Source: ACI Airports Council International (ACI) World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira today spoke at the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit about how the industry can work together to safeguard and rebuild the millions of aviation jobs threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic.   Participating in the panel Recovering 100 Million Jobs in Cancun, Mexico, Luis Felipe de Oliveira said air transport remains a vital part of the economy which, in pre-COVID-19 times, supports 88 million jobs and contributes $3.5 trillion to global Gross Domestic Product.   The panel was moderated by Aradhana Khowala, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Aptamind Partners, and Luis Felipe de Oliveira was joined by:   Craig Smith, Group President, International, Marriott International Luís [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is expanding the benefits available to the travel agent community through the ID Card and the AgentExperience platform. Eligible travel professionals (in possession of an IATA or IATAN ID card) can already access benefits such as special offers for flights, hotels, car rentals, sightseeing, ground transportation, familiarization trips and IATA training courses. An additional 180,000 worldwide hotel properties with attractive rates have been added to the portfolio for travel professionals, through a new partnership with hotelbeds.com. Additionally, travel professionals based in the US can also purchase select gift cards and receive up to 10% discount, or up to 50% discount on merchandise items. Bloomingdales, Foot Locker, TJ Maxx, Barnes & Noble, Sony, [...]

Source: CAAS 1. Singapore and Hong Kong have agreed to set 26 May 2021 as the launch date of the Singapore – Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble (ATB). Both parties will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation from now till 26 May 2021, and will proceed with the launch if the situation continues to be steady and remain under control in both cities. 2. The ATB will be launched under more stringent arrangements to better safeguard public health and provide greater stability. Travellers on the ATB must have remained in either Singapore or Hong Kong in the last 14 days prior to departure, and the 14 days period must exclude any time spent in quarantine or Stay-Home Notice (SHN) arising [...]

Source: ICAO To mark Earth Day 2021, ICAO has released two publications as part of its Eco-Airport Toolkit e-collection focusing on climate resilient airports and water management at airports. Each publication provides States with practical information for decision makers engaged in green airport planning and design.   “The pace of innovation in all aspects of aviation is unparalleled, and ICAO has been helping drive the green recovery of aviation by promoting an ambitious decarbonization path for the sector including the promotion of pioneering efforts to support the development of airport infrastructure projects” highlighted ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano.   ICAO continues to engage with all stakeholders to facilitate the acceleration of greener technologies and initiatives, including the development of electric [...]

Source: ACI Airports Council International (ACI) World has today published its preliminary world airport traffic rankings - covering passenger traffic, cargo volumes, and aircraft movements for 2020 - showing the dramatic impact of COVID-19 on what are ordinarily the world’s busiest airports.   Global passenger traffic at the world’s top 10 busiest airports decreased by -45.7% in 2020. Overall, passenger traffic at the world’s airports decreased by -64.6% which shows that the impact of the pandemic and the early stages of recovery in air travel has not been uniform around the world.   According to the preliminary data published today, Guangzhou Bai Yun International Airport in China recorded the most passenger traffic in 2020, with Atlanta Hartsfield- Jackson International Airport [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged states to comply with recommendations on international travel from the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee on testing and risk management during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, IATA highlighted the following recommendations for states: “Do not require proof of vaccination as a condition of entry.”  IATA believes that the freedom to travel across borders should not be limited to those who are able to be vaccinated. It does, however, support governments opening borders to those who have been vaccinated and that testing should also play a key role where vaccination is not possible. Together—testing and vaccination—are key measures for states to safely reopen their borders and restore freedom [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomes the decision by the government of Panama to accept the IATA Travel Pass as a digital travel credential for passengers to store their COVID-19 test result, which is a current requirement for entry into the country.  Panama thus becomes the first nation in the region to accept this new IATA application. "We are pleased that the government of Panama will allow passengers to use the IATA Travel Pass to manage their health credentials when traveling. Our cooperation with Panama in adopting electronic health certificates is a model for the region to follow, especially since the country provides significant air connectivity. Reliable and secure solutions for the verification of health credentials are [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects net airline industry losses of $47.7 billion in 2021 (net profit margin of -10.4%). This is an improvement on the estimated net industry loss of $126.4 billion in 2020 (net profit margin of -33.9%). “This crisis is longer and deeper than anyone could have expected. Losses will be reduced from 2020, but the pain of the crisis increases. There is optimism in domestic markets where aviation’s hallmark resilience is demonstrated by rebounds in markets without internal travel restrictions. Government imposed travel restrictions, however, continue to dampen the strong underlying demand for international travel. Despite an estimated 2.4 billion people travelling by air in 2021, airlines will burn through a further $81 [...]