Source: US DOT The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today released U.S. airlines’ April Fuel Cost and Consumption numbers. Fuel consumed by U.S. airlines scheduled service: April 2020                     447 million gallons March 2021                   1.0 billion gallons April 2021                     1.0 billion gallons U.S. airlines used 3.7% more fuel in April 2021 than in March 2021 to reach the highest monthly consumption level since March 2020. In April 2021, airlines used more than twice the amount of fuel that they did in April 2020 and 70% of the amount they used in April [...]

Source: ICAO Aircraft CO2 emissions standards adopted through ICAO have been applied by EASA for its latest type certificate issuance – for the new Airbus A330-941neo. The new standards were adopted by countries through ICAO in 2017, and they became applicable globally as of January 2020. “These ICAO requirements are designed to assure that the latest CO2reduction technologies are included in all new aircraft type designs, a critical priority with respect to further reducing the impact of aviation on the global climate,” emphasized ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu. EASA’s application of the new ICAO provisions assures the aircraft is compliant with the latest and most stringent environmental standards, addressing the full spectrum of aircraft impacts on the environment and [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments to make data-driven decisions to manage the risks of COVID-19 when reopening borders to international travel. Strategies without quarantine measures can enable international travel to restart with a low risk of introduction of COVID-19 to the travel destination. “Data can and should drive policies on restarting global travel that manage COVID-19 risks to protect populations, revive livelihoods and boost economies. We call on the G7 governments meeting later this month to agree on the use of data to safely plan and coordinate the return of the freedom to travel which is so important to people, livelihoods and businesses,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. Vaccinated Travelers Evidence continues to show [...]

Source: UNWTO International tourist arrivals were down 83% in the first quarter of 2021 as widespread travel restrictions remained in place. However, the UNWTO Confidence Index shows signs of a slow uptick in confidence. Between January and March 2021 destinations around the world welcomed 180 million fewer international arrivals compared to the first quarter of last year. Asia and the Pacific continued to suffer the lowest levels of activity with a 94% drop in international arrivals over the three-month period. Europe recorded the second largest decline with -83%, followed by Africa (-81%), the Middle East (-78%) and the Americas (-71%). This all follows on from the 73% fall in worldwide international tourist arrivals recorded in 2020, making it the worst [...]

Source: ICAO Speaking at the 2021 P4G Summit, a leading global acceleration event for market-based partnerships in developing countries, hosted by the Republic of Korea, ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu emphasized that governments have an important role to play in addressing this year's P4G theme of inclusive green recovery towards carbon neutrality.   "I have been inspired by the high degree of innovation now being focused on the challenge of aviation sustainability," Dr. Liu commented, noting that this speaks to the fact that "we can and must determine a sustainable path for air transport without sacrificing our shared connections to each other and our world."   She furthermore stressed that "ultimate success in these objectives will require us to [...]

Source: European Commission Today, the EU Digital COVID Certificate has reached another important milestone with the go-live of the technical system at EU level, which allows to verify certificates in a secure and privacy-friendly way. The EU certificate was proposed by the Commission to resume safe travelling this summer. It will be free of charge, secure and accessible to all. Available in digital format or on paper, it will be a proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, tested negative, or recovered from an infection. Following the political agreement between the European Parliament and Council on the Regulation governing the certificate on 20 May, today, the technical backbone of the EU systems goes live. Set up in only [...]

Source: EASA The European Union Aviation Safety Agency  published a proposal to update the regulatory framework applicable to all-weather operations (AWOs) and flight crew training to allow the application of latest technological advancements. This proposal would increase the number of medium-sized aerodromes which are accessible for flight operations. The concept of all-weather operations refers to the ability of aircraft to take off and land in an airport under low visibility conditions. In such circumstances, technological support can ensure safe operations in situations that would otherwise pose safety challenges. While large aerodromes are, for the most part, already equipped for such operations, medium-size or regional airports had typically so far been unable to afford the investment required. “This Opinion is innovative in [...]