Source: IATA In response to the announcement by the Australian government on the next steps to reopen, Philip Goh, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific, gave the following comment: “This is a step forward. But more can still be done. The announcement of the November timeline and the removal of the international arrival caps are positive steps forward. The reduction of quarantine period and introduction of home quarantine for vaccinated Australians are also steps in the right direction. We welcome the use of rapid antigen tests for international travel. Realistically, the woes of the travel and tourism sectors will persist as long as passenger caps are retained for unvaccinated arrivals and quarantine remains even for the vaccinated.  International travel recovery [...]

Source: ALPA The Newfoundland and Labrador-based pilots of PAL Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), today announced they have filed a request for conciliation services with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. After nearly two years of negotiations for their first collective agreement, PAL Airlines pilots and the PAL Group of Companies executives have yet to reach an agreement on many issues. While continuing to help the airline earn a profit, pilots are working under extreme duress, including operating understaffed, without contractual job protections, and with increased health risks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The executives continue to fail to prioritize the pilots and other employee groups who serve their airline, and in doing so they are [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the recovery in air travel decelerated in August compared to July, as government actions in response to concerns over the COVID-19 Delta variant cut deeply into domestic travel demand. Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to August 2019, which followed a normal demand pattern. Total demand for air travel in August 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was down 56.0% compared to August 2019. This marked a slowdown from July, when demand was 53.0% below July 2019 levels. This was entirely driven by domestic markets, which were down 32.2% compared to August [...]

Source: ACI Airports Council International (ACI) World has launched comprehensive guidance to help airport executives incorporate sustainability at the core of their strategies as they work towards long-term recovery. The ACI World Sustainable Recovery Best Practice highlights the advantages of incorporating sustainability in recovery plans including access to funding through government relief packages and sustainability-linked bonds, as well as further developing a more balanced business model that incorporates social, environmental, and economic sustainability. The publication provides a table of best practices and examples of action under three pillars of sustainability and governance, which airports worldwide should consider while developing their own sustainable recovery plans. A step-by-step approach to building such a plan is also included. “As the industry seeks to [...]

Source: US DOT The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today fined United Airlines $1.9 million for violating federal statutes and the Department’s rule prohibiting long tarmac delays. The airline was also ordered to cease and desist from future similar violations. This is the largest fine issued by the Department for tarmac delay violations.   An extensive investigation by the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) found that between December 2015 and February 2021, United allowed twenty domestic flights and five international flights at various airports throughout the United States to remain on the tarmac for a lengthy period of time without providing passengers an opportunity to deplane, in violation of the Department’s tarmac delay rule. The tarmac delays affected [...]