Aviation Travel News | Page 65 Of 199 | Airline | Airport News

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 14, 2021

Why flying Finnair via Helsinki to the world?

Finnair continues to serve its key Asian destinations, flying daily to Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok, and offers multiple weekly frequencies to Singapore and Hong Kong.Finnair will strengthen its North American services and will serve Chicago, previously a summer route, throughout the winter season.Finnair’s European network will rapidly increase in frequencies throughout the winter, with double daily services to key European cities such as Amsterdam, Munich, Dusseldorf, Berlin and Frankfurt. As the share of fully vaccinated people continues to increase and societies are opening, travel is picking up in several markets. Finnair is meeting the increased travel demand by adding frequencies and destinations in its network to Europe, Asia and North America for the upcoming winter season. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Finnair continues to serve its key Asian destinations, flying daily to Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok, and offers multiple weekly frequencies to Singapore and Hong Kong. Finnair’s Osaka service resumes in October, expanding Finnair’s presence back into the Japanese market, with Nagoya joining this route portfolio in February. Finnair will also start serving its Dubai connection with a wide-body aircraft. Finnair will strengthen its North American services and will serve Chicago, previously a summer route, throughout the winter season. Finnair also serves New York daily from Helsinki and operates three weekly flights to Miami and Los Angeles respectively. In addition to serving North America from its Helsinki hub, Finnair will introduce direct routes to Los Angeles and New York from Stockholm, Sweden. Finnair will also introduce direct routes from Stockholm to Miami, Phuket and Bangkok, as previously announced. Finnair’s European network will rapidly increase in frequencies throughout the winter, with double daily services to key European cities such as Amsterdam, Munich, Dusseldorf, Berlin and Frankfurt, and three daily frequencies to London and Paris. Finnair also increases frequencies to St. Petersburg to support the traffic flows to Finnair’s North American destinations. Finnair also offers multiple frequencies daily to Scandinavian capitals, and Finnair will introduce Krakow and Gdansk for the winter season. Finnair will increase frequencies to the popular holiday destinations in Spain, serving Malaga, the Canary Islands, Madrid and Barcelona with multiple weekly frequencies. Also the Finnish Lapland continues to attract winter travelers and Finnair offers four daily connections to Rovaniemi, Ivalo and Kittilä, and two daily services to Kuusamo, with smooth connections from Helsinki. ”We are excited to be able to expand the breadth and depth of our network, enabling better connections for customers as travel continues to pick up”, says Ole Orvér, Chief Commercial Officer, Finnair.

Anil Mathur - eTN India·

Aviation Feature

·September 14, 2021

Jet Airways 2.0: The New Airline

The new shape of the airline is coming through a route of revival via bankruptcy.The original Jet Airways was based in Mumbai, and the rebirth will see it based in New Delhi.It is looking to commence short-haul international operations of the carrier in the second half of next year with the potential for international flights later on. The new avatar – or the reincarnation – could materialize as soon as early next year, 2022, although on a modest scale. The new shape of the airline is coming through on a different route not tried earlier. Jet Airways, once a strong and respected name, will take to the skies through the bankruptcy route of revival. Initially it will be a domestic carrier only but by late next year, Jet Airways 2.0 may also fly abroad. The new management has not spelled out details of plans for international operations, however, industry sources indicated that the airline could be looking at the Gulf sector for its initial re-run. While the original Jet Airways was based in Mumbai, the rebirth will see it based in New Delhi. It will continue to have a strong and significant presence in Mumbai as well, its earlier base. Murari Lal Jalan The ownership pattern will also be different. Naresh Goet used to be the one to call the shots, but now a consortium led by UAE-based Indian businessman, Murari Lal Jalan, will be in the cockpit seat. Jalan, who leads Jalan Kalrock Consortium (JKC) acquired the grounded Indian airline Jet Airways. A top executive said the airline is looking to commence short-haul international operations of the carrier in the second half of next year. Sources say that initially, the new entity will have 50 airplanes in 3 years, with the number anticipated to grow to 100 in 5 years. Should this plan be implemented, both flyers and businessmen will be quite happy and will be watching the developments of the reborn airline keenly. The expansion in the air capacity will be a great development, especially since the disinvestment of Air India is still taking more time. The airline said it has already hired over 150 full-time staff and is looking to onboard another 1,000 employees in the current fiscal year. The hiring will be in a phased manner and will be across categories. #rebuildingtravel

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 14, 2021

Finnair announces new Europe, Asia and North America flights

Finnair continues to serve its key Asian destinations, flying daily to Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok, and offers multiple weekly frequencies to Singapore and Hong Kong.Finnair will strengthen its North American services and will serve Chicago, previously a summer route, throughout the winter season.Finnair’s European network will rapidly increase in frequencies throughout the winter, with double daily services to key European cities such as Amsterdam, Munich, Dusseldorf, Berlin and Frankfurt. As the share of fully vaccinated people continues to increase and societies are opening, travel is picking up in several markets. Finnair is meeting the increased travel demand by adding frequencies and destinations in its network to Europe, Asia and North America for the upcoming winter season. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Finnair continues to serve its key Asian destinations, flying daily to Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok, and offers multiple weekly frequencies to Singapore and Hong Kong. Finnair’s Osaka service resumes in October, expanding Finnair’s presence back into the Japanese market, with Nagoya joining this route portfolio in February. Finnair will also start serving its Dubai connection with a wide-body aircraft. Finnair will strengthen its North American services and will serve Chicago, previously a summer route, throughout the winter season. Finnair also serves New York daily from Helsinki and operates three weekly flights to Miami and Los Angeles respectively. In addition to serving North America from its Helsinki hub, Finnair will introduce direct routes to Los Angeles and New York from Stockholm, Sweden. Finnair will also introduce direct routes from Stockholm to Miami, Phuket and Bangkok, as previously announced. Finnair’s European network will rapidly increase in frequencies throughout the winter, with double daily services to key European cities such as Amsterdam, Munich, Dusseldorf, Berlin and Frankfurt, and three daily frequencies to London and Paris. Finnair also increases frequencies to St. Petersburg to support the traffic flows to Finnair’s North American destinations. Finnair also offers multiple frequencies daily to Scandinavian capitals, and Finnair will introduce Krakow and Gdansk for the winter season. Finnair will increase frequencies to the popular holiday destinations in Spain, serving Malaga, the Canary Islands, Madrid and Barcelona with multiple weekly frequencies. Also the Finnish Lapland continues to attract winter travelers and Finnair offers four daily connections to Rovaniemi, Ivalo and Kittilä, and two daily services to Kuusamo, with smooth connections from Helsinki. ”We are excited to be able to expand the breadth and depth of our network, enabling better connections for customers as travel continues to pick up”, says Ole Orvér, Chief Commercial Officer, Finnair.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 14, 2021

New low-cost train from London to Edinburgh could disrupt current rail and air services

Lumo’s low-cost rail launch meets budget and environmental concerns.Lumo’s low-cost rail service model could become very popular with commuters.Even though the service is low-cost, free Wi-Fi, and on-demand entertainment will be available to all. Lumo’s launch of low-cost rail services could disrupt current rail and air services between London and Edinburgh. Its low-cost model alongside a focus on minimizing environmental impact will bode well for shifting traveler trends as the sector recovers from the pandemic. Lumo’s low-cost rail service could become popular. British travelers have become accustomed to high fares and low-quality services that, pre-COVID, were often overcrowded. The launch of the new budget operator’s route between Edinburgh and London is set to be a disruptive force due to a lack of competition amongst rail operators in the UK. Even though it is low-cost, free Wi-Fi, and on-demand entertainment will be available to all. With journey times only 10 minutes longer than the existing incumbent LNER, Lumo is well-positioned to make gains in the competitive marketplace. A recent poll has revealed that 11% of global respondents now have a holiday budget lower than pre-COVID, and 37% cannot afford to go on holiday in the near future so the new low-cost service will be welcomed. With budgets stretched, the introduction of a low-cost rail service will play well with cash-strapped travelers while domestic demand soars in the UK. Low fares will be vital to respond to the increased price sensitivity of travelers. Many have felt the financial bite from the pandemic resulting in tightening household and travel budgets. Similarly, the findings of the 2021 Consumer Survey revealed that 62% of UK respondents were ‘extremely’, ‘slightly’, or ‘quite’ concerned about their personal financial situation, further reinforcing the need for lower cost rail services. Lumo’s competitive £15 (US$20.78) one-way lowest fare option could stimulate travel demand between London and Edinburgh. The low fares are set to be cheaper than a low-cost flight and could place competitive pressure on easyJet and, to some extent, British Airways. Price is key to attracting custom during the COVID-19 recovery stage, and Lumo has the right business model for success. Travelers are increasingly likely to be influenced by how environmentally friendly a product or service is. The Q1 2021 consumer survey revealed that 70% of UK respondents are ‘always’, ‘often’, or ‘sometimes’ influenced by this factor. Lumo’s heavy focus on being an environmentally friendly operation, future proofs its business model. Travelers who would often fly between the two cities are likely to be swayed towards a more environmentally friendly and cheaper option. Opting to travel on Lumo’s fully electric trains over flying will reduce the carbon emissions of the trip to one-sixth of flying, according to the operator. Further reaffirming its environmental focus, the operator will offer 50% plant-based food onboard and is 100% digital to avoid paper waste. With environmental concerns set to grow, the move could see Lumo becoming a leading environmentally conscious rail operator.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 14, 2021

Delta Airlines influencer gab spikes over new COVID-19 vaccine mandate

US companies are coming up with COVID-29 vaccine plans.Delta Air Lines will impose $200 monthly surcharge on unvaccinated employees.Delta Air Lines’ plan led to a 150% rise in influencer conversations. Several companies came up with vaccine mandate plans after the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in August 2021. Delta Air Lines, Inc (Delta Air Lines) also took strict measures to motivate employees by increasing healthcare premium of unvaccinated employees on their healthcare plan and meet the expected rise in travel demand. This led to a staggering 150% rise in influencer conversations around ‘vaccines’ on Delta Air Lines company influencer dashboard during the last 90 days (June-August), over the previous three months. In August, a dramatic conversation spike among influencers around Delta Air Lines was noticed when the company announced to impose a US$200 monthly surcharge on employees who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. Influencers saw this as the latest tactic to cajole workers into having a COVID-19 jab, as surging infection cases have clouded the outlook for airlines. Influencer sentiments were also positive on this measure as it is a necessary step to address the associated financial risks because the average hospital stay for the COVID-19 costs the airline US$50,000 per person. In August, another rise in influencer conversation was noticed when the airlines company announced its partnership with French-Belgian high-speed train operator Thalys to provide rail connections between Amsterdam and the Belgian cities of Brussels and Antwerp. Likewise, there was a sharp growth in influencer conversations in July, when the Atlanta-based airline reported its first quarterly profit since the start of COVID-19 pandemic, after breaking a five-quarter streak of losses. Rising domestic leisure travel and business travel demand along with federal government aid have supported Delta Air Lines to achieve a quarterly profit of US$652m in Q2 2021. Delta Air Lines announced its remarkable plan in June to hire more than 1,000 pilots by summer of 2022, in anticipation of an increase in travel demand after recovery from the pandemic. This led to a surge in influencer conversations in June. Job Analytics Database reveals that for most of the 2020, the company witnessed single-digit job postings. However, Delta Air Lines saw a surge in hiring activity in 2021. Listings increased from 101 jobs in January 2021 to 474 jobs in August 2021, with job postings seeing a 55% boost between Q2 2021 and Q3 2021. Delta Air Lines is ramping up hires in 2021 to meet high demand for travel. Additionally, the company’s hiring includes a significant number of roles for seasonal ready reserves such as customer service agents, ticket/gate agents, cargo service agents indicated. Hiring for aircraft technicians and engineers have seen an uptick since June 2021. The company is also focusing to maximize cargo revenue and market share in Latin and EMEA region.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 14, 2021

Flights from Kazakhstan to the Maldives on Air Astana now

Air Astana announces direct flights from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Male in the Maldives.Kazakhstan to the Maldives flights will resume on October 9, 2021.Air Astana Maldives route will be serviced with Airbus A321LR and Boeing 767 aircraft. Air Astana will resume direct flights from Almaty to Male in the Maldives on October 9, 2021. Airbus A321LR and Boeing 767 aircraft will operate on the Almaty-Male route four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Air Astana previously operated flights to the Maldives from December 5, 2020 until May 24, 2021, prior to suspension due to government restrictions. All passengers, including those who have been fully vaccinated, require a negative PCR test certificate in English to enter the Republic of Maldives. Additionally, passengers need to complete a Traveler Health Declaration 24 hours prior to departure. Visas will be issued free of charge upon arrival at Male Airport. Upon returning to Kazakhstan, all passengers must have a negative PCR certificate, except those who have been fully vaccinated. Air Astana is the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, based in Almaty. Air Astana operates scheduled, domestic and international services on 64 routes from its main hub, Almaty International Airport, and from its secondary hub, Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport. Almaty International Airport, formerly Alma-Ata Airport, is a major international airport 15 km northeast of Almaty, the largest city and commercial capital of Kazakhstan. Almaty International Airport the busiest airport in Kazakhstan, accounting for half of country’s passenger traffic and 68% of cargo traffic.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 14, 2021

Austria: No Afghan refugees wanted!

Austria does not want any more Afghan refugees.Integrations of the Afghans into Western society is “very difficult”.Austria already hosts the fourth largest Afghan community in the world. Over 123,000 civilians were flown out of Kabul by the US and western allies after Afghanistan’s capital city fell into the hands of Taliban terrorists in mid-August. The majority of those Afghan refugees will be provided with asylum in the USA, but the European Union also agreed to take in 30,000 fleeing Afghans. While Germany and France showed eagerness to accept the refugees, Austria was among the nations that blatantly rejected the idea of more Afghan arrivals. Austria’s chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced that Austria already has enough migrants from Afghanistan, and the country will take no part in the resettlement of Afghan refugees evacuated from Kabul after the Taliban takeover. “We won’t welcome any fleeing Afghans into our country as long as I’m in power,” Sebastian Kurz declared in today’s interview with Italian La Stampa newspaper. Kurz insisted that Austrian government’s position on the issue was “realistic” and didn’t mean that there was a lack of solidarity with other EU capitals on the part of Vienna. “After more than 44,000 Afghans arrived to our country in recent years, Austria already hosts the fourth largest Afghan community in the world” per capita, the chancellor reminded. The problem is that “integration of Afghans is very difficult” and requires extensive efforts that Austria simply can’t afford at the moment, the 35-year-old conservative politician said. They mostly have a low level of education and completely different values compared to the rest of the country’s population, he pointed out, adding that more than half of young Afghans living in Austria supported religious violence. Vienna was still eager to help the distressed Afghans, as it was allocating 20 million euros to assist Afghanistan’s neighboring countries in resettling the refugees, Kurz said. But the European Union policies from the times of the 2015 migrant crisis – when hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict in North Africa and the Middle East were let into the bloc – “can’t be a solution for either Kabul or the European Union” anymore, Kurz said. The Austrian leader insisted that it was “now clear to all European governments that illegal immigration should be tackled and that Europe’s external borders should be made secure” to solve this problem. Sebastian Kurz believes that the European Union must work to break “the business model” of human traffickers who deliver people to Europe. As for the migrants, they should be turned around at the EU borders and sent back to their countries of origin or to safe third-party nations.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 14, 2021

Flights from Doha, Qatar to Sofia, Bulgaria mark 10 successful years

Qatar Airways to resume Doha to Sofia flights.Qatar Airways will use Airbus A320 aircraft on Qatar to Bulgaria route.There is a “strong demand” for flights between Doha and Sofia. Qatar Airways marked a milestone in its history with Bulgaria, celebrating 10 successful years since its first flight between Doha and Sofia Airport (SOF) on 14 September 2011. The service is currently operated by Qatar Airways’ modern Airbus A320 featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class. All benefit from the famous Oryx One on-demand in-flight entertainment system. Qatar Airways’ Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We have long been proud to serve Bulgaria and connect this beautiful country with our global route network. I knew when we first began flying to Sofia that this was the start of a strong and enduring relationship. Over the years we have witnessed the benefits of our services to Bulgaria that extend well beyond our mission of bringing people together. Our flights have enabled travelers from around the world to experience Bulgaria’s hospitality and cultural history while supporting the export of Bulgarian products to overseas markets. “It is a testament to both strong demand and our deep commitment to the country, that we are set to recommence direct flights between Doha and Sofia, from December this year.” Sofia Airport’s Chief Executive Officer CEO Jesus Caballero said: “We are extremely happy that we are serving the Doha to Sofia route with our partner Qatar Airways. It allows business and leisure customers to explore our beautiful capital of Bulgaria or the seaside cities of Varna and Bourgas thanks to the codeshare between Qatar Airways and Bulgaria Air with flight connections from Sofia. Our long-term partnership with Qatar Airways means so much to us and we look forward to strengthening it especially in 2022 when the FIFA World Cup™ will take place in Qatar.” The flights have also helped boost Bulgarian trade connections over the past decade and currently Qatar Airways Cargo offers more than 10 tons cargo capacity each week, each way on flights operating on the route. Qatar Airways milestones in Bulgaria: 2011 – The airline began flying to Sofia four times a week via Bucharest, Romania using an A320.2012 – Increased flights to five times a week.2014 – Start of daily service between Sofia and Doha.2015 – The flights were tagged with a stop in Belgrade, Serbia.2016 – Direct flights began increasing to double daily before the start of the pandemic.2020 – March, Qatar Airways signs a codeshare agreement with Bulgaria Air.2020 – October, flights resume post-Covid 19, as a tag on service with Bucharest, Romania.2021 – From 16 December, flights are set to run non-stop again from Doha to Sofia, four times a week. Bulgaria has placed a strong emphasis on an environmentally responsible recovery from the pandemic, and Qatar Airways equally recognizes the importance of environmental leadership to save our planet. The airline is constantly exploring sustainable approaches to aviation, and its investments in the most fuel-efficient aircraft – including the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 – underscore Qatar Airways’ commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Current Sofia Flight Schedule: 7x per week (local timings) Doha (DOH) to Sofia (SOF) QR 395 departs: 08:30 arrives: 15:35 (one stop in Bucharest for one hour) Sofia (SOF) to Doha (DOH) QR 396 departs: 16:35 arrives: 23:15 (one stop in Bucharest for one hour) Sofia Flight Schedule From 16 December: 4x per week non-stop (subject to confirmation) Doha (DOH) to Sofia (SOF) QR 227 departs: 07:30 arrives: 11:35 non-stop Sofia (SOF) to Doha (DOH) QR 228 departs: 12:35 arrives: 18:15 non-stop

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 13, 2021

Southwest Airlines announces new President

Leadership changes announced at Southwest Airlines.Tom Nealon has decided to retire from his duties as President effective immediately.Mike Van de Ven has been named as the Company’s President, effective immediately. Southwest Airlines Co. announced leadership changes today. Tom Nealon, 60, has decided to retire from his duties as President effective immediately, but will continue to serve the Company as a strategic advisor, focusing primarily on the airline’s environmental sustainability and carbon emissions reduction plan. Nealon has held numerous leadership positions during his tenure with the airline, including Executive Vice President Strategy & Innovation from 2016 to 2017, Director on the Southwest Board from 2010 to 2015, and in a consultant capacity as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer from 2002 to 2006. “I’m honored to have served Southwest throughout the years in several different capacities, and especially to have been President of the best airline in the business,” Nealon said. “I look forward to continuing to serve and advise Southwest on strategic initiatives, and most importantly, on the airline’s long-term environmental sustainability plans.” Gary Kelly, Southwest’s Chairman and CEO, announced on behalf of the Southwest Airlines Board of Directors that Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven, 59, has been named as the Company’s President, effective immediately. Van de Ven will take on the additional responsibilities of the Company’s Internal Audit, Business Continuity, Emergency Response, and Enterprise Risk Management functions. “I want to thank Tom for his countless contributions to the cause that is Southwest Airlines over the years—they are many and immeasurable. I’m grateful Tom will continue serving as a strategic advisor. I’m thrilled for Mike as he assumes his new role as President, in addition to COO. Mike is as talented and dedicated a leader as one will find, and he has directly contributed to Southwest’s success during his 28 years serving the Company and our People. “The transition efforts being led by Executive Vice President and incoming CEO Bob Jordan are going extremely well, and as that continues, we are taking steps to shift reporting roles in preparation for Bob to assume the CEO role on February 1, 2022,” said Kelly. As the transition progresses, the Finance, Commercial, Legal & Regulatory, Operations, and Technology teams that were reporting to Kelly or Nealon will now report to Jordan, also effective immediately. “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I’d like to thank Tom for his nearly five-year tenure as President and more than 15 years of service to our Southwest Airlines Employees, Customers, Shareholders, and the Communities we serve,” said Southwest Airlines Lead Director William Cunningham. “We are extremely proud to have such a talented and robust leadership bench at Southwest Airlines, and are delighted with the announcement of Mike Van de Ven as Tom’s successor.”

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 13, 2021

US Travel vehemently opposes domestic air travel vaccine mandate

Vaccine mandate for US domestic travel criticized.Vaccination requirement proposed for air travel.US public support for air travel vaccine mandate is growing. U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on comments made by White House Chief Medical Advisor to the President Dr. Anthony Fauci in support of a vaccine mandate for domestic air travel: “The science—including studies from the Harvard School of Public Health and the U.S. Department of Defense—overwhelmingly points to the safety of air travel as long as masks are worn. And with the federal mask mandate for all forms of public transportation and U.S. airports extended through January 2022, proper tools are already in place to enable safe air travel for Americans. “U.S. Travel Association has long maintained that there should be no mandatory vaccination requirement for domestic travel. Such a policy would have an unfair, negative impact on families with young children who are not yet eligible to get the vaccine.” “While U.S. Travel does not endorse a national vaccine mandate, we continue to believe that vaccines are the fastest path back to normalcy for all, and we strongly encourage all who are eligible to get a vaccine immediately to protect themselves, their families and their neighbors.” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House chief medical adviser, recently voiced his support for a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for US domestic air travel. “I would support that if you want to get on a plane and travel with other people that you should be vaccinated,” he said. In August, 2021, Canada issued a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all domestic plane, train and cruise ship travel. In US public support for a vaccine mandate for air passengers also keeps growing, according to a recent Gallup poll. More than six in 10 Americans (61%) now support requiring proof of full vaccination before getting on a plane — up from 57% in April 2021.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 13, 2021

First foreign passenger flight from Islamabad lands at Kabul airport

Pakistan International Airlines flies to Kabul from Islamabad.It was not clear whether it was a scheduled or charter flight.Around 70 people left Kabul for Pakistani capital on board of PIA flight. A Pakistan International Airlines flight from Islamabad has become the first foreign passenger flight to land at Kabul airport since the Taliban took over Afghanistan. PIA passenger jet carrying just a handful of passengers has touched down at Kabul airport today, with “around 10 people … maybe more staff than passengers,” according to one of the people on board. It was not immediately clear whether the Pakistan International Airlines flight was classified as a scheduled commercial flight or a special commercial charter. A PIA spokesman said at the weekend the carrier was ready and willing to resume regular commercial services, but it was too soon to say how frequently flights between the Islamabad and Kabul would operate. Kabul airport was severely damaged during a chaotic evacuation of more than 120,000 people that ended with the withdrawal of US forces on August 30. Passenger terminals, air bridges and technical infrastructure were badly damaged in the days after the Taliban rolled into Kabul on August 15, when thousands of people stormed the airport in the hope of fleeing the city. The Taliban has been racing to get the airport operating again with technical assistance from Qatar, Turkey and other nations. The resumption of commercial flights will be a key test for the terrorist group, who have repeatedly promised to allow Afghans with the right documents to leave the country freely. Qatar Airways operated several charter flights out of Kabul last week, carrying mostly foreigners and Afghans who missed out on the evacuation. Ariana Afghan Airlines resumed domestic services on September 3. The PIA jet made a return flight to Islamabad shortly after landing in Kabul on Monday. Around 70 people were on the flight to the Pakistani capital, mostly Afghans who were relatives of staffers with international organizations, according to airport ground staff.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 13, 2021

All flights canceled, ports closed as Shanghai braces for Typhoon Chanthu

Container operations suspended at Shanghai port.All flights canceled at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport.Typhoon Chanthu is expected to hit Shanghai on Monday night. In a statement issued today, Shanghai International Port Group announced that Shanghai’s container port has suspended container-related operations, as Typhoon Chanthu is expected to make landfall in the southern part of the city Monday night. Ningbo Meidong Container Terminal Co. in neighboring Zhejiang province suspended some container operations from Friday, the company said on its wechat account yesterday. Operations at major wharfs at the province’s Zhoushan port — home to some of China’s largest oil storage tanks and refineries — have been halted since Saturday afternoon. The port shutdowns are likely to further delay shipments and damage global supply chains, which are already struggling to deal with record exports from China and the effects of local COVID-19 outbreaks. Also, all flights will be canceled at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport after 11am Monday because of the weather, while all flights through the Hongqiao airport in the west of the city will also be scrapped after 3pm the same day, according to an announcement by the Shanghai Airport Authority Sunday night. Shanghai government announced it will also shut all kindergartens and primary schools Monday afternoon and Tuesday, while some subway lines were suspended and parks and other outdoor tourist sites were shut Monday and Tuesday. Zhejiang province upgraded its emergency response to Chanthu to the highest level on Sunday, closing schools as well as suspending air and rail services in several cities, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Authorities have also suspended some high-speed rail services in the Yangtze River Delta.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 13, 2021

Russia and San Marino working on visa free travel

Russia and San Marino working on visa-free travel deal.Russia-San Marino visa-free travel agreement to be signed soon.Tourism between San Marino and Russia is popular, according to Minister Lavrov. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced today after talks with visiting San Marino’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Luca Beccari, that an agreement on visa-free travel regime between the two countries is almost completed and will be officially ratified in the nearest future. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with visiting San Marino’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Luca Beccari “We have an agreement in principle to speed up the work on an intergovernmental agreement on visa-free trips for the two countries’ citizens. The agreement is almost ready and I think we will organize its signing soon,” Russian Foreign Minister said. According to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, Russia hopes that as soon as the sanitary and epidemiological situation normalizes, the sides will “enliven tourist exchanges, which are very popular.” San Marino is a mountainous microstate surrounded by north-central Italy. Among the world’s oldest republics, it retains much of its historic architecture. On the slopes of Monte Titano sits the capital, also called San Marino, known for its medieval walled old town and narrow cobblestone streets. The Three Towers, castlelike citadels dating to the 11th century, sit atop Titano’s neighboring peaks. San Marino is not a member of the European Union or European Economic Area. However, it maintains an open border with Italy. Since San Marino is only accessible via Italy entrance is not possible without entering the Schengen Area first and therefore Schengen visa rules apply de facto. Foreign visitors staying more than 10 days in San Marino must have a permit from the government. San Marino signs independent visa-free agreements which are of symbolic value for foreign citizens but do have effect on San Marino passport holders.[1] San Marino has signed such visa-free agreements with Argentina, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Finland, Hungary, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom for ordinary passport holders. In addition, agreements were also signed with Azerbaijan, Gambia, Moldova, Eswatini, Tunisia, Turkey, and Uganda for diplomatic and service passport holders.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 13, 2021

Russia resumes Iraq, Kenya, Slovakia and Spain flights, Afghanistan flights have to wait

Russia to resume air service with four more countries.Flights from Moscow to Kenya, Slovakia, Iraq and Spain restart.No flight from Russia to Afghanistan yet. Citing the national anti-COVID crisis center, the government of Russia announced today that the Russian Federation will relaunch regular scheduled passenger air service with Iraq, Kenya, Slovakia and Spain starting on September 21, 2021. “Russia resumes air service with Spain, Iraq, Kenya, and Slovakia from September 21,” the officials wrote on Russian Federation government’s Telegram channel. The flights to Egypt and Turkey from four more Russian cities – Pskov, Magadan, Murmansk, and Chita, will also be resumed from September 21. At the same time, the Russian authorities expressed their unwillingness to restore regular passenger air travel with Afghanistan. According to some Russian government sources, the decision on the preparation of regular civilian flights with Kabul and the provision of slots for them in the schedule by the Russian air carrier has not yet been made. It is still premature to talk about the commencement of civil flights there on a regular basis. In order to resume regular communication with Kabul, an appropriate decision of the operational headquarters will be required to prevent the import and spread of COVID-19 infection. All necessary airport infrastructure must be created in Kabul first to ensure the work of air traffic controllers in accordance with international civil aviation safety standards. It was reported earlier that Taliban authorities announced their desire to resume air traffic with Russia and Turkey.

Juergen T Steinmetz·

Aviation Feature

·September 13, 2021

Seriously Nice flights now on A220-300

Breeze Airways has revealed its new A220-300 livery while confirming that it has reached a purchase agreement with Airbus for 20 more of the aircraft. This previously undisclosed order for 20 brings Breeze’s total order book to 80 A220-300s, the first of which will be delivered in Q4 2021.The aircraft’s fresh paint job was completed at Airbus’ facility in Mobile, Alabama, which will deliver approximately one A220 per month to Breeze over the next six-and-a-half years. Breeze Airways, a US regional airline said about the company: “We are a team of aviation, hospitality, and technology enthusiasts who believe flying is the greatest privilege and opportunity in the world. And, we believe it should be an accessible and genuinely nice experience for everyone.” “Together, we created Breeze Airways™ – a new airline merging technology with kindness. Breeze provides nonstop service between underserved routes across the U.S. at affordable fares. “With seamless booking, no change or cancellation fees and customized flight features delivered via a sleek and simple app, Breeze makes it easy to buy and easy to fly. Welcome to Breeze, Seriously Nice™ flights and fares.” The airline plans to begin flights with the Airbus fleet in the second quarter of 2022. Breeze Air cities The A220 superior efficiency will support the new airline’s business objectives to offer a great travel experience, with low fares and high flexibility. Breeze is expected to provide nonstop service between underserved routes across the U.S. at affordable fares. Breeze started airline operations in May 2021. This first A220 is the first new aircraft that will be operated by the airline. 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. Benefitting from the latest technologies, the A220 is the quietest, cleanest, and most eco-friendly aircraft in its category. 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 urban operations. Over 170 A220s have been delivered to ten operators in Asia, North Americas, Europe, and Africa, proving the great versatility of Airbus’ latest family member.

Juergen T Steinmetz·

Aviation Feature

·September 11, 2021

After 20 Years of FBI Investigation it’s official: Saudi Arabia Not Guilty in September 11 Terror Support

September 12, 2021 may be a good day for world tourism. Late Saturday, September 12, 2021, the FBI released newly classified documents in regards to the September 11, 2001 terror attack in the United States.The document describes contacts the hijackers had with Saudi associates in the US but offers no evidence the Saudi government was complicit in the plot.The FBI has released a newly declassified 16-page document related to logistical support provided to two of the Saudi hijackers in the run-up to the September 11, 2001, attacks. The global travel and tourism industry had also been waiting for this FBI report to be released to shed light if Saudi Arabia’s Government supported the September 11, 2001 hijackers and terrorists. The reason: Saudi Arabias recent support and provided leadership for global tourism. A silent stopper in supporting and understanding Saudi Arabia’s intention for its much needed support for tourism in impossible times going through the COVID-19 pendemic included clouds of sucpision. The suscpicions went louder every day leading to the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terror attack. On the very same when billions in the world remembered 20 years after September 11, US president Biden sealed a final chapter over this sucpicion in releasing classified documents of the FBI investigation on Saudi Arabia’s role – if any. Setpember 12 after September 11, 2001 was a day of Day of Unity in the United States and the civilised world The world changed for the United States on September 12,2001 in bringing the country and the World together on September 12, the day after September 11. Today Americans were reminded that America must stand together again. The U.S. today got a taste on how much better the country would be if people find a way to unite again. Releasing the FBI documents was not only a smart international step, but an important step in the healing process domestically. It should be noted, 20 years ago the Taliban appealed to the United States not to attack Afghanistan. The lack of a diplomatic solution resulted in a 20 year war, and the fear of more terror today. The FBI investigation document released late today, September 11,2021 describes contacts the hijackers had with Saudi associates in the United States but offers no evidence the Saudi government was complicit in the plot. It is the first investigative record to be disclosed since US President Joe Biden ordered a declassification review of materials that for years have remained out of public view. The Saudi government has long denied any involvement. The Saudi Embassy in Washington said on Wednesday that it supported the full declassification of all records as a way to “end the baseless allegations against the Kingdom once and for all”. The embassy said that any allegation that Saudi Arabia was complicit was “categorically false”. The Saudi government denied sending money to two of the September 11 hijackers, Khalid al-Mihdhar, left, and Nawaf al-Hazmi US President Biden last week ordered the Justice Department and other agencies to conduct a declassification review of investigative documents and release what they can over the next six months. 16 pages were released on Saturday night, hours after Biden attended September 11 memorial events in New York, Pennsylvania, and northern Virginia. Victims’ relatives had earlier objected to Biden’s presence at ceremonial events as long as the documents remained classified. The heavily redacted record released on Saturday describes a 2015 interview with a person who was applying for US citizenship and years earlier had repeated contacts with Saudi nationals who investigators said provided “significant logistical support” to several of the hijackers. The Biden administration in February released an intelligence assessment implicating Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the 2018 killing of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi but drew criticism from Democrats for avoiding a direct punishment of the crown prince himself. Regarding September 11, there has been speculation of official involvement since shortly after the attacks, when it was revealed that 15 of the 19 attackers were Saudis. Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida at the time, was from a prominent family in the kingdom. The US investigated some Saudi diplomats and others with Saudi government ties who knew hijackers after they arrived in the US, according to documents that have already been declassified. Still, the 9/11 Commission report found “no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded” the attacks that al-Qaeda masterminded. But the commission also noted “the likelihood” that Saudi government-sponsored charities did. Particular scrutiny has centered on the first two hijackers to arrive in the US, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar. In February 2000, shortly after their arrival in southern California, they encountered at a halal restaurant a Saudi national named Omar al-Bayoumi who helped them find and lease an apartment in San Diego, had ties to the Saudi government and had earlier attracted FBI scrutiny.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 11, 2021

America remembers 9/11 victims 20 years after the terror attacks

September 11 dead honored on 20th anniversary of attacks.President Biden calls for unity on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11.Memorials held in New York City and around the country. On the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Americans have come together to remember and honor nearly 2,977 victims who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Today’s somber ceremony at the September 11 Memorial in New York City began with a moment of silence at 8:46am (12:46 GMT), the exact time first of two hijacked passenger jets crashed into New York City’s World Trade Center. Relatives of the victims then began to read aloud the names of 2,977 people who perished in the attacks, an annual ritual that lasts four hours. “We love you and we miss you,” many of them said as somber violin music played at the official ceremony, attended by dignitaries including President Joe Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. At Ground Zero in New York City, 2,753 people, from all over the world, were killed in the initial explosions, jumped to their deaths, or simply vanished in the inferno of the collapsing towers. At the Pentagon, an airliner tore a fiery hole in the side of the superpower’s military nerve center, killing 184 people in the plane and on the ground. And in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the third wave of hijackers crashed into a field after passengers fought back, sending United 93 down before reaching its intended target – likely the US Capitol building in Washington. The remembrances have become an annual tradition, but Saturday takes on special significance, coming 20 years after the morning that many view as a turning point in US history. In a painful reminder of those changes, only weeks ago US and allied forces completed a chaotic withdrawal from the war the US started in Afghanistan shortly after the attacks in retaliation – which became the longest war in US history. Today’s memorials come as national discord is overshadowing any sense of closure amid anger about the messy Kabul evacuation, which included 13 US soldiers killed by a suicide bomber.

Aviation Feature

·September 10, 2021

Austria scrambles Eurofighters to intercept nosediving Hungarian Plane

Incident with NATO plane described as a massive threat to aviation security”.Two Austrian fighter jets scrambled to escort Hungarian aircraft.The incidents sparks sharp rebuke from Vienna. In an incident that the Austria’s Federal Ministry of Defense described as a “massive threat to aviation security,” two Eurofighter jets had to be scrambled on Friday to intercept and escort a Hungarian NATO aircraft that took an unexpected nosedive during a scheduled flight over Austrian territory. The incident has sparked a sharp rebuke from Vienna. Austrian Defense Ministry said that the nation’s airspace is violated between 30 and 50 times a year on average. Still, this incident apparently stands out in the Austrian military’s judgement since ministry’s spokesman warned vaguely that it would likely have “diplomatic consequences.” According to the Defense Ministry’s spokesman, Colonel Michael Bauer, no such incident has happened over Austria “in the past 20 years,” and the Hungarian aircraft captain “behaved like a wrong-way driver on a motorway.” The unexpected descent happened during an approved routine flight over Austrian territory by a Hungarian four-engine C-17 military transport aircraft with NATO identification. While the aircraft had entered Austrian airspace on a valid overflight permit, it gradually drifted down from the prescribed altitude of between 10,000 and 11,000 meters and, by the time it was flying over the Attersee Lake east of the city of Salzburg, its altitude was just around 1,000 meters. The maneuver alarmed the Austrian military, which sent fighter jets to escort the wayward aircraft away. The reasons for the sudden nosedive are still unclear. Neither NATO nor Hungary have commented on the incident as of yet.

Aviation Feature

·September 10, 2021

Japan to ease entry restrictions for vaccinated travelers

Japan to accept US, EU and Japanese vaccination certificates from visitors.Japanese government also considers easing domestic COVID-19 restrictions.Some medical experts warn about danger of lifting restrictions prematurely. The Japanese government authorities announced that they intend to relax the COVID-19 quarantine requirements for those entering the country with a certificate confirming full vaccination against coronavirus as early as the end of September of this year. According to initial reports, the quarantine period after crossing the Japanese border will be shortened from two weeks to 10 days. Only certificates of vaccination with Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca will be accepted from foreign arrivals. The vaccination certificates must also be issued in the USA, EU countries or Japan, to be accepted. Earlier, the Japanese Ministry of Health suspended the use of about 1.63 million doses of Moderna vaccine from three batches produced in Spain. An unknown substance was found in the preparation. The government is also expected to decide on extending the current COVID-19 state of emergency beyond the Sunday expiration date to Sept. 30 for Tokyo and 18 other prefectures, as hospitals remain under strain, ruling party sources said. Currently, people have been asked to refrain from traveling across prefectural borders, but such trips are possible if people have completed their vaccine regimen or can show proof of a negative COVID-19 test, the sources with knowledge of the plan said. The government is also planning to ease the current 5,000-spectator limit on large events if the same conditions are met. Dining establishments that adhere to proper anti-virus measures will be allowed to serve alcohol, while groups larger than four can dine together. Some medical experts have voiced concerns that it is premature to allow people to return to their normal lives as Japan has yet to contain the spread of the virus. “We look carefully at the current state of the medical system and make a decision” on the state of emergency, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said.

Aviation Feature

·September 10, 2021

Breeze Airways resumes New Orleans flights post-Hurricane Ida

Breeze Airways restoring New Orleans services.Breeze Airways is donating travel worth up to $1 million to first responders.Breeze Airways is the most recent carrier to add New Orleans service , only starting in July 2021. As Breeze Airways resumes flight operations in New Orleans today, restoring nonstop flights connecting the city to nine destinations across the South and Midwest, the airline announced it is donating travel worth up to one million dollars – or around 10,000 roundtrip tickets – to first responders, Louisiana residents, and others who can help the city rebuild. David Neeleman, Breeze Airways’ Founder and CEO Breeze Airways flies to New Orleans from Akron/Canton, OH; Bentonville/Fayetteville, AR; Charleston, SC; Columbus, OH; Louisville, KY; Norfolk, VA; Oklahoma City, OK; Richmond, VA; and Tulsa, OK. Residents from these cities who are willing to travel to New Orleans to volunteer, help family and friends, or contribute in other ways to rebuild New Orleans may also apply. “Breeze is the most recent carrier to add service New Orleans, only starting in July this year,” said David Neeleman, Breeze Airways’ Founder and CEO, “but our love runs deep for the Big Easy and we’re committed to helping anyway we can.” Breeze Aviation Group, Inc., trading as Breeze Airways, is an American airline headquartered in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Breeze currently operates flights in 16 cities across 13 states. Founded by aviation entrepreneur David Neeleman, Breeze Airways is a new low fare carrier offering nonstop flights between smaller secondary airports, bypassing hubs for shorter travel times.

Aviation Feature

·September 10, 2021

Flights from Toronto and Kingston, Jamaica on Swoop now

Swoop announces new nonstop Jamaica flights.New service will operate twice weekly.New service will be part of winter schedule and launches on December 8, 2021. Swoop today announced new nonstop service between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Kingston Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) in Jamaica. As part of the airline’s winter schedule, the new service will operate twice weekly, beginning December 8, 2021. “We are thrilled to be expanding our presence in Jamaica with the introduction of service to Kingston to connect friends and families this holiday season and year ahead,” said Bert van der Stege, Head of Commercial & Finance, Swoop. “Our travelers have embraced our always affordable flights to Jamaica and we look forward to building on our success in the region with our new non-stop service connecting Toronto and Kingston.” The ultra-low cost carrier (ULCC) is also set to resume service between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Montego Bay Sangster International Airport (MBJ) tomorrow at 7:00 am EST. Swoop’s return to Montego Bay marks the beginning of the airline’s restoration of its international network, with flights to the U.S. and Mexico set to resume through the fall. “The return of Swoop to MBJ is a welcome one and we are elated at Swoop’s commitment to ensure that passengers from our second largest market, Canada, and specifically the province of Ontario, have a low-cost option when visiting Jamaica to see family and friends or those who wish to vacation on our beautiful island,” said Shane Munroe, CEO of MBJ Airports Ltd. “We continue to prioritize the health and safety of our citizens and visitors in keeping with our mission of providing a “Safety-Assured” environment welcoming travelers safely to our island of Jamaica.” Details of Swoop Service to Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica RoutePlanned StartDatePeakWeeklyFrequencyTotal one-wayprice (CAD)Base fare(CAD)Taxes andfees(CAD)NEW Toronto (YYZ) – Kingston (KIN)December 8, 20212x weekly$129† CAD$13.44$115.56NEW Kingston (KIN) – Toronto (YYZ)December 8, 20212x weekly$129 † CAD$6.36$122.64Toronto (YYZ) – Montego Bay (MBJ)September 11, 20213x weekly$129† CAD$13.44$115.56Montego Bay (MBJ) – Toronto (YYZ)Septe

Aviation Feature

·September 10, 2021

EU urged to stop breaches of Alitalia workers’ rights

ITA given a green light to take over part of Alitalia’s operations.The decision is a gross violation of existing collective bargaining arrangements, union says.Commission’s decision directly impacts lives of over 11,000 people. The European Transport Workers’ Federation strongly condemns the conclusions announced today by the European Commission regarding the Alitalia/Italia Trasporto Aereo S.p.A. (ITA) case which gives the green light to the new company, ITA, to take over part of Alitalia’s operations. We were shocked that the European Commission could have so easily and without any consideration for workers’ rights taken such a decision. In our opinion, this is a hard blow and a gross violation of the legal existing collective bargaining arrangements in Italy, blowing up the hard efforts of Italian unions and employers in negotiating new working contracts. Instead, the EC’s today position is promoting new and potentially precarious labor contracts. The Commission is clearly driven for cost-effectiveness and is doing so at the expense of sustainable aviation, particularly socially sustainable aviation. Livia Spera, General Secretary of the ETF declares: This is a slap in the face for Alitalia’s workers, their families and their unions. The Commission’s decision directly impacts the lives of over 11,000 people and their families and to use such rhetoric is both offensive and dismissive of their concerns. In solidarity with our colleagues who were today demonstrating against this unfair and unsustainable approach, I am calling on the European Commission to retract its statement and reconsider the aims of this state aid approval, which do not support a sustainable aviation industry, and do not support the citizens of Europe. Additionally, the ETF strongly condemns the fact the European Commission has failed to give any consideration to the workers’ legal rights under the European Pillar of Social Rights, including but not limited to the principles of secure and adaptable employment and social dialogue. Moreover, ETF draws attention to the fact that the EC is consciously disregarding any attempts to protect the labor contracts of workers to be hired by the new carrier, ITA. The ETF is fully supporting the Alitalia Italian workers striking today, in their efforts to reopen negotiations with the new employer, ITA. This must be done with full respect for Italian law, and recognizing the right of collective bargaining at national level.

Aviation Feature

·September 9, 2021

United Airlines: Get a COVID-19 jab or get lost

United Airlines announces COVID-19 vaccination mandate for employees.United Airlines who refuse COVID-19 jab will be fired.Airline workers with vaccine exemptions will be placed in indefinite leave. In a company memo sent out yesterday, United Airlines has announced that all airline staff who receive religious, medical or personal exemptions from the mandatory coronavirus vaccination will be sent on unpaid or medical leave indefinitely, regardless of their exemption reason or status. “Once the pandemic meaningfully recedes, you will be welcomed back to the team on active status,” pilots, flight attendants and customer service agents – described as employees in “operational customer-facing roles” – were told in a memo. United Airlines employees not directly interacting with passengers, such as dispatchers and mechanics, who have been approved for exemption will be required to get tested weekly and wear a mask at all times when at work, including when outdoors. Anyone granted a medical exemption will be put on temporary medical leave. Those whose request for exemption is denied will have to take the first shot by September 27 and be fully vaccinated within five weeks or lose their job altogether, according to the memo sent out by VP of human resources Kirk Limacher. United Airline employees who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine will not be allowed into the workplace after October 2. United Airlines administration had not specified how willing the carrier would be to actually grant requests for exemption, and the airline hasn’t said how many it has received. United was the first US airline to impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on its 67,000-plus employees, in early August. Other airlines have moved to end pay protections for unvaccinated employees who test positive for the virus. Delta Air Lines has slapped a $200 surcharge on the healthcare premiums of employees who haven’t been vaccinated. US companies and government agencies are legally required to offer exemptions on religious or medical grounds, though not to actually grant them. The Biden administration has pushed for public and private vaccination mandates as the number of COVID-19 cases in the US has risen over the summer. Airlines, and pilot and flight attendant unions have eagerly embraced the apparently indefinite extension of the government’s mask mandate, originally imposed in February and intended to last 100 days. United is the fourth-largest US airline by the number of passengers carried, but has the second-largest fleet and serves the most destinations, according to pre-pandemic statistics.

Aviation Feature

·September 9, 2021

COVID-19 sniffing dogs coming to Miami Airport

Miami International Airport to test COVID-19 detecting dogs.The dogs are deployed at an employee security checkpoint.MIA first US airport to deploy COVID-sniffing canines.

Aviation Feature

·September 9, 2021

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport Resumes Commercial Service

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport welcomes back commercial servicePorter Airlines and Air Canada return to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.Commercial restart takes place on the 82nd anniversary of the airport’s first commercial flight. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport celebrated a return to the skies yesterday with the restart of commercial airline service by Porter Airlines and Air Canada after temporarily suspending operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport Celebrates Return to Commercial Service with Special Water Canon Salute to Honor Commemorative First Flight To mark the occasion, a commemorative first flight to Ottawa attended by key stakeholders and partners was “readied for takeoff” with a special water canon salute performed by Billy Bishop Airport’s onsite Airport Rescue and Firefighting team. Billy Bishop Airport’s staff, stakeholders and government partners marked the day and recognized the conclusion of a difficult period for the aviation industry by welcoming back passengers and getting back to the business of making connections and supporting Toronto’s economy. The commercial restart coincidentally takes place on the 82nd anniversary of the island airport’s very first commercial flight in 1939. Geoffrey Wilson, CEO of PortsToronto, owner and operator of Billy Bishop Airport, was joined by His Worship John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, and Michael Deluce, President and CEO of Porter Airlines in offering remarks to celebrate the occasion. Passengers and staff were treated to giveaways and prizes, and a commemorative first flight to Ottawa attended by key stakeholders and partners was “readied for takeoff” with a special water canon salute performed by the airport’s onsite Airport Rescue and Firefighting team.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 9, 2021

First international passenger flight flies out of Kabul airport

Qatar Airways flies international passengers out of Kabul Airport.Qatari official deems Kabul Airport operational.Taliban allows foreigners leave Afghanistan on commercial flights. With a top Qatari official announcing that Kabul airport is “fully up and running,” first international passenger flight has departed from Hamid Karzai International Airport today. This was the first commercial flight to depart from HKIA since the Western countries ended their evacuation flights from Afghanistan a week and a half ago. According to Mutlaq al-Qahtani, Qatar’s special envoy to Afghanistan, who was speaking from the tarmac today, the airport is “about 90% ready for operations,” but its reopening is planned gradually. “This is a historic day in the history of Afghanistan as Kabul airport is fully operational. We have been faced by huge challenges … but we can now say that the airport is fit for navigation,” al-Qahtani said. The Qatar Airways plane had arrived in Kabul Airport earlier on Thursday carrying aid. It departed for Doha, Qatar with passengers, including a large group of foreigners on board. “Call it what you want, a charter or a commercial flight, everyone has a ticket and boarding passes,” al-Qahtani stated, implying that this was indeed a regular flight. He said another flight was due to leave on Friday. “Hopefully, life is becoming normal in Afghanistan,” he added. Qatari officials earlier said that Afghanistan’s Taliban government would allow between 100 and 150 Westerners, including Americans, to fly out from Kabul in the coming hours. Qatari and Turkish technical teams have helped restore operations at the airport, which was damaged during the chaotic evacuations of tens of thousands of people to meet the US troop withdrawal deadline of August 31. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid thanked Qatar for its assistance in making the airport operational and for humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. “In the very near future, the airport will be ready for all sorts of flights including commercial flights,” he said, standing beside Qatari officials at the airport tarmac.

Juergen T Steinmetz·

Aviation Feature

·September 8, 2021

Why Jamaica? Response to the US “Do Not Travel” Advisory

The United States State Department in cooperation with CDC issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory for Jamaica.A level 4 advisory is the highest advisory in the chain and means for Americans “Do not travel”Jamaica’s minister of tourism responds to this warning in a statement released to eTurboNews today. The Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, Edmund Bartlett statement in regards to the United States issuing a “Do not Travel” Advisory against Jamaica: Jamaica recently welcomed its one-millionth visitor since reopening to travel in June 2020 and visitors can feel confident in knowing that Jamaica’s Resilient Corridors – which cover more than 85 percent of the island’s tourism product and include less than one percent of our population – have recorded a COVID-19 infection rate under one percent over the past year. This was achieved through the robust protocols developed in conjunction with authorities across the health and tourism sectors. These protocols were among the first to receive the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Safe Travels recognition that allowed us to safely reopen in June of 2020. The health and safety of every Jamaican and every visitor to the country remain our top priority and we expect the Level 4 designation by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be short in duration. While Jamaica is one of 77 countries around the world, including many of our Caribbean brethren, to receive the Level 4 designation, we remain confident that our Resilient Corridors and protocols will continue to take us on the right path. The United States had issued level 4 travel warnings to a number of tourism-dependent Caribbean countries. When issuing the Do not Travel Advisory, the U.S. government today left out the part on how much safer it is to visit Jamaica compared to Florida or Hawaii – when it comes to the threat of COVID infections. Jamaica’s tourism minister Edmund Bartlett has not only been a local leader for his country but with his creation of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Center Jamaica has been taking a global lead when it comes to safe tourism and crisis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country. Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC’s specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. Visit the Embassy’s COVID-19 page for more information on COVID-19 in Jamaica. Do not travel to: The below-listed areas of Kingston due to crime.The below-listed areas of Montego Bay due to crime.Spanish Town due to crime. Country Summary: Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides are common. Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts. Local police lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. Emergency services vary throughout the island, and response times may vary from U.S. standards. U.S. government personnel are prohibited from traveling to areas listed below, from using public buses, and from driving outside of prescribed areas of Kingston at night. The U.S. issued similar warnings against other Caribbean neighbors, including the Bahamas.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 8, 2021

Flights from Hawaii to American Samoa on Hawaiian Airlines now

Hawaiian Airlines resumes flights to American Samoa.Hawaiian Airlines will be offering two flights per month.Hawaii to American Samoa route will be served by Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 aircraft. Hawaiian Airlines is reconnecting Honolulu (HNL) and American Samoa (PPG) by resuming nonstop flights between Hawai‘i and the U.S. Territory next week. Hawaiian, which suspended its twice-weekly HNL-PPG service at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, will be offering two flights per month starting on Monday through December 20. “We are delighted to bring American Samoa back into our network and welcome guests who have been patiently waiting for our flights to restart,” said Brent Overbeek, senior vice president for network planning and revenue management at Hawaiian Airlines. “As Pacific island neighbors, we understand how much our guests rely on our service and we look forward to safely reconnecting family and friends.” Hawaiian, which provides the only regularly scheduled air link between the two island chains, paused flights for 17 months at the request of the American Samoa government. On January 13, Hawaiian began operating a series of repatriation flights to bring to American Samoa thousands of residents who had been stranded away from home in Hawaii, the U.S. mainland and beyond. Travelers to American Samoa must follow a series of government health and safety protocols, including proof of vaccination and negative pre-travel test results. More details are available at the TALOFApass website. Guests flying to Hawaii are required to create a state of Hawai‘i Safe Travels account and upload their vaccination card or negative pre-travel test to avoid quarantine upon arrival. Hawaiian will continue to operate the route with its 278-seat, wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 8, 2021

WestJet now requires full COVID-19 vaccination for all employees

WestJet announces mandatory vaccination for all staff.Full vaccination status will also be required for all future employees.New vaccination policy will be in effect starting October 30, 2021. The WestJet Group today announced that effective October 30, 2021, all WestJet Group employees will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition, full vaccination status will be a requirement of employment for all future employees hired by the WestJet Group. “Protecting the health and safety of our guests and employees remains our number one priority and vaccinations are our best line of defense,” said Mark Porter, WestJet Executive Vice-President of People. “Aviation has been one of the hardest hit industries and we believe requiring all WestJet Group employees to be vaccinated is the right thing to do and ensures the safest travel and work environment for everyone in WestJet’s world.” The WestJet Group will evaluate and accommodate those employees who are unable to be vaccinated against COVID-19 either through medical or other exemption. Employees who fail to attest their vaccination status by September 24 or achieve full vaccination status by October 30, 2021, will face unpaid leave or termination of employment. As part of its vaccine mandate, the airline will not provide testing as an alternative to vaccination. Continued Porter, “The WestJet Group remains committed to building back even stronger to ensure a competitive aviation industry in Canada. Requiring all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is essential to the safe restart of travel across Canada.” Since the start of the pandemic the WestJet Group of Companies has built a layered framework of safety measures to ensure Canadians can continue to travel safely and responsibly through the airline’s Safety Above All promise. During this time, WestJet has maintained its status as one of the top-10 on-time airlines in North America as named by Cirium.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 8, 2021

More flights to London, Kyiv and Istanbul on Air Astana now

Air Astana increases Istanbul frequencies.Air Astana adds more Kyiv flights.Air Astana resumes direct London flights from Nur-Sultan. Air Astana introduced an additional frequency between Kyiv and Nur-Sultan on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, with the capitals of Kazakhstan and Ukraine now connected three times a week on Mondays. Tuesdays and Thursdays. The airline also operates flights between Kyiv and Almaty on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Air Astana will additionally launch a third frequency between Istanbul and Almaty on 17, September 2021, with flights on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, as well as a service between Istanbul and Nur-Sultan on Thursdays. Air Astana also resumes direct flights from London to Nur-Sultan twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays starting on September 18, 2021. Passengers are kindly requested to follow entry requirements before flight on Air Astana’s website. Air Astana is the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, based in Almaty. It operates scheduled, domestic and international services on 64 routes from its main hub, Almaty International Airport, and from its secondary hub, Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 8, 2021

Dakar to New York City and Washington on Air Senegal now

Air Senegal launches flights to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport.Air Senegal announces Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport service.Both new US flights will be flown from Dakar, Senegal. Air Senegal, the national flag carrier of Senegal, today launched its inaugural flight to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, the first of a new twice-weekly service between Dakar and the two US cities. Flight HC407 departed Dakar’s Blaise Diagne International Airport at 2:56am and landed at New York’s JFK Airport (Terminal 1) at 06:51 am today. Passengers bound for the Metropolitan Washington area continued with this flight after passing through Immigration and Customs in New York. The flight arrived at Baltimore Washington Airport (BWI) at 11:08am where the flight was welcomed by a traditional water cannon salute. The return flight will depart Baltimore at 08:25pm via New York JFK (Terminal 1) for Dakar where it is scheduled to land at 12:25pm the following day. The new service will be operated on Thursdays and Sundays using a state-of-the-art Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, offering 32 flatbeds in Business, 21 seats in Premium Economy and 237 seats in Economy class, entertainment systems, in-seat power, and in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity. Air Senegal provides convenient connections for its USA passengers via Dakar in both directions to Abidjan, Conakry, Freetown, Banjul, Praia, Bamako, Nouakchott, Douala, Cotonou and Libreville. In 2019, over a million passengers flew between USA and West Africa which is expected to grow further with the launch of this new route. Senegal is a major West African regional business and tourist hub along with being the headquarters of the United Nations in West Africa. Ibrahima Kane, Chief Executive Officer at Air Senegal said: “Our aim is to provide a convenient and comfortable journey between USA, Senegal and West Africa. Dakar’s geographical location combined with Air Senegal’s multiple connections via its primary hub to all major West African cities will enable this new route to grow from strength to strength. In addition, we hope to stimulate American tourist demand to Senegal to explore its rich cultural history, world class beaches and exotic cuisine across the country”. Air Senegal, is the flag carrier of the Republic of Senegal. Created in 2016, it is state owned through investment arm Caisse des Dépots et Consignation du Sénégal. It is based at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, Senegal.

Dmytro Makarov·

Aviation Feature

·September 7, 2021

FTA urges US transit agencies to increase vaccination rates

COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to increase across the USA.Hesitancy toward the vaccine has also plummeted in the country.US transit agencies urged to ensure vaccination of transit workers. As COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to climb across the Unites States, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) urges transit agencies to ensure their transit workers and communities have every opportunity to get the vaccine. According to the Mayo Clinic and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the past two months, more Americans have begun getting vaccinated against COVID-19. It was during that time that the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on August 23. Hesitancy toward the vaccine has also plummeted, according to a recent Ipsos poll. Only 14 percent of Americans now say that they are absolutely not likely to get vaccinated. Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is calling on transit leaders to share this information with employees, and to do all you can to encourage vaccination among your workforces. Some agencies have provided paid time off to receive the vaccine, cash awards, or gift cards to motivate employees to get vaccinated. In addition, for those agencies who have worked hard to encourage vaccination in your community, we hope you will continue those efforts, and begin new ones. More Americans want the vaccine and transit can help them get to appointments or bring vaccination opportunities into their communities. To help share the vaccination message in your community, county-level CDC estimates of vaccine hesitancy for COVID-19 can identify areas within your transit system’s service area that may need extra help reaching the vaccine. Vaccination is the most effective way to protect yourself and those around you from contracting COVID-19. To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, the CDC advises everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible. FTA urges frontline transit workers – and the transit agencies they work for – to make plans to get themselves vaccinated and continue to facilitate access to vaccination sites for members of the community who have yet to get a shot. FTA is supporting transit agency vaccination efforts by awarding grants under the American Rescue Plan to help cover these expenses and encouraging transit leaders to provide services that make it possible for their community, including their workforce, to get their shots. Transit agencies wishing to find more information on funding eligibility should visit FTA’s FAQs regarding COVID-19. FTA also encourages transit agencies to use the CDC, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) toolkit to help increase confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among the transit workforce.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 7, 2021

San José to Reno-Tahoe flights on Southwest Airlines restart

Southwest Airlines resumes San Jose-Reno service.San Jose-Reno service to run daily.San Jose Airport requires face covering for all passengers on airport property and onboard aircraft. Starting today, Southwest Airlines is relaunching its daily non-stop service between Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) and Reno-Tahoe International Airport. The daily flight departs San José at various times throughout the week aboard a Boeing 737 aircraft, arriving in Reno, Nevada in the morning to early afternoon timeframe. City Pair Day Departs Arrives Frequency San José to Reno Sunday 8:45 a.m. Approx. 9:45 a.m. Daily Monday/Thursday/Friday 8:00 a.m. Approx. 9:00 a.m. Daily Tuesday/Wednesday 7:30 a.m. Approx. 8:30 a.m. Daily Saturday 11:00 a.m. Approx. 12:00 p.m. Daily Southwest Airlines temporarily suspended service between San José and Reno in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel declines. SJC still requires a face covering for all passengers on airport property and onboard aircraft, which is mandated by the Transportation Security Administration until January 18, 2022. Passengers can continue to do their part by social distancing from others; washing and/or sanitizing hands frequently; and staying home if sick and avoiding travel.

Juergen T Steinmetz·

Aviation Feature

·September 7, 2021

Aeroflot requires Pilots to be vaccinated

Aeroflot suspends pilots for refusing COVID-19 jabs.Suspended pilots refused to sign up for vaccine against coronavirus.Pilots’ union complained to Aeroflot CEO, calling suspension a discrimination. Russia’s flagship airline Aeroflot, which is majority-owned by the Russian state, sent least six unvaccinated pilots on unpaid leave or vacation without pay, the carrier’s spokesman said. Six pilots working for Russia’s main international airline have been grounded and suspended from duty under rules allowing companies to effectively dismiss staff who refuse to sign up for a vaccine against COVID-19 virus. A spokesman for Aeroflot said that six pilots had been put on sick leave, without pay, because they had chosen not to receive a jab. However, the number of suspended pilots was miniscule compared to the overall size of Aeroflot’s workforce, with 2,300 pilots in the company’s cockpits. The pilots’ labor union complained to Aeroflot CEO Mikhail Poluboyarinov of discrimination, arguing that unvaccinated flight attendants and technical support staff do not face similar dismissals. Igor Delduzhov, the President of the Sheremetyevo Trade Union of Flight Personnel, based at Aeroflot’s Moscow hub airport, has hit out at the decision to remove the flight staff. According to him, the harsh response to those choosing not to get vaccinated is unwarranted, given around 84% of staff have reportedly already been immunized. “No other Russian airline has similar suspensions,” Deldyuzhov said in a letter on the union’s website.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 7, 2021

Toronto to Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa and Cancun on Air Canada Rouge now

Air Canada Rouge returns to the skies with more choice for leisure travelers.Resumed service features updated uniforms and enhanced streaming entertainment.Updated cabin interior to be available on select aircraft starting this fall. Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada’s leisure airline, resumed service today with flights operating between Toronto and Las Vegas, Orlando, and Regina, with other destinations being introduced in September, including Cancun and Tampa. Rouge flight attendants will be sporting a new uniform “Air Canada Rouge remains integral to Air Canada’s overall strategy. As we emerge from the pandemic, we anticipate increased demand for vacation travel and from customers flying to enjoy overdue visits with family and friends. Air Canada’s leisure airline is ideally suited to serve this market with a compelling array of leisure destinations and an inviting travel experience so that the holidays begin as soon as customers board an Air Canada Rouge aircraft,” said Jon Turner, Vice President Inflight Services and President, Rouge Operations, at Air Canada. Air Canada Rouge also provided a sneak peek of the cabin interior that will be available on nine Airbus A321 aircraft of the 39-aircraft Rouge Fleet, with the first entering service later this fall. These nine aircraft feature a new contemporary interior design with playful Rouge brand accents and will be configured with leather seats, with 30-inch seat pitch in the Economy cabin. The A321 Rouge aircraft also offer upgraded personal power options, including USB-C ports, and a convenient personal electronic device holder integrated into the seatback. With the resumption of Air Canada Rouge service, which had been suspended since spring 2021, customers can also enjoy recent product and design enhancements onboard all Rouge aircraft.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 7, 2021

Six Aeroflot pilots refuse COVID-19 jabs, suspended without pay

Aeroflot suspends pilots for refusing COVID-19 jabs.Suspended pilots refused to sign up for vaccine against coronavirus.Pilots’ union complained to Aeroflot CEO, calling suspension a discrimination. Russia’s flagship airline Aeroflot, which is majority-owned by the Russian state, sent least six unvaccinated pilots on unpaid leave or vacation without pay, the carrier’s spokesman said. Six pilots working for Russia’s main international airline have been grounded and suspended from duty under rules allowing companies to effectively dismiss staff who refuse to sign up for a vaccine against COVID-19 virus. A spokesman for Aeroflot said that six pilots had been put on sick leave, without pay, because they had chosen not to receive a jab. However, the number of suspended pilots was miniscule compared to the overall size of Aeroflot’s workforce, with 2,300 pilots in the company’s cockpits. The pilots’ labor union complained to Aeroflot CEO Mikhail Poluboyarinov of discrimination, arguing that unvaccinated flight attendants and technical support staff do not face similar dismissals. Igor Delduzhov, the President of the Sheremetyevo Trade Union of Flight Personnel, based at Aeroflot’s Moscow hub airport, has hit out at the decision to remove the flight staff. According to him, the harsh response to those choosing not to get vaccinated is unwarranted, given around 84% of staff have reportedly already been immunized. “No other Russian airline has similar suspensions,” Deldyuzhov said in a letter on the union’s website.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 7, 2021

65% of US airline passengers support vaccine passports

44% of Republicans said they would support a government requirement to provide proof of vaccination in order to fly.48% of Republicans would also support a mandate directly from commercial airlines.95% of Democrats would support either a government or commercial airline vaccine passport requirement. As the delta variant surges, nearly 65% of frequent flyers report that a vaccine passport would increase their confidence in the safety of air travel, according to a new report. While 90% of frequent flyers either fully or partially vaccinated against the virus, nearly one in 10 frequent flyers refuse to get vaccinated. These numbers are encouraging because frequent flyers have high levels of vaccinations. However, if the FAA decided to implement a vaccine passport program, nearly one in 10 travelers would be barred from boarding the plane. The survey was conducted  using the Frequent Flyer Database, which includes more than 200,000 opt-in frequent flyers from across the United States. Nearly 65% of survey participants are more than 60-years-old, placing them in an at-risk category for severe illness from COVID-19. The travel industry was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, with restrictions forcing travel and tourism to come to a screeching halt. Recovery has been slow. In the 2020 Frequent Flyer Survey, 60% of respondents said they had plans to travel in the next six months. Yet in this year’s report, 36% of respondents said they have not traveled since January 2020. But the appetite for travel is increasing. Nearly 70% of respondents said they have plans to travel by plane in the next six months, with 72% of those travelers planning personal trips.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 6, 2021

New Airbus Single-Aisle Airspace cabin adds comfort to Lufthansa flights

Lufthansa starts operating its first aircraft with Single-Aisle Airspace cabin.More than 80 of Lufthansa’s A320 jets to be equipped with new cabin.Lufthansa continues to focus emphatically on premium product for its guests. Lufthansa has started operations with its first A320 Family aircraft – an A321neo – featuring Airbus’ new Single-Aisle Airspace cabin. In doing so, the airline becomes the first operator in Europe to introduce the new Airspace cabin features for passengers on board A320 Family aircraft. In 2018 Lufthansa Group, a long-time A320 Family customer, chose to equip more than 80 of its new A320 Family aircraft on order from Airbus with Airspace cabins. The new Airspace features include: slimmer sidewall panels for extra personal space at shoulder level; better views through the windows with their redesigned bezels and completely integrated window shades; the largest overhead bins for 60% more bags; the latest full LED lighting technologies; LED-lit ‘entrance area’; and new lavatories with hygienic touchless features and antimicrobial surfaces. “Lufthansa has once again made a choice of innovation and passenger appeal, raising the bar for the flying public at large to experience next-level, Airbus leading cabin innovations”, said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International. “I am delighted to welcome one of our long term partners, Lufthansa, to become the first European operator for the A320neo Family Airspace cabin. I can’t wait to fly on one of these aircraft.” “Regardless of the crisis, we continue to focus emphatically on a premium product for our guests,” emphasizes Heike Birlenbach, Head of Customer Experience, Lufthansa Group. “For us, premium means providing high-quality, individualized and relevant offers for all our passengers at all times. With the new Airspace Cabin, we are significantly improving the travel experience on short-haul routes and setting a new industry benchmark.” Lufthansa has been operating the A320-family since the 1980s and has been the very first operator of the A321 and the A320neo. The airline group is one of the biggest Airbus operators worldwide. At the end of July 2021, the A320neo Family had received more than 7,400 orders from over 120 customers worldwide.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 6, 2021

No radar? No problem! Kabul Airport reopens for domestic flights

Taliban reopens Kabul Airport for domestic travel.Ariana Afghan Airlines relaunches three domestic routes from Kabul Airport.Technical team from Qatar repaired parts of Kabul Airport traffic control system. Ariana Afghan Airlines announced in a statement on its Facebook page that it has resumed domestic flights between the capital city of Kabul and Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif and Kandahar. Ariana Afghan Airlines flights between Kabul and three major provincial cities in the west, north and south of the capital restarted after a team of aviation engineers from Qatar repaired parts of the air traffic control system last week and reopened the capital’s airport for aid and domestic services. Earlier, Qatar’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Saeed bin Mubarak al-Khayarin said a technical team had been able to reopen Kabul airport to receive aid. Lauding this as a step taken to return the country to relative normality after a tumultuous period, the ambassador added that the airport runway has been repaired in cooperation with Afghan authorities. But the Kabul airport is operating without radar or navigation systems, making it difficult to resume international civilian flights. Reopening the airport, a vital lifeline to both the outside world and across Afghanistan’s mountainous territory, has been a high priority for the Taliban as it seeks to restore order after they completed their lightning seizure of the country by taking Kabul on August 15.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 6, 2021

Europe’s summer air travel recovery fails

European summer air travel reached 39.9% of pre-pandemic level.The picture was mixed, with some destinations doing better than others.Bookings slowed towards the end of summer period. New research reveals that international flights to European destinations in July and August reached 39.9% of pre-pandemic levels. This is significantly better than last year (which was 26.6%), when the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread lockdowns; and vaccines were not yet approved. However, the picture was very mixed, with some destinations doing considerably better than others. Also, the outlook is not improving, as bookings slowed towards the end of the summer period. Looking at performance by country, Greece was the stand-out. It achieved 86% of July and August arrivals in 2019. It was followed by Cyprus, which achieved 64.5%, Turkey, 62.0% and Iceland, 61.8%. Greece and Iceland were amongst the first countries to make widely publicized claims that they would accept visitors who had been fully vaccinated and/or could show a negative PCR test and/or could show proof of recovering from COVID-19. The countries which fared worst were those which rely more on long haul tourism, such as France and Italy and those which imposed the most onerous and volatile travel restrictions such as the UK, which languished at the bottom of the list, achieving just 14.3% of 2019 levels. Excluding low-cost carriers, intra-European flights made up 71.4% of arrivals, compared with 57.1% in 2019. The relative disappearance of long-haul visitors, who typically stay longer, spend more and focus their attention on cities and sightseeing, was underlined in rankings of the best and worst performing local destinations. Travel to London was particularly disappointing; it was at the bottom of the list of busiest European cities, achieving just 14.2% of 2019 arrivals. That list was headed by Palma Mallorca, also a major beach resort destination, reaching 71.5% of 2019 levels and by Athens, a gateway to numerous islands in the Adriatic, at 70.2%. The next best performing major cities were Istanbul, 56.5%, Lisbon, 43.5%, Madrid, 42.4%, Paris, 31.2%, Barcelona, 31.1%, Amsterdam, 30.7% and Rome, 24.2%. By comparison, leisure destinations proved to be much more resilient. A ranking of all major local destinations (ie: those with a market share over 1%) was dominated by traditional seaside holiday hotspots or the gateway to them. The leaders were Heraklion and Antalya, which exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 5.8% and 0.5% respectively. They were followed by Thessaloniki, 98.3%; Ibiza, 91.8%; Larnaca, 73.7% and Palma Mallorca, 72.5%. Aside from the macro trends, certain destinations fared relatively better or worse for more locally specific reasons. For example, Portugal, which is a favorite destination of UK holidaymakers, suffered when the UK changed its designation from green to amber in June; and Spain suffered at the end of July when Germany warned against all but essential travel. When one considers how dreadful things were for tourism in Europe last year, this summer has been a very modest recovery story. Benchmarked against normal times, the continued low intensity of international air travel, less than 40% of normal, has been extremely damaging for the aviation industry. The continued absence of long-haul travelers, particularly from the Far East (it reached just 2.5% of pre-pandemic volumes this summer) will prove a severe blow to the visitor economy of several European countries. If there is an element of consolation, it is people “staycationing”, ie: taking a holiday in their own country. While the domestic aviation has a minority share of the market in Europe in normal times, it has held up much better during the pandemic because it has not been subject to such challenging travel restrictions. For example, the Canaries and the Balearics welcomed more Spanish visitors than they do in a normal season.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 4, 2021

Prepare for lines when you fly from London Heathrow

Staff shortage leads to huge lines at Heathrow.Travelers forced to wait in lines for five hours.Packed queues posed a COVID-19 risk to thousands of airline passengers. Border Force staff shortage at London’s Heathrow Airport resulted to enormous lines and complete lack of any social distancing this week, as the limited number of personnel were unable to cope with those at the border. Airline passengers at Heathrow Airport have repeatedly experienced such conditions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this Friday, some Brits were reporting absolutely absurd queue times due to a Border Force staff shortage which kept travelers waiting in lines for FIVE hours. One passenger even reportedly fainted during the chaos. Heathrow Airport responded to complaints by claiming that the delays were due to Border Force conducting “Health Measure Checks to ensure passenger compliance with the UK Government’s latest entry requirements.” The airport did not address the lack of social distancing and lengthy, packed queues, however, which posed a coronavirus risk to thousands of airline passengers. On Saturday morning, travelers at Terminal 5 reported on social media that the queues had died down. According to local media, at least eight other incidents of long queues, crammed crowds, and a lack of access to water and bathroom facilities have been recorded between May and September. In December 2020 – just days before Christmas – hundreds of passengers were left stranded at Heathrow Airport as flights became overbooked with Brits trying to escape recently-announced Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions, which forced families to stay at home and away from loved ones over the holiday season.

Juergen T Steinmetz·

Aviation Feature

·September 4, 2021

American, Spirit, Southwest Airlines: What happened to the 79 Billion Bailout?

FlyersRights, a consumer advocacy organization has called for an oversight hearings with airline CEOs plus labor and passenger representatives.Airlines were given massive federal subsidies to keep public air service strong and reduce COVID infection.Recent record high cancellations, flight delays, plus airline opposition to some important CDC guidelines call into question whether taxpayer money has been misused by airline management “American Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, completely failed the American people”FlyersRights.org president Paul Hudson Massive Airline Cancellations Throughout the summer, airlines have canceled hundreds of flights per day because they did not have enough employees ready to go. On its worst day, Spirit Airlines canceled over half of its scheduled flights. This is unacceptable, and Senator Maria Cantwell, the Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, sent a letter on this subject to the airlines in July. FlyersRights.org met with her staff to discuss the issue on September 1st and to propose the solution to the latest of airline abuses. House Oversight Committee Hearing requested FlyersRights.org requested committee oversight hearings to force Doug Parker, Gary Kelly, Ted Christie, and other airline CEOs to explain what they did with the COVID relief money and why their airlines have failed to deliver what the law intended. Oversight hearings should also include passenger representatives and labor representatives. FlyersRights.org proposed a stimulus and social distancing plan that would have kept the airlines profitable, running at a higher capacity during the pandemic, and would have ensured air travel was safer, all at a lower cost than the bailout packages. FlyersRights.org is the largest airline passenger organization; it advocates for airline passengers before the FAA, DOT, TSA and other government agencies

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 4, 2021

Heathrow chaos: Huge crowds overwhelm understaffed airport

Staff shortage leads to huge lines at Heathrow.Travelers forced to wait in lines for five hours.Packed queues posed a COVID-19 risk to thousands of airline passengers. Border Force staff shortage at London’s Heathrow Airport resulted to enormous lines and complete lack of any social distancing this week, as the limited number of personnel were unable to cope with those at the border. Airline passengers at Heathrow Airport have repeatedly experienced such conditions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this Friday, some Brits were reporting absolutely absurd queue times due to a Border Force staff shortage which kept travelers waiting in lines for FIVE hours. One passenger even reportedly fainted during the chaos. Heathrow Airport responded to complaints by claiming that the delays were due to Border Force conducting “Health Measure Checks to ensure passenger compliance with the UK Government’s latest entry requirements.” The airport did not address the lack of social distancing and lengthy, packed queues, however, which posed a coronavirus risk to thousands of airline passengers. On Saturday morning, travelers at Terminal 5 reported on social media that the queues had died down. According to local media, at least eight other incidents of long queues, crammed crowds, and a lack of access to water and bathroom facilities have been recorded between May and September. In December 2020 – just days before Christmas – hundreds of passengers were left stranded at Heathrow Airport as flights became overbooked with Brits trying to escape recently-announced Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions, which forced families to stay at home and away from loved ones over the holiday season.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 4, 2021

4 people killed in Czech Republic and France plane crashes

Light-engine plane crashed in Czech Republic today.Two people on board the plane died in crash.Two people were also killed in plane crash in France Two people were killed in the crash of a light-engine sports plane near the town of Kladno near Prague in the Czech Republic. The crash was reported on Saturday, September 4, by the representative of the Czech police Lucia Novotna. “Two people died in a plane crash of a sports plane near the town of Kladno,” the police official said. The crash happened just a little after 14:00 (2pm) Central European Time. Czech police are currently investigating the causes of the incident. Earlier on the same day, a light-engine plane crashed into the highway in northern France commune of Voignarou. Two people were also killed in that crash.

Linda Hohnholz eTN editor·

Aviation Feature

·September 3, 2021

American Airlines unvaxxed staff who get COVID are on their own

When COVID-19 first made its appearance, many companies were moved to create pandemic leave for those who came down with the coronavirus.Now that the Food and Drug Administration has an authorized vaccine against COVID-19, this is changing the face of what companies are willing to do for its employees who choose not to get vaccinated.Many new hires these days are required to show proof of vaccination to complete the hiring process. The new policy will take effect in early October for the non-vaxxers, however, American Airlines employees who have been vaccinated are still covered by the pandemic leave policy and do not have to use their own sick days to take time off from work to get well. This appears to be a trend among airlines, as Alaska Airlines has also prevented unvaxxed employees from using a special COVID-19 pay for missing work due to the virus. Not only that, Alaska Airlines is also rewarding its employees with a $200 bonus for getting vaccinated, and all new employees going forward must show proof of vaccination before officially being hired. The airline is also requiring all non-vaccinated employees to participate in a vaccine education program. Las month, United Airlines was the first US carrier to require vaccinations for all its domestic employees. United has 67,000 employees in the US and all new hires have had to show proof of vaccination since June of 2021. In the United company offices, unvaxxed employees must wear face masks. Frontier Airlines will also require employees to be fully vaccinated by October 1 of this year. Those workers who opt not to get vaccinated will be required to participate in regular COVID-19 testing. Other airlines are trying to get their employees to get vaccinated like Alaska Airlines has done by offering incentives such as extra pay or paid time off. What is sparking these changes? When the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved Pfizer as a vaccine, this opened the gates for companies to change their policies for COVID-19, as this was often the reason used by employees who do not want to get vaccinated – that no vaccine had officially been approved. Airlines still do require all onboard to wear masks for the duration of the flight, except when eating or drinking, of course. #rebuildingtravel

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 3, 2021

Turkey tightens COVID restrictions for foreign arrivals

Turkey updates anti-COVID restrictions for foreign arrivals.Regulations aim to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey.Updated rules set to go into effect tomorrow. Turkey’s Interior Ministry issued a circular today, announcing new updates for requirements and restrictions for visitors arriving into the country from abroad. The updates are implemented in a bid to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, and are set to go into effect on Saturday, August 4. Red list: Brazil, South Africa, Nepal, and Sri Lanka Suspension of direct flights from Brazil, South Africa, Nepal, and Sri Lanka will continue until further notice. Passengers who have been to these countries in the last 14 days will be asked to submit a negative PCR test result obtained a maximum of 72 hours before entering Turkey. They will also be quarantined for 14 days in locations determined by the governorships, at the end of which a negative test will be required one more time. If there is a positive test result, the patient will be kept under isolation, which will end with a negative result in the following 14 days. Bangladesh, India and Pakistan Travel rules for Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan have been eased, and passengers from these countries, or those who have been to these countries in the last 14 days, will be requested to submit a negative PCR test result obtained up to 72 hours beforehand. People who document receiving two doses of COVID-19 vaccines granted approval by the World Health Organization or Turkey or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 14 days before entering Turkey will be exempted from quarantine. UK, Iran, Egypt and Singapore Passengers coming from the UK, Iran, Egypt, or Singapore will be required to submit a negative result from PCR tests done a maximum of 72 hours before entry. For passengers traveling from Afghanistan, those who can provide a document showing they were administered a COVID-19 vaccine in the last 14 days or recovery from COVID-19 infection in the last six months will not require a test result or quarantine.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 3, 2021

Lufthansa Group announces new Chief Strategy Officer

Lufthansa Group announces new executive appointment.New Head of Strategy & Organizational Development named.Jorg Eberhart will assume the position on November 1, 2021. On October 1, 2021, Jörg Eberhart, currently CEO of Air Dolomiti, will assume the position of “Head of Strategy & Organizational Development” at Lufthansa Group. He will succeed William Wilms, who was appointed to the Executive Board of Lufthansa Technik on 1 September 2021. Jörg Eberhart has served as President and CEO of Air Dolomiti since 2014. During this time, he was also a member of the Executive Board of Lufthansa CityLine. Prior to this, he held a number of management positions at Lufthansa Group that included being part of the establishment of Aerologic GmbH and the implementation of the SCORE project. Jörg Eberhart studied business administration at the University of Tübingen and holds a pilot’s license for the Airbus A320. The Lufthansa Group is an aviation group with operations worldwide. With 110,065 employees, the Lufthansa Group generated revenue of EUR 13,589m in the financial year 2020. The Lufthansa Group is composed of the segments Network Airlines, Eurowings and Aviation Services. Aviation Services comprises the segments Logistics, MRO, Catering and Additional Businesses and Group Functions. The latter also include Lufthansa AirPlus, Lufthansa Aviation Training and the IT companies. All segments occupy a leading position in their respective markets.

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 2, 2021

Key European tourism challenges highlighted at Slovenian Forum

Bled Strategic Forum is an international conference in Centrals and South-Eastern Europe.COVID-19 pandemic has posed many questions for tourism.The role of tourism at the EU level needs to be rethought. The Bled Strategic Forum has evolved into a leading international conference in Central and South-Eastern Europe. The 16th edition took place 31 August – 2 September in a hybrid form. The tourism panel held on 2 September brought together top experts from Slovenia and renowned institutions, including EC, UNWTO, WTTC, OECD, ETC, HOTREC, ECM, to discuss the future of (European) tourism. Prominent international and Slovenian experts, guests, panelists and representatives of Slovenian tourism were addressed by Minister of Economic Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek, Director-General for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs at the European Commission Kerstin Jorna, Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board MSc. Maja Pak, Director of Regional Department for Europe at UNWTO Prof. Alessandra Priante and Director of the Portugal National Tourist Board and President of the European Tourism Commission (ETC) Luis Araújo. COVID-19 pandemic has posed many questions for tourism, among the most pressing ones are survival and recovery, along with the transformation of the tourism industry into more resilient and sustainable one. Despite the difficult situation, optimistic forecasts of key international tourism institutions are on the rise. This year’s Tourism Panel has discussed the question What will the future bring to European tourism. Panelists agreed that the pandemic has had a major impact on tourism industry and posed many challenges, as well as opportunities. It is time to address the shortcomings of tourism industry that have resulted from the expansion in the last 50 years and transform tourism into a much greener, digital and inclusive industry. Key conclusions identified at the panel were: Tourist’s confidence in travel needs to be rebuilt.Travel protocols and communication and coordination between the Member States concerning travel restrictions, COVID tests and quarantine rules need to be improved.Roadmap for sustainable transition is necessary.New performance indicators are needed.Digital transformation of the tourism industry needs to be supported and promoted.Investments and EU funding allocation towards sustainability and digitalization of the tourism industry is required.The role of tourism at the EU level needs to be rethought.DMO transition in their role to actively facilitate the industry transition process to green, inclusive and digital needs to be supported.

Linda Hohnholz eTN editor·

Aviation Feature

·September 2, 2021

Tourism Seychelles and Emirates airline embark on marketing partnership

Seychelles has welcomed over 15,000 tourists from the UAE so far this year.Safety measures and straightforward protocols have been conveniently designed to ease travel between the destinations.Emirates operates seven flights a week to the Seychelles from Dubai and is the second leading source market to the islands. The partnership will include a series of campaigns aiming to bring the Seychelles Islands maximum visibility as the ultimate leisure destination throughout the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) market through integrated Seychelles-related content that will be visible on Emirates’ social media platforms as well as through email marketing and joint radio advertisements. The collaboration will keep guests up to date with information on travel the archipelago, which has welcomed over 15,000 tourists from the UAE so far this year and which, as of Sunday, August 29, 2021, stands as the second leading source market to the destination. Furthermore, the campaigns will strengthen travel trade relations and enhance product knowledge through online training and workshops as well as familiarization trips, focused on areas whose borders have now opened for travel. Keeping safety at the heart of travel to Seychelles, the collaboration will also highlight the journey from Dubai to the island nation, including important details such as safety measures and straightforward protocols conveniently designed to ease travel. In addition, guests will be able to discover what the Seychelles Islands hold in store for them before they even land on its sandy shores. Commenting on the collaboration, Principal Secretary for Tourism, Mrs. Sherin Francis, said, “The partnership with Emirates is one that has grown from strength to strength, and we are happy for the support they have extended to the destination and Tourism Seychelles over the year. This year’s partnership is no different. However, in a time when our industry is slowly recovering and where building travel confidence is very important, partnerships such as this one has new meaning and definition. Through this collaborative work, it will be a win for both airline and destination.” With Emirates operating seven flights a week to the Seychelles from Dubai, UAE nationals and residents can now plan an exotic getaway to the land of turquoise waters, pearly shores and emerald mountains, choosing from one of the many luxurious resorts or charming guesthouses for their stay. Entry to Seychelles requires proof of a negative COVID-19 test, conducted within 72 hours of the date of travel and approval from the Health Travel Authorization app. More information in regard to travel to the island paradise can be found at ‘seychelles.advisory.travel.’

Harry Johnson·

Aviation Feature

·September 2, 2021

No quarantine: Abu Dhabi opens to fully vaccinated travelers

Abu Dhabi removes quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated visitors.Abu Dhabi expects huge surge in demand for travel to the emirate.Etihad Airways prepared for a boost in travel to Abu Dhabi. The government of Abu Dhabi announced the removal of the quarantine requirement for all vaccinated travelers arriving to the emirate from abroad. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is prepared for a boost in travel to and from Abu Dhabi following the government’s announcement. Fully vaccinated travelers (with vaccines approved by the World Health Organization) can arrive from all international destinations without the need to quarantine. All travelers will require a PCR test within 48 hours of departure, a test on arrival and retesting on select days depending on the country they have travelled from. Unvaccinated travelers, however, should follow the rules according to the destination they are arriving from. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad, commented: “The news is perfectly timed to begin welcoming the world back to Abu Dhabi. We expect a huge surge in demand from tourists and visiting friends and relatives from around the world. This will also give UAE residents greater flexibility and peace of mind when travelling globally. “The emirate has delivered one of the world’s best public health programs to protect the population with an extremely high vaccination rate, and smart technologically-driven solutions such as the Al Hosn app to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. “This is a huge step forward as the UAE prepares to host the EXPO 2020, the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and many more global events over the coming months. “Etihad is currently operating to 65 passenger destinations with one of the world’s youngest and most sustainable fleets. We look forward to welcoming our guests to Abu Dhabi with Etihad to enjoy this world-class destination – an emirate and capital city we’re so proud to call our home.” Flying with Etihad is supported by the Etihad Wellness program which has been introduced to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Etihad was the first airline in the world to fully vaccinate its crew on board. Etihad also requires 100% of its passengers to show a negative PCR test before boarding to protect the inflight environment, which is now recognized to be one of the best in the world. The airline has implemented an extensive sanitization and wellness program and is practicing the highest standards of hygiene at every part of the customer journey. This includes catering, aircraft and cabin deep-cleaning, check-in, health screening, boarding, inflight, crew interaction, meal service, disembarkation and ground transportation, among others.

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