//AROUND THE WORLD

Delta Air Lines named as the world’s best performing airline of 2021; All Nippon Airways as the most on-time globally

Source: Cirium Cirium releases the 2021 On-Time Performance Review for airline and airport operational performance featuring a new Platinum Award for operational excellence. Cirium released its annual On-Time Performance Review 2021, the global standard for airline and airport performance Delta Air Lines is recognized for Operational Excellence in 2021 Airlines globally operated nearly 25 million flights in 2021, a 10% increase from 2020, but still down 36% compared to 2019 Spanish IAG carriers, Vueling, Iberia Express and Iberia, take three of the top five spots in Europe Tokyo’s Haneda Airport is the world’s most on-time airport In Latin America, Copa Airlines is making a strong recovery and operating its expanding flight schedules at a very high level of on-time performance [...]

2022-01-11T18:39:14+02:00January 11th, 2022|AROUND THE WORLD, News|

Tourism ministers of Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador commit to explore a joint initiative to foster regional cooperation

Source: ALTA This collaboration would focus on a new joint product showcasing the region from coast to coast, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, aimed at the long-haul traveler. It would anticipate new post-pandemic trends, emphasizing sustainability, innovation and a novel approach to air connectivity The ministerial panel held during the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in Bogota on October 26, 2021 has generated a transcendent initiative. The debate focused on the role of tourism as a driver of economic recovery, as well as on the most appropriate tools to drive innovation, sustainability and adequately meet the needs of post-pandemic travelers. Within the framework of this session, the ministers of tourism of Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador have agreed to explore a [...]

2021-10-27T02:15:23+03:00October 27th, 2021|AROUND THE WORLD, News|

After 5 years of construction and an investment of US$1 billion, Terminal 2 of Santiago de Chile’s International Airport (SCL) is now ready

Source: Infrastructure Policy Council With the new Terminal 2, Santiago de Chile's International Airport will double its capacity from 15 to 30 million passengers per year, with first-rate facilities of more than 200 thousand square metres. It will consist of a “central processor” building where passengers arrive to document their flight and the departure of those who arrive; from there they will be distributed to 4 breakwaters with last waiting rooms with direct corridors to the planes that quadruple from 18 to 67, with a total of 76 boarding gates. The previous terminal, now called Terminal 1, will be completely remodeled and will be used for domestic flights; although it will be interconnected with the new International Terminal. Both terminals [...]

2021-06-16T19:27:27+03:00June 16th, 2021|AIRPORTS, AROUND THE WORLD, News, ORGANISATIONS|

UK: Vaccination programme accelerated as Step 4 is paused

Source: UK Prime Minister’s Office Step 4 will be delayed by up to four weeks and the vaccination programme accelerated to respond to the rapid spread of the Delta variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed. Step 4 of the Roadmap paused for four weeks while vaccination programme is accelerated following significant rise in more transmissible variant Second dose brought forward to 8 weeks for over 40s to provide strongest protection against Delta variant sooner Restrictions to be lifted on weddings and wakes on 21 June By 19 July, all adults will have been offered a first dose and around two thirds of all adults will have been offered two doses of the vaccine. Data suggests that the Delta variant [...]

2021-06-16T16:09:08+03:00June 16th, 2021|AROUND THE WORLD, News|

Chile and Greece sign important Air Services Agreement

By Jeff Peet, Managing Editor, ALA News. In the context of long-standing economic-trade relations of great importance for both Chile and Greece, both countries signed an Air Services Agreement at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens that will further consolidate bilateral ties. On the Greek side, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Konstantinos Fragkogiannis, participated and on behalf of Chile, the Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic and concurrent in Cyprus, Ximena Ares. "This agreement reinforces a very fluid bilateral relationship and will allow the promotion of greater economic cooperation between both countries, facilitating the exchange of tourists and weekly flights between Santiago and Athens," said Ambassador Ares. The agreement establishes a modern and dynamic legal framework, which will result [...]

2021-05-30T22:22:34+03:00May 30th, 2021|AROUND THE WORLD, News, SERVICES|

Government Protect Canadian Air Travellers, Jobs, and Airline Sector

Source: Department of Finance of Canada In a country as vast as Canada, it is essential we maintain connections between people and our communities. To that end, today the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, and the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, announced financial support for Air Canada. As a condition to receiving this support, Air Canada will ensure that: Regional communities retain air connections to the rest of Canada through the restart of service at airports temporarily suspended by Air Canada; Any customer of Air Canada who wants a refund will receive one for certain pandemic-related cancelations; Airline jobs, pensions, and collective agreements are protected; and Air Canada remains a customer for Canada’s aerospace sector. [...]

2021-04-13T15:35:45+03:00April 13th, 2021|AROUND THE WORLD, News|

Details of Financial Support to Air Canada

Source: Department of Finance of Canada Backgrounder The government's financial support to Air Canada is being provided under the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF). The Canada Enterprise Emergency Funding Corporation (CEEFC) has committed to provide $4 billion in repayable loans and an equity investment in Air Canada of $500 million in newly-issued Class B Voting Shares at a 15 per cent discount to their recent trading price. CEEFC will also receive warrants on Air Canada stock in an amount equal to 10 per cent of the loan commitments (CEEFC's news release contains detailed information regarding the warrants). As a condition of its agreement with CEEFC, Air Canada has made a number of commitments as outlined below. Refunds for Canadians The agreement with [...]

2021-04-13T15:36:23+03:00April 13th, 2021|AROUND THE WORLD, News|

Statement from Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau to announce the cancellation of export permits to Turkey

Source: Office of the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs today issued the following statement:​ “Last fall, in line with our robust export control regime, the Government of Canada suspended export permits for military goods and technology to Turkey pending the results of an investigation into allegations that Canadian technology was being used by Azerbaijan in the military conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. “Those suspensions followed the decision to suspend the issuance of new export permits to Turkey in the fall of 2019, following its military incursion into northeastern Syria. “Global Affairs Canada, in consultation with the Department of National Defence, has since conducted a thorough review of all suspended and valid export permits for all military goods and technology destined to Turkey. “Following this review, which found credible evidence that Canadian technology exported [...]

2021-04-13T16:02:47+03:00April 13th, 2021|AROUND THE WORLD, News|

Australia Welcomes Two-Way Trans-Tasman Travel

Source: Office of the Prime Minister of Australia Australia’s flight-path to recovery is well underway with the Australian Government welcoming the New Zealand Government's announcement that it will join the Safe Travel Zone between Australia and New Zealand. This announcement will enable quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealand on both sides of the Tasman helping to reunite families and friends and giving tourism operators a significant boost. It follows Australia’s opening of a one-way Safe Travel Zone from New Zealand to Australia six months ago, with more than 34,000 arrivals into Australia from New Zealand during that period. This latest major step in the resumption of international travel has only been possible due to the internationally recognised, world-leading responses [...]

2021-04-06T14:41:31+03:00April 6th, 2021|AROUND THE WORLD, News|

Chile announces the gradual and safe reopening of its borders as of 23 November 2020

Source: Government of Chile   The Undersecretary of the Interior, Juan Francisco Galli, together with the Undersecretary of Public Health, Paula Daza, unveiled the Step-by-Step Border Opening Plan, which includes three fundamental pillars: gradualism, security and traceability.   As of November 23 at 00.00 hours, foreigners may enter the country only through (Santiago's) Arturo Merino Benitez international airport, complying with all health requirements.   “On March 18th we closed the borders to any Chilean or non-resident foreigner in our country. Our country took measures that were consistent with protecting the right of Chileans and residents who could return to our country. As progress has been made, the President has arranged to make the borders more flexible only and exclusively through [...]

2020-11-16T19:39:06+02:00November 16th, 2020|AROUND THE WORLD, News|