The cautious recovery of early 2021 was halted in the first half of MarchFor USA Atlantic South, USA Midwest, Taiwan, Thailand, Belgium and Kenya, March 2021 was the best month since 2018Freighter capacity in March increased 7%-points less than cargo capacity on passenger aircraft Air cargo’s final March figures show a year-on-year (YoY) worldwide growth of 21%. To make any sense of this percentage, the detailed results for March 2020, the most two-faced month in air cargo living memory, need to be revisited. YoY change in the period March 1-15, 2021, stood at -0.2%, but the YoY growth in the second half of the month was +44%, a clear reminder that the first lockdown started to bite air cargo by mid-March 2020. As the cautious recovery of early 2021 (+1.1% YoY for the first 2 months) was halted in the first half of March (-0.2% YoY), the question arises whether the second half reversed the trend again.  Industry experts looked at volume developments for the 30 largest markets first. For six of them (the origins USA Atlantic South, USA Midwest, Taiwan, Thailand, Belgium and Kenya), March 2021 was simply the best month since January 2018. The same was true for the destination markets China-East, South Korea, Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands and USA-Midwest. Other top-origins, notably China North East and Central, France, UK, India, and Australia, have not yet recovered. Their month of March remained more than 20% below their best month over the past three years. This is also the case for the destinations Australia, Canada East, China Northeast, Spain, South Africa and USA Northeast. Worldwide, March 2021 was only marginally lower than the same month in 2018 and 2019. This is the more remarkable when taking into account the enormous reduction in cargo capacity.

Boutique Air expands its network out of the Merced Yosemite Regional AirportNew route will be the third Boutique Air route out of MercedBoutique Air plans to operate the route with the Pilatus PC-12 Boutique Air announced plans to expand its network out of the Merced Yosemite Regional Airport in California. Boutique Air will begin operating nonstop flights to Las Vegas, Nevada starting Thursday, April 22, 2021.  The new route will offer round-trip service on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Boutique Air plans to operate its executive style aircraft, the Pilatus PC-12. This will be the third Boutique Air route out of Merced and provides customers in the Las Vegas region with a quick direct flight to the Yosemite National Park area. “Several years ago we operated flights from Merced and we are thrilled to offer this popular destination again.”  stated Shawn Simpson, Boutique Air CEO. “With the lifting of pandemic  restrictions people are really ready to start traveling again. Vegas has been at the top of the request list for our Merced customers.” Boutique Air is a full codeshare partner with United Airlines and has an interline agreement with American Airlines. Boutique Air is an FAA certified and US Department of Transportation authorized airline founded in 2007.

Rosaviatsiya sets up crisis center for Turkey return flightsRussia restricted Turkey flights ‘due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in Turkey’Russian tourists advised to postpone their trips to Turkey Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) issued a statement today announcing that it has established a crisis center to monitor and assist the return of Russian citizens from Turkey. “The crisis center of Rosaviatsiya will be regularly informing the Russian Transport Ministry about the number of performed flights from Turkey to Russia, the number of transported citizens as well as the number of Russian citizens with issued flight tickets, who are waiting to return to their homeland,” the statement said. Russia restricted flights to and from Turkey from April 15 to June 1, officially ‘due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in Turkey’. But the decision to drastically cut the number of flights to Turkey, which is heavily reliant on revenue from tourism, was announced two days after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Istanbul. The Russian Tourism Agency recommends Russian tourists to postpone their trips to Turkey or to change the vacationing destination.

SF Airlines flies from Shenzhen to Manila, PhilippinesNew route will provide efficient air cargo services between China and the PhilippinesThe Shenzhen-Manila route will see four weekly round-trip flights China’s SF Airlines announced the launch of a new international cargo route linking south China’s Shenzhen and the Philippines’ capital city of Manila. According to Chinese air-cargo carrier, the new route will expand the airline’s network to 79 destinations at home and abroad. The route is expected to provide efficient air cargo services between China and the Philippines, mainly carrying cross-border e-commerce goods and fresh agricultural products. The Shenzhen-Manila route will see four weekly round-trip flights using the B757-200 all-cargo freighter, with a weekly air freight transport capacity of more than 220 tons. Headquartered in Shenzhen, SF Airlines is the aviation branch of the Chinese delivery giant SF Express. It currently operates a fleet of 64 all-cargo freighters.

Passengers witnessed the plane on fire on the right side of the wingPilots were able to land the plane with one engineCivil lawsuits allege at least $50,000 in damages in the Circuit Court of Cook County Clifford Law Offices today filed two lawsuits in Illinois against United Airlines on behalf of two passengers who suffering significant trauma stemming from a flight that experienced a fiery engine loss while traveling from Denver to Hawaii on February 20, 2021. UA Flight 328 Boeing 777-200 was en route to Honolulu when four minutes after takeoff an explosion occurred, and the right engine was engulfed in flames.  Pilots were forced to turn back to Denver as passengers witnessed the plane on fire on the right side of the wing and the engine reportedly was missing.  A loud bang could be heard on the plane’s cockpit voice recorder that was later recovered. Pilots were able to land the plane with one engine and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has since reported it is investigating other planes with similar engines to see if the defect is widespread.  The flight time of terror was 24 minutes before the plane touched ground. The civil lawsuits that allege at least $50,000 in damages in the Circuit Court of Cook County allege significant trauma and distress suffered on behalf of two passengers who live in Hawaii.  “The passengers on this flight thought it was going to be their last,” said Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner at Clifford Law Offices in Chicago, an internationally-renown aviation firm.  He is lead counsel in the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX airliner that crashed in Ethiopia two years ago killing all 157 on board.  He represents families of 72 of those victims.  “Imagine as a passenger looking out the window of a plane and helplessly watching the engine on fire.  The terror you experience lasts a lifetime.” Video posted on Twitter from the emergency showed the engine fully engulfed in flames as the plane flew.  Pieces of the aircraft were discovered on the ground below, including debris crashing through a home and narrowly missing a half-dozen teams at soccer practice on a nearby field. Two hundred forty people were aboard that flight and many later reported they were praying the entire way back to the airport, hoping they would still see their children again.  Several have contacted Clifford Law Offices in light of the significant trauma they experienced and to ensure that they get answers as to what happened in this incident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting an investigation into the crash that can take up to a year or more to conclude.

Cessna Citation 560XL is the world’s most popular business jetThe Citation can accommodate seven passengers and has a maximum range of 1,657 milesCessna Citation 560XL has a top cruising speed of 487 miles-per-hour Ventura Air Services is pleased to announce the addition of its First Cessna CitationExcel 560XL to its charter certificate. Ventura also added two additional Citation Excel 560XL’sa to be launched in the second quarter of 2021 as part of the planned expansion of its fleet based at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York. In November 2020, Ventura first announced the addition of the first Citation and two Bombardier Challenger 604’s to the fleet, which fully launched in the fourth quarter of 2020. The midsize Cessna Citation 560XL is the world’s most popular business jets because of its comfort, dispatch reliability, and category-leading baggage capacity. The Citation can accommodate seven passengers and has a maximum range of 1,657 miles, with a top cruising speed of 487 miles-per-hour. All Ventura Citation 560XL’s and Bombardier Challenger 604’s feature numerous amenities, including complimentary Wi-Fi. The new planes reflect the private aviation sector’s strength and Ventura Air Services‘ aggressive expansion goals, focusing on point-to-point pricing.

New direct flights linking Moscow to Mahe Island in the Seychelles are restarting after a long hiatus.Service will operate between the 2 destinations on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays starting next month.It has been 17 years since Aeroflot set its landing gear down on the island of Mahe in the Seychelles. The news came two weeks after Aeroflot made its first return to the islands after 17 years of absence. The airline will now offer three direct flights linking Moscow and Mahé Island. The flights will be operating on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Announcing the new flight schedule, the Chief Marketing Officer for Aeroflot, Anton Myagkov, expressed the excitement with this new frequency in response to the demand for Seychelles on the market.

Ethiopian Airlines joined the fight against the pandemic since the outbreak of the virusEthiopian Airlines has beefed up its cargo shipment capacity by reconfiguring itspassenger aircraftEthiopian played an exemplary role in the distribution of PPE across the globe Ethiopian Airlines Group, Africa’s leading Airline, has transported 3.5 Million dosesof COVID-19 vaccine from Shanghai to São Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa. The vaccine arrived in Brazil on Thursday, 15 April 2021. So far, Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services has transported over 20 Million vaccines to more than 20 countries. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam said “As a leading panAfrican airline, we joined the fight against the pandemic since the outbreak of the virus. Our commitment to fighting against the pandemic and saving lives has been unwavering in Africa and beyond. I feel that our efficient and timely delivery of vaccines would save millions of lives that could have been lost due to lack of access to vaccines. We are devoted to transport vaccines globally with our modern fleet, well-established infrastructure and diligent employees. I am glad that we have started to reach beyond Africa and we will continue to play our part in the globalvaccine distribution. Our collaborative efforts are the only way out at this critical time where equitable distribution and transportation of the vaccines is desirable.’’ Ethiopian Airlines has beefed up its cargo shipment capacity by reconfiguring itspassenger aircraft and introducing new technologies. The airline has become the choice of cargo partners as a result of its agility, capability to store and carry time-sensitive shipments such as pharmaceuticals. It played an exemplary role in the distribution of PPE across the globe which led to the selection of Addis Ababa Bole International Airport as a humanitarian air hub by UN agencies. Currently, Ethiopian is developing an in-house dry ice manufacturing facility that iscapable of producing 9,000kg of ice daily to fulfill the need for additional coolants for vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech & Moderna that require ultra-cold environment for transport.

American Airlines will continue to serve as the “Official Airline for Dream Flights”Dream Flights a non-profit organization honoring America’s veterans and seniors living in retirement and long-term care communitiesOperation September Freedom runs August 1-September 30, 2021 Dream Flights, a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring America’s veterans and seniors living in retirement and long-term care communities, is pleased to announce American Airlines will continue to serve as the “Official Airline for Dream Flights,” which this year launched Operation September Freedom, a historic mission to locate and honor as many World War II veteran heroes as possible with free Dream Flights in restored WWII-era biplanes. “This is a significant time in our country’s history,” says Darryl Fisher, founder and president of Dream Flights. “Of the 16 million Americans who served in WWII, only an estimated 100,000 remain—the youngest: 92. Operation September Freedom may be our last opportunity to honor the brave men and women who served during World War II. We appreciate American Airlines‘ generous donation of AAdvantage® miles and its ongoing support of our mission to give back to those who gave.” “American Airlines is tremendously privileged to support Dream Flights and their incredible mission to honor the men and women who have defended our nation,” said Randy Stillinger, Manager of Military and Veterans Initiatives for American Airlines. “We are proud knowing that several of our team members volunteer their time and talent to provide an experience unlike any other for those who have earned these flights.” Dream Flights pilots, many of whom fly for major airlines — including American Airlines — and are active duty or retired military veterans themselves, will volunteer their time to fly WWII veterans in the country’s largest fleet of restored Stearman bi-planes. The thousands of dollars saved in travel costs for crew members and pilots traveling to Dream Flights events using AAdvantage miles will help cover the cost of Dream Flights, which are always free to veterans. Operation September Freedom runs Aug. 1-Sept. 30, 2021. 

Alaska Airlines to fly to Burbank, Los Angeles, Portland, Orange County, San Diego and SeattleAlaska Airlines adds flight to Hollywood Burbank AirportNew route between Santa Rosa/Sonoma and Burbank will be served by the Embraer 175 jet Alaska Airlines is increasing its service and commitment to Santa Rosa/Sonoma County with more nonstop flights between Southern California and the heart of wine country. Starting June 1, the airline will offer daily nonstop service between Santa Rosa/Sonoma County and Burbank. On Sept. 8, Alaska will add additional flights to both Orange County and San Diego. With the additional flight to Hollywood Burbank Airport, the airline will have nonstop service to six destinations from Sonoma County: Burbank, Los Angeles, Portland, Orange County, San Diego and Seattle. By fall, Alaska Airlines will operate 13 peak day departures, including eight daily nonstop flights to Southern California airports. “Sonoma County offers the perfect mix of stunning outdoor locales, acclaimed food and wine, and a vibrant cultural scene,” said Brett Catlin, Alaska’s vice president of network and alliances. “We’re proud to better connect Southern California with Sonoma and look forward to welcoming guests with our award-winning service this summer.” Alaska was the first commercial airline to resume service to Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in 2007. The airline has long been the airport’s largest carrier. In 2019, three out of four passengers to Santa Rosa/Sonoma County flew on Alaska. “We’re grateful for the 14 years of commitment, growth and Alaska’s outstanding service to the North Bay and the heart of wine country. Alaska recognizes the potential in our market and STS looks forward to many more years of a prosperous partnership,” said Jon Stout, airport manager at Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport. The new route between Santa Rosa/Sonoma and Burbank will be served by the Embraer 175 jet, an aircraft with only window and aisle seating; there are no middle seats. 

At the age of 36, Jose Ignacio Dougnac became the youngest CEO in South American aviation industry.The airline set up safety, people, and sustainability as the top three priorities for managing the COVID crisis.Sky Airline has been working side by side with the government to transport goods and vaccines. Sky Airline CEO Jose Ignacio Dougnac talks about the challenges and opportunities in South America during the COVID-19 pandemic. The session began with Peter Cerda thanking CAPA – Centre for Aviation for the opportunity to moderate the discussion with one of the up-and-coming CEOs in Latin America. The CEO of Sky Airlines, Jose Ignacio Dougnac, took over the helm at the airline just about a year ago.

Some places in Latin America have had to institute another shutdown due to new waves of the COVID-19 coronavirus.How is this affecting aviation recovery as seen from the eyes of JetSmart Airline CEO Estuardo Ortiz?What are the current travel restrictions and where does consumer confidence and economic recovery stand? About the only thing safe to say in the current world of COVID-19 is that aviation in general is working very hard to get its wings back up in the air, people back at work, and profit margins no longer marginal. In an interview with the Chief Executive Officer of JetSmart Airline CEO Estuardo Ortiz, he speaks on COVID ups and down for his airline with Lori Ranson of CAPA – Centre for Aviation and brings to light what this airline is doing to rise from the ashes of the coronavirus. Read on – or sit back and listen to – this insightful exchange.

The continued rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations is accelerating Americans’ return to travelInternational travel intentions remain consistent with early 2020 pre-pandemic international travel intentionsAppointments can be made online 72 hours before your flight and walk-ins are welcome Costa Rica’s Daniel Oduber Quiros International (Liberia – LIR) Airport has announced an alliance with a local laboratory with over 60 years of experience in the health sector, to provide travelers with antigen testing at the airport in as little as one hour. Appointments can be made online 72 hours before your flight or walk-ins are welcome. In the coming weeks, the Juan Santamaría International Airport (San José – SJO) will also offer antigen testing services. The continued rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations, coupled with the additionalstimulus funds and the CDC’s recent announcement that vaccinated Americanscan travel internationally, is accelerating Americans’ return to travel. TSA has averaged 1.3+ million passenger screenings a day since the beginningof April 2021, which is more than half of the screenings TSA had at the same time in 2019. While domestic bookings are currently outpacing international bookings,international travel intentions remain consistent with early 2020 pre-pandemic international travel intentions, according to MMGY Global’s 2021 Portrait of an American Traveler spring study. Additionally, 68% of Americans surveyed in the study shared that they would be more likely to take an international trip if the hotel or airline offered COVID-19 testing. Costa Rica’s pandemic preparedness, successful management of the COVID-19virus, removal of a negative PCR test to enter the country, and ample testing options in hotels, public hospitals and more, make the small Central American country an ideal destination for Americans to book as they ease back into international travel. COVID-19 testing at Daniel Oduber Quiros International (Liberia – LIR) Airport costs US$65.

The agreement in principle is subject to finalization between the parties and ratification by the employee groupThe parties had temporarily suspended negotiations early in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemicAllegiant currently employs 415 maintenance technician and related employees Allegiant today announces that the company and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), representing Allegiant’s workforce of maintenance technician and related employees, have reached an agreement in principle on all remaining open issues for the first collective bargaining agreement between the parties.  The agreement in principle is subject to finalization between the parties and ratification by the employee group, which includes line and heavy maintenance technicians as well as stores employees and some administrative maintenance staff.  A ratification vote is expected to occur by the end of July, 2021. Allegiant currently employs 415 maintenance technician and related employees. “We are pleased to announce this agreement with the IBT and our workforce of maintenance technician and related employees, and commend the great work of all who have been involved in the process,” said Maurice J. Gallagher, Jr., Allegiant chairman and chief executive officer. “Our maintenance team’s work is critical to our operation every day, ensuring our customers have access to safe and seamless, convenient and affordable travel. I applaud this important milestone and look forward to finalizing the first contract with this critical, skilled group of team members.” The process of negotiating a first collective bargaining agreement for Allegiant maintenance technician and related employees began in January 2019. The parties had temporarily suspended negotiations early in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but talks resumed in September.  The International Brotherhood of Teamsters was most recently certified as the group’s exclusive representative on March 7, 2018.

help alliance strengthens commitment in home marketsAspects of climate and environmental protection gain focus alongside the main thematic areas of education and work & incomeAid organization of the Lufthansa Group makes important contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Despite the massive impact of the Corona pandemic, help alliance is able to support new projects this year. The Lufthansa Group‘s aid organization reacted quickly to the changed situation, among other things developed new digital fundraising formats and thus secured a stable financial situation. This now makes it possible to support seven new projects, five of them in Europe and two in Africa. As it has always been the case, the projects were selected from suggestions by Lufthansa Group employees and will henceforth be supervised by them as voluntary project coordinators together with the respective partner organizations. With its work, help alliance makes an important contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) “Quality Education” (SDG 4) and “Decent Work and Economic Growth” (SDG 8). In terms of environmental education, the project work is now increasingly focusing on aspects of climate and environmental protection (SDG 13). “For us as an aid organization, it was anything but easy to be able to support almost no new projects because of Corona in 2020. We are even more pleased that we can now expand our support, especially with a focus on Europe. Many thanks to all those who have supported us with a donation even in these difficult times or will support us in the future.”, says Andrea Pernkopf, managing director of help alliance. The new projects of help alliance at a glance Berlin: Digital Future for Everyone The project supports socially disadvantaged people with an affinity for digital professions in their integration into the German labor market. This is done, among other things, by strengthening soft skills and preparing for possible job interviews. Hamburg: Inclusion rocks for Everyone In this project, young people with Down syndrome are supported in their social and emotional development in the long term by means of a continuous music program oriented to their age and developmental needs.

The collaboration contributes to the climate commitments Neste made in 2020Finnair’s target is to become carbon neutral by 2045Finnair is one of the most frequently used airlines for business travel by Neste’s employees Neste and Finnair are joining forces to reduce carbon emissions related to Nesteemployees’ business travel by using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Neste hasrecently made 300 tons of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel available at Helsinki Airport in Finland for Finnair’s use. By replacing a part of the fossil jet fuel with SAF on its flights departing from Helsinki Airport, Finnair will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 900 tons of CO2 equivalent. This represents a significant share of the emissions accumulated from Neste employees’ global air travel in 2020. The collaboration contributes to the climate commitments Neste made in2020, including a commitment to reduce and compensate emissions from its employees’ business travel through the use of the company’s own sustainable aviation fuel. Finnair is a strategic partner for Neste, and also one of the most frequently used airlines for business travel by Neste’s employees. Finnair’s target is to become carbon neutral by 2045, and to halve its net CO2 emissions by the end of 2025. Piloting a new SAF-based solution for reducing emissions from business airtravel The collaboration between Neste and Finnair also serves as a showcase for otherbusinesses, since it offers a clear solution on how to reduce business airtravel emissions. Neste’s aim is to make this solution available for businesses,public institutions and other organizations with ambitious climate commitments. “We are excited about collaborating with Finnair to pilot the innovativesolution we have developed for reducing emissions from business air travel. Thissolution, built upon Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel and partnerships withairlines, will provide corporate customers and other organizations yet anothertool for tackling climate change and meeting their climate commitments,“ saysSami Jauhiainen, Vice President, Business Development from Neste’s RenewableAviation business unit. “We are extending the invitation to other companies andcollaborating airlines to partner with Neste, making business travel moresustainable and future-fit. It is now a great time to prepare for when businesstravel takes off again.”

Like many other airlines, COVID caused a total shutdown in March last year.Initially, the focus for SriLankan Airlines was to get expatriates home who were standard all over the world when the borders were closed.In addition to humanitarian and repatriation operations initially, the airline started focusing on cargo. Adrian Schofield, Senior Air Transport Editor for Aviation Week, had the privilege to be speak with Vipula Gunatilleka, SriLankan Airlines CEO, on COVID recovery and the challenges the airline is facing during the pandemic. During the CAPA – Centre for Aviation interview, they touched on the airline’s plans going forward as well as some broader industry questions.

Qantas Airline began the coronavirus journey at 20 percent of pre-COVID capacity in the first quarter of 2020.Passenger demand is coming back although it is not there yet in full.The airline will be managing the business on a cash basis, meaning there is just enough to cover the operating costs of the operation and get our pilots, cabin crew, and staff back to work. Read on – or sit back and listen – to hear about what the Chief Executive Officer of Qantas Airline, Alan Joyce, thinks about the current aviation situation. Here, Peter Harbison, Chairman Emeritus of CAPA – Centre for Aviation, talks with Alan Joyce, Qantas CEO, on COVID and aviation in an unedited interview. Peter Harbison: Good afternoon and welcome, a very warm welcome to Alan Joyce who’s the CEO of Qantas, Qantas group. Welcome Alan, back to CAPA Live. Great to have you on. Alan Joyce: Good to talk to you again Peter as normal. It’s a pity we’re not doing it in person, but I’m assuming we’ll get back to a CAPA conference in person at some stage which will be great. Peter: Well, we’re planning on that very, very shortly. Yeah. Alan Joyce: Great. Peter: And I look forward to that. Thanks, Alan. A lot of things to talk about. Let’s kick off with the purely domestic scene if we could. We’ve had a lot of stop start. It must’ve been very frustrating for you. Do you think we’re getting any closer now to getting some domestic, i.e. state, interstate protocols in place for when we do close the borders down and notice periods, that sort of thing?

We’ve never seen anything like this in aviation with the effects of COVID-19. Before this, we had 9/11, which was kind of not as dramatic in comparison.Over one single summer, airlines have had to operate at a staggering 5 percent of their capacity.To say it’s going to be competitive out there is an understatement. What is the British Airways CEO view on the future of aviation when it comes to its competition with other major airlines in Europe? Read about aviation from the perspective of British Airways CEO Sean Doyle as he is interviewed by the Peter Harbison, Chairman Emeritus of  CAPA – Centre for Aviation – or click on the link and sit back and give it a listen. Peter Harbison: … particularly at the cash position and the different approaches that governments in Europe have taken, both of your major full-service carriers in Europe have been very substantially, to use a crude word, bailed out by their governments to a large extent. And I know Willy Walsh previously said none of the airlines should be bailed out. There has been some support for British Airways but more recently particularly. How does that affect your competitive position with the other two of the major three in Europe? Sean Doyle: Well, I think the first think I would say is that, at IAG, we were very quick to act on self-help, and I think that was focused on probably three to four different streams. I think the first is to go out and raise liquidity in the commercial sector as best that you can, and we’ve been successful in doing that. We had a rights issue, we went to the bond markets, and then we actually tapped into some government facilities in the form of UKEF for British Airways to the tune of two billion before Christmas, and Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus have actually pursued similar paths. So I think credit being available on commercial terms was one of the sort of streams that we were looking to be enabled, and we’ve tapped into that. I think the second thing was to recognize the gravity of the situation and to change your business pretty quickly, and I think both British Airways, Aer Lingus, and other airlines across the group did that.

The continued rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations is accelerating Americans’ return to travelInternational travel intentions remain consistent with early 2020 pre-pandemic international travel intentionsAppointments can be made online 72 hours before your flight and walk-ins are welcome Costa Rica’s Daniel Oduber Quiros International (Liberia – LIR) Airport has announced an alliance with a local laboratory with over 60 years of experience in the health sector, to provide travelers with free antigen testing at the airport in as little as one hour. Appointments can be made online 72 hours before your flight or walk-ins are welcome. In the coming weeks, the Juan Santamaría International Airport (San José – SJO) will also offer free antigen testing services. The continued rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations, coupled with the additionalstimulus funds and the CDC’s recent announcement that vaccinated Americanscan travel internationally, is accelerating Americans’ return to travel. TSA has averaged 1.3+ million passenger screenings a day since the beginningof April 2021, which is more than half of the screenings TSA had at the same time in 2019. While domestic bookings are currently outpacing international bookings,international travel intentions remain consistent with early 2020 pre-pandemic international travel intentions, according to MMGY Global’s 2021 Portrait of an American Traveler spring study. Additionally, 68% of Americans surveyed in the study shared that they would be more likely to take an international trip if the hotel or airline offered COVID-19 testing at no cost. Costa Rica’s pandemic preparedness, successful management of the COVID-19virus, removal of a negative PCR test to enter the country, and ample testing options in hotels, public hospitals and more, make the small Central American country an ideal destination for Americans to book as they ease back into international travel.

Aviation sector navigates the global pandemic as vaccine deployment continues to accelerateCommercial banks shored up the aviation industry’s need for liquidity early in the pandemicBoeing expects that capital will continue to be routed into the sector by established players Boeing projects global and diversified funding will continue to flow into the aircraft financing sector as the aviation sector navigates the global pandemic and vaccine deployment continues to accelerate. “Financiers and investors understand the industry’s resilience and the long-term fundamentals that make aircraft a valuable asset class,” said Tim Myers, president of Boeing Capital Corporation. “Despite the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19 on the global aerospace industry, there generally continues to be liquidity in the market for our customers, and we expect it to further improve as travel begins to rebound.” The 2021 Current Aircraft Finance Market Outlook (CAFMO), the first published since 2019, reflects Boeing’s near-term view of market dynamics and assesses financing sources for new commercial airplane deliveries. Due to the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, the 2021 CAFMO excludes its customary one- and five-year industry financing projections. “Industry fundamentals continue to show varying degrees of strength in different markets depending on the regional trends of the global pandemic,” Myers said. “We expect that capital will continue to be routed into the sector by established players and as new entrants seek opportunities during the industry’s recovery.” The 2021 CAFMO reports the aircraft financing environment ended 2020 with enough liquidity to finance deliveries, but with stresses particularly in the bank debt and tax equity markets. 

FlyArystan flies from Aktau, Atyrau and Nur-Sultan to Kutaisi, GeorgiaTwice weekly services will operate with Airbus A320 aircraftKutaisi is located between Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi and the Black Sea resort of Batumi FlyArystan, Kazakhstan’s fast growing LCC, will launch international services from Aktau, Atyrau and Nur-Sultan to Kutaisi in Georgia from 2nd May 2021. Twice weekly FlyArystan services using Airbus A320 aircraft will operate from Aktau on Tuesdays and Fridays, from Atyrau on Thursdays and Sundays and from Nur Sultan on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The historic city of Kutaisi is located equidistantly between Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi and the Black Sea resort of Batumi. FlyArystan is a first Kazakh low-cost carrier based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It was launched in May 2019 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Astana, the country’s leading airline.

For decades, the Lufthansa Group has been committed to a sustainable and responsible corporate policyNow companies can also use Compensaid for their employees’ business tripsThe first customer is insurance provider AXA Deutschland Thanks to Compensaid, the innovative digital CO2 compensation platform of the Lufthansa Group, flying carbon neutral is possible for individual travelers. Now companies can also use this option, simply and easily, for their employees’ business trips. With the “Compensaid Corporate Program” corporate customers have the possibility to use, for instance, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for their air travel. With SAF they can compensate the CO2 emissions produced when flying. This program allows companies to offset all their flights – whether they’re with the Lufthansa Group or other airlines. The first customer is insurance provider AXA Deutschland. The company will offset its business-related air travel for an initial period of three years. “CO2-neutral flying is already possible today. With Compensaid, we have a powerful tool for providing attractive and innovative offers to our customers. Offsetting is part of our strategy to cut our CO2 emissions in half by 2030 and achieve a neutral carbon footprint by 2050. We are delighted that with AXA Deutschland we have gained a partner that shares our vision of sustainable mobility,” explains Christina Foerster, Lufthansa Group Executive Board Member for Customer, IT & Corporate Responsibility. Air travel compensation with Compensaid is done either through the use of SAF, the sponsorship of certified climate protection projects, or a combination of both options. AXA Deutschland’s offsetting starts with 15 percent via SAF and 85 percent through selected climate protection projects. This results in the complete CO2 neutrality of all the flights.

After a year of service suspension, Turkish Airlines is resuming flights to Seychelles.The airline will be flying wide-bodied A330-300 aircraft capable of transporting 280 passengers per flight.Passengers must show proof of a negative COVID test before departure with no quarantine upon arrival. This is part of Turkish Airlines’ plans to restart COVID-safe international passenger services to several destinations including Seychelles, after the airline suspended its services to the island in March 2020. Initially, the airline will fly twice weekly to Seychelles – Tuesday and Friday – but with an expected schedule change from July 12, 2021 with flights on Tuesday and Saturday.

WestJet remains focused on a long-term solution that will serve the best interests of CanadiansWestJet continues to advocate for the replacement of mandatory hotel quarantines with a testing regimeGuests with affected itineraries will be proactively notified of the cancellations WestJet today announced it will extend its temporary suspension of international sun flights to destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean until June 4, 2021. “We are extending our suspension with the clear expectation that as more Canadians are vaccinated, government policy will transition,” said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. “We continue to advocate for the replacement of mandatory hotel quarantines with a testing regime that is equitable and consistent with global standards at all points of entry into our country. Alongside an accelerated and successful vaccine rollout, this policy transition will support the safe restart of travel and help stimulate the Canadian economy, where one in ten jobs are tourism related.” Guests with affected itineraries will be proactively notified of the cancellations. Since November 1, 2020, WestJet has been providing refunds for all travelers, regardless of fare class booked where WestJet initiated the cancellation. “We remain focused on a long-term solution that will serve the best interests of Canadians,” continued Sims. “A safe travel-restart framework is the most effective way to support those interests and restore jobs.” 

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

Currently, eight Russian airlines operate regular flights to TurkeyAir service suspended to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infectionFlight to Tanzania and Turkey will resume when COVID-19 situation stabilizes Russian officials announced that all regular and chartered passenger flights to Turkey will be restricted for a period from April 15 to June 1 to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infection. Currently, eight Russian airlines operate regular flights to Turkey: Aeroflot, Pobeda, Rossiya, S7, Nordwind, UTair, Azur Air and Ural Airlines.

Israel is taking great strides in reopening to international travel this MayThe series of phases and guidelines will be outlined and released next weekIn all phases, visitors will be required to undergo a PCR test before boarding their flight to Israel, and a serological test to prove their vaccination upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport The Israel Ministry of Tourism, in tandem with the Ministry of Health, announced that on May 23, the country will begin welcoming vaccinated groups of international travelers back into the country through a phased approach after more than a year without tourism due to COVID-19 restrictions. “I am happy to share the news that Israel is taking great strides in reopening to international travel this May,” said Eyal Carlin, Tourism Commissioner for North America. “We have been working to develop a plan that allows not only for the country to reopen to visitors, but also to ensure that everyone stays safe. We have come so far, and it is for this reason we are adapting this proactive strategy of having a phased opening. 60% percent of Israel’s population has been vaccinated and with the United States and Israel using the same vaccines, we are hopeful that by summer we can open our doors wide and welcome every visitor to Israel who would like to come.” The series of phases and guidelines will be outlined and released next week. The first phase will feature a pilot program kicking off on May 23, allowing a select number of tour groups to visit Israel – the number of groups will increase based on the overall health situation and progress/success of the program. Individual travelers will be welcomed in a later phase of reopening likely in July (TBD). In all phases, visitors will be required to undergo a PCR test before boarding their flight to Israel, and a serological test to prove their vaccination upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport. In the meantime, discussions will continue to reach agreements for vaccine-certificate validation, with the goal of canceling the need for the serological test.

GoJet plans to expand pilot hiring in 2021 to support the growth of its fleetAviate program will allow GoJet pilots a direct path towards flying for UnitedThe program provides a great opportunity for pilots and first officers to move forward in their career paths GoJet Airlines today announced it is joining Aviate, United Airlines‘ innovative pilot development program. Aviate provides those who aspire to a career as a United captain with the most direct route to achieving that goal.  GoJet is proud to be a part of this innovative and transformative program for so many aspiring and current aviation professionals. GoJet plans to expand pilot hiring in 2021 to support the growth of its fleet and the carrier is thrilled to have this avenue for current and prospective pilots to advance in their careers.  The Aviate program will allow GoJet pilots a direct path towards flying for United after successfully applying to the program, maintaining high performance standards, meeting the airline’s requirements and flying 2000 hours and 24 months with GoJet, a United Express carrier. Aviate also provides support and coaching for pilots to develop into leaders who exemplify the professionalism, level of excellence and commitment to providing safe, caring, dependable and efficient service that United expects from its pilots.

Air Canada to access up to $5.879 billion in liquidity through the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility programAir Canada will be ready to safely connect Canadians within Canada and the worldAir Canada has agreed to a number of commitments related to customer refunds Air Canada announced today that it has entered into a series of debt and equity financing agreements with the Government of Canada, which will allow Air Canada to access up to $5.879 billion in liquidity through the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF) program. “Air Canada entered the pandemic more than a year ago with one of the global airline industry’s strongest balance sheets relative to its size. We have since raised an additional $6.8 billion in liquidity from our own resources to sustain us through the pandemic, as air traffic ground to a virtual halt in Canada and internationally,” said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada. 

Bangladesh is the latest country to suspend international passenger air service due to COVID-19 pandemic. The weeklong suspension of all international passenger flights to and from Bangladesh will commence on April 14 According to a circular issued this evening, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said the suspension will come to an effect from 12:01am (Bangladesh Standard Time) on April 14 and will continue until 12:59pm BST on April 20. Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh has suspended operation of around 500 international flights, scheduled to operate to and from Dhaka in a week from April 14. Medevac, humanitarian, relief, cargo, technical landing for refueling only and the flights cleared under special consideration will remain out of the purview of this suspension, CAAB said. Authorities will be able to carry a maximum of 260 passengers on a wide body aircraft while 140 passengers are allowed on a narrow body aircraft in the aforesaid flights. Irrespective of the COVID-19 vaccination and unless otherwise relaxed by the competent authority, all passengers coming or leaving Bangladesh by the flight mentioned aforesaid shall mandatorily possess PCR based COVID-19 negative certificate. The PCR test shall be done within 72 hours of the flight departure time. Passengers coming by the flights cleared under special consideration shall strictly have to complete a 14-day institutional quarantine at government nominated facilities or at hotels on passengers’ own expenses.

CargoCity South is one of the most heavily trafficked parts of the airportInnovative camera system reads license plates of arriving visitors and crosschecks them against stored datasetsNew technology delivers a genuine time saving compared to the old approach

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

Aircraft tests were done in freezing conditionAircraft made 14 flights over the coast of the White Sea, part of the Barents Sea and the Subpolar Urals areaIrkut has been successfully flying the MC-21 for more than three years Russian civil aviation authorities have conducted a test Russia’s first post-Soviet large domestic passenger aircraft, the MC-21-300. The tests were done in freezing conditions to observe how the aircraft performs when covered with ice. The aircraft successfully completed certification tests under natural icing conditions in northern Russia and can safely fly in harsh conditions, its manufacturer Irkut Corporation, part of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), revealed earlier this week.  The aircraft made some 14 flights lasting from three to five hours over the coast of the White Sea, part of the Barents Sea and the Subpolar Urals area. The routes were specifically picked because of the high humidity and low temperatures found there, which lead to ice formation on aircraft surfaces. The certification flights were conducted in several steps. First, the crew looked for clouds that would create the required conditions. Special equipment installed on the plane, including 12 cameras, then allowed them to control how much of the aircraft’s surface was covered with ice and record how it was functioning. After the ice layer was thick enough, the airliner gained altitude to check its performance under those conditions.  Ice thickness was increased with each test flight, finally reaching eight centimeters – more than enough to say that the plane successfully passed the test. According to Russian and European standards, an aircraft shouldn’t lose its designed characteristics while covered a layer of ice 7.6 cm (3 inches) thick. After completing the certification flights, the MC-21-300 returned from Arkhangelsk to the Zhukovsky airport near Moscow. Irkut has been successfully flying the MC-21 for more than three years, but inability to acquire US-made parts for the aircraft forced the corporation to think of ways to try to develop the aircraft using more domestic components. A variant of the MC-21, known as MC-21-310 aircraft, equipped with two Russian PD-14 engines made its maiden flight at the end of last year.

Suspension of all mutual tariffs for six months proposedThe measure would go beyond the latest four-month suspension of import dutiesEU-US trade dispute over aerospace subsidies to plane makers Airbus and Boeing dates back to 2004

Senior Wizz Air manager told base captains that 250 pilots need to be dismissed shortlyWizz Air management used highly problematic practices to get rid of troublemakers during COVID-19 crisisWizz Air acted after receiving several complaints, and have made major changes to the management team A transcript of a secret Wizz Air management meeting from 4 April 2020 which was leaked to staff has been passed to the ETF, revealing that management saw the COVID-19 crisis as the opportunity to “clean up the airline” by using discriminatory and anti-worker criteria in deciding which pilots to dismiss. In the meeting, a senior Wizz Air manager tells base captains that 250 pilots need to be dismissed shortly and that after stopping the training of 150 pilots, they need to come up with a list of another 100. He gives them two criteria to base their decision on, starting with “bad apples, so anyone that has caused you grief on a routine basis, whether it’s excessive sickness, not doing their ground school, poor performance in their PPCs.” The other group put forward by the manager is “weak captains.” With this category, he first stays more general and says, “That person, you know. We, we know we have them, and now is the time to clean up the airline. Anyone that is not Wizz culture, alright. Anyone that kinda, is always kinda you know what, that person is a pain.” His speech continues along these lines and gets progressively more direct in explaining the motivations behind these criteria. At one point, he says: “We’re in an opportunity here, to make the next 10 years of your life managing, easy. So we will come out of it, as a much stronger workforce, one that has the Wizz culture and that’s easy to manage in the next future, for the future going ahead.” The manager also refers to pilots that work for Wizz Air and are employed through an external agency, CONFAIR. He suggests not looking at them for now and only suggest dismissing them as a last resort, as they are” easy to manage because we can let them go at any time,” as well as “incredibly cheap, for the company.” The leaked document uncovers the highly problematic practices Wizz Air management has used to get rid of what they perceive as troublemakers during the COVID-19 crisis. This toxic environment is not a secret – the ETF has exposed it many times before, with workers claiming that they’ve been dismissed because of their trade union membership or even just trying to protect their fundamental rights at work.

Setting up a traffic light system of green, amber, and red will be used to identify the travel and health risk of countries.With vaccines continuing to roll out, COVID testing will remain an essential part of protecting public health as restrictions begin to ease.The permission to travel form will be removed, meaning passengers will no longer need to prove they have a valid reason to leave the country. The Global Travel Taskforce is an advisory body of the government of the United Kingdom. Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps announced the formation of the group on October 7, 2020 as a cross-government response to an identified need to enable the safe and sustainable recovery of international travel and to introduce a COVID-19 testing system for travelers visiting the UK. In February 2021, the Prime Minister asked the Secretary of State for Transport to convene a successor to the Global Travel Taskforce, building on the recommendations set out in November 2020 to develop a framework for a safe and sustainable return to international travel when the time is right. Traffic Light System A traffic light system, which will categorize countries based on risk alongside the restrictions required for travel, will be set up to protect the public and the vaccine rollout from international COVID-19 variants. Key factors in the assessment will include: the percentage of their population that have been vaccinatedthe rate of infectionthe prevalence of variants of concernthe country’s access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing The traffic light system will work this way: Green: arrivals will need to take a pre-departure test as well as a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on or before day 2 of their arrival back into the UK – but will not need to quarantine on return (unless they receive a positive result) or take any additional tests, halving the cost of tests on their return from holiday. Amber: arrivals will need to quarantine for a period of 10 days and take a pre-departure test, and a PCR test on day 2 and day 8 with the option for Test to Release on day 5 to end self-isolation early. Red: arrivals will be subject to restrictions currently in place for red list countries which include a 10-day stay in a managed quarantine hotel, pre-departure testing and PCR testing on day 2 and 8.

More than 1.7 billion domestic trips in China are expected to be made in H1 2021In first quarter of 2021, Chinese people made 697 million domestic tripsDuring Labor Day holiday domestic tourist trips will recover to or even surpass the pre-COVID-19 level China Tourism Academy (CTA) forecasts that country’s tourism revenue will increase 102 percent year on year and reach 1.28 trillion yuan (about $195 billion US) in the first half of 2021. More than 1.7 billion domestic trips in China are expected to be made in H1 2021, up 85 percent year on year, the academy announced at an online press conference today. During the upcoming Labor Day holiday from May 1 to 5, domestic tourist trips will recover to or even surpass the pre-COVID-19 level, said Dai Bin, director of the CTA. Meanwhile, according to a survey by the academy, over 83 percent of the respondents said they are willing to travel in the second quarter of 2021, up 1.02 percentage points and 4.93 percentage points compared with Q1 of 2021 and Q2 of 2020, respectively. In first quarter of 2021, Chinese people made 697 million domestic trips and the country’s tourism revenue reached 560 billion yuan, increasing by 136 percent and 150 percent year on year, respectively, said the CTA. “China’s tourism consumption is enjoying a speedy recovery. It will see a consumption boom in the third quarter of this year, especially during the weeklong National Day holiday,” said Dai.

Boeing recommends to 16 customers to address a potential electrical issue with 737 MAX aircraftBoeing is working closely with FAA on resolving the problemAccording to Boeing, the new issue was unrelated to the flight-control system Boeing issued the following statement today regarding a ‘potential issue’ with some 737 MAX jets: “Boeing has recommended to 16 customers that they address a potential electrical issue in a specific group of 737 MAX airplanes prior to further operations. The recommendation is being made to allow for verification that a sufficient ground path exists for a component of the electrical power system. We are working closely with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on this production issue. We are also informing our customers of specific tail numbers affected and we will provide direction on appropriate corrective actions. “ Boeing said the electrical problem was discovered on an aircraft on the production line. The plane-maker said it is working closely with the FAA on resolving the matter. According to Boeing, the new issue, in which a component in the electrical power system might not be correctly grounded, was unrelated to the flight-control system. Following the Boeing’s release about 737 MAX’s new ‘issue’, United Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines pulled dozens of their 737 MAX jets out of service for ‘inspections’ of aircraft’s electrical systems. Alaska Airlines said it also removed all four of its Max jets from service “to allow for inspections and for work to be done.” 737 MAX jets resumed flying in December 2020 after regulators in the US, European, Canadian and Brazilian regulators approved changes Boeing made to an automated flight-control system that played a role in the crashes.

New service is intended to smooth the passenger journey through the airportDeparture and arrival escorts will meet passengers at designated entrance and exit points within the terminalAssistance will be provided with baggage handling, check-in and boarding Air Astana will introduce a Meet & Greet service for passengers on arrival and departure at Almaty and Nur-Sultan airports, as well as a transit service at Frankfurt airport, starting from 9th April 2021. The new service is intended to smooth Air Astana passenger journey through the airport, with effortless completion of mandatory procedures currently required for international travel. In Almaty and Nur-Sultan, departure and arrival escorts will meet passengers at designated entrance and exit points within the terminal, with assistance provided for baggage handling, check-in and boarding. In Frankfurt, passengers using the transit service will be met by the escort at the aircraft door or entrance to the terminal, with expedited transfer procedures to the connecting flight for both passengers and their baggage. Air Astana, the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, commenced its operations in May 2002 as a joint venture between Kazakhstan’s national wealth fund, Samruk Kazyna, and BAE Systems, with respective shares of 51% and 49%. Air Astana is a full-service international and domestic carrier and its low-cost division, FlyArystan is rapidly growing in the domestic market. The airline operates a fleet of 34 aircraft including Boeing 767, Airbus A320/A320neo, Airbus A321/A321neo/ A321LR and Embraer E190-E2.

Laser communication technologies are the next revolution in satellite communications The project covers the design, construction and testing of the technology demonstratorThe UltraAir terminal will be capable of laser connections between an aircraft and a satellite in geostationary orbit 36,000 km above the Earth Airbus and the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) have launched a program to develop a laser communication terminal demonstrator for aircraft, known as UltraAir. The project, which is co-financed by Airbus, TNO and the Netherlands Space Office (NSO), is part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ScyLight (Secure and Laser communication technology) program. It covers the design, construction and testing of the technology demonstrator. Laser communication technologies are the next revolution in satellite communications (satcom), bringing unprecedented transmission rates, data security and resilience to meet commercial needs in the next decade. The UltraAir terminal will be capable of laser connections between an aircraft and a satellite in geostationary orbit 36,000 km above the Earth, with unparalleled technology including a highly stable and precise optical mechatronic system. The technology demonstrator will pave the way for a future UltraAir product with which data transmission rates could reach several gigabits-per-second while providing anti-jamming and low probability of interception. In this way UltraAir will not only enable military aircraft and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to connect within a combat cloud, but also in the longer term allow airline passengers to establish high-speed data connections thanks to the Airbus’ SpaceDataHighway constellation. From their position in geostationary orbit, the SpaceDataHighway (EDRS) satellites relay data collected by observation satellites to Earth in near-real-time, a process that would normally take several hours. Airbus is leading the project and brings its unique expertise in laser satellite communications, developed with the SpaceDataHighway program. It will coordinate the development of the terminal and testing on the ground and in the air. As key partner of the project, TNO provides its experience in high-precision opto-mechatronics, supported by the Dutch high-tech and space industry. Airbus Defence and Space in the Netherlands will be responsible for the industrial production of the terminals. Airbus’ subsidiary Tesat brings its technical expertise in laser communication systems and will be involved in all testing activities. The first tests will take place at the end of 2021 in laboratory conditions at Tesat. In a second phase, ground tests will start early 2022 in Tenerife (Spain), where connectivity will be established between an UltraAir demonstrator and the laser terminal embarked on the Alphasat satellite using the ESA Optical Ground Station. For the final verification, the UltraAir demonstrator will be integrated on an aircraft for flight testing by mid-2022. As satellite services demand is growing, the traditional satcom radio-frequency bands are experiencing bottlenecks. Laser links also have the benefit of avoiding interference and detection, as in comparison to the already-crowded radio frequencies, laser communication is extremely difficult to intercept due to a much narrower beam. Thus, laser terminals can be lighter, consume less power and offer even better security than radio. This new program is a key milestone in the roadmap of Airbus’ overall strategy to drive laser communications further, which will bring forward the benefits of this technology as a key differentiator for providing Multi-Domain collaboration for Government and defense customers.

Alaska Airlines to open a new lounge just as guests start to return to travelThe announcement comes as Alaska Airlines continues to expand its presence in the Bay AreaWhen it opens, Alaska expects the Lounge to create 30 jobs in the Bay Area Alaska Airlines guests will have the opportunity to relax in the new Alaska Lounge at San Francisco International Airport by late summer, as the airline announces updated plans for Bay Area travelers. Under this new plan, Alaska will move into the former American Airlines Admirals Club space in Terminal 2, enabling the airline to open a new lounge just as guests start to return to travel. “We’re always looking for ways to be more responsive to our guests and offer amenities that make travel more relaxing. SFO has been the top-requested Alaska Lounge location by our guests for years,” said Sangita Woerner, Alaska Airlines‘ senior vice president of marketing and guest experience. “So many people are dreaming of travel this year, so we want to open up our newest Alaska Lounge as quickly and efficiently as possible – and renovating this space in Terminal 2 allows us to do that.” The announcement comes as Alaska Airlines continues to expand its presence in the Bay Area. Alaska now operates more than 80 daily flights out of the Bay Area (including SFO, San Jose and Oakland) and has more than 1,700 Bay Area-based employees. In June, Alaska will begin service to Anchorage and Bozeman, Montana, from SFO. Other recent service announcements include: Recently resumed service to Honolulu and Maui from SFO as of April 4Resumed service to Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta from SJC in early AprilNew service to Missoula, Mont., from SJC starting in May When completed, this new lounge will be the second-largest of the Alaska Lounges at just under 10,000 sq. ft., behind Alaska’s flagship lounge in Seattle’s North Satellite Terminal. This space is also centrally located in Terminal 2, with easy access to additional dining and shopping options for guests. The Alaska Lounge at SFO joins seven other lounge locations in the Alaska Airlines portfolio, in Seattle; Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles; New York – JFK; and Anchorage. “We’re thrilled to welcome the opening of the Alaska Lounge at SFO,” said SFO Airport Director Ivar C. Satero. “As the recovery of air travel continues, travelers can look forward to more and more amenities at SFO. The Alaska Lounge offers a great way for people to relax, recharge, and enjoy the friendly service that they’re known for.” When it opens, Alaska expects the Lounge to create 30 jobs in the Bay Area. More details and timing will be announced over the coming months.  

The UK issued a travel advisory and will not accept foreign nationals from or via Kenya starting April 9.To meet an increased demand for travel before the advisory takes place, Kenya Airways has added repatriation flights.Customers may also change bookings for later travel or request a refund with no penalties. Come this Thursday Kenya Airways last London flight will take place after adding 2 repatriation flights to meet increased demand for travel to the UK before the travel advisory issued last week takes effect this Friday. “Due to the increased demand for travel to the UK before the advisory takes effect on April 9, we have added 2 new flights on April 4 and 8,” read a statement from the airline’s headquarters in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. From April 9, the UK will not accept foreign nationals traveling from or via Kenya to its airports, including transit passengers who might only pass through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi. “Customers impacted by this directive may change their bookings for later travel or request a refund with all penalties waived,” said the airline’s management. Kenya Airways serves the East African region and partly the Central African states and the islands on the Eastern Rim of the Indian Ocean.

In the domestic Mexican market, demand continued to recoverVolaris’ recovery has been driven by its unique ultra-low-cost structureVolaris demonstrated flexibility focusing on capacity management in the face of a volatile demand environment Volaris, the ultra-low-cost airline serving Mexico, the United States and Central America, reported March 2021 preliminary traffic results. In the domestic Mexican market, demand continued to recover and we capitalized on opportunities to add capacity, ending the month with 4.6% more ASMs than in the prior year. International capacity decreased 35.4% in the month as a result of continuing US regulations on international flights and quarantine restrictions in Mexico preceding vaccination. As a result, March 2021 total capacity measured by ASMs (Available Seat Miles) was 92.8% compared to the same month of the prior year. Demand measured by RPMs (Revenue Passenger Miles) was 98% compared to the same month of the prior year. Volaris transported 1.5 million passengers in March 2021 and the booked load factor was 86.9%. Volaris‘ President and Chief Executive Officer, Enrique Beltranena, commenting on the traffic results for March 2021, said: “Volaris’ industry leading recovery has been driven by its unique ultra-low-cost structure that has positioned the Company as the leading airline in Mexico in terms of passengers carried and provides strong fundamentals for future growth. Our steady recovery process has been focused on rebuilding our core network, managing capacity by market where we expand as demand allows and to continue to exploit new opportunities as they appear. Our March 2021 figures and our capacity management are a testament to the domestic market opportunity and to Volaris’ potential to expand its international network as the United States and Central American markets recover.” During the first quarter of 2021, Volaris demonstrated flexibility focusing on capacity management in the face of a volatile demand environment. Volaris finished the quarter operating 88.3% of the ASMs flown in the first quarter of the prior year. For the second quarter of 2021, the Company expects to operate approximately 110% of the 2019 second quarter capacity. The following table summarizes Volaris traffic results for the month of March 2021. For the first quarter of 2021 we are comparing versus 2020 figures. It should be noted that the COVID-19 pandemic did not start to impact demand in Mexico until the second half of March 2020. Effective April 2021 we will start comparing versus 2019. March2021March2020VarianceYTDMarch 2021YTDMarch 2020VarianceRPMs (in millions, scheduled &charter)Domestic1,2111,1237.8%3,2563,660-11.0%International285403-29.3%9461,506-37.2%Total1,4961,527-2.0%4,2025,166-18.7%ASMs (in millions, scheduled &charter)Domestic1,3691,3094.6%4,0384,253-5.0%International353546-35.4%1,3421,843-27.2%Total1,7221,855-7.2%5,3806,095-11.7%Load Factor (in %, scheduled,RPMs/ASMs)Domestic88.5%85.8%2.7 pp80.6%86.1%(5.4) ppInternational80.8%73.9%6.9 pp70.5%81.7%(11.2) ppTotal86.9%82.3%4.6 pp78.1%84.7%(6.6) ppPassengers (in thousands,scheduled & charter)Domestic1,3371,2913.5%3,5974,229-15.0%International212276-23.3%6741,048-35.7%Total1,5491,568-1.2%4,2715,277-19.1%

Boeing’s revenue almost cut in half since 2018Boeing is falling behind rival aerospace giant Airbus in orders and deliveriesBoeing cut costs in 2020 in response to COVID-19 pandemic Boeing is one of the biggest companies in the world, but the airline giant has had a very tumultuous last couple of years. Even before 2020’s Coronavirus pandemic, the company was already experiencing sharp declines in various metrics due to a major global controversy around one of its aircraft. According to the latest industry analysts’ data, Boeing’s revenue of $58.16 billion in 2020 was a 42.5% decrease compared to 2018’s record-high revenue of over $101 billion – a CAGR of -24.16%. Back in 2018, Boeing was flying high after crossing the $100 billion mark in revenue for the first time in company history. However late in 2018 and early in 2019 one of Boeing’s new aircraft models, the 737 MAX 8, experienced two crashes in the span of 5 months. Both crashes put the blame on Boeing’s new MCAS flight control system and resulted in the grounding of the entire global fleet of the 737 MAX and orders for the new model were either suspended or cancelled. As a result Boeing’s revenue dropped by 24% YoY in 2019. To further compound the crisis that Boeing was already facing, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 resulting in a huge downturn for the entire travel and tourism industry. This caused Boeing’s revenue to drop a further 24% YoY in 2020. From 2018-2020 Boeing’s revenue experienced a CAGR of -24.16% The entire airline industry was significantly impacted by the pandemic of 2020. Many countries closed their borders to protect their citizens from the onslaught of the pandemic putting a halt to global mobility. As a result, both aircraft providers suffered significant drops in revenue in 2020 with airbus experiencing a 37% YoY drop. However, Boeing’s problems began prior to 2020 and 2019’s safety issues are still causing Boeing to lag behind Airbus in orders and deliveries. In 2020, Airbus registered 383 gross orders compared to Boeing’s 184. After calculating for contractual adjustments and cancellations Boeing’s Net Orders falls considerably to -1194 for 2020, compared to Airbus’ 268. In 2020 Airbus also delivered almost 400 more aircraft than Boeing, amounting to 566 and 157 respectively. As a form of damage control, Boeing initiated a few cost-cutting initiatives in 2020. Boeing cut R&D expenditure by 23% YoY in 2020 its lowest allocation since 2005. Boeing is the larger employer of the two aircraft manufacturers with a workforce of 141,000 in 2020, after downsizing by 20,000 from 2019.

Air cargo demand continues to outperform pre-COVID levelsVolumes have now returned to 2018 levels seen prior to the US-China trade warGlobal demand, measured in cargo ton-kilometers (CTKs*), was up 9% compared to February 2019 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released February 2021 data for global air cargo markets showing that air cargo demand continued to outperform pre-COVID levels with demand up 9% over February 2019. February demand also showed strong month-on-month growth over January 2021 levels. Volumes have now returned to 2018 levels seen prior to the US-China trade war. Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons to follow are to February 2019 which followed a normal demand pattern. Global demand, measured in cargo ton-kilometers (CTKs*), was up 9% compared to February 2019 and +1.5% compared to January 2021. All regions except for Latin America saw an improvement in air cargo demand compared to pre-COVID levels and North America and Africa were the strongest performers. The recovery in global capacity, measured in available cargo ton-kilometers (ACTKs), stalled owing to new capacity cuts on the passenger side as governments tightened travel restrictions due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. Capacity shrank 14.9% compared to February 2019. The operating conditions remain supportive for air cargo: Conditions in the manufacturing sector are robust despite the recent spike in COVID-19 outbreaks. The global manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) was at 53.9 in February. Results above 50 indicate manufacturing growth versus the prior month. The new export orders component of the manufacturing PMI – a leading indicator of air cargo demand– picked up compared to January.

Converting an aircraft into a climate research plane poses major challengesIn three stages, the “Erfurt” will now become a flying research laboratoryThe “Erfurt” is expected to take off from Munich at the end of 2021 for its first flight in the service of climate research Predicting the weather even more accurately, analyzing climate changes even more precisely, researching even better how the world is developing. This is the goal of a globally unique cooperation between Lufthansa and several research institutes. Converting an aircraft into a climate research plane poses major challenges. Lufthansa has chosen the most modern and economical long-haul jet in its fleet – an Airbus A350-900 named “Erfurt” (registration D-AIXJ). In three stages, the “Erfurt” will now become a flying research laboratory. In Lufthansa Technik’s hangar in Malta, the first and most extensive conversion work was carried out. Preparations were made for a complex air intake system below the belly. This was followed by a series of test insertions, at the end of which came the certification of a climate research laboratory weighing around 1.6 tons, the so-called CARIBIC measurement laboratory. The acronym CARIBIC stands for “Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container”. The project is part of a comprehensive European research consortium. The “Erfurt” is expected to take off from Munich at the end of 2021 for its first flight in the service of climate research, measuring around 100 different trace gases, aerosol and cloud parameters in the tropopause region (at an altitude of nine to twelve kilometers). Lufthansa is thus making a valuable contribution to climate research, which can use these unique data to assess the performance of current atmospheric and climate models and thus their predictive power for the Earth’s future climate. The special feature: Climate-relevant parameters can be recorded at this altitude with much greater accuracy and temporal resolution on board the aircraft than with satellite-based or ground-based systems. “The conversion of our A350-900 ‘D-AIXJ’ into a climate research aircraft is something very special for us. We were immediately enthusiastic about the plan to continue CARIBIC on our most fuel-efficient aircraft type. In this way, we can continue to support climate and atmospheric research in its important task on long-haul routes. We are helping to ensure that particularly important climate-relevant parameters are collected just on that altitude where the atmospheric greenhouse effects is largely generated”, says Annette Mann, Head of Corporate Responsibility at the Lufthansa Group. “I am pleased that we can implement this ambitious project together with our partners in record time and thus contribute to improving today’s climate models.”

Total demand for air travel in February 2021was down 74.7% compared to February 201International passenger demand in February was 88.7% below February 2019Total domestic demand was down 51.0% versus pre-crisis (February 2019) levels The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that passenger traffic fell in February 2021, both compared to pre-COVID levels (February 2019) and compared to the immediate month prior (January 2020). Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to February 2019, which followed a normal demand pattern. Total demand for air travel in February 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was down 74.7% compared to February 2019. That was worse than the 72.2% decline recorded in January 2021 versus two years ago. International passenger demand in February was 88.7% below February 2019, a further drop from the 85.7% year-to-year decline recorded in January and the worst growth outcome since July 2020. Performance in all regions worsened compared to January 2021. Total domestic demand was down 51.0% versus pre-crisis (February 2019) levels. In January it was down 47.8% on the 2019 period. This largely was owing to weakness in China travel, driven by government requests that citizens stay at home during the Lunar New Year travel period. “February showed no indication of a recovery in demand for international air travel. In fact, most indicators went in the wrong direction as travel restrictions tightened in the face of continuing concerns over new coronavirus variants. An important exception was the Australian domestic market. A relaxation of restrictions on domestic flying resulted in significantly more travel. This tells us that people have not lost their desire travel. They will fly, provided they can do so without facing quarantine measures,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

The special flight will showcase all the measures the airline has put in placeQR6421 passengers will be serviced by fully vaccinated staff at check-inPassengers on board will be able to livestream the historic experience Qatar Airways continues to lead the recovery of international travel, operating the world’s first fully COVID-19 vaccinated flight today. QR6421 will depart Hamad International Airport at 11:00 AM carrying only vaccinated crew and passengers onboard, with passengers also to be served by fully vaccinated staff at check-in. The special flight, which will return to Doha at 14:00, will showcase all the measures the airline has put in place to ensure the highest standards of safety and hygiene on board, including its latest innovation, the world’s first ‘Zero-Touch’ in-flight entertainment technology. The special service will be operated by the airline’s most technologically advanced and sustainable aircraft, the Airbus A350-1000, with the flight also fully carbon offset in line with the carrier’s environmental responsibilities. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “Today’s special flight demonstrates the next stage in the recovery of international travel is not far away. We are proud to continue leading the industry by operating the first flight with a fully vaccinated crew and passengers and providing a beacon of hope for the future of international aviation. With aviation being a critical economic driver both globally and here in the State of Qatar, we are thankful for the support we have received from our government and local health authorities to vaccinate our staff, with over 1,000 vaccinations being administered per day.” Passengers on board will be able to livestream the historic experience thanks to Qatar Airways’ industry leading Super WiFi onboard that combines the latest technology from Inmarsat, SITA for Aircraft and Thales. To show its gratitude to those who have played key roles throughout the pandemic, Qatar Airways gave away 100,000 complimentary return tickets to healthcare workers and 21,000 to teachers around the world in 2020.

20 airlines accept and honor the IATA Travel Pass for its passengers. See the list.Singapore is the first country to accept the IATA Travel Pass, more countries to follow IATA Pass is an initiative by the global aviation group to encourage the opening of borders during the COVID-19 pandemic. After 20 airlines accept the new IATA Travel Pass, now also the first country welcomes visitors having the IATA pass.  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed Singapore’s acceptance of pre-departure COVID-19 PCR test results on the IATA Travel Pass. From 1 May 2021, passengers traveling to Singapore will be able to use IATA Travel Pass to share their pre-departure COVID-19 PCR test results upon check-in with their airline, as well as on arrival at the immigration checkpoints at Changi Airport. This is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and IATA to facilitate seamless and efficient travel through digital certificates of COVID-19 tests. To re-open borders without quarantine and restart aviation governments need to be confident that they are effectively mitigating the risk of importing COVID-19. This means having accurate information on passengers’ COVID-19 health status. Informing passengers on what tests, vaccines and other measures they require prior to travel, details on where they can get tested and giving them the ability to share their tests and vaccination results in a verifiable, safe and privacy-protecting manner is the key to giving governments the confidence to open borders. To address this challenge IATA is working on launching the IATA Travel Pass, a digital platform for passengers. [embedded content] “Having the confidence of an aviation leader like Singapore accept IATA Travel Pass is hugely significant. Ongoing trials put us on track for IATA Travel Pass to be a critical tool for the industry’s restart by delivering verified travel health credentials to governments. And travelers can have complete confidence that their personal data is secure and under their own control. The success of our joint efforts will make IATA’s partnership with the government of Singapore a model for others to follow,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “We have built upon our long standing and deep partnership with IATA to develop solutions to facilitate travel. This latest collaboration with IATA demonstrates our shared commitment to drive the adoption of digital health certificates and restore international air travel. As we look to safely rebuild the Changi air hub, we will continue to explore other solutions that can provide similarly secure and verifiable means of sharing health certificates for safe international travel,” said Kevin Shum, CAAS Director-General. Digital health certificates will be a key feature in air travel moving forward. Establishing trusted, secure solutions to verify the health credentials of travellers will be critical in facilitating smooth air travel and safeguarding public health. The IATA Travel Pass is a personal secure digital wallet solution that can be used by passengers to obtain and store their COVID-19 test results from accredited laboratories.   Following the successful trials by Singapore Airlines, the Singapore health and border control authorities will accept the IATA Travel Pass as a valid form of presentation of COVID-19 pre-departure test results for entry into Singapore. The information presented on the IATA Travel Pass will be in a format that satisfies Singapore’s prevailing COVID-19 pre-departure test requirements for entry into Singapore. More than 20 airlines have announced trials of the IATA Travel Pass.  Airlines trying the IATA Travel Pass Travelers to Singapore intending to use the IATA Travel Pass should check with the airline they are traveling with for eligibility to use the IATA Travel Pass.