IATA is calling for holistic reforms to manage the long-term need for a stable talent base for the ground handling sector.
Thousands of ground handling staff left the aviation industry during the pandemic. Now as aviation ramps up, the severe shortage of skilled ground handlers is shedding light on the need for reform to stabilize the talent pool.
In the immediate term, the most pressing issue is the bottleneck for security clearances as the airline industry prepares for the peak northern summer season. Longer-term, IATA urges the ground handling sector to;
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As part of its effort to make flying more sustainable, Brussels Airlines now offers its customers the option to neutralize the carbon emissions of their flights in the same transaction as their booking, with a single click. After flight selection, they can choose one of three options to fly CO2-neutral.
The first option is to use SAF that is currently produced from residual biogenic materials and directly reduces CO2 emissions.
A second option is to support high quality carbon offset projects run by the non-profit organization myclimate. These promote measurable climate protection...
SAS is expanding its network in North America with direct routes to Copenhagen and Stockholm from Toronto.
The carrier will operate three weekly flights to Copenhagen and four weekly flights to Stockholm with its brand-new A321LR aircraft. The inaugural flight from Toronto to Stockholm took off on June 2; while the first flight to Copenhagen departed on June 3.
Scandinavia offers a bounty of awe-inspiring experiences for every traveller. Known as the happiest city in the world, Copenhagen, Denmark is known for its stunning canals, world-acclaimed restaurants and bars, Tivoli...
A select group of 30-plus tour operators and travel agents from the Vancouver area assembled at a downtown eatery last week to reacquaint themselves with Singapore, and with Singapore Airlines, reports Press Today's Ted Davis.
The Singapore Tourism Board joined the airline in co-hosting the evening dinner and presentation function with a view to welcoming back travel retailers, who have been largely absent from the market over the course of the pandemic.
Singapore is now open to travellers with valid vaccination documents, so the evening’s guests were ready to hear the latest...
FLYGTA has announced the global rollout with GDS partners Travelport and Amadeus. Partner integration is scheduled in two stages with Travelport’s Apollo and Galileo cores coming online today, and with Amadeus set for June 15.
This marks the first time that an airline has been able to successfully distribute whole booked private jets and charter aircraft through a global distribution network, saying goodbye to the complexities travel agents and consumers faced when booking through email and custom quote requests.
The first GDS flights are expected to commence with 20-plus...
Air Transat proudly is partnering with 4Ukraine.ca to help relocate Ukrainians displaced by war coming to Canada.
The carrier will be providing available seats to Ukrainian nationals on their flights operated from Paris and London mainly to Montréal or Toronto. 4Ukraine.ca will be covering taxes and airport charges.
In addition to operating a donation-based airfare program, 4Ukraine.ca includes a rigorous vetting process, host family background checks, and job prospecting for Ukrainians relocating to Canada.
4Ukraine.ca co-founder and director, Anna Chif said: “We are thrilled...
WestJet has taken off to Edinburgh from Toronto.
The carrier now offers non-stop service to five European destinations from Toronto this summer that along with Edinburgh includes Glasgow, Dublin, London-Gatwick and Barcelona, Spain.
John Weatherill, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer, said of the launch of the new Edinburgh service: “We are thrilled that Edinburgh is the final European connection to inaugurate from Toronto this summer, rounding out the restoration of our network and strengthening our offerings from Toronto. These cities are some of the world's most vibrant and...
The Canadian Transportation issued its final determination yesterday, finding that Flair Airlines is Canadian.
The CTA requires that air carriers holding certain licences issued by the Agency be Canadian, as defined in subsection 55(1) of the CTA. This is a requirement that must be complied with at all times.
On March 3, 2022, the Agency issued a preliminary determination that pointed to a number of factors which indicated that 777 Partners LLC (a non-Canadian company) may in fact have control of Flair.
Those factors included:
777's control of Flair's Board of Directors
...
In a joint statement Transport Minister Omar Alghabra and Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino provide an update on actions the federal government is taking to reduce wait times at Canadian airports:
The ministers said that: “The Government of Canada recognizes the impact that significant wait times at some Canadian airports are having on travellers. It is great news that more and more Canadians are choosing to travel. As travel volume surges, there are reports of delays in many aspects of travel: Canadian customs, United States customs, airport security screening, luggage...
The Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisors (ACITA) met with senior staff of Transport Minister Omar Alghabra last week to provide an update on the landscape of the segment of the travel industry that has been overlooked by the government during the past two years -- namely, Independent Travel Advisors.
ACITA notes that “We are seeing an increase in bookings for our clients, but due to the nature of our revenue model, travel advisors do not receive any revenue until after our clients depart. So, although many people are booking getaways, cruises and bucket list trips...