Source: UNWTO UNWTO reports 4% rise in international tourist arrivals in 2021 However, 2021 was another challenging year: arrivals still 72% down on pre-pandemic levels Recovery needs stronger coordination and increased vaccination rates Global tourism experienced a 4% upturn in 2021, compared to 2020 (415 million versus 400 million). However, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) were still 72% below the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to preliminary estimates by UNWTO. This follows on from 2020, the worst year on record for tourism, when international arrivals decreased by 73%. The first 2022 issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer indicates that rising rates of vaccination, combined with easing of travel restrictions due to increased cross-border coordination and protocols, have all helped [...]

Source: RAA Regional Airline Association (RAA) President and CEO Faye Malarkey Black today issued the following statement in response to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announcement related to the Agency’s clearing of certain narrow and widebody aircraft to perform low-visibility landings at a fraction of the airports expected to be impacted by 5G C-band deployment on January 19. RAA has been a long-time participant and supporter of safe integration of 5G in the United States. Toward that end, we engaged alongside industry peers and government regulators toward the objective of protecting safe and reliable air service for all passengers, no matter which airport they travel to. Unfortunately, this is not what awaits American travelers on January 19. Earlier this month, RAA learned [...]

Source: IATA Key points: The latest financial results confirm that the pressure on the industry’s operating profitability eased in Q3 2021. In the sample of 87 airlines, the operating loss – improved from 13.6% of revenues in Q2 to 2.6% in Q3. The Global airline share price index picked up in January 2022 amid investors’ confidence that Omicron-related disruptions might have a smaller impact on the travel industry than previously expected. Nevertheless, the index remains 30% below pre-crisis levels. Jet fuel prices also rebounded from the Omicron-related dip in December and are currently at the highest level since late-2018. The elevated price is adding extra pressure on airlines’ operating costs just at the time when travel demand is being hit [...]

Source: CANSO ENAV the Italian Air Navigation Service Provider – following an in-depth assessment, obtains certification by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) which verify that strategies and Climate Actions defined by companies are in line with scientific targets defined to fight climate change. The science-based targets are GHG’s (Greenhouse Gas) emission reduction targets whose ambition is in line with the decarbonization level, required to keep the global temperature increase below 1.5°C, as described in the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and in the Paris Climate Agreement. In the Air Transportation – Airport Servicessector, ENAV is the first Italian company to obtain the prestigious recognition while, in the world, only seven companies in the [...]

Source: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) Since 15 January 2022, group health plans and issuers must cover FDA-approved OTC COVID-19 tests obtained without the involvement of a health care provider without imposing any cost-sharing requirements, prior authorization, or other medical management requirements. Coverage of OTC COVID-19 tests is no longer limited to situations in which the individual has an order or individualized clinical assessment from a health care provider. However, plans and issuers are not required to provide coverage of COVID-19 testing for employment purposes. A plan or issuer may require an enrollee to pay for the OTC test and submit a claim for reimbursement. Plans may also set up networks of preferred pharmacies and direct-to-consumer shipping programs to provide [...]

Source: ICAO ICAO has released its fact finding report into the event involving Ryanair flight FR4978 in Belarus airspace. The report was made accessible today to all 193 ICAO Member States, including the 36 States presently elected to the ICAO Council. Council representatives will formally consider any further actions to be taken by ICAO as a result of the report’s findings during a meeting presently scheduled for 31 January. On that day the Council will also review a request from Belarus regarding what the State considers to have been unlawful restrictions or sanctions which were placed upon it in the aftermath of the event, by other States and the EU. The FR4978 fact finding report is based solely on the [...]

Source: ICAO Global passenger traffic recovered modestly in 2021, with the latest ICAO economic impact analysis of COVID-19 on civil aviation revealing that the number of passengers worldwide was 2.3 billion or 49 percent below pre-pandemic (2019) levels, up from the 60 percent drop seen in 2020. Global seat capacity offered by airlines improved by 20 percent during the same period, exceeding the growth in passenger demand. The overall passenger load factor in 2021 stood at 68 percent, compared to 82 percent in 2019, and airlines worldwide incurred losses of $324 billion following $372 billion in 2020 (see Fig.1). Continuing efforts by States to implement WHO and ICAO recommendations, including those issued by the ICAO Council’s Aviation Recovery Task Force [...]

Source: Eurocontrol Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, EUROCONTROL’s Comprehensive Assessment has been charting pandemic impacts on European aviation, using the latest traffic data to track the recovery across airlines, airports, States, ACCs and regional flows. Quick summary of the latest numbers 16,281 flights traffic on Wednesday, 12 January 2022 63 % flights of 2019 levels ↑ 233 cents/gallon fuel price - 39 % intra-European traffic vs 2019 Busiest airlines (Wed 12 January) Ryanair (905 flights); Turkish Airlines (888 flights); Lufthansa (669 flights); Air France (658 flights); KLM (521 flights). Busiest airports (6-12 January) Amsterdam (947 Dep/Arr flights); iGA Istanbul (916 Dep/Arr flights); Frankfurt (865 Dep/Arr flights); Paris CDG (857 Dep/Arr flights); Madrid Barajas (790 Dep/Arr flights).

Source: EASA The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published the 11th edition of the European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS). EPAS sets out the strategic priorities and main risks affecting the European aviation system, and defines the necessary actions to mitigate them, with the primary objective of further improving aviation safety. EPAS is the regional aviation safety plan (RASP) for EASA Member States. It supports safety management at State level and constitutes the main input to the EUR RASP for the ICAO EUR Region. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have significant repercussions for the entire aviation sector. Accordingly, recovering from the crisis without adversely affecting the high level of safety performance is included as a new focus area within [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appointed Frederic Leger as the association’s Senior Vice President for Commercial Products and Services. Leger served in the role on an ad interim basis since July 2021, when IATA’s Commercial Products and Services Division was created as part of an internal restructuring. He reports to Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. Leger holds the concurrent position of President of IATA’s Cargo Network Services in the US, a responsibility he has held since May 2021. Leger joined IATA in 2005 as head of e-Invoicing Services. Since then, he has held various roles at the association with a focus on IATA’s commercial products and services and cargo. Most recently he oversaw the commercial performance [...]