Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments to make data-driven decisions to manage the risks of COVID-19 when reopening borders to international travel. Strategies without quarantine measures can enable international travel to restart with a low risk of introduction of COVID-19 to the travel destination. “Data can and should drive policies on restarting global travel that manage COVID-19 risks to protect populations, revive livelihoods and boost economies. We call on the G7 governments meeting later this month to agree on the use of data to safely plan and coordinate the return of the freedom to travel which is so important to people, livelihoods and businesses,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. Vaccinated Travelers Evidence continues to show [...]

Source: UNWTO International tourist arrivals were down 83% in the first quarter of 2021 as widespread travel restrictions remained in place. However, the UNWTO Confidence Index shows signs of a slow uptick in confidence. Between January and March 2021 destinations around the world welcomed 180 million fewer international arrivals compared to the first quarter of last year. Asia and the Pacific continued to suffer the lowest levels of activity with a 94% drop in international arrivals over the three-month period. Europe recorded the second largest decline with -83%, followed by Africa (-81%), the Middle East (-78%) and the Americas (-71%). This all follows on from the 73% fall in worldwide international tourist arrivals recorded in 2020, making it the worst [...]

Source: ICAO Speaking at the 2021 P4G Summit, a leading global acceleration event for market-based partnerships in developing countries, hosted by the Republic of Korea, ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu emphasized that governments have an important role to play in addressing this year's P4G theme of inclusive green recovery towards carbon neutrality.   "I have been inspired by the high degree of innovation now being focused on the challenge of aviation sustainability," Dr. Liu commented, noting that this speaks to the fact that "we can and must determine a sustainable path for air transport without sacrificing our shared connections to each other and our world."   She furthermore stressed that "ultimate success in these objectives will require us to [...]

Source: European Commission Today, the EU Digital COVID Certificate has reached another important milestone with the go-live of the technical system at EU level, which allows to verify certificates in a secure and privacy-friendly way. The EU certificate was proposed by the Commission to resume safe travelling this summer. It will be free of charge, secure and accessible to all. Available in digital format or on paper, it will be a proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, tested negative, or recovered from an infection. Following the political agreement between the European Parliament and Council on the Regulation governing the certificate on 20 May, today, the technical backbone of the EU systems goes live. Set up in only [...]

Source: EASA The European Union Aviation Safety Agency  published a proposal to update the regulatory framework applicable to all-weather operations (AWOs) and flight crew training to allow the application of latest technological advancements. This proposal would increase the number of medium-sized aerodromes which are accessible for flight operations. The concept of all-weather operations refers to the ability of aircraft to take off and land in an airport under low visibility conditions. In such circumstances, technological support can ensure safe operations in situations that would otherwise pose safety challenges. While large aerodromes are, for the most part, already equipped for such operations, medium-size or regional airports had typically so far been unable to afford the investment required. “This Opinion is innovative in [...]

Source: ICAO At the ICAO/Interpol Passenger Data Exchange Forum, held virtually from 27-28 May in conjunction with this year’s ICAO TRIP Symposium, ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu highlighted the vital importance of ramping up the global implementation of ICAO’s new Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) standards given their pivotal importance to UN-system counter terrorism and crime prevention efforts. The Forum offered the attending States insights into how the effective implementation of Passenger Data Exchange Systems and data analysis can improve border control tools to tackle terrorism and serious crime, and provided information on the related types of support available to them. The event also covered ICAO and Interpol’s cooperation through the United Nations Countering Terrorist [...]

Source: ICAO ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu joined the Right Honourable J. Adair Turner, Chairperson of the United Kingdom’s Energy Transitions Commission, in co-chairing this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) ‘Shaping the Future of Mobility’ Stewardship Board Meeting. The meeting was co-hosted by H.E. Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure of Germany and Dr Young Tae Kim, Secretary-General of the International Transport Forum. The Board Meeting included the participation and contributions of the Minister of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility of Italy, H.E. Mr Enrico Giovannini; the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, H.E. Mr Kazuyoshi Akaba; the Minister for the Environment of the Netherlands, H.E. Ms Stientje van Veldhoven; the Minister for Transport [...]

Source: US DOT  The Biden-Harris Administration today submitted to Congress the President’s Budget for fiscal year 2022. As the Administration continues to make progress defeating the pandemic and getting our economy back on track, the Budget makes historic investments that will help the country build back better.    The Budget prioritizes the Secretary’s key principles: ensuring safety; fostering economic strength and  good-paying American jobs; creating equitable access to opportunity; tackling the climate crisis and making our infrastructure more resilient; and transforming our nation’s infrastructure.     “This budget reflects our Administration’s priorities, and responds to our country’s needs,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “It will start giving America the tools to get back to work, modernize our infrastructure, combat the climate crisis, and build equity into our transportation system so everyone can get [...]

Source: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA) and Norse Atlantic Airways (Norse) have agreed to a pre-hire agreement for U.S.-based Flight Attendant jobs at the new low-cost, long-haul start up airline. Norse expects to create a minimum of 700 Flight Attendant jobs in the U.S. and agreed to union neutrality with joint application for certification by the National Mediation Board once the Flight Attendants demonstrate majority interest in representation with AFA. The full contract, subject to ratification after certification of the union, includes industry-leading starting pay and job protections, healthcare, and a 401k among other key benefits. “This is what respect for workers and our unions looks like,” stated AFA President Sara Nelson. “We are proud [...]