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. 

A total of 79 deals (mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity, and venture financing) were announced in the global travel and tourism sector during November, which is an increase of 9.7% over the 72 deals announced in October. Deal activity in the travel and tourism sector further improved in November following the trend of previous months and this is the third consecutive month of growth in deal activity in the sector. However, the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 virus may dent deal-making sentiments in the coming months. Deal activity increased in several key markets such as the US, the UK, India and China during November compared to the previous month. However, markets such as Australia, Japan and South Korea witnessed decline in deal activity. The announcement of M&A deals increased by 30% during November compared to the previous month. However, venture financing and private equity deals volume decreased by 9.5% and 27.3%, respectively.

Following the successful relaunch of Transavia’s services to Paris in October, yesterday saw Budapest Airport once again be linked to Lyon by the Air France-KLM group airline. Operating a seasonal service, the low-cost carrier will offer twice-weekly flights to France’s third largest city between 16 December 2021 and 2 January 2022 – perfect for the French traveler wishing to visit the famous Budapest Christmas markets or those from Hungary with a desire to see the French Alps during the winter season. Balázs Bogáts, Head of Airline Development, Budapest Airport, says: “We are very happy to welcome further connections to vital European cities on our route map. Transavia’s link to Lyon is another step towards our goal of reconnection and redevelopment, our ambition to once again offer a rich variety of destinations to our customers.” “We are delighted to be able to offer the possibility for the Lyoneses to discover the Hungarian capital. This service will also allow Hungarian travelers to enjoy their Christmas vacations in Lyon and its region while at the same time benefit from a quality low-cost offer,“ Nicolas Hénin, CCO, Transavia France. Transavia Airlines C.V., trading as Transavia and formerly branded as transavia.com, is a Dutch low-cost airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of KLM and therefore part of the Air France–KLM group. Its main base is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and it has other bases at Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Eindhoven Airport.

Major changes in the top management of the Lufthansa Group were announced today. Jens Ritter, currently a Member of the Executive Board and COO of Eurowings, will become the new CEO of Lufthansa Airlines on 1 April 2022 and will succeed Klaus Froese. Klaus Froese is handing over his post after more than six years on the Executive Board of Lufthansa Airlines, most recently as CEO. Going forward, he will fly for Lufthansa as a captain, piloting the new Boeing 787 that arrives next year. Jens Ritter (48) started his flying career in 2000 after studying aerospace and training as an Airbus A320 pilot with Lufthansa. In 2008, he switched to the Airbus A330/340 as a long-haul pilot. In 2014, he was trained as a captain on the Airbus A320. Jens Ritter took on his first management role in 2005 in the ‘A380 Onboard IT’ project. Later, he held various management positions. In 2014, he took over as Head of Operations Efficiency and Strategy at Lufthansa. In parallel, he led a project for the standardization of Group-wide flight operations processes in Lufthansa Group. Between 2016 and 2020, Jens Ritter was responsible for the operations of Austrian Airlines as Accountable Manager. As Chief Operating Officer (COO), he was part of the extended Executive Board of Austrian Airlines. He has been Chief Operating Officer and Member of the Executive Board at Eurowings since April 2021. Annette Mann, currently Head of Corporate Responsibility at Lufthansa Group, will become the new CEO of Austrian Airlines as of 1 March 2022. Annette Mann succeeds Dr. Alexis von Hoensbroech, who is leaving the company with immediate effect at his own request. Dietmar Focke, currently Head of Engine Services at Lufthansa Technik, is moving to the Executive Board of Lufthansa Cargo and will be responsible for Operations and Human Resources as of 1 March 2022. He succeeds Harald Gloy, who is leaving the company at his own request. Dr. Jörg Beißel, Head of Corporate Controlling at the Lufthansa Group, will assume the position of CFO of Lufthansa Airlines as of 1 April 2022. He succeeds Patrick Staudacher, who will not extend his contract at Lufthansa at his own request and will leave the company at the end of April. Frank Bauer, currently a Member of the Executive Board at Eurowings and responsible for Finance and HR, will be responsible for the corporate controlling of Lufthansa Group as of 1 April 2022. The areas of Human Resources and Finance on the Eurowings Executive Board will be taken over by Kai Duve as of 1 February 2022. Kai Duve is currently head of the Frankfurt cabin crews division of Lufthansa Airlines. Benedikt Schneider, currently responsible for the Executive Office of the Chief Human Resources and Legal Officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG will succeed Kai Duve, also as of 1 February 2022. Wilken Bormann, currently Head of Lufthansa Group Finance, will assume responsibility for Finance and Human Resources* on the LSG Group Executive Board as of 1 March 2022. He succeeds Dr. Kristin Neumann, who is leaving the company at her own request at the end of February. “Filling these top management positions is another important step in our transformation. We are continuing on our course with undiminished speed and are strengthening our position among the leading global airline groups. I am pleased that we were able to fill all positions from within Lufthansa Group – it confirms our successful personnel and leadership development,” said Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

The WestJet Group expressed strong opposition to the travel advisory issued by the Government of Canada. The targeted advice is not based on science and data and significantly undermines aviation’s proven safety record in response to COVID-19. These measures are a setback in Canada’s progress and its successful transition from relying on blanket advisories and policies.   “Air travel is the most tested and protected consumer activity in Canada, every person traveling internationally is tested on average twice throughout their travel journey,” said Harry Taylor, WestJet President and CEO. “As the only fully-vaccinated air travel sector in the world, WestJet is calling on the government to publicly share the travel related COVID-19 data that has been used to re-impose the advisory and advice targeted towards fully-vaccinated Canadians and the travel and tourism industry.” International travel standards and policies should be harmonized, yet Canada’s travel measures remain firmly out of step with border policies enacted across the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. New advisory contradicts WHO’s guidance that states blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread of COVID-19 and adversely affect lives and livelihoods. The Government of Canada should continue to focus on vaccinations and testing, as the pathway for safe and fully vaccinated international air travel must be preserved. “Since the onset of the pandemic, we have safely flown more than seven million guests and air travel has been commended for its commitment to safety. Fully vaccinated Canadians should not be singled-out for choosing to take part in a safe activity,” continued Taylor. “Travel bans, restrictions and blanket advisories are devastating to the continued economic recovery of our country and place tens of thousands of recently recalled Canadian travel and tourism jobs at risk. We are very concerned the announcement will create unnecessary disruption and chaos in advance of the holiday travel season.” Since the onset of the pandemic, The WestJet Group has responded to COVID-19 to ensure the safety of all. The airline has implemented its own measures in response to the pandemic including a zero-tolerance mask policy, enhancing health and safety measures, suspending sun flights and implementing the airline’s mandatory vaccination policy for employees and air travelers.

Swoop this week launched two new inaugural flights from Edmonton International Airport with the start of nonstop service to Palm Springs, California today and to Orlando (Sanford), Florida on December 17. The airline’s twice weekly non-stop service to Palm Springs operates on Mondays and Thursdays, while flights between Edmonton and Orlando (Sanford) will operate weekly on Fridays. In light of the Level 3 travel advisory being re-issued by the Government of Canada, Swoop, as part of the WestJet Group, is advocating for the preservation of the measures in place for fully vaccinated international air travel. “Since the onset of the pandemic, air travel has become the most tested and protected consumer activity in Canada,” said Charles Duncan, President of Swoop. “With travelers being tested an average of twice throughout their international journey and as the only fully-vaccinated air travel sector in the world, we believe that vaccinations and testing are the right path forward for safe international air travel.” Throughout the pandemic, Swoop has safely flown more than 800,000 travelers, maintaining critical access to affordable air travel for Canadians and prioritizing safety above all with a zero-tolerance mask policy and mandatory vaccinations requirements for both employees and air travelers. 

Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd (AVIC) released the latest market outlook today, forecasting that China’s general aircraft fleet will reach 45,000 by 2040. According to AVIC report, China‘s general aviation market is maintaining a healthy growth. The country’s general aviation fleet will include 10,000 civil helicopters and the others will be fixed-wing general aircraft, said the China Market Outlook for General Aircraft (2021-2040) released by the Aviation Industry Development Research Center of China under the AVIC, the country’s leading aircraft maker. Demands from pilot training, entertainment and low-altitude tourism will sustain the Chinese general aviation market to grow. Light helicopter and ultralight helicopters are forecast to be the most popular market segments in the Chinese civil helicopter market, accounting for 76.9 percent of China‘s civil helicopter fleet, said the AVIC market outlook. Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd (AVIC), a state-owned Chinese group of aerospace companies based in Beijing, is a major player on the global market. With its over 100 branches and 27 subsidiaries, AVIC is a Fortune 500 company and one of China‘s ten largest industrial corporations.

Qatar Airways announced the return of its nonstop flights between Doha, Qatar and Sofia Airport (SOF) in Bulgaria, effective 16 December 2021. This flight resumption provides greater choice and seamless connectivity for Bulgarians and international travelers via Hamad International Airport (HIA). The nonstop service is operated by Qatar Airways’ Airbus A320 featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “The resumption of Qatar Airways’ non-stop flights between Doha and Sofia is a testament to both strong demand and our deep commitment to Bulgaria, as we continue to celebrate the airline’s 10-year anniversary of proudly serving the country. These nonstop flights provide Bulgarians with a superior choice to experience the more than 140 destinations that we fly to around the world via the World’s Best Airport, Hamad International Airport. Whether visiting the Middle East for business or enjoying a vacation in the Maldives, Seychelles or Tanzania, our valued Bulgarian passengers can rely on Qatar Airways to deliver an unforgettable five-star travel experience with the highest possible level of health and safety standards.” “At the same time, Qatar Airways’ reinstated nonstop flights will make it even easier for travelers from around the world to visit Bulgaria – a truly unique country that has something to offer for everyone.  With Qatar Airways’ seamless connectivity, our passengers can more readily experience Bulgaria’s breathtaking nature, ancient culture, healing mineral water springs, stunning ski slopes and the magnificent Black Sea shore.” Mr. Rossen Dimitrov, Chief Officer Customer Experience for Qatar Airways, said: “Bulgarians and international travelers alike can expect nothing but the best when they travel on Qatar Airways’ reinstated non-stop flights between Doha and Sofia. Our industry-leading customer experience continues to be recognized as world-class for the excellence we deliver on each and every flight. The award-winning service that has earned Qatar Airways the accolade of Airline of the Year by Skytrax is delivered by a cosmopolitan flight and cabin crew, including Bulgarian nationals who have a strong tradition of serving the airline, and we look forward to welcoming our passengers onboard these newly reinstated non-stop flights.” Sofia Airport’s Chief Executive Officer Jesus Caballero said: “Today is a very special day because of the resumption of Qatar Airways’ non-stop flights between Sofia and Doha. This route to the Best Airport of the year, Hamad International Airport, will provide the opportunity for Sofia Airport passengers to travel to over 140 attractive destinations. Our partnership with Qatar Airways increases air connectivity for the benefit of business and tourism travelers. Visitors from Doha can explore the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Sofia and Bulgaria in four seasons with connecting flights from Sofia to the seaside cities of Varna and Bourgas.”

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal announced today that British tourists will be banned from entering France in an attempt to slow the spread of the more contagious Omicron strain of the COVID-19 virus. Paris has said that applying tougher rules on people traveling from the United Kingdom would give France more time to prepare for the forthcoming new wave of COVID-19 infections. France will prohibit all travel from the UK if there is a compelling reason for it, Paris said in a statement. Travel for the purpose of tourism and business from the UK to France will be banned for now. “We are going to put in place more drastic controls at the border with the UK,” Attal said in an interview with French BFMTV. New restrictions, to be unveiled by the prime minister’s office later on Thursday, will include reducing the age of a valid PCR test from 48 hours to 24 hours for those arriving from the UK. The change will come into force from Saturday regardless of vaccination status.  The move comes after Britain recorded its highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day on Wednesday, although it is worth noting that testing capacity was greatly reduced during the first wave of the virus in 2020. Increasing COVID-19 cases in the UK have been partially blamed on the arrival of the Omicron variant, which is already rampant in Britain. British Transport Minister Grant Shapps confirmed on Thursday that haulers would be exempt from the French restrictions. 

US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David Pekoske announced, during a media briefing, that the agency has confiscated more guns at US airports in 2021 than in any other year since its creation two decades ago. “It’s an all-time high,” Pekoske noted. “The reason? I think there’s just more firearm carriage in the country. That’s the best answer I can give you.” The previous annual record high was 4,432 guns confiscated in 2019, but in 2021, TSA seized a whopping 5,674 firearms at US airport security checkpoints. The numbers peaked in November during a time of increased air travel ahead of Thanksgiving. TSA officers screened almost 21 million travelers during the 10-day holiday period and expect the next peak to come during Christmas. Airports in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Houston showed the highest detection rates. The majority of the confiscated firearms – about 85% – were loaded when they were found by officers. TSA rules allow guns to be carried only if they are unloaded and in checked baggage. People flouting firearms rules face hefty fines of as much as $13,910 in case of repeat violators and may be referred to local law enforcement for criminal prosecution, Pekoske warned. “It’s a pretty costly mistake to make,” TSA Administrator said. The TSA was created in response to the September 2001 terrorist attacks as part of the Department of Homeland Security. It is mostly concerned with providing security to airports and passenger airlines in the US, though other modes of transportation are also in its purview.

The air carrier will offer 3 weekly flights between Rome Fiumicino and Sydney (with a stopover in Perth) operated with Boeing 787/900 Dreamliner – a new generation aircraft specially configured by Qantas to offer services dedicated to an extended stay on board – with a three-class cabin configuration and 42 seats in Business, 28 in Premium Economy and 166 in Economy, for a total of 236 seats overall. For the first time in the history of civil aviation, it will be possible to fly directly between Australia and Continental Europe. There will be a non-stop connection between Rome and Perth, the westernmost point of the Australian continent, in a flight lasting 15 hours and 45 minutes. Passengers from Rome will also be able to choose whether to continue on the same aircraft to Sydney or start their stay in Australia by visiting Perth ”, announces the joint note from Rome and Qantas Airports. Rome will, therefore, be the first and only point in Continental Europe to be directly connected to Australia, as Qantas operates another direct flight but towards London. The choice of Fiumicino will allow Qantas to interconnect its passengers to the main European destinations, including Athens, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Nice, Madrid, Paris and 15 points in Italy such as Florence, Milan and Venice via Fiumicino, thanks to collaboration agreements with other partner airlines operating on the Roman airport. In this case, there is persistent talk of an upcoming interline agreement with the new Ita Airways. “Since the borders have reopened,” said Alan Joyce, CEO of the Qantas group, “we have immediately encountered a strong demand from our customers to discover new destinations. The resumption of traffic and the demand for a greater number of connections following the pandemic has made direct connections to and from Australia even more attractive and desirable in a context in which we have learned to live with the virus and its variants. “After the restrictions of the last few years, now is the ideal time for Qantas to reinvigorate its international network and explore new market opportunities. “The new route will bring new visitors to Australia by strengthening the domestic tourism industry.” “Australia enjoys a global reputation as a friendly, safe and attractive tourist destination, and by flying directly from Rome visitors will be able to experience the ‘Australian Spirit’ even before arriving.” “With great pride,” said Marco Troncone, CEO of Aeroporti di Roma, “today we celebrate Italy as the landing country of the first ever direct flight from Australia to continental Europe. Rome and Italy thus give a great signal of confidence and recovery, confirming the attractiveness of the largest market in terms of volumes between Australia and Continental Europe, with around 500,000 passengers who flew between the two countries in 2019 with intermediate stop. “This important milestone is the result of a long collaboration between Qantas and Adr with the support of national institutions and is only the beginning of a path that will strengthen the already relevant social and economic relations between Australia and Italy, facilitating the development of passenger and freight mobility in the near future.” More information about Australia #italy #australia

According to Chinese civil aviation industry’s official data, released on Wednesday, China‘s airline sector has experienced another significant slump in transport volume in November, 2021. Barely 21.53 million passenger trips were made by air in November of 2021, marking an astonishing decrease of 51.5 percent from a year ago, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced at a press conference today. The number of air trips last November amounts to only about 40.6 percent of that recorded in the same period in 2019, said the Chinese civil aviation regulator. According to CAAC data, the volume of mail and cargo transported by air carriers stood at about 606,000 tons in November, 2021 – down 10.2 percent year on year. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), formerly the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, is the aviation authority under the Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China. It oversees civil aviation and investigates aviation accidents and incidents. As the aviation authority responsible for China, it concludes civil aviation agreements with other aviation authorities, including those of the Special administrative regions of China which are categorized as “special domestic”. It directly operated its own airline, China’s aviation monopoly, until 1988. The agency is headquartered in Dongcheng District, Beijing. The CAAC does not share the responsibility of managing China’s airspace with the Central Military Commission under the regulations in the Civil Aviation Law of the People’s Republic of China.

Travelers can escape the cold shores of Lake Erie for tropical sunshine Flights into Nassau serve as a gateway to 16 islands with unique vacation offerings to suit each traveler’s individual needs, spanning varied budgets and experiences. The Islands of The Bahamas welcome Ohioans with open arms, turquoise water and plenty of sunshine.  “The inaugural United Airlines flight from Cleveland to Nassau cannot arrive at a better time as Americans begin planning for their next vacation in 2022,” said Deputy Prime Minister the Honorable I. Chester Cooper, Bahamas Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation. “The newly added flight options transport Ohio residents to our beautiful islands in just 3 hours. It’s ideal for those who seek a short-haul vacation destination.” There are a host of new developments, hotel re-openings and experiences happening throughout Nassau and Paradise Island, Grand Bahama Island, and the beloved Out Islands. All this is making The Bahamas one of the Caribbean’s top must-visit destinations:   The Bahamas landed a top spot in Travel + Leisure’s coveted “50 Best Places to Travel in 2022” list.Baha Bay, a 15-acre oceanfront water park at Baha Mar, opened this year featuring 24 water slides, a dueling water coaster, 500,000-gallon wave pool and winding river.The Boutique Hotel Awards names Over Yonder Cay, an exclusive eco-friendly destination in the Exuma Cays, The Bahamas, “World’s Best Private Villa”.The Cove, Eleuthera will reopen on December 20, 2021. Nestled between two white sand coves, guests can expect to enjoy the ultimate Out Island luxuries of tranquility and privacy. The new nonstop route will operate once a week, every Saturday, departing Cleveland at 9:05 a.m. EST and returning from Nassau at 4:15 p.m. EST.  To learn more about The Bahamas, head to Bahamas.com, while travellers ready to pack their bags can book their flights today by visiting United.com.   The Bahamas is committed to the safety of its residents and visitors and continues to update on-island and arrival policies as necessary. To stay up-to-date on the latest protocols and entry requirements, please visit Bahamas.com/travelupdates.  ABOUT THE BAHAMAS With over 700 islands and cays, and 16 unique island destinations, The Bahamas lies just 50 miles off the coast of Florida, offering an easy fly away escape that transports travelers away from their everyday. The Islands of The Bahamas have world-class fishing, diving, boating and thousands of miles of the earth’s most spectacular water and beaches waiting for families, couples and adventurers. Explore all the islands have to offer at bahamas.com or onFacebook, YouTube orInstagram to see why It’s Better in The Bahamas. More information on The Bahamas #nassau #bahamas #bahamasflights

An American Airlines flight attendant is calling on the company’s top executive to make fundamental changes in how the airline handles cases involving employees who, like her, are sexually assaulted in the course of their employment at American. In her letter to American Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker, Kimberly Goesling also informed the airline of her intent to retire, following a flying career that spanned more than 30 years. Her lawsuit against the airline, including accusations of sexual assault and retaliation, is set for trial January 24. “I shouldn’t be the one who has to leave,” Ms. Goesling writes. “It should be you that left long before now, you and every other manager and individual at American who played a role in making the company’s response to my sexual assault yet another attack on me and my family.” In the letter, Ms. Goesling calls on the airline and its management to live up to its own standards, which encourage employees to speak up if they suspect illegal or unethical conduct. She also suggests the airline provide additional training for managers dealing with sexual assault victims so that they will no longer ask – as they did in her case – what the victim was wearing when attacked. “I think Kimberly feels an obligation to the women and men who will remain behind at the airline,” says attorney Robert Miller of Miller Bryant LLP, who represents Ms. Goesling. “Her hope is that, in writing this letter, she can create change at the airline because they certainly seem to need it.” Ms. Goesling’s lawsuit alleges she was attacked while in Germany by a celebrity chef whom American Airlines hired without conducting a background check. Evidence in the case shows the airline continued to employ him even after it learned of prior allegations against him for alcohol abuse and inappropriate sexual conduct. When she reported the attack to the airline, managers promised to pay Ms. Goesling for treatment and allow her time away from work shifts, as needed. They did neither, instead removing her from her coveted position on the airline’s recruitment team, according to the lawsuit.

Qatar Airways marks a new milestone by resuming its pre-pandemic in-flight dining experience on its London and Paris routes, once again offering the full personalized services that the airline is renowned for around the world. Passengers in First and Business Class will no longer be offered meals on a serving tray, instead the food service will follow the fine-dining etiquette, where the silverware and chinaware will be presented elegantly on crisp white linen complete with candle light; the perfect setting at 40,000 feet. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “The past year and a half has been a challenging period for the aviation industry; however, we grew stronger and became more resilient as time went by. Today, we are happy to mark a new chapter that brings us a step closer to the recovery of the pandemic. Passengers will now be able to further enjoy Qatar Airways’ world-renowned in-flight services onboard our flights between Doha, London and Paris with more destinations to follow.” Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Qatar Airways has applied rigorous additional health and safety measures on board its flights in an effort to minimize contact between crew and passengers. In Economy Class service, meals and cutlery were all served sealed as usual. First and Business Class meals were served covered on a tray instead of a table layup, and the cutlery roll was offered to passengers as an alternative to individual cutlery service. Qatar Airways also introduced single-use menu cards and sealed refreshing wipes during this time. All social areas including the lounge onboard the aircraft were closed adhering to social distancing measures, but will now reopen for premium passengers to access. With a continued increase in passenger demand and flight capacity across the global network, Qatar Airways currently operates five daily flights to London Heathrow (LHR) and three daily flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) on Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft. The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which currently stands at over 140 destinations. With more frequencies being added to key hubs, Qatar Airways offers unrivalled connectivity to passengers, making it easy for them to change their travel dates or destination as required.

Pan Am Flight Academy announced the expansion of their facilities to a new, and innovative facility located in the heart of Miami. Though Pan Am Academy will continue operations in its original location, adjacent to Miami International Airport, they are expected to move the operations team and eight (8) simulators to the new 67,654 SQFT, one story, state of the art facility in the first quarter of 2022. The 22 simulator bays in the new facility, coupled with Pan Am’s existing bays will increase total simulator bay capacity to 36 full flight simulators. Pan Am currently operates 20 simulators between its three Miami locations. Pan Am Flight Academy has operated in Miami since 1980 and today is one of the leading providers of aviation training for national and international airlines and aviation professionals. “This is one of many of our major investments in the company”, said Jeff Portanova, President of Pan Am Flight Academy. “The new facility translates into a high-quality service for our clients and operations team, an expansion of our growing business and an investment in cutting edge technology for all of our equipment and programs,” Portanova added. This year, 2021, has been a busy one for Pan Am Flight Academy. In March, it announced the upgrade of a second Boeing – 777, Level D, full motion flight simulator to embody the popular B777-200ER. Another announcement made mid-year was the acquisition of two additional B767-200 simulators, a B757-200 full flight simulator and an A757 flight training device. “This new facility is sure to complement and support our clients’ needs. We look forward to this new chapter in Pan Am´s history,” Portanova concluded. Pan Am Flight Academy is a commercial aviation training organization. As the only surviving division of the original Pan American World Airways, Pan Am Flight Academy can trace its instruction heritage to the earliest days of airline flight training. In 1980 Pan Am American World Airways opened its Flight Academy in Miami, Florida and is still the base of operations.

Kotoka International Airport in Ghana’s capital city of Accra announced that it will start fining the airlines $3,500 for every passenger who has not been vaccinated against COVID-19. New rule at Ghana’s main international airport goes into effect today and follows the country’s health ministry’s directive to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for all people entering the country. New regulations also come after the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced a €75 million ($85 million) investment loan to support Ghana’s battle against the pandemic. “Ghana has taken significant steps to manage the impact of COVID-19 and to unlock long-term investment,” EIB President Werner Hoyer said in a statement yesterday. Ghana broadened its vaccination program earlier this month ahead of a planned enforcement of the vaccine mandate for certain groups in January. This will cover government employees, health workers and students. Authorities also plan enlist more health workers to double the daily inoculation rate from the current 140,000. According to most recent data, only 5% of Ghana’s 30 million population have been vaccinated so far. Ghana’s health service reported last week that COVID-19 cases recorded at Kotoka International Airport accounted for about 60% of total infections in the country. Ghana is one of West Africa’s largest economies and a leading exporter of cocoa, gold and oil.

Colombia’s President Ivan Duque said that today’s double bombing at the airport in the city of Cucuta was a terrorist attack. Two police officers were killed in two explosions that struck Camilo Daza International Airport, in the capital of the northeastern Norte de Santander Department, on Tuesday morning. The first explosion happened early in the day as the alleged perpetrator tried to get the bomb onto the airport grounds by climbing over a fence. The device is believed to have detonated prematurely, killing the suspect. “In the morning, at 05:45 local time (13:45 local time) a man carrying an explosive device tried to get through the airport’s gate. At that moment, the bomb went off. The man died. He was a bandit, who had terrorist intent against one of the airport’s facilities,” Colombia’s Defence Minister Diego Molano said on the radio.  The second device went off an hour later when the bomb squad arrived on site and started searching the area. It was reportedly hidden in a bag, with the explosion killing two officers.    Numerous flights have been suspended after two explosions. “We reject the cowardly terrorist attack that occurred in the city of Cucuta,” Duque wrote on Twitter, adding that the military and police were doing everything to track down those responsible.

After joining the world’s leading airlines in The International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s resolution to achieve “Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050”, Pegasus Airlines has set its interim target for 2030 to reinforce its commitment.  Managing its operations and activities under a ‘sustainable environment’ approach, Pegasus aims to reduce flight-related carbon (CO2) emissions per unit passenger kilometer (RPK) by 20% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. In a statement upon the announcement, Pegasus Airlines CEO Mehmet T. Nane said: “As Pegasus Airlines, we have set our interim target for 2030 to reinforce our commitment to achieving “Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050”. We are restructuring all our operations and activities in line with this goal. Within the framework of our fleet transformation strategy, we foresee that we will reduce our emissions by increasing the number of our more fuel-efficient NEO model aircraft. As we manage all our operations and activities under a ‘sustainable environment’ approach, we will continue to work tirelessly towards our goal to become the greenest airline in Turkey and surrounding region.” Pegasus’ efforts to reduce carbon emissions Pegasus Airlines, whose efforts focus on reducing emissions at source by implementing operational improvements such as operating a younger fleet, purchasing low-emission aircraft models, reducing aircraft weight and route optimization, publishes its carbon footprint on a monthly basis on the investor relations website, within the framework of its transparency principle. Pegasus’ medium-term objectives focus on continuing the transformation of its fleet and supporting carbon offsetting projects; and in the long term, using Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs), new technology aircraft and carbon capture technologies.

United Airlines and Virgin Australia Group announced today a new partnership that will enhance the travel experience between Australia and the Americas. This partnership will add more benefits for both MileagePlus and Velocity Frequent Flyer members as well as access to more one-stop connections to cities across the United States, Australia, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America. The agreement, which is subject to government approval, is set to roll out starting in early 2022. Australia has always been a key part of United’s network as demonstrated by United Airlines being the only carrier to maintain passenger service between the U.S. and Australia throughout the pandemic. In addition, United offers more flights to Australia than any other U.S. carrier and now extends its presence by adding Virgin Australia Group’s comprehensive network. “The United States and Australia share a special bond and I’m especially proud that United was the only airline to maintain a vital link between these two countries throughout the pandemic,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “Looking ahead, Virgin Australia is the perfect partner for United. Our partnership provides considerable commercial value for both airlines and a shared commitment to offer the best travel experience for our customers.” United Airlines currently offers daily direct flights from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Sydney, while other services including flights from Houston and direct services to Melbourne are expected to resume later in 2022. Under this new partnership, United’s customers will now have access to top Australian destinations including Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Ready to start planning that long-awaited, much-deserved vacation or trip to Europe and destinations beyond? Alaska Airlines and our fellow oneworld member airlines – including American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair and Iberia – are ready to take you there this summer with new nonstop international flights from our West Coast hubs and airports. British Airways announced today it will begin nonstop service from Portland to London Heathrow five days a week starting on June 3, 2022. The flight becomes the sixth British Airways service to London from a key Alaska market on the West Coast joining Los Angeles; San Diego; San Francisco; San Jose, California; and Seattle. Finnair announced last week its new nonstop flight between Seattle and Helsinki that’s scheduled for service three days a week beginning June 1. Finnair’s nonstop to Seattle joins its existing service to the Finnish capital from Los Angeles. Finnair will also increase its Los Angeles-Stockholm service to four nonstop flights a week beginning May 1. By summer 2022, Alaska’s oneworld partners will offer more than 100 nonstop flights every week from the West Coast to Europe including nonstop service to London, Madrid, Barcelona, Stockholm and Helsinki. Once in Europe, journeys can continue throughout the Continent and other parts of the world with convenient connections through our partners’ hubs. “By deepening our partnerships with oneworld alliance members, we’re providing exciting travel opportunities to Europe and beyond,” said Nat Pieper, senior vice president of fleet, finance and alliances at Alaska Airlines. “Our guests will love the 100 weekly nonstop flights between our West Coast gateway airports and major European cities, enjoying oneworld benefits along the way.” “Since joining oneworld in March, Alaska Airlines has positioned oneworld as the leading alliance on the West Coast,” said Rob Gurney, oneworld CEO. “With the new oneworld member airline flights to Europe and extensive connections at Alaska’s hubs, the possibilities are endless for customers planning that long-awaited trip to Europe.” oneworld flights between the U.S. West Coast and Europe for summer 2022: oneworld PartnerCity PairFrequencyAmerican AirlinesLos Angeles – London Heathrow2x DailySeattle – London HeathrowDailyBritish AirwaysLos Angeles – London Heathrow2x DailySan Diego – London HeathrowDailySan Francisco – London Heathrow2x DailySan Jose, CA – London Heathrow5x WeeklySeattle – London Heathrow2x DailyPortland – London Heathrow5x WeeklyFinnairLos Angeles – Helsinki3x WeeklyLos Angeles – Stockholm4x WeeklySeattle – Helsinki3x WeeklyIberiaLos Angeles – Barcelona4x WeeklyLos Angeles – Madrid5x WeeklySan Francisco – Barcelona4x Weekly

This was the week (6 – 9 December) that ILTM, the world’s leading luxury travel event portfolio celebrated the 20th edition of ILTM Cannes. The global flagship event for the ILTM Portfolio brought together luxury travel professionals from 73 countries with over 1300 luxury travel suppliers from across the world for a week of dedicated one-to-one meetings – over 50,000 in total – as well as an extensive program of networking events. With high level safety precautions in place, the event was a successful live reunion for industry professionals from around the world, as well as catalyst for new business connections in luxury travel. ILTM Portfolio Director Alison Gilmore commented the success of the week’s events:“We are so proud of the role ILTM 2021 has played in giving the global luxury travel industry the live event so desperately needed. The love of travel is still as real as it ever was – so many reunions, so many introductions and so many real human connections with so much emotion.” Over 1300 luxury travel brands, experiences, destinations, and suppliers enjoyed a week of building and renewing connections with international travel planners, curators and agencies once again, taking full benefit of the pre-scheduled, one-to-one appointments. ILTM brings together the full breadth of luxury travel experiences from hidden gems to industry’s most celebrated and established brands – a catalyst for professionals and brands to form and renew rewarding relationships and discover new business opportunities. Jack Ezon, Founder of Embark Beyond led the praises: “This has been THE most impactful ILTM since its creation – a true impetus for our whole industry to forge forward and move together towards continued success.” Haisley Smith of InterNova Travel Group also commented: “This week at ILTM has allowed us to reconnect with the world – each appointment, working lunch and dinner has been defined by a feeling of pure joy so huge kudos to ILTM for the planning and logistics to ensure that everyone felt safe and secure throughout.”

Flights also to Cagliari and Venice in Italy Overall there will be 27 new routes for a total of 85 flights per week, when 13 countries across Europe will be connected to the airport. In detail, the new entries are: Banja Luka, Cagliari, Chania, Dublin, Faro, Girona, Ibiza, Lviv, Madeira, Sofia, Tallinn, Valencia, and Venice. With the addition of over 560 new routes and the opening of 16 new bases in 2021, Ryanair is aiming for even greater growth next summer with 65 new B737-8200 “Gamechanger” aircraft, offering 4% increase of seats and guaranteeing the reduction of Co2 emissions by 16% and noise emissions by 40%. Ryanair is doubling its schedule, rebuilding tourism, and creating high-paying jobs in Germany with no aid from the state. “We are delighted to invest in Nuremberg airport at a time when the German government is abandoning its regional airports in favor of traditional airlines and large airports,” commented Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson. The opening of our new base in Nuremberg features 13 new routes – 27 in total – and will provide greater connectivity, driving tourism and growth for the region as it recovers from the pandemic. “The $200 million investment will not only stimulate the German economy by driving vital tourism, but will also create more than 60 direct jobs and nearly 1,000 jobs in the region. At a time when Lufthansa is shrinking its fleet, cutting jobs, and closing routes while wasting €9 billion of taxpayer money on state aid, Ryanair is doubling its schedule for summer 2022 in Nuremberg by rebuilding tourism and creating high-paying jobs in Germany with zero state aid.” #Ryanair

Heathrow warns that new Government-imposed travel restrictions further dampen passenger confidence as demand down by 60% on pre-pandemic levels, despite the US reopening earlier in the month. High level of cancelations by business travelers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions. Heathrow urges Ministers to reduce restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so and to allow UK nationals from red list countries to isolate at home so that they can be reunited with loved ones for Christmas. If the Government signals that aviation could restart soon, that will give employers at Heathrow the confidence to start recruiting and training thousands of people from the local community ahead of next summer. Heathrow forecasts a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with around 45 million passengers – only just over half of the airport’s pre-pandemic levels. This aligns closely with the forecast published by the CAA in its Initial Proposals, and that of the airlines’ international trade body, IATA, which predicts global passenger numbers in 2022 will be about 60% of 2019 levels. Heathrow does not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed. This is likely to be several years away. Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, Ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas.  It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow.  Let’s reunite families for Christmas.”

The government of Russian Federation announced that foreigner visitors from nine African countries and Hong Kong are completely banned from entering Russia due to the spread of the COVID-9 virus. A decree announcing new travel restrictions, was signed by Russian Prime Minister and published today. New Russian government’s ruling effectively cancels all earlier exceptions for the diplomatic passport holders, travelers on business visa, and some other categories of visitors. According to the decree, the countries effected are “Botswana, Zimbabwe, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Eswatini, the Republic of South Africa.” Earlier, Russia’s anti-coronavirus crisis center reported that the entry of foreigners residing in Hong Kong or in some African countries would be ‘restricted’ due to the spread of the new strain of the infection. On November 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the B.1.1.529 variant identified in South Africa as a “Variant of Concern” and assigned it the Greek letter Omicron.  In its statement, the WHO noted that “this variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning.” The epicenter of the spread of the Omicron strain is southern Africa. The highest number of those infected with it has been detected in South Africa. The new strain has since been recorded in over 50 countries.

US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that is has concluded its probe into the Blue Origin commercial spaceflight company. According to US federal regulator, it has found ‘no specific safety issues’ with Amazon mogul’s space firm and would not be taking any action against it. Last September, just two months after Bezos made a spaceflight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket system, numerous concerns were raised and made public by the Blue Origin staff. Twenty current and former employees of the Blue Origin accused the company of a slew of wrongdoings, from sexism in the workplace to environmental damage, to ignoring safety standards. “We have seen a pattern of decision-making that often prioritizes execution speed and cost reduction over the appropriate resourcing to ensure quality,” the disgruntled employees wrote, prompting the FAA to launch a review of the Blue Origin’s safety record. At the time of the complaint, Blue Origin said that it stood “by our safety record and believe that New Shepard is the safest space vehicle ever designed or built.”  Furthermore, Blue Origin spokesperson said that Alexandra Abrams, the principal author of the complaint, had been fired two years ago “after repeated warnings for issues involving federal export control regulations.”

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), Association of South African Travel Agencies (ASATA), Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA), Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Associations (ECTAA) and World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA), collectively representing the hundreds of thousands of people who work at travel agencies and related businesses around the world, call on government leaders globally to expedite the lifting of all country- and region-specific travel bans.   When elected officials make public policy decisions in the interest of public health, those governments have an obligation to provide financial resources to those industries and individuals most affected by their decisions. Closing borders and implementing new restrictions affects untold millions of employees in the travel and tourism industry. It also is putting already vulnerable businesses at further risk from ever recovering, while government revenues continue to be eroded due to the loss of economic activity from the industry, which represents one in every ten jobs globally according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.  Recent and more stringent border closures have severely impacted already-complex international travel. We collectively call on global government leaders to follow the best available science when determining border measures, including testing and prohibitions. Many countries follow strong biosecurity protocols, including masking, social distancing, and vaccination requirements. The addition of new border measures has significant economic impacts on travel and tourism businesses that may not add additional community protection. It is critical that government policy is guided by science, not political pressure or the desire to be seen as “doing something” since these measures have significant, sometimes irreversible impact on businesses and jobs. We implore governments to take responsibility for their actions by sustaining travel reliant businesses until such time as they lift restrictions and normal travel patterns re-emerge.  Thus far, government responses to this economic factor have been uneven at best. We highlight the fact that, in response to its Covid restrictions Canada has pledged support for travel-reliant businesses in that country through May of 2022, and urge other global leaders to follow their lead.  The World Health Organization (WHO) has continued to advise against the application of travel or trade restrictions to countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks: “In general, evidence shows that restricting the movement of people and goods during public health emergencies is ineffective in most situations and may divert resources from other interventions…Travel bans to affected areas or denial of entry to passengers coming from affected areas are usually not effective in preventing the importation of cases but may have a significant economic and social impact.” This is line with the most recent European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) authoritative and science-based analysis, confirming that travel restrictions generally have no effective impact on the spread of the virus in Europe.

Colombia is closing this year with new direct routes coming from various countries. Just during the first week of December, the Latin American country has received, for the first-time, new flights arriving from Chile to Medellín with JetSMART; from Panama City to Armenia (Quindío) with Copa Airlines and from Miami to San Andrés Islands through American Airlines. Currently, Colombia has over 1.000 weekly international air frequencies, with 24 airlines connecting with 25 countries. That means over 172,000 seats available per week! Canada is no exception. As a matter of fact, within the last few days, the air connectivity with this north American country has increased tremendously. On Dec. 2nd, Air Canada launched its new flight from Montreal to Bogotá and Avianca, Colombia’s main carrier, launched a new Toronto–Bogotá route on Dec 3rd. Air Canada has also been operating Toronto–Bogotá since July and Air Transat is coming back with its seasonal flight from Montreal and Toronto to Cartagena in the upcoming week. With these new flights, Colombia is, approximately, six hours away from Toronto and Montreal. These routes open a door of new opportunities for Canadians —and all international travelers for that matter— to discover the country’s uniqueness and its six tourist regions. Colombia is the most biodiverse country per square meter in the world and, having into account that the country is considerably smaller than the province of Quebec and just a bit larger than Ontario, this is relevant because it allows foreigners to experience various ecosystems in the span of a few days. In fact, you can go from snow peaked mountains to crystal clear Caribbean waters in a single day! For, Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia, the agency in charge of promoting trade, investment, and tourism, it is only a matter of time before Colombia becomes Canada’s number one destination in South America. “The new routes to Colombia are an important step towards the recovery of our tourism industry. These flights also open up the possibility for new business opportunities that will allow us to keep positioning Colombia as a strategic trade ally for Canada and other countries as well,” she concluded.

Fraport AG, the publicly listed operator of Frankfurt Airport, and EnBW, the energy provider headquartered in Karlsruhe, have concluded a corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) for the supply of electricity generated by offshore wind turbines. The long-term contract guarantees Fraport 85 megawatts (MW) from the 900 MW EnBW He Dreiht wind farm in the North Sea off the coast of Germany. The CPPA comes into force in the second half of 2026, and has a term of 15 years. With the expiry of the previous subsidies under the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), PPAs are becoming a key element of the energy transition: They provide developers of renewable energy projects with a reliable source of funding while helping purchasers to quickly achieve ambitious climate targets. “Long-term power purchase agreements are a market response to advancing the energy transition even without government support,” explained EnBW CEO Frank Mastiaux. “PPAs equally benefit purchasers, project developers and the climate. For us, they are the key between renewables-generated power and our major customers.”  The CPPA becomes operational in the summer of 2026. It will enable Fraport to transition a substantial portion of electricity consumption at its Frankfurt Airport home base to green energy. Fraport CEO Dr. Stefan Schulte said the agreement marked a key milestone in Fraport’s ongoing decarbonization strategy: “Renewables such as wind and solar are the focus of our climate strategy. They provide the firm foundations for a comprehensive package of measures to systematically reduce our CO2 emissions. Our clearly defined goal is to make Frankfurt Airport carbon-free by 2045. The power sourced from this new offshore wind park will play a central role. As an airport operator, we are especially reliant on a dependable, stable source of power that can be scaled up to meet our growing needs. In EnBW, we have found a strong partner. Compared with the conventional energy sources on which we have previously depended, the new CPPA unlocks potential savings of up to 80,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.” 85 megawatts of green energy from the North Sea EnBW initiated a new trend in the offshore market with the He Dreiht project in 2017. For the first time in an auction in Germany, the company secured the rights to build the 900 MW wind farm by bidding a subsidy amount of zero cents per kWh. Located about 90 kilometers northwest of the island of Borkum and about 110 kilometers west of Heligoland, He Dreiht is scheduled to go into operation in 2025. The investment decision is planned for 2023. The wind farm with around 60 turbines is currently one of the largest energy transition projects in Europe. It will also be the first to use turbines with a capacity of 15 megawatts each. By way of comparison, Germany’s first offshore wind farm, EnBW Baltic 1 built in 2011, has a capacity of 2.3 megawatts per turbine.

Air Canada’s first dedicated Boeing 767-300ER freighter aircraft was put into service today and operated its inaugural flight from Toronto to Vancouver. Originally scheduled to first fly to Frankfurt, Air Canada Cargo deployed the aircraft early to provide capacity where needed. “Our first freighter is being deployed earlier than initially planned in order to provide additional cargo capacity needed into and out of Vancouver to meet ongoing demand as a result of the flooding that disrupted British Columbia’s transportation network. The freighter is planned to operate 12 trips between our Toronto and Vancouver cargo hubs. Our teams have also worked extremely hard over the last several days to get our freighter into service early to aid in the transport of goods to Vancouver,” said Jason Berry, Vice President, Cargo, at Air Canada. Prior to its first freighter operation, Air Canada and Air Canada Cargo had boosted cargo capacity by 586 tons into Vancouver from Toronto, Montreal and Calgary in November to allow for the transport of more critical supplies to and from British Columbia. The first freighter aircraft is currently planned to operate between Toronto and Frankfurt for the remainder of 2021, in addition to the flights to Vancouver. In 2022, primarily out of Toronto, it will also serve Miami, Quito, Lima, Mexico City and Guadalajara. With additional airports including Madrid, Halifax and St. John’s planned when the second aircraft is delivered in the first half of 2022. The Boeing 767-300ER freighters will allow Air Canada Cargo to offer five different main deck configurations, increasing the overall cargo capacity of each aircraft to nearly 58 tons or 438 cubic meters, with approximately 75 percent of this capacity on the main deck.

In a move to prevent the introduction of SARS-CoV2-variants, the German Government had imposed a partial ban on transport and entry from countries with the widespread occurrence of such virus variants (referred to as areas of variants of concern). With effect from 28th November 2021 South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho (among others) were listed as such areas of variants of concern. Cape Town Tourism is a member of the African Tourism Board and issued the following important update and clarification on restrictions announced for travel to and from South Africa by the Federal Republic of Germany. Today CapeTown Tourism, a member of the African Tourism Board clarifies current restrictions, welcoming German Tourists with open arms. CapeTown Tourism explained regulations for Germans in place to Visit CapeTown Lufthansa will continue to fly to South Africa.Flights from South Africa to Switzerland via SWISS and Edelweiss are available to passengers who are Swiss or Liechtenstein nationals as well as those who hold a corresponding Swiss or Liechtenstein residence permit. Passengers will need to have a valid negative COVID test on arrival. German tourists may travel to South Africa and continue to do so. South Africans may travel to Germany, if they are fully vaccinated and are travelling for specific reasons (e.g. certain skilled workers, students, researchers, scientists, people in professional training, skilled business travellers for the purpose of negotiating, concluding or supervising contracts). German tourists are welcome to visit Cape Town and the rest of South Africa. Cape Town Tourism has an information Capetown’s top places to visit are open and ready for tourists. QUILA PRIVATE GAME RESERVE Aquila Private Game Reserve was started in 1999 when owner, Searl Derman, set about searching for the perfect piece of land to re-introduce the Big 5 (elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard) as well as other wild game to the Western Cape. The reserve is named after the Black Eagle (Aquila verreauxii) that is today rarely encountered and regarded as an endangered species. Aquila, a prestigious 4-star luxury getaway, is also very big on conservation and uplifting local communities in the area. Guests can experience a day trip or an overnight safari and the opportunity to experience the reserve’s natural flora and fauna by vehicle, quad bike or on horse-back. Image by @aquilasafaris via Instagram TWO OCEANS AQUARIUM Two Oceans Aquarium opened at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront on the 13 November 1995 and comprises several exhibition galleries. The aquarium is named for its location, where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. The Aquarium provides an insight into the riveting world of the southern African coastline. Visitors are invited to explore and learn more about marine life with over 3000 aquatic creatures including tiny animals such as the Knysna Seahorse, to larger more fearsome ones like large ragged-tooth sharks. Image by @2oceansaquarium via Instagram GREEN POINT LIGHTHOUSE, MOUILLE POINT The Green Point Lighthouse was the first to light Cape Town’s shores. The iconic red and white candy-striped structure stands proud on the Sea Point Promenade. It was first lit in 1824 and is the country’s the oldest operational lighthouse. It was later expanded to its present height in 1865. The bright colours were so that the lighhouse was distinguishable from the surrounding cottages. Today the Green Point lighthouse is open to visitors at a fee. Image by @hg_richardson via Instagram GREEN POINT PARK Since its opening shortly after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Green Point Park has become a popular weekend spot among locals. The park, situated alongside the Cape Town Stadium, was created from the land which was a building site during the stadium’s construction for the World Cup. Now it has been transformed into a beautiful open green space representing over 300 species of flora indigenous to the Western Cape. The park is always a hive of activity with family picnics, youngsters playing football and little ones playing on the wooden jungle gyms and swings. Image by @venero_iphoneography via Instagram PERCEIVING FREEDOM SCULPTURE The Perceiving Freedom sculpture was created by local artist Michael Elion and revealed in 2014. The statue is honor former South African president, Nelson Mandela. The giant pair of glasses is located on the Sea Point Promenade and stares out at Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for nearly two decades. Image via @stemue_88 via Instagram

Qatar Airways is set to further boost its growing network with increased flight frequencies to 18 popular destinations across the globe to meet travel demand during the peak winter holiday season. This increase is part of the airline’s ongoing efforts to provide greater choice and seamless connectivity to passengers as they discover the world, via the airline’s home and hub Hamad International Airport (HIA). This includes Qatar Airways’ inaugural services to Odesa, Ukraine, which launched with three weekly flights from 9 December 2021, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan, with two weekly flights from 17 January 2022. The airline also recently launched direct flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 19 November 2021. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways continues to develop its schedule and network by increasing frequencies to many popular destinations across the world while adopting the strictest safety measures both on the ground and in the air, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of passengers and staff. This increase will provide even greater choice to our business and leisure passengers, who can connect seamlessly via the World’s Best Airport, Hamad International Airport, to more than 140 global destinations.” Qatar Airways network enhancements: – Abu Dhabi – Increased from daily to two daily flights from 1 December 2021 –       Algiers – Increasing from four weekly to five weekly flights from 18 December 2021 –       Bangkok – Increasing from 10 weekly to three daily flights from 17 December 2021 –       Berlin – Increasing from daily to 10 weekly flights from 16 January 2022 –       Cebu – Increased from nine weekly to 11 weekly flights from 9 December 2021 –       Clark – Increased from five weekly to daily flights from 1-31 December 2021 –       Colombo – Increasing from three daily to four daily flights from 20 December 2021 –       Copenhagen – Increasing from 11 weekly to 12 weekly flights from 18 December 2021 –       Helsinki – Increasing from daily to 10 weekly flights from 01 January 2022 –       Kuala Lumpur – Increasing from 10 weekly to 13 weekly flights from 16 December 2021 –       Kuwait – Increased from two daily to three daily flights from 20 November 2021 –       London – Increased from four daily to five daily flights from 2 December 2021 to 31 January 2022 –       Medina – Increased from four weekly to daily flights from 1 November 2021 –       Paris – Increasing from two daily to three daily flights from 15 December 2021 –       Phuket – Increasing from daily to 11 weekly flights from 16 December 2021 –       Salalah – Increasing from three weekly to five weekly flights from 1 January 2022 –       Sharjah – Increased from daily to two daily flights from 18 November 2021 –       Zurich – Increasing from daily to 10 weekly flights from 1 January 2022

Unless you’re stranded at an airport with a spa, an arcade, a rotating art exhibit, or live music — yes, those airports exist — long layovers can be dreadful. So rather than spend endless hours or days inside a crowded airport, why not take a mini excursion in the city? Ahead of the busy holiday travel season, travel industry experts ranked 56 of the largest U.S. cities served by large- and medium-hub airports to determine 2022’s Best and Worst Cities for Layovers. The analysts looked at each city’s share of delayed and canceled flights, including average departure delay times. They also searched for cities that are easy to navigate, especially from the airport, and offer plenty of fun things to do and see without breaking your bank. Check out the five best (and five worst) cities for layovers below, followed by surprising findings from our report. 2022’s Best Cities for LayoversRankCity1Portland, OR2Boise, ID3Anchorage, AK4New York, NY5Honolulu, HI 2022’s Worst Cities for LayoversRankCity52Cincinnati, OH53Durham, NC54Newark, NJ55Detroit, MI56Fort Worth, TX

Swoop this week celebrates the launch of three new inaugural flights from Toronto Pearson International Airport with the departure of new non-stop service to Los Cabos, Mexico, on December 4, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on December 5 and Kingston, Jamaica on December 8. “The launch of these three new routes demonstrates that Swoop’s accessible and affordable fares have caught on in Toronto and highlights the demand we are seeing for ultra-low fare travel across Canada,” said Bert van der Stege, Head of Commercial and Finance, Swoop. “We know Canadians are long overdue for a warm vacation or reunion with family and friends and while government-imposed travel restrictions continue to evolve, our travelers require and appreciate clarity and guidance on their upcoming travel plans.” As Canada’s leading ULCC, Swoop continues to support travelers navigate and adhere to testing requirements for travel through its partnership with Azova, a leading digital health technology platform. “Congratulations to our partners at Swoop on launching three new routes to destinations that have traditionally captured the imagination and excitement of Canadian travelers—and just in time for the cold weather,” said Craig Bradbrook, Chief Operating Officer at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. “With Toronto Pearson‘s globally recognized Healthy Airport program continually evolving to keep pace with the latest public health guidance, our valued passengers can rest assured that if they’re planning on travelling this winter, their health and safety is our top priority from curb to boarding and back again.”

In a series of directives, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that a large-scale rollout of mid-band 5G systems may create a serious aircraft safety risk by interfering with navigation equipment and causing flight diversions. US federal civil aviation regulator particularly raised concerns about 5G potentially interfering with radio altimeters – sensitive aircraft electronics used by pilots to safely land in poor visibility conditions. Altimeters tell how high an aircraft is above the ground when a pilot cannot see it. According to the FAA, the planes and helicopters would not be able to use many guided and automatic landing systems at airports with potentially high 5G interference since these systems are likely to be unreliable in these conditions. Earlier, companies AT&T and Verizon Communications agreed to postpone the commercial launch of their C-band 5G wireless services until January 5 amid the FAA’s concerns. Now, the US agency believes that the “unsafe condition” posed by the upcoming use of 5G networks requires immediate action before that date. “Radio altimeter anomalies” could lead to “loss of continued safe flight and landing” if they remain undetected by pilots or an aircraft’s automated systems, the FAA said. Landing during low visibility periods could be “limited” due to 5G concerns, an FAA spokesman told The Verge. One of the FAA directives also said that “these limitations could prevent dispatch of flights to certain locations with low visibility and could also result in flight diversions.” The FAA also said that its two directives issued on Tuesday, which also include revised safety guidelines, were particularly aimed at gathering “more information to avoid potential effects on aviation safety equipment.” The agency still believes that “expansion of 5G and aviation will safely co-exist.” It is also in talks with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the White House, and industry representatives to work out the details of limitations that are to be outlined in the coming weeks. The FCC said it looks forward to “updated guidance from the FAA.” The aviation watchdog said that specific notices could be issued for areas “where the data from a radio altimeter may be unreliable” due to 5G signals. AT&T and Verizon said in late November they would take precautionary measures to limit the potential interference of their networks for at least six months. The FAA argued on Monday that was insufficient. Verizon responded yesterday by saying that there was “no evidence” of C-band 5G networks actually posing any risks to aircraft in “dozens of countries” that already use them. The company added it plans to “reach 100 million Americans with this network in the first quarter of 2022.”

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for governments to follow World Health Organization (WHO) advice and immediately rescind travel bans that were introduced in response to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Public health organizations, including the WHO, have advised against travel curbs to contain the spread of Omicron. WHO advice for international traffic in relation to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant states that: “Blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread, and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods. In addition, they can adversely impact global health efforts during a pandemic by disincentivizing countries to report and share epidemiological and sequencing data. All countries should ensure that the measures are regularly reviewed and updated when new evidence becomes available on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of Omicron or any other variants of concern.” Time-Limited Science-Bases Measures  The same WHO advice also notes that states implementing measures such as screening or quarantine “need to be defined following a thorough risk assessment process informed by the local epidemiology in departure and destination countries and by the health system and public health capacities in the countries of departure, transit and arrival. All measures should be commensurate with the risk, time-limited and applied with respect to travelers’ dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms, as outlined in the International Health Regulations.”  “After nearly two years with COVID-19 we know a lot about the virus and the inability of travel restrictions to control its spread. But the discovery of the Omicron variant induced instant amnesia on governments which implemented knee-jerk restrictions in complete contravention of advice from the WHO—the global expert,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Travelport and Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific, today extended their long-standing relationship with a renewed and expanded multi-source content distribution agreement which includes a commitment to work with Travelport in advancing its New Distribution Capability (NDC) initiatives. With this new long-term agreement, Travelport will continue to support Cathay Pacific by providing Travelport-connected agencies around the world with real-time access to search, sell, and book its content and inventory. The agreement will see the content available to agents progressively expanded, to include a larger range of fares as well as ancillaries than had previously been unavailable. Martin Xu, General Manager Sales and Distribution at Cathay Pacific said: “The longevity of our relationship is ample testament to the fruitful partnership we’ve enjoyed with Travelport over the past decades. With the expanded flight offerings, fares and ancillaries available in this new agreement, we look forward to helping agencies connected to Travelport generate even more value for their customers.” Sue Carter, Head of Asia Pacific, Air Partners at Travelport added: “We are delighted to be able to offer even more of Cathay Pacific’s content, especially as we progress with our work on NDC. Simplifying access to multi-source content, while simultaneously making it easier to sell is exactly what our new Travelport+ platform is designed to do, and we’re confident this new agreement will generate more value than ever before for Cathay Pacific and our connected agencies alike.”