The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) announced today that Abu Dhabi will reopen to international travelers starting 24 December 2020. While the emirate will welcome the world once again, Abu Dhabi will continue to implement rigorous health and safety measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Qatar Airways is pleased to announce it will begin incrementally increasing flights to Montréal from 16 January 2021 and operate daily frequencies by 25 February 2021, up from the previously scheduled four weekly frequencies. The Montréal service is operated by Qatar Airways’ state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 featuring 36 seats in the award-winning Qsuite Business Class and […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Jamaica is being hailed as “the next big thing” for Nigerian tourists by that country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Geoffrey Onyeama, following the arrival of the first non-stop flight from Nigeria to Jamaica, which touched down at the Sangster International Airport last night (December 21). “We really expect to see it (tourism) take off in […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Boeing and Alaska Airlines announced that the carrier is buying 23 more 737-9 airplanes, building on its original order and an agreement last month to acquire new 737-9s through lease. The new deal brings Alaska Airlines’ total 737 MAX orders and options to 120 airplanes, which will give the fifth largest U.S. carrier the scale, […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

In a decision dated December 21, 2020, federal Administrative Law Judge Scott R. Morris found Delta Air Lines, Inc. guilty of having used a compulsory psychiatric examination as a “weapon” against Dr. Karlene Petitt after she raised safety issues related to the airline’s flight operations.   Dr. Petitt has been a pilot for over forty […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Qatar Airways has announced that it will offer passengers unlimited date changes and fee-free refunds for all tickets issued before 30 April 2021 for travel completed by 31 December 2021. The airline’s latest enhancement to its industry-leading flexible booking policy has been designed to continue providing customers with peace of mind that they can change […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Following the discovery of a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus in the UK and South Africa, the Federal Council today decided to take steps to prevent the further spread of this new virus strain. All persons who have entered Switzerland from these two countries since 14 December must go into quarantine for 10 […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Why is the United States Government putting its citizens and visitors in harm’s way? Coronavirus is out of control, 120 countries require COVID-19 tests before an airline passenger may board a flight to such countries. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to make it 120 counties and the State of New York. So far, more […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia has been ranked a Five-Star Global Airline by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX). The APEX Official Airline Ratings™ is the first airline rating program based solely on certified passenger feedback.  The industry’s most anticipated honor is based on neutral, third-party passenger feedback and […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Uganda Airlines, the country’s  flag-carrier, has taken delivery of its first A330neo, the latest version of the most popular widebody airliner. It is the first Airbus aircraft delivered to Uganda Airlines, which was established in 2019.  In line with the Company’s strategy to keep offering its customers unbeatable economics, increased operational efficiency and superior passenger […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) today reported the following consolidated airline ticketing volume variances, compared to the same period in 2019. These totals represent sales generated by U.S. travel agencies* and processed through the ARC settlement system. Data figures are for the seven days ending December 20, 2020.   Tickets Issued for All Itineraries:   7-Day […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Russia suspended all flights with the UK amid news of the discovery of a new, more contagious strain of COVID-19 in the country, according to the latest reports by Russian TASS news agency. The restrictions will go into effect from midnight Tuesday, December 22, and will initially last for one week. Russia is not the […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Neste has signed an agreement to supply SAF to DHL Express, the express service arm of Deutsche Post DHL Group, world’s leading mail and logistics company. The Group is renowned as a pioneer of green logistics, utilizing its expertise to make the logistics of its customers greener and more sustainable. Through this agreement Neste has […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

The Philippines’ largest carrier, Cebu Pacific (CEB), commercially launches its Test Before Boarding (TBB) process for passengers flying from Manila, after its successful pilot run with the local government of General Santos. This process makes use of an antigen test taken just hours before the scheduled time of departure, with results released within 30 minutes.   The TBB testing facility at the NAIA Terminal 3 is now open for walk-ins from 2AM to 2PM daily. CEB passengers will only have to register onsite and pay the fee directly to […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Earlier today, the Prime Minister convened a meeting of the Incident Response Group to discuss the new variant of COVID-19 identified in the United Kingdom. Minister of Health Patty Hajdu, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair, Minister of Transport Marc Garneau, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc, and Minister […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

German authorities on Sunday issued an emergency order to ban all fights between the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom as of immediately. This was also expanded for flights from Germany to South Africa. German based aircrafts currently in the UK are allowed to fly back. Cargo flights can continue to operate between […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has reviewed COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) following the increase in passenger traffic accessing the Entebbe International Airport since its October 1 reopening after the lockdown from late March 2020. The notice issued by Management contains the following directives: Effective December 2020, departing and arriving passengers will only be dropped and […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Airbus Helicopters and its historical partner Héli-Union have signed a contract for the purchase of two multi-mission H160s to address a wide range of operations.  “We are excited to be one of the first customers to onboard the H160 which will expand our fleet of 40 helicopters. We believe this program will have a great […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Beginning February 11, JetBlue Airways is to add seasonal nonstop service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport  (JFK)  and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Key West International Airport (EYW). Service from JFK to EYW is scheduled Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays, with flights arriving in Key West at 1:22 p.m. and departing […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Air Greenland, the flag-carrier for Greenland, is the latest airline to order Airbus’ next generation A330neo widebody aircraft. The new A330-800 will replace the airline’s ageing Airbus A330-200ceo to secure operations linking the Arctic island with Denmark from end of 2022 onwards and beyond. Air Greenland’s CEO’s Jacob Nitter Sørensen said: “The A330neo is a […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Latest travel analytics research reveals that despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent collapse in aviation, there has been a last-minute surge in flight bookings for the Christmas period. In a normal year, tickets issued for travel in the week before Christmas tend to grow progressively throughout the year.  However, in 2020, the pattern has […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

International arrivals fell by 72% over the first ten months of 2020, with restrictions on travel, low consumer confidence and a global struggle to contain the COVID-19 virus, all contributing to the worst year on record in the history of tourism. According to the latest tourism data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), destinations welcomed 900 million […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Low-cost carrier JetBlue Airways fully committed today to one of its New Year’s resolutions: launch first-ever flights at Miami International Airport. JetBlue has set February 11, 2021 – the airline’s 21st birthday – as the start date for its Miami route expansion, which will include service to four U.S. cities: Boston (up to four times daily); […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Tourism before the pandemic Over the past several decades, tourism has experienced continuous growth and diversification to become one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world (UNWTO, 2019).  International tourist arrivals increased from 25.3 million in 1950 to 1138 million in 2014 to 1500 million in 2019.  At the end of 2019, international […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) today released data showing net sales from ARC-accredited travel agencies totaling nearly $1.2 billion in November 2020, down from just over $1.4 billion in October 2020. Year-over-year November sales were down 83% compared to November 2019, when sales totaled $6.9 billion. Month over month, November 2020 results showed:  A 15% decrease […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Qatar Airways is delighted to welcome this festive season by creating special moments that will surprise and delight our passengers both on board and on the ground. Passengers departing to and from Qatar Airways’ destinations in the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and select destinations in Asia and Africa, will enjoy the airline’s festivities […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Air Canada said today that with the flight of AC 7227 from Toronto to Lima it has now operated 4,000 all-cargo flights since launching into the cargo-only-flight business in March of 2020. By successfully establishing a dedicated, cargo-only operation, Air Canada Cargo is well-positioned to play a key role in carrying COVID-19 vaccine shipments for Canadians […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

United Airlines with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced a program to collect customer contact information for all international and domestic flights. During the check-in process, United customers will be prompted to voluntarily opt-in and provide contact information such as an email address, phone numbers and an address […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Qatar Airways welcomed Air Canada’s inaugural flight from Toronto to Doha today, establishing Hamad International Airport as the only airport in the Middle East to be operated with a scheduled service by a North American carrier. The flight was welcomed with a water cannon salute at Hamad International Airport and a ribbon cutting ceremony attended […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Who would’ve thought airlines would be the biggest cheerleaders for the new COVID-19 vaccine? Yes, the aviation industry is pushing hardest for anything that will bring back customers and restore trust in flying. Qantas got the ball rolling last month when its CEO declared airlines across the world should consider enforcing “no-vaccination no-fly” policies to […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) welcomes the arrival of Volga-Dnepr’s Boeing 777F. The representatives of Volga-Dnepr Group, Boeing Corporation, GE Healthcare and Domodedovo met the first commercial flight from Seoul.  Volga-Dnepr Group has recently introduced a new Boeing 777F, adding it to AirBridgeCargo‘s fleet. The plane has been successfully certified in Russia. “We are grateful to employees, […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) unveiled key design elements of the IATA Travel Pass. IATA Travel Pass is a mobile app to help travelers easily and securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccine information. “Testing is the immediate solution to safely re-open borders and re-connect people. […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Cebu Pacific (CEB), the Philippines’ largest carrier, continues to extend the validity of its flexible options for passengers traveling until March 31, 2021. These options include Unlimited Rebooking and a Travel Fund valid for two years. “We will continue to monitor the operating environment and listen to the concerns of our passengers. We are encouraged by […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Destination Seychelles welcomes Qatar Airways back on its shores as the airline landed at the Seychelles International airport of Pointe Larue on Tuesday, December 15, 2020, at 8:55 am. The national airline of the State of Qatar announced the resumptions of flights to Seychelles earlier in December with an operation of three weekly flights. Ensuring […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Delta Air Lines‘ customers with essential travel needs can now fly from Atlanta to Amsterdam without having to quarantine after arrival, and with the knowledge that their fellow passengers and crew are COVID-19 negative after undergoing pre-flight testing protocols.   Tuesday’s COVID-tested flight, with no quarantine after arrival, is the first of two the global carrier is launching this week, with an Atlanta to Rome option starting Saturday, December  19.   “Air travel is the backbone of the global economy. In normal times, it supports more than 87 […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Following the launch of the Etihad Greenliner Program at the 2019 Dubai Airshow, and the arrival of the flagship Greenliner in January 2020, Etihad Airways today officially inaugurated the latest aircraft in its journey towards sustainability, with the pioneering 2020 ecoDemonstrator entering commercial service following a series of industry-leading test flights across the United States. […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Three days ahead of the start of the traditional winter tourist season, Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, elatedly welcomed the return of British Airways (BA) flights to Montego Bay. The first fully loaded Boeing 777 flight, BA2265 from London Gatwick, touched down at the Sangster International Airport late Saturday afternoon (December 12). Joining Minister […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Russia’s Prime Minister announced today that the country’s government has extended subsidy programs to support airports and airlines amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “The government decided to extend the programs to subsidize airports and airlines, to increase the amount of state support for carriers, and the corresponding government decree has already been signed,” Prime Minister said. […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

The Seychelles International airport of Pointe Larue welcomed British Airways again on its grounds on Sunday, December 13, 2020, after a four-week break from the safe tropical island destination. British Airways resumes its weekly flight to Seychelles, providing the perfect opportunity for British visitors to escape to endless summer.  With the United Kingdom loosening restrictions […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) today reported the following consolidated airline ticketing volume variances, compared to the same period in 2019. These totals represent sales generated by U.S. travel agencies* and processed through the ARC settlement system. Data figures are for the seven days ending December 13, 2020.   Tickets Issued for All Itineraries:   7-Day […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

  Cebu Pacific (CEB), the Philippines’ largest carrier, welcomed the arrival of its second ATR-freighter, further boosting its growing cargo operations.  The converted ATR 72-500 joins two other dedicated cargo aircraft in CEB’s fleet. CEB recently modified one of its A330-300 into an all-cargo configuration, removing seats so that cargo can be carried in the main deck. The freighters are part of CEB’s response to […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Following the Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Pfizer, Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine, the FAA has determined that pilots may receive the vaccine under the conditions of their FAA-issued airman medical certification. FAA Air Traffic Controllers, who are subject to FAA medical clearance, may also receive the vaccine. To maintain the […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Continuing its efforts to boost air connectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new India-Nepal travel bubble has been added to India’s network under air travel bubble agreements. The Himalayan nation will become the 23rd country with which India has made such pacts. From December 17, 2020, Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, will be linked to […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Transat A.T. Inc., one of the largest integrated tourism companies in the world and Canada’s holiday travel leader, announces its results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended October 31, 2020. “Our results reflect COVID-19’s devastating impact across the travel industry,” stated Jean-Marc Eustache, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transat.  “During the year, we took […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Air Canada said today it is the first Canadian airline to offer its customers the safety and convenience of a new boarding option utilizing facial biometrics.  The technology is now available for customers departing San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with plans to progressively roll it out for customers at other US airports where the airline […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, announced today that the Board of Directors has elected Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly to serve as the Chairman of the Board for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2021. Robin Hayes, CEO of JetBlue Airways, was elected to serve […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

PAL Airlines announced new enhanced winter schedule for Atlantic Canada and Quebec, designed to meet market demand with new capacity, solidify its new fleet of Q400 aircraft in regular commercial service and enhance connectivity across its network. “PAL Airlines continues to manage our way forward based on a strategy of staying close to our customers […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Alaska Airlines guests traveling to Hawaii can now pre-clear on the West Coast, avoiding lines and bypassing the airport screening process after they arrive in Hawaii with an approved negative COVID-19 test. Alaska’s Pre-Clear program, launched this week in coordination with the State of Hawaii, is the first of its kind to allow guests to […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Passenger numbers at Heathrow fell by 88% in November, as travel restrictions and a second lockdown took their toll. Based on current forecasts and continued decline in passengers, the decision has been taken for Terminal 4 to remain non-operational until the end of 2021. Heathrow is calling for targeted, sector specific Government support to protect […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online

Once again, the Lufthansa Group has received a positive score on climate protection from the rating organization CDP. For the third time in a row, the aviation group was rated “B” in the world’s largest climate ranking, maintaining its top position among the airlines in Europe. In particular, the ranking confirms the Lufthansa Group’s high […] - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News Online