite arranging for a “large buffer” of additional staff for the period. The last-minute travel chaos added to the frustration for passengers looking to celebrate with their families over the holidays after pandemic precautions severely impacted Christmas in 2020. According to figures released by the American Automobile Association earlier this month, airlines were expected to see an 184% increase in traffic between December 23 and January 2 from 2020. The US Transportation Security Administration expected to screen nearly 30 million people between December 20 and January 3.

Global airlines canceled over 2,000 Christmas Eve flights worldwide, with more than 500 of them being US flights. US carriers canceled hundreds of flights across the United States on Christmas Eve due to COVID-19 staff shortages, stranding thousands of travelers at the airports nationwide, while forcing others to cancel holiday travel altogether. The disruptions come after airline executives said they expect some of the busiest days since the coronavirus pandemic began over the Christmas and New Year holidays, despite the surge in COVID-10 infections, driven by the new Omicron strain.  “The nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” Chicago-based United Airlines said in a statement yesterday. “As a result, we’ve unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport,” the carrier added. United Airlines canceled over 170 domestic flights today, about 9% of its schedule, according to media reports. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines reported that it has canceled 90 domestic flights. According to Delta, prior to this decision its teams “have exhausted all options and resources – including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover scheduled flying.” This follows a call to US authorities by Delta CEO Ed Bastian, who asked to cut quarantine for fully vaccinated people to five days from the current 10. As a reason for his request, he cited COVID-related staff shortages. Earlier, JetBlue addressed the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with similar requests. According to an American Automobile Association forecast, more than 109 million people – almost 34% more than in 2020 – “will travel 50 miles or more as they hit the road, board airplanes or take other transportation out of town” between December 23 and January 2. Out of these 109 million, 6.4 million are going to travel by air.

Five journalists from across the Dutch and French-speaking media in Belgium were invited to discover the destination with the aim of giving visibility to the Seychelles islands in a variety of newspapers, monthly magazines, blogs and online. As this was the first time in the Seychelles for each journalist, it was important to reveal the diversity of the Seychelles, both in its landscapes, activities, and attractions. Stepping off the Ethiopian Airlines aircraft which operates 4 flights a week to the Seychelles from Brussels via Addis Ababa, they first headed off to L’Escale Resort and during their five nights in the country, the journalists explored the islands of Mahé, Praslin, La Digue as well as the attractions of St Pierre and Curieuse. With the focus on experiencing Seychelles, Tourism Seychelles, its co-sponsors and hotel partners organized a number of activities which the journalists actively participated in, teeing off at the Constance Lemuria Seychelles Hotel’s golf course, going snorkeling and on excursions on Praslin, hiking and learning about environmental preservation in the Vallée de Mai, as well as on La Digue and Mahé islands. The program included an immersion in the islands’ culture, history and heritage with a visit of the capital of Victoria and such sites as the Domaine de Val des Près, the La Plaine St André distillery, Jardin du Roi, the tea plantation and L’Union Estate on La Digue. A high point was the discovery of Creole cuisine, with a cooking class on the last day when the journalists were able to savor and evaluate the authenticity of their own dish of “kari poul” before their departure to Brussels. Hotel partners L’Escale Resort and Constance Ephélia Seychelles on Mahé, and Les Lauriers Eco Hotel on Praslin, who welcomed the journalists during their stay, allowed them to sample the different types of accommodation, atmosphere and locations available on the islands. In total, more than 20 pages on the Seychelles will be published over the next few weeks (not including web versions) to promote leisure travel and holidays to Seychelles on the Belgian market. More news about Seychelles #seychellestourism #ethiopianairlines

The White House announced today that the United States will lift its travel restrictions on South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi that were imposed last month following the discovery of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant. Last Tuesday, President Biden said he was “considering reversing” the travel restrictions, telling reporters “I’m going to talk with my team in the next couple of days.” The restrictions will be lifted on New Year’s Eve. US travel ban that effectively banned almost all non-U.S. citizens, who had recently been in South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, was heavily criticized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and southern African leaders as ineffective and severely damaging to local economies. Other countries, including the UK, imposed similar travel bans on southern African countries in the wake of the first detection of the Omicron strain. The United Kingdom lifted its travel restrictions last week, due to community transmission of the new COVID-19 variant within the country. Senior US administration official said that the temporary travel ban “served its purpose,” adding that “it bought time to understand the science, it gave time to analyze the variant.” According to the White House spokesman Kevin Munoz, the CDC ultimately recommended lifting the restrictions because of progress US health experts have made in understanding the Omicron strain, and because of how much the new COVID-19 variant has spread across the world. Omicron strain of the COVID-19 virus is now also spreading rapidly throughout the United States. While breakthrough infections among vaccinated people have become common, they have rarely led to severe illness or hospitalization, but a huge majority of those being hospitalized are unvaccinated. The lightning-fast spread of the new COVID-19 strain, along with more people gathering indoors during winter, has led to a major infection spike. The seven-day rolling average for US COVID-19 cases climbed past 160,000 this week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That’s more than double the average in late November.

A spokesperson for the European Commission announced today that starting next year, all visitors from the United Kingdom will have to pay €7 ($7.92) visa fee to enter Schengen EU nations. The executive branch of the European Union confirmed today that the British travelers will be charged the visa fee, in line with the bloc’s existing scheme for non-EU nations and will have to pre-register their details before being allowed to enter EU. The European Travel and Information and Authorization Scheme (ETIAS) currently allows residents of 61 non-EU countries to enter the Schengen zone with pre-authorization. Rather than needing a visa, the scheme charges a levy, which permits holders to stay in, and travel around, Schengen-signatory EU states for up to 90 days. From late 2022, as part of post-Brexit arrangements, the UK will be added to ETIAS, covering all Schengen area nations as well as a number of non-Schengen ‘micro-states’ such as Vatican City. The ETIAS scheme was first unveiled by the EU in 2016, as part of an effort to bolster security by allowing immigration officials to track visitors through the bloc, while not needing to impose a laborious visa scheme when traveling between member states. When it was introduced, then-President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker praised the scheme as improving the management of EU borders, helping to decrease crime and terrorism, and reinforcing the bloc’s visa liberalization policy.

Turkish authorities announced that they have detained a Lebanon-based US diplomat for allegedly selling a passport to a Syrian national who then attempted to use it to board a plane from Turkey to Germany. The Istanbul Security Directorate issued a statement today, confirming the arrest of an American who is an employee of the US Consulate in Lebanon’s capital Beirut. The arrest was made after an incident at Istanbul Airport when a Syrian national tried to board a plane to Germany using someone else’s passport. The passport belonged to a US diplomat based in Beirut, Lebanon.  The police noted in their statement that security camera footage showed the American meeting with the Syrian national in the airport and exchanging clothes. It is believed the passport was handed over during the meeting. Police searched the American and found $10,000 in an envelope and a passport in his name, according to the security directorate statement. He was remanded in custody while the Syrian national, who is facing charges of forgery, was released pending trial. While foreign diplomats frequently have immunity from prosecution in the country they are posted to, the American was accredited as a diplomat in Lebanon, not Turkey, and therefore may face punishment.

As the year comes to a close, Milan Bergamo Airport has welcomed its sixth new airline for 2021 marking the arrival of HiSky to the Italian gateway’s roll call. Celebrating three inaugural flights this week, the Moldovan low-cost carrier (LCC) will link the Lombardy region to historic and economic centers of Romania and Moldova. While facing no direct competition on flights to Baia Mare and Târgu Mureş (both launched 20 December), arrival on the Chisinau market on 24 December will give the HiSky an immediate 32% share of services to the Moldovan capital. Operating twice-weekly links to each destination, the LCC will add more than 56,000 departing seats from Milan Bergamo during 2022, significantly boosting the airport’s network. Commenting on the development, Giacomo Cattaneo, Director of Commercial Aviation, SACBO says: “This year has been another of hardships for everyone but I’m more than proud to have been able to see so many new airlines join our portfolio, it feels an appropriate end to 2021 to welcome our sixth new carrier, HiSky, in the run up to the festive season.” Cattaneo adds: “Milan Bergamo already supports flights to Bacâu, Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara, Craiova, Iasi, and Bucharest Otopeni in Romania, so it is great that we can now offer two further destinations to what is a growing market for us, while the additional services to Chisinau will support the growing demand from our customers to visit the most prosperous locality in Moldova.” In addition to celebrating new routes, Milan Bergamo also marked the inauguration of the airport’s new airside terminal, now complete with the addition of six boarding gates, baggage carousels and added retail offerings. While the new infrastructure was opened to passengers last month, last week saw Bergamo ministers and officials, and representatives from SACBO observe the investment the airport has made to improve passenger experience.

South African Airways (SAA) has informed travel advisors in the U.S. and Canada that the airline is continuing to process ticket refunds through the Refund Accounting Department in their North America Regional Office for customers whose flights were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To make the process more efficient, travel advisors have been asked to forward any refund requests for wholly unused or partially used tickets issued in the USA via email to: [email protected] or [email protected] for review or processing. For SAA tickets issued in Canada or Mexico, the refund can be processed through the BSP Link and will be reviewed and processed by SAA. If a travel advisor or consumer has previously submitted a ticket refund to SAA it is not necessary to resend the request, as it has been received and will be reviewed by the Refund Accounting Department, as soon as possible. “Due to the volume of refund requests that have been received over the past 18 months, our staff is working diligently to review and process these requests in a timely manner,” said Todd Neuman, executive vice president for South African Airways in North America. “Throughout the business rescue process, our upmost desire is to continue our commitment to provide duty of care to our valued customers, whose travel plans were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and cancellation of SAA flights. We extend our sincere apologies to our valued travel advisors and customers for the delay and inconvenience in handling ticket refunds and greatly appreciate their patience and understanding as we worked through the process during our business rescue,” added Neuman. South African Airways has offered one of the airline industry’s most generous programs for rebooking travel that was impacted by cancelled flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SAA Flexible Travel Policy allows customers to apply the value of their original ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket for travel on SAA issued by March 31, 2023. If the original traveler no longer wishes to travel, they can apply for a refund or designate an alternative traveler to utilize the ticket for future travel.

Continued interest in aircraft maintenance at Prague Airport has been confirmed as Czech Airlines Technics (CSAT) signed a new contract with another major customer. CSAT management has entered into a base maintenance agreement with Austrian Airlines. Based on successful tender, won by CSAT, the company will perform overhauls of a total of 13 Airbus A320 family aircraft. Despite several operational changes by air carriers, lessors, and other aircraft operators in connection with the resumption of operations post the pandemic, over 100 projects were successfully completed last season.  “Pursuing the course of our long-term strategy, we confirm further co-operation with an important aircraft base maintenance customer. Last year, we won several new clients, and we continue to work for our long-term partners from airlines and leasing companies this year. Following that, our hangar capacity is fully booked for the ongoing base maintenance season,” Pavel Haleš, Chairman of the Czech Airlines Technics Board of Directors, said. Based on the latest agreement concluded with Austrian Airlines, CSAT will provide Airbus A320 family narrow-body aircraft base maintenance using one of its production lines in Hangar F. Its team will perform a total of six overhauls this season. During the following year, seven more aircraft will arrive in Prague for the planned checks. “We build on our 2019 co-operation with the Austrian national carrier, member of the Lufthansa Group, which will continue thanks to the new long-term agreement at least until 2023. We value the fact that Austrian Airlines has chosen Czech Airlines Technics and our services once again,” Pavel Haleš added.   “To ensure that our aircraft always complies with the highest standards on safety and security we focus on long standing, regional cooperation with trusted partners. We are pleased to be able to renew our agreement with Czech Airlines Techniques for another two years,” said Francesco Sciortino, Austrian Airlines’ Chief Operational Officer. Last season, Czech Airlines Technics completed over 100 base maintenance overhauls of Boeing 737, Airbus A320 Family and ATR aircraft. Concurrently, CSAT successfully performed first maintenance jobs on Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A321neo. The company received approvals to perform maintenance checks of both most modern narrow-body aircraft types from the Czech Civil Aviation Authority in the first half of 2021. Finnair, Transavia Airlines, Neos and Austrian Airlines are among the most important Czech Airlines Technics clients in the base maintenance division long-term. In 2021, a team of CSAT mechanics also worked on projects for LOT Polish Airlines, Swedish airline Novair and other clients comprising leasing companies and representatives from both the government and private sectors.

Qatar Airways released the following statement today regarding issuing legal proceedings against Airbus in the Technology and Construction Division of The High Court in London: “Qatar Airways has today issued legal proceedings against Airbus in the Technology and Construction division of the High Court in London. We have sadly failed in all our attempts to reach a constructive solution with Airbus in relation to the accelerated surface degradation condition adversely impacting the Airbus A350 aircraft. Qatar Airways has therefore been left with no alternative but to seek a rapid resolution of this dispute via the courts. Qatar Airways currently have 21 A350 aircraft grounded by the condition and the legal proceedings have been commenced to ensure that Airbus will now address our legitimate concerns without further delay. We strongly believe that Airbus must undertake a thorough investigation of this condition to conclusively establish its full root cause. Without a proper understanding of the root cause of the condition, it is not possible for Qatar Airways to establish whether any proposed repair solution will rectify the underlying condition. Qatar Airways number one priority remains the safety of its passengers and crew.”

The office of the Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett issued a statement today, announcing that the United States would be added to Israel’s ‘red list’ of countries, making America off-limits to Israeli travelers.  The decision to add US to Israeli ‘no fly’ list, prohibiting citizens from visiting the country followed a meeting of the cabinet on Sunday and will come into effect at midnight on Tuesday (10pm GMT), according to the statement. Israelis needing to travel to the United States will have to apply for and receive a special permission for their trip. The United States was not the only new addition to Israeli ‘red list.’ Italy, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland and Turkey were all added to the no-fly roster on Monday, following recommendations from the Ministry of Health. There are now more than 50 countries on Israel‘s ‘red list’ to which Israelis cannot travel due to fears about the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Addressing the Israelis in a televised speech, Bennett said Israel, through tough border restrictions, had bought time to prepare against the new variant. However, he predicted a surge of infections in the coming weeks. To date, Israel has registered 134 confirmed Omicron cases and another 307 suspected cases. According to the Health Ministry, 167 were symptomatic.  The Omicron variant has driven a new surge of infections, even in the countries where vaccination levels are high.

Airbus has firmed up an order for the purchase of four A350F freighter aircraft with the CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics. This order will bring CMA CGM’s total Airbus fleet to nine aircraft, including four A330-200F and one A330-200 to be converted into a freighter. The A350F is based on the world’s most modern long-range leader, the A350. The aircraft features a large main deck cargo door and a fuselage length optimized for cargo operations. Over 70% of the airframe is made of advanced materials resulting in a 30t lighter take-off weight, generating an at least 20% lower fuel burn over its current closest competitor. With a 109t payload capability (+3t payload/ 11% more volume than its competition), the A350F serves all cargo markets (Express, general cargo, special cargo…) and is in the large freighter category the only new generation freighter aircraft ready for the enhanced 2027 ICAO CO₂ emissions standards. Airbus SE is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft in Europe and various countries outside Europe. 

French bee, the low-cost, long-haul airline (Groupe Dubreuil member) based in France, has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000, on lease from Air Lease Corporation, to join its fleet and make the airline an all-A350 fleet operator. The aircraft is the first of two A350-1000s to be operated by French bee on route from Paris to Saint Denis de La Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. The Airbus A350-1000s will complement the four A350-900 aircraft already in the French bee fleet, providing the airline with unrivalled operational flexibility and eco-efficient solutions for its network. The aircraft features 480 seats in a two-class layout (40 premium class and 440 economy class), providing all the comfort and amenities of Airbus’ Airspace cabin, including state-of-the-art, in-flight passenger entertainment (IFE) and full WiFi connectivity throughout the cabin. The A350 cabin is also the quietest of any twin-aisle aircraft. The A350-1000, Airbus’ largest widebody in the twin-engine category, features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fiber fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, allowing the airline to fly long-haul destinations up to 16,000 km (8,700nm). Together, these elements translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency with 25% less fuel burn and CO2 emissions and 50% reduction in noise. Simultaneously, the Dubreuil group also takes delivery of another A350-1000 on lease from Air Lease Corporation intended for Air Caraïbes, bringing the number of Airbus aircraft in the group’s fleet to 15. At the end of November 2021, the A350 Family had received 913 firm orders from 49 customers worldwide.

According to Boeing’s chief engineer, Greg Hyslop, American airspace giant will be moving its production to the virtual reality realm within next two years. Boeing’s “factory of the future” will include immersive 3D engineering designs, interactive robots and mechanics scattered worldwide but linked by HoloLens headsets. Boeing will build and link virtual 3D “digital twin” replicas of its new aircraft and the production system in order to run simulations. A “digital thread” will incorporate all information about the aircraft from the start, including airline requirements, parts specifications and certification documents. Boeing plans to invest $15 billion into its production evolution. “It’s about strengthening engineering. We are talking about changing the way we work across the entire company,” Hyslop said. According to chief engineer, over 70% of quality issues at Boeing can be traced back to design issues and dumping aging paper-based practices could be the basis of positive change. “You will get speed, you will get improved quality, better communication, and better responsiveness when issues occur,” Hyslop said. Boeing expects a new aircraft based on the renovated production approach to hit the market in four to five years. “When the quality from the supply base is better, when the airplane build goes together more smoothly, when you minimize rework, the financial performance will follow from that,” the engineer added. Although some critics are suspicious about Boeing’s potential digital revolution, insiders say it is high time for the company to step up efforts to improve quality and safety after its recent misfortunes. Earlier this month, the aircraft manufacturer appeared to have recovered its major markets after the 737 MAX crisis, which saw the company’s most popular plane universally banned from taking to the skies after two deadly accidents in late 2018 and early 2019. In a big win for the company, China cleared Boeing 737 MAX planes to return to flying, with technical upgrades. The EU did the same earlier this year, while the US, Brazil, Panama and Mexico greenlighted the aircraft in late 2020. Yet, amid the crisis, many airlines switched to aircraft from Boeing’s major rival Airbus, with some still uneager to welcome Boeing back. Most recently, Australian national airline Qantas Airways picked Airbus as its preferred supplier to replace its domestic – largely Boeing – fleet.

Southwest Airlines Co. today announced two Leadership promotions within the Technology Department to replace recently vacated roles, with both effective Jan. 1, 2022.      Kayce Ford is promoted to Vice President of Enterprise Management. Ford most recently served as Senior Director, Customer Support & Services/Customer Relations (CS&S/CR) in the Technology Department. In her new role, Ford will be responsible for managing the business relationships and integration of Business and Technology strategy for Finance, People & Communications, Supply Chain, Internal Audit, and Corporate Strategy. Ford joined Southwest Airlines in 2017 as Director of CS&S/CR and Customer. Prior to joining Southwest, Ford worked in both Management and Technology Consulting at Accenture for over 18 years. Ford is a graduate of Baylor University.   Marty Garza is promoted to Vice President of Operations Technology. Garza most recently served as Senior Director, Aircraft Operations in the Technology Department. In his new role, Garza will be responsible for delivering high-value business capabilities to the Operation while maintaining the overall health of the carrier’s operational Technology platforms. Garza joined Southwest Airlines in 1998 as part of the Technology Department’s inaugural college hire program and spent over a decade as a Software Engineer developing custom solutions for the Finance department. In 2012, Garza was promoted to Leadership where he played a significant role in delivering several strategic initiatives including the launch of international service, and the replacement of the Company’s legacy reservation system, among others. He holds a Bachelor of Administration in Finance degree from Southern Methodist University.