Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data showing growing momentum in the recovery of air travel as restrictions are lifted. Improved Ticket Sales IATA reported a sharp 11-percentage point increase for international tickets sold in recent weeks (in proportion to 2019 sales). In the period around 8 February (7 day moving average) the number of tickets sold stood at 49% of the same period in 2019. In the period around 25 January (7 day moving average) the number of tickets sold stood at 38% of the same period in 2019. The 11-percentage point improvement between the January and February periods is the fastest such increase for any two-week period since the crisis began. Progressive Alleviation of COVID-19 [...]

Source: European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE) EUROCAE appoints Anna von Groote as new Director General. She assumed her new role on 14 February 2022 and succeeded Christian Schleifer-Heingärtner.  “It was an amazing flight, where I was able to act as pilot in command over nearly eight years. This journey was full of adventures, sometimes rain and snow, we experienced strong winds at times, including headwind, thunderstorms, and other reasons that caused a diversion. At cruising level, over the clouds, we had sunshine, smooth air and had good range with the chosen power setting. After this long-haul flight, we have safely landed at the destination. Now it is time to change the cockpit crew, refuel the airplane, do a [...]

Source: US Department of Transportation December 2021 Passenger Enplanements up 118% from December 2020, down 16% from December 2019 For the calendar year 2021, U.S. scheduled service airlines carried 670.4M passengers (preliminary), an increase of 303.6M passengers (83%) from 2020 and a decrease of 245.9M passengers (27%) from pre-pandemic 2019. In 2019, the last full calendar year before the onset of COVID-19, domestic flights accounted for 88% of all passengers, and international flights accounted for 12%. In 2021, domestic flights accounted for 91% of all passengers, and international flights accounted for 9%. U.S. airlines carried 66.3 million scheduled service passengers in December 2021 (preliminary), 118% more than in December 2020 and 16% fewer than in pre-pandemic December 2019, according to [...]

Source: ALTA After almost two years since the start of the pandemic, there are many lessons we have learned both personally and professionally. Without a doubt, many priorities were rearranged and today we have a highly thoughtful view on family, work, communities, the planet. As I have the opportunity to visit different destinations in the region, I feel even more strongly the conviction that travel and tourism are the great enhancers of the socioeconomic well-being of our countries. We have history and unique natural beauty, a warm and friendly population, quality and authentic services. Although technology and digital communications have become an essential part of our daily lives, we know that enjoying a destination with all our senses, falling in [...]

Source: ACI-LAC Airports Council International Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC) and Peruvian airports are urging the government to remove operating and capacity restrictions to accelerate the recovery of air transport in the country. ACI’s preliminary data for December 2021 indicates that Peru’s airport traffic ended 36% below December 2019. The 2021 year ended with a 53% drop in traffic in Peru and 40% in the entire region. Peruvian airports have been very responsible in implementing all sanitary protocols recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Airports Council International (ACI) and the major international health organizations. Multiple studies have shown that the most effective way to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is through the use of facemasks and vaccination. The [...]

Source: ICAO ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar recently signed a new cooperative agreement with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT) to further advance joint counter-terrorism cooperation to strengthen the security of international air transport, trade, and border management. Formalized on 12 February 2022 with UNOCT Under-Secretary-General, Mr. Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov, the agreement builds on ICAO’s key role in supporting the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (A/RES/75/291) and numerous Security Council resolutions on counter-terrorism, aviation security, and facilitation (identity and border control management). It is additionally expected to maximize related deliverables to Member States in a variety of areas of ICAO/UNOCT focus, including initiatives pertaining to unmanned aircraft systems (drones) and cybersecurity. Highlighting ICAO’s commitment to continue [...]

Source: Air Transport Awards Leader of the Year: Pieter Elbers, President & CEO, KLM Alliance of the Year: Star Alliance Airport of the Year: iGA Istanbul Airport Airline of the Year: Air Arabia This year’s awards ceremony for the Air Transport Awards took place next to the inaugural 2022 Air Transport Symposium with the participation of industry leaders. The 2022 Air Transport Awards are in partnership with Hermes - Air Transport Organisation and ATN - Air Transport News. Welcoming the participants, Dr Kostas Iatrou, President of the 2022 Air Transport Awards: “This year we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the awards. I am pleased that all these years we recognised the leaders, companies and organisations that contributed to the development of air transport”. Dr Yiannis Paraschis, CEO, Athens International Airport said: “It is indeed with great [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the launch of the IGOM Portal, a major support tool for the efficient implementation of the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM). IGOM is the established global industry standard for ground handling worldwide. The IGOM Portal is an online platform where, with IGOM as the primary reference, airlines and ground service providers (GSPs) can exchange information, including any variations, on their ground handling requirements. “Safe and secure on-time turnarounds are a priority for airlines and a critical deliverable for GSPs. Standardization of procedures through the IGOM is a key enabler. But it must be implemented to be effective. The IGOM Portal will provide the means to understand variances and manage adoption,” said Nick [...]

Source: US DOT The Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection (AMJP) program has now announced more than $673 million in payroll protection support, protecting nearly 31,000 manufacturing jobs nationwide  The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today announced that it will offer an additional $69 million in awards provided by the American Rescue Plan to 127 more aviation manufacturing and repair businesses. The Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection Program (AMJP), created to ensure the aviation manufacturing workforce was kept intact despite declines in airline travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is helping to protect nearly 31,000 American manufacturing jobs across 43 states and Puerto Rico. These new awards, combined with the prior rounds of funding (announced in September and November 2021), bring the total [...]