TAP offers its passengers a COVID-19 testing service at Lisbon airportThe results of the tests are sent directly to the passenger by e-mail within 30 minutesNew service is available in the UCS building, which is located at the Rua B building 8 next to ​​Lisbon Airport TAP Air Portugal, in partnership with UCS, the Group’s Health Care Unit, now offers all TAP passengers a COVID-19 testing service at Lisbon airport. The results of the tests are sent directly to the passenger by e-mail within 30 minutes in the case of the Rapid Antigen Tests; and between 6 to 8 hours in the case of PCR Tests. For now, this new service is available in the UCS building, which is located at the Rua B building 8 next to ​​Lisbon Airport. From April 19, the UCS services will also be available at the departures area of ​​the airport. The testing service can be scheduled directly on the UCS website. Additionally, through May 31, TAP’s Book with Confidence program allows customers to change their bookings at no cost. TAP Air Portugal is the flag carrier airline of Portugal, headquartered at Lisbon Airport which also serves as its hub. TAP – Transportes Aéreos Portugueses – has been a member of the Star Alliance since 2005 and operates on average 2,500 flights a week to 90 destinations in 34 countries worldwide.

Iranian airline launches Kazakhstan serviceKish Airlines flies from Gorgan to AktauKish Airlines is an air carrier operating from Kish Island, Iran According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian Kish Airlines launched air service between Gorgan, Iran and Aktau, Kazakhstan. The inaugural flight from Gorgan arrived at Aktau Airport on April 1, 2021. Kish Airlines is an air carrier operating from Kish Island, Iran. It operates international, domestic and charter services as a scheduled carrier. Its main base is Mehrabad International Airport, Tehran. At present Kish aIR IS OPERATING two dry leased and two purchased Russian-made Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft and a fleet of medium-range MD-80 series aircraft and short-range Fokker 100 on its domestic and international routes.

TAP offers its passengers a COVID-19 testing service at Lisbon airportThe results of the tests are sent directly to the passenger by e-mail within 30 minutesNew service is available in the UCS building, which is located at the Rua B building 8 next to ​​Lisbon Airport TAP Air Portugal, in partnership with UCS, the Group’s Health Care Unit, now offers all TAP passengers a COVID-19 testing service at Lisbon airport. The results of the tests are sent directly to the passenger by e-mail within 30 minutes in the case of the Rapid Antigen Tests; and between 6 to 8 hours in the case of PCR Tests. For now, this new service is available in the UCS building, which is located at the Rua B building 8 next to ​​Lisbon Airport. From April 19, the UCS services will also be available at the departures area of ​​the airport. The testing service can be scheduled directly on the UCS website. Additionally, through May 31, TAP’s Book with Confidence program allows customers to change their bookings at no cost. TAP Air Portugal is the flag carrier airline of Portugal, headquartered at Lisbon Airport which also serves as its hub. TAP – Transportes Aéreos Portugueses – has been a member of the Star Alliance since 2005 and operates on average 2,500 flights a week to 90 destinations in 34 countries worldwide.

Consumers are looking forward to summer travelExperts are now predicting that the US will reach herd immunity by mid-June to early July — three to six weeks ahead of earlier forecastsThe overall comeback of travel will depend on how fast nations get their populations vaccinated Leisure travel in America will push the US domestic airline industry to a COVID recovery by early 2022. A year ago, industry analysts would have thought that a full domestic recovery in this timeframe for the US was almost impossible, but the combination of pent-up demand, economic stimulus, and access to vaccines is making a difference. It is still too early to talk about a full recovery for the overall industry, but the experts expect some of the airlines to start turning cashflow positive in a matter of months, particularly in the US. The rapidly increasing availability of vaccines and economic stimulus from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act are two reasons for the increase in domestic leisure travel in the US. Both factors also happened to coincide with the timing of spring break across many states, which caused a spike in demand. Consumers are also looking forward to summer travel, and the experts are now predicting that the US will reach herd immunity by mid-June to early July — three to six weeks ahead of earlier forecasts. In mid-March, US travel demand rose to more than 50 percent of 2019 levels, which is the highest it has been on a sustained basis since the start of the pandemic. The opposite is true with corporate and international travel, which is still down more than 80 percent from 2019. These segments of the market will not recover before 2023. The loss of business travel is a real challenge for some full-service airlines, because they depend on high-yielding customers to provide more than half of their profits and a third of revenues in major economies such as the US. To compensate for the loss of business and international travelers, full-service carriers are starting to sell more services a la carte, aimed at a broader customer base with different needs and less willingness to pay. The analysis of US Department of Transportation data reveals revenue per available seat mile (RASM) for full-service airlines fell 50 percent year-over-year in the second quarter of 2020, making it one of the darkest periods for US carriers. Meanwhile, the RASM for low-cost airlines fell 23 percent in the same three months. The third quarter of 2020 brought the performance of the two airline groups closer together, with full-service carriers declining 45 percent and low-cost carriers down 38 percent. The overall comeback of travel will depend on how fast nations get their populations vaccinated and standardize their health passport travel protocols and testing regulations, but the demand to travel is here.

Ethiopian makes a substantial investment to enhance its customer serviceOn-Time Performance refers to an airline departure or arrival that occurs within 15 minutes of the scheduled timeThe last three months have been extraordinarily productive in terms of efficiency Ethiopian Airlines Group announced that it has reached 91% On-Time Performance of all global flight departures for the last three months while the industry average stands around 85%. The airline has operated a total of 18,385 flights in January, February, and March in which it has scored 91% on-time departures. We have recognized from our customers’ feedback that the COVID-19 TravelRequirements, and especially the expiry of Negative PCR Test certificates by manycountries after 72 hours, have made on-time flight departures and smooth connectivity more important than ever in the past. As a result, our winning team has made it its top priority and achieved record levels of flight punctuality. Ethiopian Airline Group CEO Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam said, “As a customer-centricairline, we make a substantial investment to enhance our customer service. When customers choose Ethiopian, we make sure that they get the best possible experience with us including arriving to their destinations on time. The last three months have been extraordinarily productive in terms of efficiency in our flight operation. I am proud of my colleagues who are committed to eliminate any inconvenience for our esteemed passengers.” On-Time Performance refers to an airline departure or arrival that occurs within 15minutes of the scheduled time. Punctuality is of paramount importance for passengers as delay or cancellation affects their itinerary and makes passengers incur extra costs.

Dr. Taleb Rifai wears many hats. The former UNWTO Secretary General positions include the African Tourism Board and Project Hope, International Institute for Peace Through Tourism, World Tourism Forum Institute. ,Global Resilience and Crisis Management Center, and he is the co-chair for the World Tourism Network (WTN) Watch Dr. Taleb Rifai taking a lead in telling the world the truth about the future of the travel and tourism world. This truth should be the base for a better tomorrowThree interviews, three stories by a mentor for World Tourism. [embedded content] WTTC, UNWTO is not ready to realize the reality in how travel and tourism will look after COVID-19. It will not be back to anything we know about. May the truth sets us free. This is the indication given by the number one tourism mentor in the world, Dr. Taleb Rifai. Dr. Taleb Rifai served as a two term UNWTO Secretary General until December 31,2017 and still regarded one of the most influential personalities in the global travel and tourism industry. One of the many positions this Jordanian native is involved in, as the co-chairman of the newly formed World Tourism Network he has made an enormous impact in the rebuilding travel discussion started by WTN. Watch how Dr. Rifai is seen by people in power in his country and experience him during a state visit to Costa Rica when he was still UNWTO secretary-general. , With the world facing the worst crisis in the history of tourism, Dr. Rifai returned from his well deserved retirement and has been a mentor to so many in the world. With effective leadership lacking in the current UNWTO, Dr. Rifai has been the quiet mover and shaker in the background. He can do this because of the legacy he left as a truly global citizen. Tourism is an industry of hope and optimism. He came to a reality, that tourism will not just return to what it was. Dr. Rifai has a vision for the future after COVID-19. The environment and sustainability has a big role in this vision. He said: “The travel and tourism industry is a very conservative and slow moving sector. The world managed to send a man to the moon before it invented two wheels on a suitcase.” The Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism & Development year was in 2017. Listen to what Dr. Rifai had to say when he still was Secretary-General of UNWTO.In 2020/21 the world looks very different. In an interview from earlier this week with a university for a research project, Dr. Rifai said :”Sustainability is not equal conversation. You have to know how to grow.” “It can be argued if Manhattan was more beautiful before Skyscrapers were built. I am not against Skyscrapers, but it;’s important where and how they are build.” Sustainability and tourism is about people. The walls between people have to be lowered, people need to interact with each other. Dr. Taleb doesn’t think the world will get back to normal and lays out his thoughts in this interview with a Portuguese news outlet . Dr. Rifai will talk about aviation, cruises, destinations, and he will explain why tourism will not go back where it was, but go forward. [embedded content]

Proposed acquisition of Transat by Air Canada canceledAir Canada and Transat had originally agreed in June 2019 on the acquisitionTerms were amended in 2019 and revised in 2020 due to severe economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic Air Canada and Transat A.T. Inc. announced today that they have mutually agreed to terminate the Arrangement Agreement for the proposed acquisition of Transat by Air Canada. Air Canada and Transat had originally agreed in June 2019 on the acquisition, the terms of which were subsequently amended in August 2019 and then revised in October 2020 as a result of the severe economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As previously disclosed, the acquisition was conditional on the approval of various regulatory authorities, including the European Commission (“EC”). In order to meet that key condition, Air Canada offered and enhanced a significant package of remedies, which went beyond the commercially reasonable efforts required of Air Canada under the Arrangement Agreement and what has been traditionally accepted by the EC in previous airline merger cases. Following recent discussions with the EC, it has become evident, however, that the EC will not approve the acquisition based on the currently offered remedy package. After careful consideration, Air Canada has concluded that providing additional, onerous remedies, which may still not secure an EC approval, would significantly compromise Air Canada’s ability to compete internationally, negatively impacting customers, other stakeholders and future prospects as it recovers and rebuilds from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially in this challenging environment, it is essential that Air Canada focus on creating the optimal conditions for its full recovery by preserving and leveraging all of its key strengths and assets including its strong employee culture. Both Air Canada and Transat have agreed to terminate the Arrangement Agreement with Air Canada paying Transat a termination fee of $12.5 million, and with Transat no longer under any obligation to pay Air Canada any fee should Transat be involved in another acquisition or similar transaction in the future.

hailed as the great come-back after a 17-year hiatus from the islands.Plane welcomed with water canon salute, musicians, dancers, and entertainment.Flight opens the way to twice-weekly flights between the two countries, and Russian travelers will now be able to fly non-stop to the island destination. The inaugural eight-hour 35 minutes flight was hailed as the ‘great come-back’ as Aeroflot is returning to the islands after 17 years. The flight was greeted on arrival by the Seychelles’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister of Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Anthony Derjacques and other officials from the tourism and aviation fields. A total 402 passengers disembarked to a typical Creole ambience as local musicians and dancers provided lively entertainment, after the plane had gone through the symbolic water canon salute. The landmark flight opens the way to twice-weekly flights between the two countries, and Russian travelers will now be able to fly non-stop to the island destination. The return flight will now leave Mahé tonight at 11.05 p.m. with a flying time of 8 hours 50 minutes. Following the official cutting of ribbons, Minister Radegonde expressed his delight at Aeroflot for coming back and re-establishing air links between the two countries. He saluted the airline for this great show of confidence in the destination during a time that had seen innumerable route cuts in the industry. “The resumption of direct flights from Moscow to Victoria testifies to the confidence of the Russian national carrier in our tourism industry. Seychelles is a much sought-after destination in Russia and in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Russian market has always been a profitable one for Seychelles, featuring in the top 7 destinations every year. It is a high-yield market, with an average stay of 9 to 13 nights. But visitor arrivals have been impeded by the lack of direct flights from Moscow, “he said.  Minister Radegonde described the touching down of the aircraft as a beautiful and joyous moment for the country, adding the return of the flight will help in the recovery of the Seychelles tourism industry. Minister Radegonde noted that the Russian market was a profitable one and said the direct flight will help to accelerate and grow it further.   “With the introduction of twice-weekly flights by Aeroflot, I am hopeful that we can not only reclaim, but increase, our share of the Russian and the CIS market. It is within our ability to do so. We can do it if we all work together as a team – government and the private sector together.”  Aeroflot now joins four other airlines, which have resumed flights to Seychelles, whereas six others are expected back between April and October 2021. Aeroflot also expressed their joy to be back on the Seychelles’ route.   “We are very proud to be the very first European airline to come back to Seychelles in 2021 with a regular service between Moscow and Mahé, which is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque and authentic travel destinations across the globe,” said the airline’s Marketing Director, Anton Myagkov.  “The new Seychelles’ service truly highlights Aeroflot’s extensive route network. As a global full-service airline, we perfectly match our premium onboard product and in-flight service with the exclusive touristic product of the Seychelles islands.” Mr. Myagkov added that the current passengers’ demand for this service already exceeds all their expectations, causing a sellout of the first flight in just a few days. “This has enabled Aeroflot to increase the operating frequency to two flights per week starting from Sunday 09th April,” he said. Commenting on the new flight, the Chief Executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Sherin Francis, also present to welcome the Aeroflot flight, said the news of the return of Aeroflot has been met with much enthusiasm by the Seychelles trade. “We are pleased to welcome back this new service to our shores. Russia is one of our top originating markets and we expect this new route and direct link to expand our reach in the market and that region,” she said. She added that the increased seat capacity is significant and underlines the airline’s confidence in the Seychelles’ product, which is a highly sought-after destination. More news about Seychelles #rebuildingtravel

Despite numerous travel restrictions in early 2021, UIA has done a commendable workFrom January, 1 to March, 31, 2021, about 30 000passenger requests were considered and processedThe airline seeks to resume normal operations as soon as conditions permit Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) continues to gradually restore its flight network despite the factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, which affect the operation of the airline and the entire aviation industry as a whole. Despite numerous travel restrictions for both Ukrainian citizens and passengers of foreign countries in early 2021, UIA has done a commendable work and is ready to share its work results for the 1st quarter of 2021 (compared to the pre-crisis 1st quarter of 2020): The number of performed scheduled flights: 1 424, which is 82% less than during the same period in 2020;Number of charter flights: 1 116, compared to 419 flights in 2020;The total number of passengers carried: 322 732, which is 67% less than during the same period in 2020, in particular: passengers on regular flights: 121 047 (900 516 in 2020);passengers on charter flights: 201 685 (75 520 in 2020); Percentage of transit passengers is 34% (including all scheduled flights), compared to 46% in 2020;The volume of cargo and mail transportation (both on regular and charter flights) is 743 000 kg, which is 76% less than during the same period in 2020. From January, 1 to March, 31, 2021, about 30 000 passenger requests were considered and processed and 6 711 576 US dollars were refunded to passengers. In total, during 12 months of its activity during the pandemic from April 2020 to March 2021, UIA refunded more than $33 million to passengers. UIA is now closely monitoring the epidemiological situation, governmental guidelines and regulations to all countries where the airline operates. The airline seeks to resume normal operations as soon as conditions permit.

United’s CEO announced that domestic leisure travel demand has almost entirely recovered.Business demand is still down over 80%, and international borders, particularly for long-haul, are still largely closed.It’s really nice to see that domestic leisure recovery and that human desire for connection is going to come back and come back strong.

North Korea has closed all ports of entry by land, sea or air in January 2020North Korea is showing “increasing signs” of easing its border restrictions with ChinaEarlier, Air Koryo released its flight schedule to the Russian port city of Vladivostok North Korea’s Air Koryo appears to be set to resume operating two flights between Pyongyang and Beijing this week, the airline’s website showed today. It is still not entirely clear whether and when exactly the service will resume after more than a year of suspension amid COVID-19 pandemic cross-border restrictions. The flight schedule posted on North Korean national flag carrier’s website, the airline’s JS251 flight will depart from Pyongyang at 4:00 p.m. and arrive in Beijing at 5:50 p.m. on Thursday. Another flight is scheduled to depart from Beijing for Pyongyang on Friday. As of 4:30 p.m., however, no flight took off from Pyongyang, according to a real-time flight tracker. Some speculated that the airline could have tested its website in preparation to resume flights to China. Earlier today, a unification ministry official told reporters that the North Korea is showing “increasing signs” of easing its border restrictions with China. North Korea has closed all ports of entry by land, sea or air in January 2020 in an efforts to block the coronavirus from spreading into the country. Earlier, Air Koryo released its flight schedule to the Russian port city of Vladivostok, but did not operate the flights there either. North Korea has not reported any case of COVID-19 virus infection, but it has called for nationwide efforts to prevent the virus from breaking out on its soil through intensified border controls and tightened quarantine processes.

Willie Walsh has officially taken on the role of Director General of the organizationWalsh joins IATA after a 40-year career in the airline industryWalsh is deeply familiar with IATA, having served on the IATA Board of Governors for almost 13 years The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Willie Walsh has officially taken on the role of Director General of the organization. He succeeds Alexandre de Juniac.  “I am passionate about our industry and about the critical work that IATA does on behalf of its members, never more so than during the COVID-19 crisis. IATA has been at the forefront of efforts to restart global connectivity, including developing the IATA Travel Pass. Less visible but of equal importance, airlines continue to rely on IATA’s financial settlement systems, Timatic and other vital services to support their day-to-day operations. I am grateful to Alexandre for leaving behind a strong organization and a motivated team. Together, the IATA team is absolutely focused on restoring the freedom of movement that airlines provide to billions of people around the world. That means your freedom to visit friends and family, to meet critical business partners, to secure and retain vital contracts, and to explore our wonderful planet,” said Walsh. “In normal times over four billion travelers depend on aviation each year and the distribution of vaccines has put the value of efficient air cargo in the spotlight. Airlines are committed to delivering safe, efficient, and sustainable services. My goal is to ensure that IATA is a forceful voice supporting the success of global air transport. We will work with supporters and critics alike to deliver on our commitments to an environmentally sustainable airline industry. It’s my job to make sure that governments, which rely on the economic and social benefits our industry generates, also understand the policies we need to deliver those benefits,” said Walsh. Walsh was confirmed as IATA’s 8th Director General by the 76th IATA Annual General Meeting on 24 November 2020. He joins IATA after a 40-year career in the airline industry. Walsh retired from the International Airlines Group (IAG) in September 2020 after serving as its CEO since its inception in 2011. Prior to that he was CEO of British Airways (2005-2011) and CEO of Aer Lingus (2001-2005). He began his career in aviation at Aer Lingus in 1979 as a cadet pilot. Walsh is deeply familiar with IATA, having served on the IATA Board of Governors for almost 13 years between 2005 to 2018, including serving as Chair (2016-2017). He will work from the Association’s Executive Office in Geneva, Switzerland.

Shareholders can submit questions to the Executive Board until May 2ndThree Supervisory Board members are up for electionThe Annual General Meeting will be broadcast live Today, Deutsche Lufthansa AG invited its shareholders to the 68th Annual General Meeting on May 4th, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will once again be held virtually, recognizing the need to apply current infection control regulations to protect the health of shareholders. The Annual General Meeting will be broadcast live on lufthansagroup.com. Shareholders, who have registered for online services in advance can also take part in the voting online. Shareholders have the opportunity to submit questions on the agenda to Executive Board by midnight on May 2nd. For the first time, shareholder statements may also be submitted as a video or an audio message. Angela Titzrath and Dr. Michael Kerkloh, the two members of the Supervisory Board nominated by the Economic Stabilization Fund of the Federal Republic of Germany and previously appointed by the court, will be up for election on May 4th. Stephan Sturm will resign from the Supervisory Board with effect from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting.  As his successor, the Supervisory Board recommends to the Annual General Meeting the election of Britta Seeger. Another item on the agenda is the creation of a new Authorized Capital C in accordance with §7b WStBG of up to 5.5 billion euros with a term of five years. The authorization enables Deutsche Lufthansa AG to flexibly use financing opportunities to raise equity on the capital market. The amount of Authorized Capital C is a technicality, derived from the amount of Silent Participations I and II of the Economic Stabilization Fund, as a potential capital increase under Authorized Capital C would be directly linked to the repayment of stabilization measures. In the event of a capital increase, the shareholders would be granted subscription rights. The Company has not taken any decision on a capital increase in utilization of Authorized Capital C.

Oneworld alliance transforms Alaska into a truly global airlineAlaska will add seven new airline partners and enhance its six existing partnerships with oneworld memberAlaska Mileage Plan members can earn miles when they fly any of the other 13 member airlines Marking a milestone in its 89-year history, Alaska Airlines today celebrated its first day as a member of oneworld. Alaska becomes the 14th full member of the global alliance, just eight months after receiving a formal invitation from oneworld in July 2020. “Joining oneworld is joining a family of the best airlines in the world,” said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines‘ CEO. “Being a part of the alliance allows us to provide fantastic global connectivity, a seamless travel experience and more valuable loyalty offerings for our guests. This alliance transforms Alaska into a truly global airline, connecting our strong West Coast network and destinations across North America with the worldwide reach of our oneworld partners.” With safety protocols in place due to the pandemic, Alaska and oneworld hosted a virtual celebration and news conference today in Seattle, the airline’s hometown. Fellow airline members from around the world welcomed Alaska to the alliance with video greetings and provided versions of employees performing the Alaska Safety Dance, briefly renamed the Global Safety Dance. “With Alaska Airlines now part of oneworld, we are excited to offer to customers even more destinations and flights, strengthened by Alaska’s leading network on the U.S. West Coast,” said oneworld CEO Rob Gurney, who joined Minicucci in Seattle for the event. “For oneworld top-tier customers, the joining of Alaska will provide even more opportunities for their status to be recognized as we look forward to a recovery in international travel.” For Alaska and its guests, oneworld provides a global network of flights to as many as 1,000 destinations across more than 170 countries and territories. With its membership in the alliance, Alaska will add seven new airline partners and enhance its six existing partnerships with oneworld members. “We’re delighted to welcome Alaska to the oneworld family. As the industry recovers from COVID, airline alliances are going to be more important than ever. Alaska will be an asset to the alliance, positioning oneworld to deliver even more value to our customers and member airlines,” said oneworld Governing Board Chairman and Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce. Effective today, all Alaska Mileage Plan members can earn miles when they fly any of the other 13 member airlines. Mileage redemption for flights on airlines that Alaska did not have previous partnerships with will occur in the coming months.

Emirates will resume direct service between Milan Malpensa and New York John F Kennedy International AirportMilan-New York JFK flight will be an extension to Emirates’ existing flights to MilanResumed service between Dubai-Milan-JFK will offer more choice to travelers Emirates has announced it will resume its direct service between Milan Malpensa and New York John F Kennedy International Airport from June 1st, 2021, re-opening year round connectivity between Europe and the US. The Milan-New York JFK flight will be an extension to Emirates‘ existing flights to Milan EK205, operated by the Boeing 777-300 ER, offering 8 seats in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business and 304 ergonomically designed seats in Economy class. The airline’s service to and from New York JFK will increase to three times daily to support the newly resumed link, facilitating trade and tourism while providing customers worldwide with more connectivity, convenience and choice. Emirates flight EK205 will depart Dubai (DXB) at 09:45hrs, arriving in Milan (MXP) at 14:20hrs before departing again at 16:10hrs and arriving into New York John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) at 19:00hrs the same day. The return flight EK206 will depart JFK at 22:20 hrs, arriving in Milan at 12:15hrs the next day. EK206 will depart once again from Milan the next day at 14:05hrs bound for Dubai where it will arrive at 22:10 hrs (all times are local). Emirates has recently reaffirmed its commitment to the US with the resumption of services to 11 gateways (including Orlando and Newark in June). The resumed service between Dubai-Milan-JFK will offer more choice to travelers heading from Europe, the Middle East, West Asia, and Africa via Dubai or Milan as well as give seamless access to other US cities beyond New York via the airline’s codeshare agreement with Jetblue. The airline has safely and gradually restarted operations across its network. Since it safely resumed tourism activity in July, Dubai remains one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, especially during the winter season. The city is open for international business and leisure visitors. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences. It was one of the world’s first cities to obtain Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai’s comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.

Internationally recognized, digital test certificate CommonPass facilitates travel in times of pandemicIntegration now possible on all flights from Frankfurt to the USAPre-Check of digital test certificates now also available before all return flights from Palma de Mallorca to Germany up to 72 hours before departure Lufthansa introduces new offer for travel to the U.S.: Passengers who have had a COVID-19 test done at Lufthansa partner Centogene before departure can now conveniently receive their test results in the internationally recognized app CommonPass. This applies to all Lufthansa flights from Frankfurt to the United States as well as the corresponding feeder flights via Frankfurt from Hamburg, Cologne, Berlin and Düsseldorf. Lufthansa is thus realizes another step in the digitization of test certificates, making travel easier in times of pandemic. In addition to the new digital certificate, the airline recommends that its guests continue to carry their original printed certificates with them when traveling until further notice. Customers can conveniently download the app from the Android or IOS App Store and then upload their test results to the app – after receiving an access code from Lufthansa by e-mail 72 hours before their departure. The app then automatically compares the test certificates with the relevant current entry restrictions of the destination country and creates a travel certificate on this basis, provided it is a valid test document for the relevant destination. The certificate shows only the really relevant information, such as the test result, the test method, validity period and an hour counter since the time of testing, and thus does not reveal any other personal health information. In addition, Lufthansa passengers who use the CommonPass app before their flights to the U.S. will receive free access to the Senator Lounge at Frankfurt Airport between 8 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. in the morning. CommonPass can be used not only at boarding, but also takes a cross-industry approach. The added value for travelers will be further enhanced by the fact that in future other establishments can also be able to integrate the test results, such as concert halls or cinemas. Proof of vaccination can also be saved in the app in future. Pre-check of digital test certificates

Airfare savings will be increasingly important in the months aheadTravelers shouldn’t assume they can just pick up where they left offMajor airlines are offering more rewards value in an attempt to lure people back into their planes With U.S. air travel expected to rebound in 2021, as coronavirus concerns decline and more areas open for business, airfare savings will be increasingly important in the months ahead. To help travelers make the best decisions for their wallets, travel experts today released a report on 2021’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs, which ranks the 10 largest domestic airlines based on 21 key metrics, ranging from the value of a point/mile to blackout dates for rewards flights. United MileagePlus is the best frequent flyer program of 2021, ending a five-year streak for Delta SkyMiles atop the rankings.The average airline rewards program gives frequent flyers 11% off their airline spending, and these programs are all free to join. Hawaiian Airlines offers the most rewards value per dollar spent, followed by Frontier Airlines.Five of the 10 largest airlines are offering more rewards in 2021 than in 2020, sweetening the pot by an average of 30%.The Citi Premier Card and the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard are 2021’s best airline credit cards. Are the best frequent flyer programs different than before the pandemic? The hierarchy of the best frequent flyer programs has changed a bit since the coronavirus pandemic began, so travelers shouldn’t assume they can just pick up where they left off. The biggest change is United MileagePlus dethroning Delta SkyMiles as the top program, ending Delta’s five-year run atop the rankings. Major airlines are also offering more rewards value in an attempt to lure people back into their planes. Five of the 10 largest carriers have increased their rewards value – by 30% on average. Will people be penalized for not flying in 2020? Frequent flyers will not be penalized for staying grounded due to COVID-19. Most of the major frequent flyer programs have adjusted their policies to give people extra time to meet elite-status requirements. For example, Delta SkyMiles, American Airlines AAdvantage, and United MileagePlus are all extending existing elite status through January 2022. What are some of the best ways to save on airfare? The best way to save on airfare is to join your favorite airlines’ frequent flyer programs for free, which will save you 11% on average, and then comparison shop for flights well ahead of your trip. Using the right credit card to pay for airfare can also be a smart way to save more. If you’re brand-loyal to a particular airline, you should use that airline’s credit card. Otherwise, a general travel rewards credit card will be a better way to earn free flights.

Corsair will benefit from cost-effective and eco-efficient solutionsThe aircraft features 352 seats in a three-class layoutCorsair already operates an Airbus fleet of five A330 Family aircraft Corsair has taken delivery of its first A330-900, on lease from Avolon, to join the French airline’s fleet. By selecting a total of five Airbus A330neos, Corsair is executing its strategy to become an all-A330 operator. Thanks to the A330neo’s latest technologies, Corsair will benefit from cost-effective and eco-efficient solutions, while providing passengers with the best comfort standards in the quietest cabins in its class.   The aircraft features 352 seats in a three-class layout, providing all the comfort and amenities of Airbus’ leading ‘Airspace’ cabin, including state-of-the-art passenger in-flight entertainment (IFE) and full WiFi connectivity throughout the cabin. The A330neo is powered by Rolls-Royce’s latest-generation Trent 7000 engines. The Corsair aircraft will also be the first A330neo to feature an increased maximum take-off weight of 251 tonnes. This capability will allow the airline to fly long-haul destinations up to 13,400 km (7,200nm) or benefit from ten tons more payload on board. The A330neo is a new-generation aircraft and successor to the hugely popular A330ceo widebody family. As well as the new engine option, the aircraft benefits from a host of innovations, including aerodynamic improvements and new wings and winglets that together contribute to 25% fuel-burn and CO2 reductions. Corsair, which already operates an Airbus fleet of five A330 Family aircraft, became a member of the Airbus Skywise ‘Open Data Platform’ in 2020, thus benefiting from several Skywise-based services, such as  a real-time in-service fleet performance analysis capability (aircraft health monitoring), reliability analysis and predictive maintenance.

Allegiant Air takes best care of your luggage for a second year in a rowAmerican Airlines overtakes Envoy Air as the worst luggage handlerTop 3 US airlines in 2020 luggage handling are Allegiant, Southwest and Hawaiian Every year, travel experts create a report showcasing mishandled luggage by the US airlines, and 2020, despite the COVID-19 situation, would be no different. Of course, there was a lot less travel in 2020 than 2019, and that shows in the lost luggage numbers. Compared to the previous year, air traffic has been reduced significantly, and we can see that reflected in the lower number of bags mishandled in 2020 as compared to 2019. In 2019, a total of 2.8 million bags were mishandled by U.S. airlines. In 2020, only 853k bags were mishandled,  which is almost 2 million less than the previous year. The change started abruptly, when coronavirus pandemic measures went into effect. Specifically, there was almost 19 times less checked baggage in April than in January, reflective of the huge drop in passengers during this period. In this research, we have collected data from 16 US airlines. The results show that in 2020, they boarded a little more than 200 million bags and handled a bit more than 850,000 incorrectly, which means that the chances of your bag being mishandled in 2020 were only around 0.4%. For the second year in a row, Allegiant Air takes the lead as the best airline for the safety of your luggage, with only 0.15% of the bags enplaned being mishandled. Allegiant Air is followed by Southwest Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, making them the top three airlines for safe luggage handling. Allegiant Air was founded in 1997 as WestJet Express and it is wholly owned by Allegiant Travel Company, a publicly traded company with 4,000 employees. In 2019, Envoy Air took the last place for safe luggage handling. However, in 2020 the airline provider was overtaken by American Airlines and now comes in as second-worst. American Airlines and Enjoy Air mishandled, respectively, 0.597% and 0.587% of the baggage they were in charge of last year. American Airlines, together with its regional partners, operates an extensive international and domestic network with almost 6,800 flights per day to almost 350 destinations in more than 50 countries.

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

Under this trial, Hong Kong Airlines will work closely with IATA to test its Lab App, a key module in Travel PassPassengers on a selected route will be invited to participateThe app also enables passengers to link their COVID-19 test results to a digital version of their passport created through the appHong Kong Airlines will trial a digital health passport as part of the carrier’s ongoing contributions towards the safe reopening of borders and international travel. Developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a globally recognized trade organization and advocate for airlines, Travel Pass will provide travelers with easy access to COVID-19 entry requirements for their destination and accredited testing centers at their point of departure. The app also enables passengers to link their COVID-19 test results to a digital version of their passport created through the app. Under this trial, Hong Kong Airlines will work closely with IATA to test its Lab App, a key module in Travel Pass. Passengers on a selected route will be invited to participate by first downloading the app and creating a digital profile before selecting a participating medical service provider for testing. A secure, encrypted channel will then enable the registered laboratory to verify the passenger’s identity and directly send the outcome of the COVID-19 test, or proof of vaccination to the traveller’s mobile device. This will then be checked against IATA’s global registry of COVID-19 health requirements, a system used by the majority of airlines and airports globally, to ensure regulatory requirements are complied, before the passenger receives an “OK to Travel”. Hong Kong Airlines Director of Service Delivery Mr Chris Birt applauds the customer-oriented digital initiative from IATA, which will help both travelers and airlines manage verifiable health credentials for future travel. “Hong Kong Airlines has been working hard to make travel safe for our customers. We welcome the opportunity to contribute our inputs into the development of Travel Pass and will continue to support IATA’s efforts in leading the recovery of international travel. Given the constantly changing environment of the current pandemic and frequent modification of border restrictions by governments, Travel Pass is undoubtedly the best go-to app for passengers to access the most updated travel information, ensure they comply with the latest entry requirements and allowthem to manage their digital health documents in a safe and secure way,” he added. “Restarting international aviation safely has been at the forefront of IATA’s Travel Pass initiative. We are proud to partner Hong Kong Airlines to trial the app and demonstrate that this technology can securely, conveniently and efficiently help manage passenger travel health credentials,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Airport, Passenger, Cargo, Security. Hong Kong has recently announced the easing of quarantine requirements for inbound travelers. The 14 days of mandatory quarantine at a designated hotel, followed by a week of selfmonitoring will apply to travelers arriving from low-risk places as well as those arriving from medium-risk places and have been vaccinated. The government is also in discussions with 16 countries on allowing people who have been vaccinated to travel.

Tourists attracted by easy access, reasonable restrictions, low COVID cases, good vaccination rates and a natural environment with quiet beachesEmirates increases weekly schedule to Maldives & Seychelles over Easter holidays as Middle East demand soarsSri Lanka, Cyprus and Greek islands also preparing for summer influx of international arrivals Island resorts around the world will lead the recovery in leisure travel, according to the latest industry research. Many island economies are dependent on tourism and nowhere is this more apparent than in the Indian Ocean islands of the Maldives (28% of GDP) and the Seychelles (over 55% of GDP), which are both expecting a bumper Easter holiday period. With both islands less than four hours 30 minutes away, Emirates has added an extra four flights taking its weekly schedule to 28 flights. Meanwhile, Air Seychelles is launching a weekly flight to Dubai to cope with the increased demand, which is in addition to two extra flights a week that Emirates is adding to its existing schedule of five weekly flights to Mahe. “Both islands tick all of the proverbial boxes for tourists,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market. “Even though demand maybe pent-up, visitors will still want direct flights, easy access, reasonable restrictions, low COVID cases, good vaccination rates, open and in some cases isolated resorts, with a natural environment including quiet beaches,” added Curtis. The Maldives is expecting to have its 500,000 inhabitants vaccinated by August and with less than 100,000 citizens, the Seychelles is hoping for 100% vaccination within the coming months.  And although both countries have a list of approved countries, the Seychelles and the Maldives only require visitors to provide a negative PCR test 72 or 96 hours respectively, prior to arrival, no proof of vaccination or quarantine is required.

Eastern Airlines achieves IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) Level 4 CertificationCertification enables a dynamic and cost-effective distribution model for Eastern AirlinesEastern Airlines’ NDC Level 4 Certification was facilitated through its partnership with TPConnects Eastern Airlines, historically known as one of the “Big Four” carriers in the United States, announced that it has achieved the New Distribution Capability (NDC) Level 4 Certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The certification enables a dynamic and cost-effective distribution model for Eastern Airlines as it further improves the airline’s communication capabilities with its travel partners using rich content.  Eastern Airlines‘ NDC Level 4 Certification was facilitated through its partnership with TPConnects, an IATA NDC Dual Level 4 Certified IT Provider and Aggregator. Additionally, as its travel technology partner, TPConnects revamped Eastern Airlines’ recently launched Internet Booking Engine (IBE). Along with the IBE the airline’s Travel Agency booking portal is also powered by TPConnects NDC Offer and Order Management Solution. It enables the airlines to control various interfaces through a single Middleware and provide Offers to customers in real time. Steve Harfst, President & CEO, Eastern Airlines, said, “IATA’s NDC Level 4 Certification is a pivotal investment that assists Eastern’s mission in providing underserved markets with direct, nonstop flights at the best value. We can now ensure that our passengers have direct access to relevant content across both direct and indirect distribution channels that are unique to their wants and expectations. The NDC standard allows Eastern to efficiently create, deliver, and control inventory that is both reliable and secure for the passenger. Our travel partners can now benefit from access to our full range of product offerings, merchandising, and servicing capabilities and the end-to-end order lifecycle from booking to completion. We look forward to our continued partnership with TPConnects, a proven technology expert in the field, as we transform the way we go to market and deliver enhanced customer experiences as part of the Eastern Promise. Rajendran Vellapalath, CEO, TPConnects, said, “Our latest partnership with the American carrier Eastern Airlines is a milestone with many firsts, much to the credit of the collaboration and the expertise it brought to the table. It is indeed a testimony to our follow-the-sun approach where teams across time zones collaborated successfully to simultaneously deliver multiple NDC-enabled products for the airline. This is especially significant for TPConnects as we expanded our product portfolio with the delivery of the Internet Booking Engine within TPConnects Airline Solutions. Given the scope of the partnership, we are committed and well-positioned as the partner-of-choice to support Eastern Airlines with a gamut of industry-leading services and innovative travel technology solutions.”

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

A380 flight to carry fully vaccinated crew and passengers onboardFlyers to experience Emirates’ newest A380 cabins and latest on-ground technologies that enable a smooth and speedy journey through the airportProceeds from the flight to be donated to the Emirates Airline Foundation Emirates is showcasing the UAE’s remarkable progress in its vaccination program with a special flight that will carry only fully vaccinated crew and passengers onboard. On 10 April 2021, special flight EK2021 will depart Dubai International Airport at 12:00hrs local time, to cruise over various areas across the UAE. The flight will return to Dubai at 14:30hrs local time. The one-off flight EK2021 is a unique event that not only celebrates the success of the UAE’s vaccination program to date, but also highlights Emirates‘ progress in vaccinating its staff and in particular its pilots and cabin crew. Aviation has been and continues to be an irreplaceable force for good, connecting people and cities, facilitating important trade flows and passenger journeys that bring economic prosperity and joy to millions of people. Passengers will have the opportunity to experience Emirates’ newest A380 aircraft which features the airline’s brand-new Premium Economy seats, and refreshed cabin interiors across all cabin classes. Passengers traveling on EK2021 will be able to experience all of Dubai International Airport’s services and amenities on the ground before boarding. In addition, customers can also try out first-hand, all the latest measures to help travelers enjoy a safe and smooth journey, including the new biometric and contactless technology which Emirates has recently implemented at the check-in areas and boarding gates at Dubai airport. This month, Airbus has launched a travel companion app called “Tripset”. The application aggregates and provides flight and travel information to ease and restore passenger’s trust in their end-to-end journey when traveling by air during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tripset allows for passengers to be informed with the latest and most relevant travel conditions, restrictions and health requirements in place, without having to consult a variety of sources.

Deal raises Southwest’s 737 MAX commitment to more than 600 jets between the 737-7 and larger 737-8Southwest aims to modernize future fleet with improved fuel efficiency, environmental performance and operational flexibilityOrder brings stability to Boeing’s largest commercial program and its suppliers Boeing and Southwest Airlines today announced the carrier will continue to build its business around the 737 MAX family with a new order for 100 airplanes and 155 options across two models. The deal comes after a multi-year fleet evaluation by Southwest and means that Boeing and its suppliers could build more than 600 new 737 MAX jets for the airline through 2031. Southwest Airlines had been exploring options to modernize the largest component of its fleet: the 737-700 that serves the airline’s needs for a 140-150 seat airplane. With the new agreement, the airline reaffirmed the 737-7 as its preferred replacement and growth airplane. The jet will complement the 737-8, which serves Southwest’s needs for a 175-seat model. Both 737 MAX family members will reduce fuel use and carbon emissions by at least 14% compared to the airplanes they replace, helping to improve operating costs and environmental performance. Southwest said the solution allows it to maintain the operational efficiencies of an all-Boeing 737 fleet to support its low-cost, point-to-point route network. “Southwest Airlines has been operating the Boeing 737 series for nearly 50 years, and the aircraft has made significant contributions to our unparalleled success. Today’s commitment to the 737 MAX solidifies our continued appreciation for the aircraft and confirms our plans to offer the Boeing 737 series of aircraft to our Employees and Customers for years to come,” said Gary Kelly, Southwest’s chairman and CEO. “We are proud to continue our tradition of being the world’s largest operator of an all-Boeing fleet.” “In addition to supporting our efforts to operate sustainably and efficiently, the 737 MAX offers Employees and Customers travel comforts such as a quieter cabin, larger overhead bin spaces, seating with adjustable headrests, and more galley space for onboard service,” said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest’s chief operating officer. The new purchase agreement takes Southwest’s order book to 200 737-7s and 180 737-8s, more than 30 of which have already been delivered. Southwest will also have 270 options for either of the two models, taking the carrier’s direct-buy commitment to more than 600 airplanes. The airline also plans additional 737 MAX jets through third-party lessors. “Southwest Airlines has long been a leader and bellwether for the airline industry and this order is a big vote of confidence for commercial air travel. As vaccine distribution continues to pick-up, people are returning to the skies and fueling hopes for a full recovery and renewed growth across our industry,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We are deeply honored by Southwest’s continuing trust in Boeing and the 737. Their fleet decision today brings more stability for our biggest commercial program and will ensure that our entire 737 family will be building new airplanes for Southwest for years to come.” As part of the agreement, Southwest will also expand its use of Boeing’s digital solutions to support its 737 MAX fleet, including Airplane Health Management, Maintenance Performance Toolbox and digital navigation charting tools. Boeing will also provide system software upgrades and new wireless communications-enabling equipment to support Southwest’s operations.

Qatar Airways will operate over 1,200 weekly frequencies across 23 destinations in Africa, 14 in the Americas, 43 in Asia-Pacific, 43 in Europe and 19 in Middle EastQatar Airways offer passengers more flexible travel options via Hamad International AirportHaving never stopped flying throughout the pandemic the airline remains one of the world’s leading airlines for safety and innovation Qatar Airways is pleased to announce its summer schedule, maintaining its position as the leading international carrier providing reliable global connectivity. Having never stopped flying throughout the pandemic the airline has worked diligently to be the world’s leading airline for safety, innovation and customer experience. By the peak of the IATA Summer Season, the national carrier of the State of Qatar plans to operate over 1,200 weekly flights to more than 140 destinations. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are proud to lead the recovery of international aviation, implementing the highest standards of bio-safety and hygiene and investing in the latest innovations to simplify travel and restore passenger confidence during the most challenging period in aviation’s history. “Having never stopped flying throughout the pandemic, we have used our unrivalled experience and modern, fuel-efficient fleet to operate a sustainable and reliable network our passengers, trade partners and corporate customers can rely on. We also continue to offer the largest international network, including launching seven new destinations, to provide the connectivity our passengers and cargo customers need. “As the global vaccine rollout begins to gather pace, we look forward to a gradual easing of entry restrictions throughout 2021 and welcoming back our millions of passengers on board the World’s Best Airline.” Qatar Airways Cargo has played a vital role in maintaining a reliable schedule across the network of destinations. Since the onset of the pandemic, Qatar Airways has helped transport over 500,000 tonnes of medical supplies and delivered more than 15,000,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to over 20 countries. The cargo carrier continues to focus on supporting its customers’ business and enabling global trade, while supporting impacted regions worldwide. Qatar Airways continues to expand its network of destinations, offering more flights to international destinations than any other airline. By the middle of summer 2021, Qatar Airways’ plans to rebuild its network to more than 140 destinations including 23 in Africa, 14 in the Americas, 43 in Asia-Pacific, 43 in Europe and 19 in Middle East. Many cities will be served with a strong schedule with daily or more frequencies.

Fly Leasing Limited announces agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of Carlyle Aviation PartnersFLY’s Board of Directors enthusiastically recommends this transaction to its shareholdersFLY shareholders will receive $17.05 per share in cash, representing a total equity valuation of approximately $520 million Fly Leasing Limited announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of Carlyle Aviation Partners, the commercial aviation investment and servicing arm within The Carlyle Group’s $56 billion Global Credit platform.  Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, FLY shareholders will receive $17.05 per share in cash, representing a total equity valuation of approximately $520 million. The total enterprise value of the transaction is approximately $2.36 billion. FLY’s portfolio of 84 aircraft and seven engines is on lease to 37 airlines in 22 countries. “This transaction represents strong value for FLY shareholders at a time when airlines are facing an extremely difficult environment and smaller aircraft lessors are disadvantaged in the debt markets,” said Colm Barrington, CEO of FLY. “After a thorough review and evaluation of its options, FLY’s Board of Directors enthusiastically recommends this transaction to its shareholders.” The per share cash consideration represents a premium of approximately 29% to FLY’s closing price on March 26, 2021 and a 43% premium to the volume-weighted average share price during the last 30 trading days.  The Board of Directors of FLY has approved the Merger Agreement, acting upon the recommendation of a special committee appointed by the Board of Directors and consisting solely of independent and disinterested directors, and has recommended that FLY shareholders vote in favor of the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory clearance and the approval of FLY’s shareholders.  Given the pending transaction, FLY will not host a first quarter earnings call. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is acting as financial advisor to FLY and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Clifford Chance US LLP, Conyers Dill & Pearman, and McCann FitzGerald are acting as FLY’s legal counsel. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is acting as legal counsel to BBAM LP, FLY’s manager and servicer.  RBC Capital Markets is acting as financial advisor and providing financing to Carlyle Aviation on the transaction. Milbank LLP and Wakefield Quin Limited are acting as legal counsel to Carlyle Aviation Partners.

Airbus A350-900 will be carrying 40 crew members and scientists will be collecting measurement dataGerman Aerospace Center (DLR) with monitoring instruments will also be on boardReason for this second flight to Falkland Islands is to rotate Polarstern crew and to pick up the research expedition team Tomorrow, Lufthansa will be departing for its second non-stop flight from Hamburg to Mount Pleasant (MPN) in the Falkland Islands on behalf of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven. This time the Airbus A350-900 will be carrying 40 crew members of the research vessel Polarstern as well as scientists from the German Aerospace Center (Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt). During the flight, the scientists will be collecting measurement data that will provide further insights on the influence of the Earth’s magnetic field in regards to aviation. Therefore, the second flight to the Falkland Islands is already contributing to science on its way to the South Pole. The Airbus A350-900 will be transferred from Munich to Hamburg at 14:30 tomorrow, and is scheduled to arrive at Hamburg Airport at 3:40 p.m. with the flight number LH9923. The same evening, LH2574 will take off for Mount Pleasant at 9:30 p.m. The aircraft with the registration D-AIXQ, christened with the name of the city of Freiburg is the newest member of the Lufthansa A350 fleet and one of the world’s most sustainable and efficient long-haul aircraft. “With the second flight to the Falkland Islands, we are not only pleased  to be able to support the AWI’s polar research expedition, but also to make an important contribution to further research into the Earth’s magnetic field,” says Thomas Jahn, Fleet Captain and Falklands Project Manager. “We have already been supporting climate research projects for more than 25 years now.” The reason for this second flight to the Falkland Islands is to rotate the Polarstern crew and to pick up the research expedition team. Since the beginning of February, a team of about 50 researchers have been collecting important data on ocean currents, sea ice and the carbon cycle in the Southern Ocean, which, among other things, enable reliable climate predictions. On the way back from the research area in the southern Weddell Sea, Polarstern stopped at Atka Bay, where an additional 25 scientists boarded the ship: Specifically the summer staff as well as the winter team of Neumayer Station III, with the latter returning to Germany after more than 15 months in the Antarctic.  On 2 April, Lufthansa will be bringing AWI’s international research team and the DLR scientists back to Germany from the Falkland Islands. The landing is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on April 3 at Munich Airport with the flight number LH2575. The first flight from Hamburg to the Falkland Islands, which took place at the end of January 2021, was the longest non-stop passenger flight in Lufthansa’s history. The Airbus A350-900 arrived at the Mount Pleasant military base after flying over 13,000 kilometers in more than 15 hours. In order to make the research as climate-friendly as possible, the Alfred-Wegener-Institut will also compensate the CO2 emissions of the flight.

United Returns to JFK with most premium seats from the NYC areaFlights feature a reconfigured Boeing 767-300ER airplane with 46 business class seats and 22 United Premium Plus seatsUnited now provides service from all three major airports in New York City area United Airlines is back at John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK), now operating direct service to the airline’s West Coast hubs – Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) from New York City. The airline will use its Boeing 767-300ER aircraft which features 46 business class all-aisle-access seating, and 22 United Premium Plus® seats. The airline operates the most premium seats between the New York City area and Los Angeles and San Francisco combined. United Airlines is currently flying one round-trip flight, five days a week to each West Coast airport, with plans to double the number of flights as demand grows. The carrier is back at JFK following a five-year hiatus and now offers service from all three major airports in the New York City area. “United’s return to JFK reflects not only our strong commitment to the New York City area, but also to increasing service to and from the places our customers want to fly,” said Ankit Gupta, Vice President of Domestic Network Planning and Scheduling. “With the addition of JFK, United now offers unmatched service, greater convenience, more choice and a best-in-class product for travelers throughout the New York City region as they return to the skies.” “We’re happy to welcome United Airlines back to Kennedy Airport,” said Charles Everett, General Manager of John F. Kennedy International Airport. “We remain committed to providing the highest level of safety, accessibility and ease of travel for all of the passengers who use the Port Authority’s airport facilities, and United’s decision is a great step in that direction.” United’s operations at JFK’s Terminal 7 will provide seamless access for customers. The lobby area offers self-service kiosks, along with eight podiums which are conveniently located steps away from the TSA check point. Just a short walk from security screening, travelers will find the United-operated gates. Customers will also benefit from easy connections to more than a dozen Star Alliance partners at JFK, including access to 15 destinations in 14 countries as of March 2021.

February 17 Manila recorded a high 1,718 new COVID cases, on March 28 the same city recorded 10,000 new infectionsAuthorities in Manila locked down the capital city of the PhilippinesForeign travel is now restricted to 1,500 international arrivals to Manila International Airport. Manila and neighboring regions reported 10,000 new COVID-19 cases and are putting the city under lockdown until Easter Sunday. In addition, the Civil Aeronautics Board has issued guidelines concerning air transportation limiting the arrival of international travelers to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to a maximum of 1,500 passengers a day. This, however, shall subject to amendment as may be determined by the Department of Transportation. The board has warned all airline companies operating in NAIA not to exceed the allowed capacity, otherwise, hey will be penalized pursuant to Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2021-01 dated 08 January 2021, issued by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB); Domestic commercial operations shall be allowed subject to compliance with the requirements or restrictions on capacity and frequency of flights that may be imposed by all the LGUs outside of the NCR+ bubble, the board added.

WestJet offers new nonstop service for 15 communities across Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and OntarioWestJet restarts previously suspended service to Atlantic Canada and Quebec CityStimulating air travel benefits all Canadians and supports those hardest hit WestJet today announced 11 new domestic routes across Western Canada. The routes will offer new nonstop service for 15 communities across Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. The enhancements follow an announcement made earlier in the week to return previously suspended service to Atlantic Canada and Quebec City.   “As we look to the coming months with cautious optimism, we know our restart agenda will be pivotal to Canada’s economic recovery,” said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. “Stimulating air travel benefits all Canadians and supports those hardest hit; with one in every 10 Canadian jobs tied to travel and tourism, the ripple effect benefits our whole country.”   The new routes include service between Toronto (YYZ) and Comox (YQQ); between Ottawa (YOW) and Victoria (YYJ) and eight new routes connecting the prairie provinces to British Columbia tourism destinations, such as Regina (YQR) to Kelowna (YLW). Full schedule details and start dates are outlined below.  “We are at an inflection point; one that is buoyed by the rollout of vaccines, months of learning how to take appropriate precautions, and a view to Canada’s beautiful summer months that allows us to spend more time outdoors,” continued Sims. “If Canadians were to shift two-thirds of their planned international-leisure travel spend towards domestic tourism, it would help sustain 150,000 jobs and accelerate recovery by one year, all while seeing what Canada has to offer.”  New routes:  Route Frequency Effective from Toronto – Fort McMurray 2x weekly (Wed, Sun) June 6, 2021 Kelowna – Saskatoon 2x weekly (Thu, Sun) June 24, 2021 Kelowna – Regina 2x weekly (Thu, Sun) June 24, 2021 Saskatoon – Victoria 2x weekly (Thu, Sun) June 24, 2021 Winnipeg – Victoria 3x weekly (Thu, Sat, Sun) June 24, 2021 Edmonton – Kamloops 2x weekly (Thu, Sun) June 24, 2021 Edmonton – Penticton 2x weekly (Thu, Sun) June 24, 2021 Edmonton – Nanaimo 2x weekly (Fri, Sun) June 25, 2021 Prince George – Abbotsford 2x weekly (Fri, Sun) June 25, 2021 Ottawa – Victoria 1x weekly (Sat) June 26, 2021 Toronto – Comox 1x weekly (Sat) June 26, 2021 

Delta Air Lines announces nonstop connection from three U.S. hubs to Iceland’s stunning landscapesNew daily service from Boston to Reykjavík begins May 20Daily Minneapolis/St. Paul and New York-JFK service also resumes in May Beginning in May, Delta customers seeking a global escape will once again enjoy a nonstop connection from three U.S. hubs to Iceland’s stunning landscapes, world-renowned hot springs like the Blue Lagoon and the iconic capital city of Reykjavík. Delta Air Lines will launch new daily service from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Keflavík International Airport (KEF) beginning May 20 – as well as resume daily service from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on May 1 and daily service from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) on May 27. This latest milestone in the airline’s growing network follows Iceland’s recent exemption of fully vaccinated Americans from the ban on non-essential travel and other restrictions like testing and quarantine requirements – making it the first leisure destination in Europe easily accessible to U.S. travelers since the pandemic began. “We know our customers are eager to safely get back out into the world, including exploring one of the globe’s most beautiful outdoor destinations,” said Joe Esposito, S.V.P. – Network Planning. “As confidence in travel rises, we hope more countries continue reopening to vaccinated travelers, which mean more opportunities to reconnect customers to the people and places that matter most.” Customers traveling to Iceland will be required to provide proof of full vaccination or recovery of COVID-19. Travelers returning to the U.S. will still require a negative COVID-19 test and can find a nearby location with Delta’s dedicated testing resource for international travel.

The UK is closing its borders from Monday, March 29, until the end of June.British Airways and easyJet have suspended all summer flights to European tourist destinations.The traffic light system for travel is red list countries are prohibited, yellow countries require quarantine, and green list destinations require vaccination tests and/or certificates to get the go-ahead for travel. In news of the few last hours, in fact, the UK is closing its borders from Monday, March 29, until the end of June. From that date, anyone who does not have urgent reasons for health and work cannot leave the national borders. Anyone found not complying will be fined up to 5,000 pounds. To be signed into law and submitted to Parliament on Tuesday by the Johnson administration is the extension of emergency powers linked to the pandemic. This will be voted on this Thursday, April 1, but which is already given as a certainty. This measure comes as a blow on the anniversary of the first English lockdown, which began on March 23, 2020. The third wave of COVID that has brought Germany to a new squeeze frightened the British government. The United Kingdom, in fact, fears that it will compromise its vaccination campaign with importation of the variants. At the moment, those arriving from Europe have the obligation to remain in quarantine for 10 days. This could soon be extended to 14 days. The so-called “quarantine hotels” are reserved for people in isolation, which are responsible for taking over travelers from a red list of 33 countries at highest risk under strict surveillance. Restrictive measures – those imposed by Johnson – could also be extended in July and August with holidays allowed only in countries included in a sort of “green zone.”

Hawaii’s visitors arrival numbers from the US Mainland had been increasing to record numbers over the last 4 weeksHawaii also recorded a record day today in number of new COVID-19 cases for more than a monthPrince Kuhio Day is a welcoming reason for Tourism leaders to celebrate and stay quiet on this developing situation for the Hawaii travel and tourism industry, overall economy, and health situation It’s Prince Kūhiō Day in Hawaii today, and Government officials are not available to respond or comment on the alarming spike in COVID-19 infection in the Aloha State over the last 2 days. Hawaii is now back into a trend of triple-digit increase what goes along with an ever-increasing visitor arrival numbers from the US mainland for the last few weeks. Today the State recorded 126 new cases. The more outspoken Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi told eTurboNews in a statement: Oahu is still in the Tier 3 metric of the reopening strategy. The City monitors current conditions and recognizes there has been an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases over the past week on O‘ahu. Public health is the priority and the City continues to work with the State Department of Health and health experts to assess current risks and make adjustments as needed. We continue to safely reopen the economy allowing more people to return to work. The community must also work together to prevent the spread of the virus by continuing to wear masks, remaining physically distanced and abiding by the rules of the reopening strategy. In the meantime, one airline after another is announcing new domestic flights to additional visitor markets. Some of these flights operate from regions that were considered secondary for Hawaii, but primary markets for the Caribbean. Considering that international arrivals from Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand had not yet restarted, the surprising rise in domestic business was unexpected for many. In a short term the increase in visitors is excellent news for hotels, attractions, restaurants, shops and transportation sector, but may also be a disaster in the making long term. As the Hawaii Tourism Authority is celebrating Prince Kuhio Day today, there won’t be any comments on this situation until Monday, Easter Monday hopefully. One can only hope this will have become a mute issue by Monday, depending on the COVID-19 infection numbers in the upcoming two days. In the meantime Hawaii is doing really well in vaccinating its citizens. As of Monday anyone 60 and over can get the vaccine, and all priority groups had been vaccinated by now. Why Hawaii celebrates Prince Kuhio Day today?

JetBlue has set its sights on cashing in on the busiest city pair in the worldThe transatlantic market is in need of low-cost competitionMost carriers offer basic economy fares, but JetBlue offers it as standard The much-anticipated launch of JetBlue’s first transatlantic routes has stirred up plenty of interest and has strong potential to be successful. With a new MINT business class and low fares on offer, the carrier will be well positioned to capitalize on rising demand from budget travelers post-COVID-19. JetBlue has set its sights on cashing in on the busiest city pair in the world: New York to London. Competition was fierce pre-pandemic on this route, however, JetBlue’s low fares will give it an advantage – especially noting the withdrawal of Norwegian Air from long-haul flights and that other airlines in the space are seeing a drop in capacity. These events will be beneficial for JetBlue to establish a foothold in the market. More consumers have become cash strapped, and the transatlantic market is in need of low-cost competition. The latest COVID-19 Recovery Survey showed that 87% of global respondents were concerned about their personal financial position. Most carriers offer basic economy fares, but JetBlue offers it as standard. The uniformity of the airline’s offering, combined with its friendly service and competitive fares, will see the airline stimulate demand and win customers who may have delayed traveling due to increased financial concerns. A recent industry poll revealed that 44% of respondents said their company’s corporate travel budget will significantly be reduced over the next 12 months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Corporate travelers are likely to see JetBlue as a viable, lower-cost alternative going forward. Lower prices will see the airline attract corporate travelers working for companies with depleted budgets. The new MINT business class and elevated service level will allow the airline to compete on a level playing field with existing carriers. This winning combination will see JetBlue become a disruptive carrier that could substantially shake up the corporate transatlantic travel market. However, JetBlue is struggling to secure lucrative slots at London Heathrow. The UK extending its ‘use-it or lose-it’ slot wavier has placed a hurdle in the carrier’s plans. Although it has secured some slots at Gatwick and Stansted, the split of services adds operational costs and complexity the airline will want to avoid. If JetBlue can secure the desired slots at Heathrow, it will be a game changer for the airline’s competitive position.”

FlyArystan has taken delivery of two additional Airbus A320s, with the expanded fleet of nine aircraft having an average age of seven years. All aircraft are configured with 180 economy-class seats. Additional aircraft capacity will be used to increase flights to 65 per day across the domestic network in Kazakhstan and the recently launched international service between Turkistan and Istanbul. FlyArystan is a low-cost airline based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It is the wholly owned low cost subsidiary of Air Astana, the country’s leading airline. FlyArystan’s foundation was approved by Air Astana’s joint shareholders, Samruk-Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund and BAE Systems PLC, and was endorsed by Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev, on 2 November 2018. The company slogan is Eurasia’s Low Fares Airline.

As travel restarts, travelers need accurate COVID-19-related informationIATA Travel Pass initiative helps verify the authenticity of test information presented by travelersEthiopian Airlines has gone digital in all of its operations to avoid physical contact Ethiopian Airlines announced that it will trial IATA Travel Pass, a digital travel mobile app to enhance efficiency in testing or vaccine verifications and restart travel. As travel restarts, travelers need accurate COVID-19-related information like testing and vaccine requirements which vary among countries. The IATA Travel Pass initiative helps verify the authenticity of test information presented by travelers which is essential for ensuring the safety of passengers while complying with entry requirements of countries. In future it will also manage vaccine certificates for travel. Ethiopian Airlines has gone digital in all of its operations to avoid physical contact and combat the spread of the pandemic and now we embark on this initiative which will allow our passengers to relish unparalleled flight experience. Regarding the trial of the IATA travel pass, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO ofEthiopian Airlines said “Digital technology is vital to solve many of the problems that arise from the pandemic. We are glad that we are offering new digital opportunities to our passengers so as to fully and safely restart air travel. Our customers will enjoy efficient, contactless and safer travel experience with their travel pass digital passport. As a safety first airline, we are going to be among the first to implement IATA’s travel pass initiative to facilitate travel. The new initiative will increase travelers’ confidence in travel, encourages governments to reopen their borders andexpedites industry restart. “ The Travel Pass will help create a digital passport, receive test and vaccination certificates and verify that they are sufficient for their route, and share testing or vaccination certificates with airlines and authorities to facilitate travel. The digital travel app will also avoid fraudulent documentation and make air travel more convenient. Alexandre de Juniac, IATA Director General and CEO said, “Ethiopian Airlines is helping to lay the foundation for a re-connected world in which health credentials—COVID-19 test results to vaccination certificates—will play a role. IATA Travel Pass securely enables travelers to control verified health credential data while sharing it with airlines and authorities as may be required in the travel process. That’s going to be vitally important when governments are able to re-open borders for travel. As an IATA Travel Pass trial partner, Ethiopian Airline customers will be among the first to experience its benefits.”

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

Russia suspended international flights in March of last yearScheduled flights between Russia and Germany will restart from April 1Russia has resumed selected number of international routes lately Russian officials announced that Russia will restart commercial passenger flights to and from Germany and five other countries from April 1, 2021. The scheduled air service between Russia and Germany will restart from April 1, the Russian coronavirus response center told reporters today. “The scheduled air service will be resumed from April 1 by agreement with German aviation authorities on a reciprocal basis along the routes of Frankfurt (Main) – Moscow – Frankfurt (Main) five times per week, Frankfurt (Main) – St. Petersburg – Frankfurt (Main) three times per week, Moscow – Berlin – Moscow five times per week and Moscow – Frankfurt (Main) – Moscow three times per week, the Center said. Russian Federation suspended international flights in March of last year at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic but has since resumed a selected number of routes.

Russia may introduce EAEU digital travel passMobile application will be designed exclusively for international flights within the EAEUEAEU digital travel pass would help to accelerate recovery of air travel after a year-long market collapse According to a representative of one of the Russian airlines, Russian Ministry of Transport is discussing with carriers an idea of creating a Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) digital travel pass – a mobile application designed exclusively for international flights within the EAEU. Introduction of the EAEU digital travel pass would help to accelerate the recovery of air travel after a year-long market collapse due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the issue of accelerating the implementation of the digital IATA Travel Pass, which is already operating on some air routes abroad, is also being discussed. “Russia can create a digital travel pass for international air travel within the EAEU. The Ministry of Transport is discussing this issue with airlines. In particular, launching a separate application or accelerating the use of the IATA Travel Pass is being discussed. The goal is to speed up restoration of international air transportation as much as possible, to stimulate other countries to open bilateral traffic, partially or completely limited due to the coronavirus pandemic,” the source close to talks said.

Glenn Rutherford, Swissport Executive Vice President for Asia-Pacific, departs the company at the end of 2021Brad Moore will join Swissport from Qatar Airways as new Managing Director for APACBrad Moore joins Swissport with extensive international experience as an airline executive, most recently as Qatar Airways Senior VP Ground Operations Glenn Rutherford has decided to move on from his role as Swissport’s Executive Vice President Asia-Pacific. Brad Moore will join the company from Qatar Airways as Managing Director for the Australasia region. Rutherford will spend three months ensuring a smooth transition after Moore commences in early April, before moving to a role supporting Swissport Executive Management with post-Covid strategy until the end of 2021. “Over the past 23 years, Glenn Rutherford’s achievements have been extraordinary, growing the Australasian business from 35 employees to some 4,000, culminating in its acquisition by Swissport in 2018,” says Christoph Mueller, President & CEO of Swissport International AG. “We thank him for his impressive contributions to our business globally and to the sector in the region. We are delighted he has agreed to support Swissport until the end of the year, despite making the decision to follow his ambitions elsewhere.” Brad Moore joins Swissport with extensive international experience as an airline executive, most recently as Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Ground Operations. Brad was also a senior post holder at Air Canada and Qantas where he led the Ground Handling Business, Commercial and Operations at both airlines. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from UNSW, a Master of Science from Pepperdine University, USA, and has furthered his executive education at INSEAD, France. Brad is passionate about aviation and holds a pilot’s license. “With Brad’s experience in business transformation and operational excellence, he is the ideal candidate to take Swissport forward in the Australasia region. Post-Covid, the opportunities in this part of the world are very exciting and I am confident that Brad is the right person for the job,” says Rutherford. Brad Moore’s appointment as Managing Director Australasia reflects Swissport’s commitment to Australia and New Zealand. As the regional number one, the company will focus on delivering great customer service, especially as airlines ramp up their flight programs and return to reliable operations in a post-Covid environment. Looking at Asia beyond Australia and New Zealand, Swissport expects air traffic demand to return relatively quickly to its dynamic pre-pandemic growth path. The company’s strong foothold in Japan and Korea together with its leading market position in Australia and New Zealand, will help us to capitalize on this trend. Swissport can rely on its new shareholders to support our growth plans and the ambition to expand our presence in Asia. “I am honored to join Swissport,” says Moore. “Having been a customer for many years, I know first-hand the depth of Swissport’s business and the quality of its team throughout the world. We have a big task ahead of us as we navigate out of the pandemic, but the potential for Swissport in the region is immense. I am looking forward to getting started, building on the incredible work that Glenn and his team have done in creating a highly respected, robust business and a strong culture that has delivered outstanding results over many years.”

Internationally, United plans to operate 52% of its overall schedule compared to May 2019United Airlines plans to resume more than 20 domestic routesUnited Airlines will start new service between Orange County, California, and Honolulu As more travelers begin to plan long-awaited getaways with family and friends, United Airlines is kicking off summer vacation season with a robust May schedule that includes the addition of 26 new nonstop routes between Midwest cities such as Cleveland, Cincinnati and Milwaukee and popular vacation destinations such as Hilton Head, S.C.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Portland, Maine. The airline also plans to resume more than 20 domestic routes and will start new service between Orange County, California, and Honolulu. Internationally, in May United Airlines will fly more than 100% of its pre-pandemic schedule to Latin America compared to what it operated in 2019, including more flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. The airline also plans to resume flights between Chicago and Tokyo Haneda, resume passenger flights between New York/Newark and Milan and Rome, and restart service between Chicago and Amsterdam. In total, United plans to operate 52% of its overall schedule compared to May 2019, whereas in May 2020 United operated 14% of its overall schedule compared to May 2019. “In the past few weeks, we have seen the strongest flight bookings since the start of the pandemic,” said Ankit Gupta, vice president of United’s domestic network planning and scheduling. “As we rebuild our schedule to meet that demand, adding in seasonal point-to-point flying is just one of the ways we are finding opportunities to add new and exciting service. And as we have done throughout the entire pandemic, we will continue being nimble and strategic with our network to add the right service to the destinations our customers want to visit.” Domestic May Schedule Starting May 27, United will begin point-to-point service to Charleston, S.C.; Hilton Head, S.C.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Pensacola, Fla. and Portland, Maine from seven cities including Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; St. Louis, Mo.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Milwaukee, Wis. and Indianapolis, Ind. United plans to operate these point-to-point routes through Labor Day weekend. Most customers on these flights will experience United’s new Bombardier CRJ-550 – the world’s first 50-seater aircraft with two cabins. The spacious CRJ-550 is equipped with 10 first class seats, 20 Economy Plus seats, 20 standard economy seats, Wi-Fi, more legroom and enough overhead bin space for every customer to bring a roller bag on board.

The total number of accidents decreased from 52 in 2019 to 38 in 2020The total number of fatal accidents decreased from 8 in 2019 to 5 in 2020Fatality risk remained unchanged compared to the five-year average at 0.13 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the publication of the 2020 Safety Report and released data for the 2020 safety performance of the commercial airline industry.  The total number of accidents decreased from 52 in 2019 to 38 in 2020.  The total number of fatal accidents decreased from 8 in 2019 to 5 in 2020. The all accident rate was 1.71 accidents per million flights. This is higher than the 5-year (2016-2020) average rate which is 1.38 accidents per million flights. IATA member airlines’ accident rate was 0.83 per million flights, which was an improvement over the 5-year average rate of 0.96. Total flight operations reduced by 53% to 22 million in 2020. Fatality risk remained unchanged compared to the five-year average at 0.13. With a fatality risk of 0.13 for air travel, on average, a person would have to travel by air every day for 461 years before experiencing an accident with at least one fatality. On average, a person would have to travel every day for 20,932 years to experience a 100% fatal accident. “Flying is safe, although the industry did take a step back on performance in 2020. The severe reduction in flight numbers magnified the impact of each accident when we calculate rates. But numbers don’t lie, and we will not allow this to become a trend. We will have even sharper focus on safety during this period of reduced operations and as flight schedules are rebuilt when the world reopens,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.  For the first time in more than 15 years there were no Loss of Control Inflight (LOC-I) accidents, which have accounted for the largest share of fatalities since 2016.

North America is driving the global business jet recoveryFlight activity month to date in the US is up 17% compared to last yearOnly Europe still lags March 2020 when the imposition of lockdowns and travel restrictions sent business jet activity levels down 50% The business jet rebound from lockdown lows is well-established as the market enjoys strong growth. Business jet activity in the first three weeks of March is 11% up on the same period last year.  Activity is within 10% of the first three weeks in March 2019. Only Europe still lags March 2020 when the imposition of lockdowns and travel restrictions sent business jet activity levels down 50%. By contrast global scheduled airline activity is 30% down and 40% lower than in 2019 with Europe suffering a 75% drop on 2019 levels. North America is driving the global business jet recovery with rolling 7-day average activity back at pre-pandemic pace last week – the 6,437 sectors flown on March 17th compares to 6,326 on the comparable day in March 2020 and 6,815 in March 2019. Flight activity month to date in the US is up 17% compared to last year with Fractional operations, up 21%; Private owners and corporate flight department traffic up 15%; and Charters up 14%. Branded Charter operations in the US are up 16%, suggesting that we are now seeing record levels of activity. Beyond the lockdown anniversary in Europe and North America, there is a rebound from the low points and the recovery towards normal activity levels. For Europe, the rebound is in early stages, particularly Western Europe. Outside Europe, normal flight activity has resumed. In the US, there are signs that business jet activity in 2021 may exceed 2019 activity in some States, particularly for the charter market.

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

WestJet committed to a safe restart of regional routesWestJet flights set to resume to airports across Atlantic Canada and Quebec CityService is set to resume to the five airports WestJet suspended service from in November, beginning June 24, 2021 through to June 30, 2021 WestJet today announced it will restore flights to the communities of Charlottetown, Fredericton, Moncton, Sydney and Quebec City after service was suspended as a result of COVID-19. The reinstatement of service will restore WestJet’s complete network of pre-COVID-19 domestic airports. “We committed to return to the communities we left, as a result of the pandemic, and we will be restoring flights to these regions in the coming months, of our own volition,” said Ed Sims, WestJet, President and CEO. “These communities have been a crucial factor in our success over our 25 years and it is critical for us to ensure they have access to affordable air service and domestic connectivity to drive their economic recovery.”  Service is set to resume to the five airports WestJet suspended service from in November, beginning June 24, 2021 through to June 30, 2021. In addition, service between St. John’s and Toronto, which was indefinitely suspended in October, will resume effective June 24, 2021. Following a temporary suspension, the restart of service between St. John’s and Halifax will be advanced from June 24, 2021 to May 6, 2021. Full schedule details and restart dates are outlined below.  “Our focus remains on the safe restart of air travel. We ask that federal and provincial governments work with us to provide clarity and certainty to Canadians, including travel policies that support economic recovery and restore jobs,” continued Sims.   Recognizing the investments that WestJet’s travel and tourism partners in the regions need to make to begin to recover from the pandemic, the airline will continue to encourage the Atlantic premiers to advance their efforts to ensure the region is open to Canadians this summer. 

Better social distancing on planes is attainable and would decrease the spread of COVID-19So far the airlines have been given merely a band-aid to the problem of depressed passenger demandThe FlyersRights.org plan requires airlines to limit passenger load factors to 50% or 65% FlyersRights.org released its Air Travel Social Distancing and Stimulus Plan in response to President Biden’s Executive Order calling on federal agencies to explore and implement additional COVID-19 mitigation measures in air travel.  Paul Hudson, President of FlyersRights.org, explained. “The purpose of the Social Distancing and Stimulus Plan is to increase passenger confidence in the safety of air travel by actually increasing the safety of air travel. Better social distancing on planes is attainable and would decrease the spread of COVID-19. What the airlines have asked for and have been given is merely a band-aid to the problem of depressed passenger demand.” The FlyersRights.org plan requires airlines to limit passenger load factors to 50% or 65%. The federal government would purchase a sufficient number of seats, and keep them unoccupied, to enable airlines to operate at a profit-generating 80% passenger load factor. In return, the federal government would get back a percentage of seats in the future for federal government employee travel. Throughout the pandemic, airlines have kept passenger load factors around 46% to 52% while increasing the number of flights offered, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.  “Many passengers see the horror stories of full flights and decide to not risk traveling, ” Paul Hudson noted. “If passengers were guaranteed their flight would not be more than 50% or 65% full, more people would travel. The cost of the plan is similar to the cost of the three airline bailouts in 2020-2021 but would result in a moderate profit for the airlines rather than a large loss.”  The federal government has not passed any air travel COVID-19 mitigation measures beyond a mask rule, and only one airline has a policy of not putting passengers in middle seats. Meanwhile, the CDC still recommends against air travel unless necessary.

4 in 10 eager Brits are holding out for an overseas holiday this yearYounger generations more likely to choose a package holiday than book a DIY tripThe research also shows that more women are likely to book a package holiday than men Twice as many under 25s surveyed will opt for a package holiday (55%) than those who are 55 and over (26%), according to the stats, proving that older is not necessarily wiser when it comes to being prepared for the unexpected in a COVID-19 world. Nearly 38% of people are planning to book 2021 overseas holiday this year with the Global Travel Taskforce report being announced on April 12. The research shows 25% of respondents are ONLY interested in taking a holiday abroad, while 13% plan to take both an overseas vacation AND a staycation after months of being stuck at home. Of the remainder, 40% are planning a UK-based holiday, with 21% not planning a holiday at all. The age groups that is most holding out a holiday abroad, and therefore the most likely to book, are the: 16-24s (32% of whom can’t wait to go abroad this year);followed by the 25-34s (29%);the 35-44s (28%) andthe 45-54s (25%).

The Greek isle famed for its windmills and its friendly atmosphere is opening up for visitors againQatar Airways will fly its modern twin-engine A320 aircraft three times a weekQatar Airways will connect Mykonos with over 35 cities in Asia and the Middle East Qatar Airways is resuming its service to Mykonos, Greece for the summer season as the islands welcome visitors once again. The airline is planning to operate three flights a week using a modern A320 aircraft featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class. The news has been welcomed by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, who said: “We first started flying to Mykonos in May 2018 and the route proved very popular with our customers. Due to the global pandemic, we had to suspend services last summer so we are really delighted to be returning helping support Greece’s efforts to restart tourism.  “We know the authorities in Greece are taking precautions to ensure public safety and visitors will be required to adhere to public health measures put in place in view of the pandemic. Equally we will be maintaining our own very high standards. Qatar Airways was the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by Skytrax. We look forward to continuing to provide the safest possible experience for travelers across the world, and expanding upon our role in assisting the recovery of the commercial aviation industry.” The Greek Minister for Tourism, Harry Theoharis, said: “I am proud to welcome Qatar Airways back to Mykonos. It is very pleasing for us to have our luxury destination included in the planning of the airline’s new summer program. In this difficult time this development comes when all of our efforts have been put into the safe opening of Greek tourism. ‘All you want is Greece’ is our new motto and with this, we invite friends of Qatar Airways, from all over the world, to visit us.” Mykonos Flight Schedule: Monday, Friday, Saturday Doha (DOH) to Mykonos (JMK) QR311 departs: 07:30 arrives: 12:05 Mykonos (JMK) to Doha (DOH) QR312 departs: 13:05 arrives: 17:05