Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air cargo markets for June showing a 9.9% improvement on pre-COVID-19 performance (June 2019). This pushed first half-year air cargo growth to 8%, its strongest first half performance since 2017 (when the industry posted 10.2% year-on-year growth). As comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons to follow are to June 2019 which followed a normal demand pattern. Global demand for June 2021, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), was up 9.9% compared to June 2019. Regional variations in performance are significant. North American carriers contributed 5.9 percentage points (ppts) to the 9.9% growth rate in June. [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced passenger demand performance for June 2021 showing a very slight improvement in both international and domestic air travel markets. Demand remains significantly below pre-COVID-19 levels owing to international travel restrictions. As comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are to June 2019, which followed a normal demand pattern. Total demand for air travel in June 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was down 60.1% compared to June 2019. That was a small improvement over the 62.9% decline recorded in May 2021 versus May 2019. International passenger demand in June was 80.9% below June 2019, an improvement [...]

Source: ACI As the Canadian government announced it will re-open the international border, Airports Council International (ACI) World has today announced that Walt Disney Imagineering Vice President Luc Mayrand will deliver a keynote at this year’s Customer Experience Global Summit.   The third edition of ACI World’s Customer Experience Global Summit will be held as a hybrid conference at Montreal’s Palais des Congres on 8 and 9 September exploring the theme Gateway to the new travel journey: Share. Rethink. Evolve. The event will comprise physical and virtual elements.   The Canadian government has announced that fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents from the United States will be allowed to enter the country as of 9 August – with fully vaccinated [...]

Source: US DOT   U.S. airlines carried 607% more scheduled service passengers in May 2021 than in May 2020 (preliminary), according to data filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) by 18 airlines that carry more than 90% of the passengers.   The large airlines carried 56.6 million passengers in May 2021 (preliminary), compared to 8.0 million passengers in May 2020 and up from 3.0 million in April 2020, which was the lowest monthly total in BTS records dating back to 1974.  The previous low was 14.6 million passengers in February 1975.   In May 2021, the large airlines carried 30% fewer total passengers, 27% fewer domestic passengers and 51% fewer international passengers than in pre-pandemic May 2019 when [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched an environmental sustainability training program together with the University of Geneva (UNIGE). While sustainability has played an important role in the industry for many years, it is a key priority as the sector rebuilds from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent survey of more than 800 industry training professionals, sustainability was identified as a top training need, in order to ensure that employees can obtain the necessary fundamental technical and operational skills, but also the required soft skills. The IATA - UNIGE Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Environmental Sustainability in Aviation consists of six modules covering the following topics: Design a Sustainability Strategy Environmental Management Systems [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) branded the European Commission’s (EC) decision to set the winter slot use threshold at 50% as “out of touch with reality,” and argued that the EC had ignored the advice and evidence presented by EU member states and the airline industry, which had made the case for a much lower threshold. The EC’s announcement means that, from November to April, airlines operating at slot-regulated airports must use at least half of every single series of slots they hold. There is no alleviation to hand back slots at the start of the season allowing airlines to match their schedule to realistic demand or enable other carriers to operate. Additionally, the rule on ‘force [...]

Source: EASA EASA updated Safety Information Bulletin SIB 2020-14 which is addressed to continuing airworthiness management organisations (CAMOs), maintenance organisations (MOs), and competent national airworthiness authorities (NAAs) in relation to aircraft that have been stored due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The SIB provides recommendations for cleaning and inspecting the pitot static system during the return back to service of aircraft, along with recommendations for oversight. It should be read in conjunction with the EASA Guidance on ‘Return to service of aircraft from storage in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic’. For more information, please review Safety Information Bulletin SIB 2020-14.