Page 47 - World Airnews Magazine June 2020 Edition
P. 47
AIRPORTS SNIPPETS
FEATURE
BIOSECURITY STANDARDS KEY LATEST WORLD AIR NEWS
TO AIR TRAVEL RECOVERY A round up of avia�on news briefs from around the world
AVALON POSTPONED travel vouchers as an alternative Soyo, some 200 miles away on the ute fl ight, four times a week.
to immediate cash refunds for mouth of the Congo River.
ondon Heathrow airport chief execu- Geelong, Victoria – The AMDA fl ights cancelled as a result of the “We faced tough local and in- “The ATR is ideal for this
Lti ve John Holland-Kaye has delivered Foundation Limited has monitored COVID-19 pandemic. ternational competition to win this mission,” said Pereira. “We have
already been serving all of the
his key message to UK aviation club mem- the evolving COVID-19 situation and “The latest EC recommendation is tender after very detailed audits international oil and gas compa-
bers despite the corona virus lock down. its potential effects on the Australian disappointing and confusing both by ExxonMobil,” said Bestfl y chief nies with their repatriation plans
In a wide-ranging message to members, the International Airshow and Aerospace for airlines and their passengers executive, Nuno Pereira. during the Covid-19 outbreak and
boss of the UK’s biggest airport said he believed & Defence Exposition (AVALON because: they are non-binding but Bestfl y will utilise one of its ATR we have had our whole fl eet avail-
common rules around bio security standards at 2021) which, next year, has a uniquely raise certain expectations about the 72-600 turboprops, which can car- able to give support to get people
airports will be key to restoring confidence in central role to play in the celebration of terms of vouchers. ry 70 passengers for the 45-min- home.” . Q
and fuel the recovery of air travel. the Centenary of the Royal Australian “Some airlines may be better placed
”Whilst we are consumed by this crisis, Air Force. And as a result, AVALON than others commercially to meet
it is important that we think about how we 2021 will be deferred to later in 2021, such terms; the recommendations
can accelerate the recovery and the critical with timings in November being may be implemented differently in
issue will be the re-opening of borders to considered. Precise dates will be various countries, only partly, or not
international travellers, without the need announced shortly. at all - thereby creating the risk of
for quarantine,” he said. This deferral will provide certainty market distortion and passengers
“The crisis came on so rapidly that each aviation sector and governments to define and curity, the test for whether someone is safe for partners, stakeholders, exhibitors will be left unsure what to expect
country set its own health screening stan- agree a common bio security standard.” to fly should take place at the entrance to and participants. It will also enable in- from voucher schemes depending
dards, with little co-ordination. Rightly or Amid concerns raised about the lack of the airport or at airport security, so that we dustry to focus on managing through on where they live, as these could
wrongly, those that require temperature temperature testing at Heathrow, Hol- can minimise the need for social distancing the challenges of the COVID-19 differ across markets.
checks are perceived as being safer than land-Kaye has written to the UK’s public on the plane or at the gate,” he suggested. pandemic and its aftermath, knowing “Faced with up to €9.2 billion in cash
others, such as the UK. health chief and called on the body to “If there is a common international stan- that AVALON 2021 in a November reimbursements through the end
“As we come out of this crisis, each coun- publish its findings that had concluded dard, we will know that any arriving pas- timing will confi dently contribute to the of May - due to a regulation which
regeneration of business develop-
try will be cautious about reopening their temperature checks are ineffective. senger will be low risk and we can minimise ment following the pandemic. was never designed to deal with
borders to avoid the risk of re-infection. This, he said, would help reassure the pub- the need social distancing in immigration or mass cancellations caused by a
Until there is a cure or a vaccination, it is lic that measures at airports are ”scientifical- baggage reclaim also. We have made good As the centrepiece of the Royal global pandemic - European airlines
likely that travel between countries will only ly appropriate” and would help in estab- progress on automating the passenger jour- Australian Air Force’s Centenary since March have urged the EC to
happen if each considers the other to be low lishing common international measures on ney, but the final steps have been held up by celebrations, AVALON 2021 will propose an emergency amendment
risk, and to have similar high standards. So future screening. Much of the talk around bureaucracy. Now is the time to push ahead have great national and international to regulation 261/2004 in support
the aviation industry needs a common bio how air travel may be restored has included so that we minimise contact between avia- signifi cance. of refundable travel vouchers, or
security standard for air travel, just as there debate around airlines taking steps such as tion workers and passengers in check in, bag Deferring AVALON 2021 to Novem- delayed reimbursement of tickets,
is for airport security,” he said. leaving the middle seat of aircraft empty. drop, security, boarding and immigration.” Q ber will ensure the event serves its instead of the current seven-day
He argued the UK, as an island nation, In his message to the aviation club, purpose as a powerful promotional reimbursement period.
needs to be at the forefront of these efforts. Holland-Kaye argued this would just raise Article courtesy: https://www.flightglobal. and industry engagement forum “While passengers have a clear right
on the way to business recovery
“Unless we can make it safe for people to the cost of travel for little safety gain, while com/networks/heathrow-chief-sees- to reimbursement of their tickets, we
visit Britain, the UK economy will be held back. increasing a passenger’s carbon footprint. biosecurity-standards-key-to-air-travel- and as a spectacular celebration of believe refundable vouchers, or a
100 years of the Royal Australian
Let’s work together with the international “Maybe it is better that, as with airport se- recovery/138136.article Air Force. delayed reimbursement, represents
a fair and reasonable compromise
A November 2021 AVALON, will given the unprecedented liquidity sit-
NEWS showcase a century of distinguished uation airlines are currently facing”,
service by the Royal Australian Air
said Thomas Reynaert, managing
Force and the focus for the world’s Director of A4E.
aviation, aerospace and defence
CONVENIENCE TO CARGO CUSTOMERS industries will be on promoting BESTFLY SECURES LONG
business for the future.
TERM CONTRACT
up-to-date information and track their apps and messaging platforms users grows
shipment on messenger and telegram. globally, we will leverage our in-house digi- IATA CALLS FOR CLARITY Luanda, Angola - Angolan fi xed
thiopian Airlines has introduced a “As a customer-centric airline, we tal capabilities to further elevate customers’ wing and rotary aircraft operator,
Emobile app and chat bot-assisted always seek ways to better serve our experience by taking our digital service to Geneva, Brussels – Airlines for Bestfl y, has won a three-year
shipment tracking service to elevate customers and bring more digital options the platforms of their choice.” Europe (A4E), Airlines International contract to support ExxonMobil’s
cargo customers’ experience. to their fingertips,” said Miretab Teklaye, Users can download Ethiopian cargo Representation in Europe (AIRE), requirements to ferry staff from
Luanda to its main oil logistics
The mobile app, which is now available director group integrated marketing mobile app from Play Store and App Store European Regions Airline Associ- base at Soyo.
for both Android and iOS, will bring con- communications at Ethiopian. using these links: https://bit.ly/2VJInrh or ation (ERA), and the International The contract includes a
venience to Ethiopian cargo and logistics “The newly unveiled cargo mobile app https://apple.co/3c1dg13. Air Transport Association (IATA),
services customers through a range of and chat bot-assisted cargo tracking service Telegram users can access Ethiopian representing the collective interests possible two-year extension and
self-service features including checking will bring convenience for our customers Chatbot using @ethiopian_chat_bot of European airlines, have decried requires Bestfl y to take the oil
company workers from the Angola
flight schedule, cargo tracking and charter allowing them to access real-time updates while Facebook/Messenger users can as unclear and non-binding the capital Luanda to the ExxonMobil
requests at the swipe of a finger. The Ethio- about their shipments and to process their access it at https://www.facebook.com/ guidelines from the European Com- base for its offshore operations in
pian chat bot enables customers to access charter requests. As the number of mobile etchatbot/. Q mission on airlines’ use of refundable
World Airnews | June 2020 World Airnews | June 2020
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