The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has again convened its Global Tourism Crisis Committee to lead the sector in harmonizing travel and health protocols and securing vital financing for businesses struggling to survive an historic crisis. The ninth meeting of the Crisis Committee advanced solutions to the biggest challenges standing in the way of international travel returning. Committee members, drawn from political leadership, international organizations, including UNWTO’s sister UN agencies, finance and the private sector, discussed the Crisis Committee’s Recommendations, which focus on four core areas: the resumption of safe, cross-border travel; promoting safe travel at all points of the tourist journey; providing liquidity to tourism businesses and protecting jobs, and rest...
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that passenger traffic fell in February 2021, both compared to pre-COVID levels (February 2019) and compared to the immediate month prior (January 2020). Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to February 2019, which followed a normal demand pattern. -Total demand for air travel in February 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was down 74.7% compared to February 2019. That was worse than the 72.2% decline recorded in January 2021 versus two years ago.-International passenger demand in February was 88.7% below February 2019, a further drop from the 85.7% year-to-year decline recorded in...
Read MoreSingapore will next month accept visitors who use a mobile travel pass containing digital certificates for COVID-19 tests and vaccines, its aviation regulator said on Monday, becoming one of the first countries to adopt the initiative. Singapore will accept the International Air Transport Association (IATA) mobile travel pass for pre-departure checks, where travelers can get clearance to fly to and enter Singapore by showing a smartphone application containing their data from accredited laboratories. FILE PHOTO: People look at a Singapore Airlines plane, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at a viewing gallery of the Changi Airport in Singapore. REUTERS/Edgar Su The pass was successfully tested by Singapore Airlines. More than 20 carriers, including Emirates, Q...
Read MoreGlobal airline industry body IATA said on Wednesday a digital travel pass for COVID-19 test results and vaccine certificates would be launched on the Apple platform in mid-April. The digital travel pass, currently in the testing phase, had been planned to be launched by the end of March. IATA Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East Kamil Alawadhi said it was expected to launch on the Apple platform around April 15, and later for the Android platform. “But the application will only achieve its success once airlines, different countries, airports adopt it,” Alawadhi said. UK-based carrier Virgin Atlantic said on Friday it would trial the IATA app on its London to Barbados route from April 16. Barbados has said it will accept the pass at its border, one of the ...
Read MoreEurope’s airlines and travel sector are bracing for a second lost summer, with rebound hopes increasingly challenged by a hobbled COVID-19 vaccine rollout, resurgent infections and new lockdowns. Airline and travel stocks fell on Friday after Paris and much of northern France shut down for a month, days after Italy introduced stiff business and movement curbs for most of the country including Rome and Milan. The setbacks hit recovery prospects for the crucial peak season, whose profits typically tide airlines through winter, when most carriers lose money even in good times. “If there’s no confidence there, demand just doesn’t come back,” said Dublin-based Alton Aviation consultant Leah Ryan, who expects the bad news on vaccines and lockdowns to hurt already weak bookings. FILE PHOTO...
Read MoreThe International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport of the first traveler using the IATA Travel Pass app to manage their travel health credentials. “The successful implementation of IATA Travel Pass in this trial with Singapore Airlines passengers demonstrates that technology can securely, conveniently and efficiently help travelers and governments to manage travel health credentials. The significance of this to re-starting international aviation cannot be overstated,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. JoAnn Tan, Acting Senior Vice President, Marketing Planning, Singapore Airlines, said: “Digital health credentials will be essential as borders reopen and travel restrictions get progressively lifted worldw...
Read MoreGlobal airline industry body IATA called on governments to provide alternative forms of support and stimulus for the aviation sector as it warned that borders may not fully open until October. The deepening nature of the crisis for airlines was highlighted by IATA’s plans to delay its annual meeting from June to October because it does not expect borders to have properly re-opened to allow such a gathering by late June. Many European airlines have said they need a summer holiday season if they are to survive after almost a year of COVID-19 restrictions which have stopped travel. IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said that governments had already provided $225 billion to help airlines, through direct aid, wage subsidies, tax relief and loans, but warned more was needed...
Read MoreThe International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council’s approval of the latest recommendations from its Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART). Key outputs include: Recommendations for: -Temporary liberalization of cargo flights-Considering priority vaccination of air crew-Increased cooperation among governments to implement CART recommendations and guidance Updated or new guidance for: -Testing certificates-COVID-19 risk management including vaccination and its interdependencies-Dangerous goods guidelines for the carriage of cargo on passenger aircraft used in freighter operations A new mechanism for reporting extended regulatory alleviations “This is a major piece of work by states and aviation...
Read MoreTime to Plan for Restart - Health Travel apps expected to be popular The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced results from its latest poll of recent travelers, revealing growing confidence in a return to air travel, frustration with current travel restrictions, and acceptance of a travel app to manage health credentials for travel. Travel Restrictions 88% believe that when opening borders, the right balance must be struck between managing COVID-19 risks and getting the economy going again85% believe that governments should set COVID-19 targets (such as testing capacity or vaccine distribution) to re-open borders84% believe that COVID-19 will not disappear, and we need to manage its risks while living and traveling normally68% agreed that their quality of life ...
Read MoreThe International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that passenger traffic fell in January 2021, both compared to pre-COVID levels (January 2019) and compared to the immediate month prior (December 2020). Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to January 2019 which followed a normal demand pattern. FILE PHOTO: A plane prepares to land at the Nantes Atlantique airport in Bouguenais near Nantes. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe Total demand in January 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was down 72.0% compared to January 2019. That was worse than the 69.7% year-over-year decline recorded in December 2020.Total domestic demand was down 47.4% versus p...
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