air transport

480 million passengers in 2020, compared with 927 million a year earlier on US airlines. Only 36 million of these will be on international routes. This compares with 115.4 million passengers the previous year. The covid has of course had a devastating effect on air transport in the United States, if we...

In 2020, the Thai national airline began to reduce its workforce. With 29,000 employees, Thai Airways was one of the airlines with the highest number of employees in Asia, compared with carriers of a similar size. Singapore Airlines, for example, has 17,000 employees and Cathay Pacific 19,500. The carrier has...

It is called the "Northeast Alliance" and took shape on 25 February. This is the strategic alliance between American Airlines and JetBlue which was announced at the beginning of January. An alliance which, according to the management of American and JetBlue, will enable them to accelerate their financial and operational recovery. The...

United Airlines grounded 24 of its Boeing 777s on Sunday after an engine on one of its aircraft caught fire in flight. The engine sent debris flying over a suburb north of Denver at the weekend. The disaster, which caused no casualties, involved a...

From next week, airlines based in Hong Kong will have to comply with new quarantine measures. These stricter rules have been decreed by the Hong Kong government, which has been panicked by the resurgence of the virus. Under the new rules, all travellers arriving from abroad will have to remain confined for 14 days in the...

IATA has just drawn up a review of its members' activity in 2020. The association, which brings together 290 airlines - representing 82% of all capacity - recorded a 75.6% drop in international passenger demand compared with 2019. Expressed in revenue/passenger/km (RPK), the decline is 85% internationally. The decline is...

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is temporarily reducing its flight operations to Geneva in view of the tighter travel restrictions imposed by the Swiss Federal Council on February 1. The measure will be in force until the end of February. The decision was taken in view of the fact that Swiss operates a so-called "low-cost" model in Geneva....

While La Compagnie and its all-business class flights are now a thing of the past, the idea of transatlantic routes specialising in premium traffic remains. JetBlue's arrival in Europe in summer 2021 is eagerly awaited. The US carrier is due to begin flights from New York JFK and Boston to airports in...

Passengers travelling to Dubai are now required to present the negative results of a PCR test for COVID-19, carried out 72 hours before travel rather than 96 hours (4 days) as was previously the case. Passengers must also continue to install a special mobile application on their phones. This application allows passengers to...

The publication in the Israeli media of travellers evading a self-quarantine has set off a firestorm in Israel. The measure is compulsory for all passengers returning from a trip. The health authorities put pressure on the government to close down air transport for at least two weeks. Satisfaction...

Following consultations with the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), KLM has developed a safe alternative testing protocol for crews arriving from high-risk countries. Under the agreed protocol, staff will undergo rapid screening tests on departure from and return to Amsterdam Schiphol....

Following the discovery of five covid-19 positive cases on an Air France flight between Paris-CDG and Tianjin near Beijing, the Chinese civil aviation authorities have suspended the route for 15 days. In practice, this decision complies with the rules laid down by the government. The government prohibits...

From midnight on Sunday 24 January, France will require a PCR test to be carried out 72 hours before departure. This measure concerns most European travellers wishing to enter France. Until now, the measure only applied to travellers from countries outside the European Union. This new compulsory test measure...

Finnair is offering its customers greater choice and flexibility by introducing a new one-way fare structure valid on its intra-European and domestic flights. This pricing structure has been in force since 12 January 2021. "We want to offer our customers more choice and flexibility. Removing the complexity of the rules...

In turmoil since the end of 2018, low-cost carrier Norwegian Air has finalised its restructuring plan. The carrier wants to emerge from bankruptcy protection before the end of March. The carrier had entered bankruptcy in November 2020 under the Irish Protection Act. This...

The woes of the national carrier Air India are in fact an opportunity for India's private airlines to step up their international activities. Low-cost carrier IndiGo has stepped up its international presence in recent years. The carrier mainly serves the Gulf region, South East Asia and even Istanbul. But it is above all...

According to a new order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is managing health security in the wake of the covid-19 crisis, all passengers travelling to the United States will have to present a negative test before boarding a flight. The measure also applies to US citizens returning to their own country. The test cannot be...

Australian carrier Qantas has reopened bookings for international flights, with a date set for July 1. The carrier is optimistic that a large proportion of travellers will be vaccinated by this date. Qantas had already announced in November that it would only accept vaccinated passengers on board its aircraft....

The covid pandemic and the isolation of the United Kingdom are forcing British Airways to close a large number of its intercontinental routes for the summer of 2021. The carrier is adjusting frequencies and destinations at a time when demand is struggling to recover. For the IATA summer season, which begins on 31 March, the British airline is suspending...