Airlines
Brussels Airlines Set To Take Flight On June 15
Brussels Airlines is set to restart its commercial flights from its hub at Brussels Airport on June 15. The carrier said that based on market demand and ongoing travel restrictions, the airline will offer an adapted and downsized summer schedule, which will consist of approximately 30% of Brussels Airlines' originally planned summer schedule in Europe and 40% of the long-haul summer program. Between June 15 and August 31, the airline indicated it will gradually add destinations to its flight network to reach 59 destinations in 33 countries in Europe, Africa and the US by...
IATA Reports ‘First Signals Of Uptick’
IATA is reporting that demand for air services is beginning to recover after hitting bottom in April. Passenger demand in April (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs), plunged 94.3% compared to April 2019, as the COVID-19-related travel restrictions virtually shut down domestic and international air travel. This is a rate of decline never seen in the history of IATA’s traffic series, which dates back to 1990. More recently, though, figures show that daily flight totals rose 30% between the low point on April 21 and May 27. This is primarily in domestic operations and...
Sabre Makes Strategic Moves
Sabre Corporation says that it’s taking critical steps to successfully position the company for long-term growth. This includes the strategic realignment of its airline and agency-focused businesses, as well as other measures to support the new organizational structure. Sean Menke, Sabre’s president and chief executive officer said: “Today, we announced a critical step toward completing our transformation into a new Sabre. We began this transformational journey over two years ago with the unveiling of our SabreNext strategy and the creation of our Travel Solutions organization....
Antigua And Barbuda Welcomes First Flight
Antigua and Barbuda has begun the rebuilding of its tourist trade, with the destination welcoming an American Airlines plane Thursday evening carrying visitors and locals to a destination that had joined other countries in closing its borders to tourists because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Miami-Antigua service will be followed by the now-confirmed restart of other routes from the United States and Britain this summer, with Antigua ready to welcome visitors back to a destination that has responded to the pandemic by implementing measures that will be in place as soon as passengers...
Breaking Barriers
ForwardKeys reports that domestic air travel in China -- which has been recovering slowly in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak -- has now reached more than 50% of what it was at the equivalent moment in 2019, based on issued air tickets. As well, analysis of flight ticketing data reveals a significant uptick in last minute domestic flight bookings in China between May 11 and May 21. During that period, the lead time between ticketing and travel shortened dramatically; 72% of flight tickets were issued within 4 days of the travel date, compared with 51% at the equivalent point in...
TAP Prepares To Restart North America Service
With Portugal completing the three phases of its re-opening this week, TAP Air Portugal is recommencing air service from North America from June 4, with twice weekly flights between Newark Liberty and Lisbon. The carrier also indicated that it will recommence additional service in July with flights to Lisbon from Boston, Miami, and Toronto, each with two flights per week. And this summer, TAP will inaugurate three new routes: July 1 – Three flights per week between Boston and the Azores’ Ponta Delgada. July 2 -- Twice weekly service from Toronto to Ponta Delgada. July...
What The Federal Court Said On May 22
Today, TraveLaw Online’s Doug Crozier and Tim Law of Heifetz, Crozier, Law respond to a question from a reader confused about what the Federal Court of Appeal's May 22, 2020 decision was all about. QUESTION: I hear that the Federal Court has made a decision about whether it is acceptable for airlines to give vouchers instead of cash refunds, but there seems to be different opinions about what the court actually decided. Please clarify. ANSWER: The May 22, 2020 decision of the Federal Court of Appeal did not deal with the issue of whether or not airlines can provide customers...
UNWTO Releases Guidelines To Reopen Tourism
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has released a set of guidelines to help tourism sector emerge stronger and more sustainably from COVID-19. The guidelines highlight the need to act decisively, to restore confidence and, as UNWTO strengthens its partnership with Google, to embrace innovation and the digital transformation of global tourism. Produced in consultation with the Global Tourism Crisis Committee, the guidelines aim to support governments and private sector to recover from an unparalleled crisis. Depending on when travel restrictions are lifted, the United Nations...