By Yann Cabaret, CEO of SITA for Aircraft, SITA The current turbulent economic environment is undoubtedly adding fresh challenges for aviation, an industry still recovering from the devastating impacts of COVID-19. Operating on reduced margins and with an ambitious carbon net-zero goal by 2050 to achieve, can the industry feasibly ensure its success and long-term growth post-pandemic? We believe that growth and an environmentally sustainable industry are not mutually exclusive, but to achieve both, we need to start now. Aviation’s recovery and the benefits to the global economy SITA data shows that the industry’s recovery in 2022 is underway: in 2021, global air traffic was at 64% of pre-COVID levels for 2019, but still up 18% on figures for 2020. [...]

By Jose Ricardo Botelho* ALTA, the Latin American & Caribbean Air Transport Association, is celebrating its 42nd anniversary When I joined ALTA in 2020, I took the leadership of a 40-year-old organization that had just completed a deep structural, identity and cultural transformation that would allow it to serve its members in a more agile way. A critical transformation that would prepare ALTA for two extremely challenging years. Since then, going through big challenges along with this team, taking risks, celebrating achievements, welcoming new colleagues, working closely on new ideas has been and is always a privilege. The daily commitment of everyone in the organization makes possible what we do and with deep proud I can state that since 2020 [...]

By Jeff Peet, Managing Editor, ALA News The unprecedented sanctions imposed by Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States on Russia have inflicted a major blow on the airline that never completely got rid of the hammer and sickle logo: more than half of its fleet is grounded In an almost unusual move in the industry, Aeroflot has permanently added an extensive Flight Cancellation and Rescheduling section to its website to deal with the difficult task of repatriating passengers In the event that financial resources are not made available by Vladimir Putin’s government, the company will not be able to face the crisis that has brought with it the extreme reduction of its network of destinations [...]

By Alexis von Hoensbroech - Linkedin Post Canada is home to 1.4 million Canadians of Ukrainian ancestry who helped build this country and I believe it is our responsibility to take action The WestJet Group is diligently working with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Global Medic, and other groups to determine how we can facilitate the delivery of emergency supplies into Ukraine WestJet has also withdrawn from its interline partnership with Aeroflot, Russia’s national airline Over the past week, I, along with the rest of the world, have been devastated to witness the deplorable invasion of Ukraine. In many ways, these events are hard to fathom, as a war for territory is incredibly reminiscent of the 19th and 20th century which [...]

By Nathalie Herbelles* - Courtesy of ACI There are many reasons why we must enhance the accessibility of airports to persons with disabilities. It is, first of all, a human imperative. Providing all individuals with full and effective access to society and with the freedom of movement are rights enshrined in the Untied Nation (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It is also a societal issue. According to the World Health Organization, 15% of the world’s population has a disability. This number is increasing due to medical advances and growing life expectancies. Anyone of us can now expect to spend an average of eight years living with a disability. How many choose not to travel, or travel less, because it might [...]

By, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, ACI World Director General  While we opened the year with continuing headwinds due to the Omicron variant, we remain positive and hopeful that any new COVID-19-related challenges will be manageable bumps on the road to aviation's sustained long-term recovery. After two and a half years I was fortunate enough to be able to reconnect with my family in Brazil and celebrate the holidays together with my loved ones. Christmas, for those who celebrate it, has always been special, but after a very challenging 2021, this past Christmas felt even more meaningful. It truly emphasized the importance of spending quality time with family and friends—social interaction is critical for good health (both physical and mental) and [...]

By Luis Felipe de Oliveira* Just as many countries around the world were beginning to loosen their border restrictions, reports of a newly detected coronavirus variant, named Omicron by the World Health Organization (WHO), sent many of those doors slamming shut again last week. While public health remains the utmost priority, we must use the experience we have gained over the last two years to move to a coordinated data-driven approach that finds alternatives to travel bans and border closures. We call upon governments to coordinate to implement pragmatic and risk-based measures based on science. Furthermore, we continue to urge countries to work closely with aviation stakeholders—including airports and airlines—prior to and during the implementation of travel measures to facilitate [...]

By Marianela Cartagena Sometime ago, I bought a bouquet of flowers from my florist and as I was in a hurry I did not talk to him as was my custom. As I started my fast walk towards my apartment, the salesman told me: “This white rose is for you! Smiling and showing all his teeth, with charming and loving eye contact.This is precisely what I call an act of tenderness. Detecting the need of people is one of the topics that are currently being worked on in the “Customer Service” workshops and this can be perfectly extrapolated to on-board service. The needs of passengers are the same as those of all human beings and among them the need to [...]

By Patrick Lucas* When we look back on the devastation caused by the pandemic, both in terms of the human toll but also the collapse of industries connected to the aviation ecosystem, many of us in the international air transport community will take solace in knowing that these industries forged solutions in a time of crisis. We are grateful for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) leadership for bringing us together in the darkest days of the pandemic—ACI, IATA, CANSO and many other organizations contributed to the development of globally harmonized recommendations under the Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART), for example. We joined forces to think innovatively for the benefit of the wider industry and aviation ecosystem. Our quick and [...]

By Jose Ricardo Botelho Thank you very much Colombia for welcoming us with open arms and doors on the occasion of ALTA’s Annual General Meeting and the Leaders Forum. ALTA was born in Bogota 41 years ago and it is an honor to return to this land with such a rich culture and great tourism potential. Leaders of the public and private world saw an industry that grew steadily in the last 16 years and that doubled in size every decade, in a region that by 2019 had managed to connect with all the continents of the planet by air. Leaders who tackled V-shaped recovery data first, then W, then randomly; leaders who saw a future that advanced steadily became [...]