2022 Outlook For Travel Insurance Buyers

Just when travel restrictions were finally easing up and travelers began rejoicing, Omicron crashed the party. News of the Covid variant prompted border closures, new travel warnings and quarantines, indicating that the pandemic will continue to change the way we travel for some time to come.

Fortunately, many of the changes we can expect to see in the travel insurance industry this year—and beyond—are aimed at easing pandemic travel woes.

Since the pandemic started, travelers have been buying more protection for trip cancellations, and the industry is addressing coverage for Covid-related issues and moving toward more flexibility and transparency.

Many travelers are eager to book voyages for 2022, and they’re adding insurance to their plans. Travel insurance sales increased 53% in the days right after news of the Omicron variant, according to Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider.

Here are some of the travel insurance trends you can expect to see in 2022.

Trip Cancellation Insurance Will Continue to Gain Steam

Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for prepaid, non-refundable deposits if you cancel for a reason that’s listed in your policy, such as an illness or family emergency.

Trip cancellation insurance has always been a popular component of travel insurance. It has been part of 80% to 90% of travel insurance policies, according to Squaremouth.

As the pandemic continues to affect travel, this trend shows no sign of slowing down. Sales of travel insurance plans with trip cancellation coverage increased 255% year-over-year, says Squaremouth.

“Cancel for Any Reason” Coverage Will Maintain Momentum

“Cancel for any reason” (CFAR) insurance is an upgrade available for some policies that expands your ability to make a trip cancellation claim. If you have CFAR coverage, you can cancel for any reason not listed in the base policy and still get some reimbursement for your lost deposits—often 75%.

CFAR is a superior coverage to have during uncertain travel times because it can apply to situations that aren’t typically covered by a base travel insurance policy. For example, you could make a CFAR claim because of a border closure or because you don’t like your destination’s Covid testing or quarantine requirements.

“Cancel for any reason” coverage-built momentum during the pandemic and remains popular among travelers. Sales of this coverage spiked 147% from 2020 and 2021, according to Squaremouth.

Covid Coverage Will Become More Common

With a couple years of the pandemic under their belts, many travel insurance companies are now including Covid-related coverage as part of standard travel medical insurance and trip cancellation benefits.

“The majority of providers do now cover Covid under travel medical expenses and cancellation, looking at it like any other illness in most cases,” says Megan Moncrief, spokesperson for Squaremouth.

Travel medical insurance pays for the costs of an ambulance, medical treatment, medicine and more if you become ill or injured during your trip. There is a wide variety of coverage levels available, with some policies providing up to $500,000 in medical coverage per person.

If Covid coverage is important to you, make sure to verify that your policy includes it under trip cancellation and medical benefits.

Trip Delay Benefits Becoming Priority

While trip cancellation remains a top concern among travelers, trip delay benefits are poised to gain in popularity as concerns mount over new variants and quarantines, says Moncrief.

“With variants coming into play, concern about contracting the virus and being forced into quarantine while on a trip is now starting to take the lead over concerns about canceling,” says Moncrief. “We expect in 2022 that interest in trip delay coverage will increase.”

Travel delay insurance can compensate you for meals, an extended hotel stay and other extra costs if you have to quarantine while on your trip, under certain conditions: You must test positive for Covid and you must have a plan that covers Covid-related expenses. Benefits can generally be extended for seven days beyond your return date if you’re forced to quarantine at your destination longer than planned.

Travel insurance generally does not pay out if you don’t have Covid but have to do a mandatory quarantine somewhere.

More Travel Insurance Policy Flexibility

Some travel insurance companies will now accommodate customer requests for changes to trip dates on policies. This allows you to postpone the trip—and your travel insurance coverage—without canceling and rebuying the insurance.

Additionally, Moncrief says, many travel insurance companies are still willing to waive penalties for canceled or changed trips, so you may be able to recoup trip expenses that would have been lost otherwise.

More Benefit Options on Deck

To better meet the needs of travelers during the pandemic, travel insurance companies are bolstering certain benefits, which is likely to continue.

For example, some countries require that visitors have a certain minimum amount of travel insurance coverage. Costa Rica, one of the most popular destinations over the past year, mandates that unvaccinated visitors have $50,000 in medical expense insurance and $2,000 in trip delay benefits to pay for quarantine-related lodging.

Many of the travel insurance companies that didn’t offer these amounts of coverage revised their plans to match the required limits, says Moncrief.

“I anticipate we’ll continue to see that type of response in 2022 as long as these types of mandates are in place,” she says. “We may even see trip delay benefits be extended from seven to 10 days after a policy end date.”

Benefits for Emerging Pandemic-Related Issues

As new pandemic travel concerns crop up, the travel insurance industry appears to be responding.

For instance, some insurers are considering adding coverage for border closures and travel warnings in the wake of Omicron, says Moncrief, although it will take time to get approval in each state and work out the pricing details.

“It’s like terrorism. No policy had [terrorism coverage] before 9/11 and now it’s specifically listed and covered in most cancellation policies,” she says.

Trips Abroad Are Popular Despite New Entry Rules

It’s becoming “normal” for travelers to have to show some combination of proof of vaccination and a negative test result or proof or recovery from Covid when entering other countries and then upon returning to the U.S.

In January 2021, The Centers for Disease Control issued a new rule requiring all international air passengers arriving in the U.S. to get tested for Covid no more than three days before their departure. (It’s recently been changed to one day before.) You must show a negative result, or proof that you recovered from Covid in the past 90 days, before boarding.

Despite the pandemic and various country-entry requirements, more than 80% of bookings in 2021 were for international destinations, according to Squaremouth.

European destinations, however, are not nearing the popularity they had pre-pandemic, says Moncrief. “Even with the borders opening, I think people are still in the ‘wait-and-see’ mode,” she says. “And the Caribbean and Mexico are still more popular than they were before the pandemic.”

Younger Travelers Lead the Pack

Senior travelers are still sticking close to home, as younger travelers brave Covid travel turbulence.

Before the pandemic, most travel insurance was purchased by people over age 50. That’s changing. Now many travel insurance policies are bought by people under age 50, according to Squaremouth.

“Older people still aren’t comfortable with the potential risk of traveling right now, and younger people are more inclined to go,” says Moncrief. “We expect the trend of younger people, millennial, Generation X and baby boomers all comprising similar market share to continue in 2022.”

Beyond 2022: Policy Language to be Clarified

Some travel insurance companies are likely to begin revising the language in their policies to better reflect the new reality of living—and traveling—in a pandemic world.

A policy may have certain travel insurance benefits that are applicable to Covid, such as travel medical insurance, while others are not. But it’s not always spelled out.

Travel insurance companies have added information around Covid-related issues on their websites to bridge the information gap.

Adding explicit language to policies for Covid-related issues will take some time because state insurance departments must approve changes, but Moncrief believes insurers in 2022 will make progress in clarifying the terms of what is and isn’t covered.

Source: Forbes

‘People miss travel’: IATA bullish on Asia travel rebound in 2022

Asia will reopen to travel as more is learned about the Omicron variant, with the recent tightening of borders only a “temporary speed bump” on the road to recovery, according to a top airline industry representative.

In an exclusive interview, Philip Goh, regional head of the International Air Transport Association, told Al Jazeera he was optimistic about the resumption of travel in Asia in 2022 despite the region’s doubling down on travel restrictions in response to the variant.

“People miss travel and they want to travel. You cannot substitute a hug, a handshake with a virtual zoom call,” Goh said. “Nor can videos capture and invigorate the senses stimulated by the sights, sounds and scents of the places we travel to.”

Goh, IATA vice president for Asia-Pacific, said governments in the region that had banked on isolation to control COVID-19 more than any other part of the world would ultimately reopen because “their citizens want to travel and are asking for it”.

“They also understand the need for economies dependent on global commerce and trade to re-establish trade lanes and to allow connectivity to again flourish,” Goh said.

“This is a temporary set-back,” added Goh, who attributed Asia’s strict border policies to the “risk adverse nature of the region and memories of the SARS pandemic in 2003”.

“We are optimistic that plans to restart international travel will resume when more is learnt about Omicron.”

Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand have reintroduced tough travel curbs in response to Omicron, while mainland China, Hong Kong and New Zealand have doubled down on existing ultra-strict border controls.

The region’s deepening isolation comes as countries such as the United States, Australia and Canada ease testing and isolation rules amid growing acknowledgement that efforts to tightly control the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron strain have become too disruptive to everyday life.

Although Omicron is believed to be two to three times more transmissible than the Delta variant, the coronavirus strain has been associated with milder illness.

In a study published in The Lancet on Wednesday, South African researchers found that just 4.9 percent of cases during the most recent wave in the province of Gauteng were hospitalised, compared with 18.9 percent during the second wave. The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, also found that patients were 73 percent less likely to have severe disease than those admitted during the country’s third wave, which was dominated by the Delta variant.

On Thursday, the South African government announced that its Omicron wave had peaked with no significant uptick in deaths. In the UK, where the daily number of COVID-19 cases is still breaking records, the number of patients in ventilation beds is less than one-quarter of their peak in January.

Even before the variant’s arrival, the Asia-Pacific had yet to see any meaningful rebound in travel. Air traffic in the region was down 92.8 percent in October compared with October 2019, according to IATA data. By comparison, travel in North America and Europe was down just 57 percent and 50.6 percent, respectively, in the same period.

‘Desire to travel’

While credited with reducing deaths from COVID-19, the region’s isolation has decimated travel-reliant industries such as tourism, separated families, upended plans for study, work and migration, and disrupted supply chains.

Earlier this month, IATA Director General Willie Walsh criticised governments that introduced travel bans in response to Omicron for “putting at risk the global connectivity it has taken so long to rebuild”.

In November, the IATA released a blueprint for restarting international travel that called on authorities to adopt “simple, consistent, and predictable” measures. The proposals included removing all hurdles for vaccinated travellers and allowing quarantine-free travel for passengers who are not vaccinated but have a negative antigen test result.

Goh said the effective shutdown of the region’s aviation had highlighted the “immense importance of aviation in our lives, which is often taken for granted”.

“People have missed not being able to connect with friends and family. People feel worse-off in terms of life experiences gained through exploring new cultures or obtaining an overseas education,” he said. “The fact that travel bookings surged whenever border reopening is announced reveal the desire to travel.”

Goh said there was a need for more balanced discussion about the costs of fighting COVID-19.

“That’s why we need governments to look at reopening borders, allowing the free flow of air travel without quarantine by treating COVID-19 as an endemic disease and managing it through testing and vaccination,” he said.

Source: AL JAZEERA

Is consolidation the answer to unlocking African aviation?

Shifts towards new market policies, airline behavior, operations models and governance are clearly pointing towards a consolidated African aviation sector. Accelerated by the onset of the pandemic, what were once loose discussions around the formation of mutual pan-African airline ties are now taking shape.

While conversation centered on establishing a single African airline or airline group have been taking place for some time, it’s only now that action is being seen and new partnerships are leading the way. The Yamoussoukro Decision, a document dating back to November 1999, was set in motion to liberalize African air services, which have operated under multilateral agreements set on a country-by-country basis. 

This has limited free movement of trade goods and air services across the continent. The implementation of policies such as the Single African Air Transport market (SAATM) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), pick up where former efforts left off. This liberalization has alleviated restrictions on airspace, lessened tariffs and red tape, and potentially led to an increase in passenger volumes. 

Today, industry and airline executives agree that airline partnerships and mutual cooperation are prerequisites for emerging from the pandemic downturn with a stronger and better-connected African market that competes on an international level.

The African sector has responded with an increased urgency to augment infrastructure and personnel training. This also includes expanding the continent’s regional connectivity by adapting and modernizing its fleets to allow passengers wider access to more destinations through regional airports. 

A key motivator in this focus on regional operations is the projected population growth rate on the continent. Over the past 30 years, the African population has doubled, reaching 1.2 billion in 2015 compared to 550 million in 1985. By 2050, the population is expected to double again on the back of a growing middle class and projections of 26 African countries doubling their current population. 

Improved regulations are expected to enable greater air service efficiencies for the continent’s short to medium–haul fleets, which include regional aircraft types from manufacturers such as such as the Bombardier (Dash 8, CRJ900), Embraer (ERJ 145,190, E2), Boeing (737) and Airbus (A320). 

An efficient intra-African route network is within reach for the African market and consolidation seems to be tied to the narrative of unlocking air travel in the sector.

Regional partnerships taking form

At the 51st Annual General Assembly, which was held virtually in late October 2021, airline executives pushed forward the idea of unionizing resources and capacities as a solution to combat the sector’s fragmentation, stagnant regulations and excessive fuel costs. Alongside a fragmented airspace, other agitators of the continent’s fuel costs include minimal aviation fuel production/manufacturing on the continent, and an inadequate road network and road infrastructure. This poses a challenge to the efficiency of fuel deliveries, which are operated by trucks that utilize regional road networks. 

Price competition on the continent is also a concern as airlines group to unionize the sector. However, the sector’s leaders suggest that the benefits would far outweigh the risks.

Thomas Kgokolo, the CEO of South African Airways, believes that airline subsidies may hold more benefits over capital injections, as the sector addresses low connectivity on the continent.

“Resource pooling could, therefore, help to stimulate the market, but of course one has to be careful of competition boundaries,” stated Kgokolo during a panel discussion at the AGA. 

In the industry, there is an emphasis on reforming African carriers’ approaches in order to stimulate recovery in the market and step away from working in isolated bubbles.

Kgokolo added: “The post-pandemic recovery in Africa in terms of air traffic requires bold decisions. Our biggest challenge [in the region] is that we are now much more fragmented due to the impact of the pandemic and working in silos.” 

During the latter part of 2021, we have seen airlines position themselves to increase their operational capabilities and move to what seems to be economies of scale. 

Unfolding in the form of non-exclusive partnerships, this could give airlines significant negotiating power and operational capabilities.

Today, South African Airways (SAA) and Kenya Airlines (KQ) have forged a partnership that will bring forward a pan-African airline in 2023 after signing a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in November 2021. A partnership of this scale gives both airlines the benefits of increased finances and the operational expertise.

In the year 2020, KQ lost $333 million dollars, while SAA lost $341 million dollars. Despite the losses, both carriers are in the midst of a major restructuring. According to reports from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Kenyan government will withdraw its interest in nationalizing KQ and guarantee $750 million to pay off the carrier’s debts as part of the restructuring, which is expected to cost up to $1 billion. Similarly, as part of the restructuring of SAA, the South African government committed to provide $729 million in state aid to the country’s flag carrier to help it pay off its debts.

The partnership between the airlines increases stability and positions the carriers to further connect passenger volumes between East and Southern Africa and broaden the destination choices available to their passengers at competitive prices.

And the benefits do not stop at passenger flights. The partnership will also enhance trade on the continent.

With the AfCFTA in place, goods, trade and freight operations across the continent can be redefined to a global standard. Cargo volumes for African carriers are at about 26.7% above October, 2019 levels, according to IATA. An active cargo player, like Kenya Airways, widens and diversifies its operations across the continent with the backing of this partnership. 

The airline has also shown an intent to widen its export destinations in central Africa by enhancing its regional operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Congo Airways in April 2021. 

Similar partnerships between airlines have also been drawn up, aimed at connecting destinations across the continent. However, some airlines have turned to international partnerships to bridge the competition gap.

Partnering with international players

The sector dynamics in central Africa are an interesting angle to explore. While we’ve seen a number of collaborations between South and central African airlines, there are some African carriers who are joining forces with international players.

The realization of partnerships between African and international airlines is also gaining momentum as the sector consolidates. These African carriers are set to gain access to expertise, resources and an understanding about how to better position their business by tapping into the global networks and traffic of international players. In return, African carriers can offer greater connectivity options for global airlines looking to broaden operations on the continent.

The RwandAir and Qatar Airways partnership is a prime example of a mutually beneficial alliance between an African and international airline. Over the past two years, Qatar Airways has been focused on an expansion plan that involves broadening its footprint on the African continent. In December 2019, the middle eastern airline secured a 60% stake in Bugesera International Airport, a new airport under construction in Rwanda’s capital Kigali. In February 2020, Qatar also confirmed its partnership with Kigali-based RwandAir after acquiring a 49% stake in the airline. Together, the airlines boast a network that covers more than 160 destinations, which are served through their main hubs in Doha and Kigali. After signing a codeshare agreement in October 2021, passengers on both airlines can connect to more than 65 destinations across Africa and globally.

The alliance between RwandAir and Qatar brings a new dynamic to the traffic flows in central and east Africa, which have been dominated by Addis Ababa-based Ethiopian Airlines, Nairobi-based Kenya Airways and Gulf carrier Emirates Airlines.

Qatar Airways gains a new channel to feed passengers to its own hub in Doha and to Kigali, while increasing its presence in Africa. RwandAir gains both a new partner and a well-established hub in the center of Africa, rivalling that of Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa. 

Similarly, carriers in Northern Africa have shown interest in establishing ties with neighboring international airlines. As of October 2021, Royal Air Moroc and El Al have established a codeshare agreement to connect traffic from both of the carriers’ hubs. 

A partnership between Bahrain-based Gulf Air and Cairo-based Egyptair is planned in North Africa. In November 2021, the airlines revealed their interest in combining resources and cooperation for cargo, maintenance, personnel training and the airlines’ frequent flyer programs after signing a letter of intent to explore cooperation between the two carriers.  

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cairo International Airport retained the most passenger traffic of any African airport, serving over 7 million passengers annually in 2020, down from 15 million pre-pandemic. This retained traffic is greater than the number recorded by former leading airports such as O.R Tambo International Airport and Bole International Airport. As part of a $1.1 billion dollar Airport Modernization Program, Bahrain International Airport opened a new terminal, which increases the airport’s capacity to 14 million passengers annually. The combined passenger traffic of Cairo and Bahrain looks like a promising incentive for a future partnership with Gulf Air and Egyptair.

However, a well-known regional airline is redefining its image on the continent by breaking away from its former identity as an affiliate of SAA. Established almost 30 years ago, South African airline Airlink has operated on a business model that fed inbound passenger traffic in South Africa to smaller hub airports as well as some larger airports. A partnership with South African Airways was established in 1995 and Airlink became somewhat of an affiliate feeder airline to SAA. Airlink’s ambition to expand will redefine its brand, not as a siloed entity, but rather as an airline open to multiple global partnerships. 

Airlink has garnered a number of codeshare partnerships and interline agreements with the likes of Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Qatar Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air France, Delta, United, Lufthansa Airlines, LAM Mozambique Airlines and TAAG Angola Airlines. 

The airline’s former network pales in comparison to the hundreds of destinations and potential passenger traffic it will serve with its newfound partnerships as it emerges from the pandemic.

Is it too late or is this now the right time to consolidate?

To answer this question, we need to take a look at the environment the pandemic has created. 

Despite the downturn in traffic and enormous global losses, the pandemic has initiated a wave of restructuring and revision of airline governance across the majority of African airlines.

A number of African airlines are state-owned or partially state-owned, and have been subject to government influence. Even before the pandemic, bailouts were a common practice for airlines due to ill-management. However, while bailouts were necessary during the pandemic, they were only a temporary solution for most airlines. As a result, they were forced to rethink their operations models. Today, the sector is more welcoming to private investors and ownership in order to help rebuild and run their airlines, as seen with private entity Takatso Consortium and South African Airways.

So, how do we gauge the probability of success for the consolidation of state-owned, or partially state-owned, airlines in Africa? Well, a good starting point is Ethiopian Airlines.

The Addis Ababa-based airline has long led the standard for aviation on the continent, turning profits for a majority of the company’s existence. The airline’s ambition has been to establish plans for multiple hubs across the continent under its Vision 2025 multiple hub strategy. To achieve this, its growth plan has been focused on collaborating with African carriers to expand operations and connectivity on the continent, while sharing resources, expertise and capacity.

EA shares a number of ventures with airlines on the continent through ownership of equity stakes. Today, its airline network combines to serve South, South-East, Central and West and East Africa. 

In West Africa, EA holds a 40% stake in ASKY Airlines. Its 49% stake in Malawi Airlines and in Tchadia Airlines further boosts its Central and East African operations. This includes a 99% ownership of Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines and stakes in the national carriers of Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Ethiopian Airlines has also partnered with African governments to launch national carriers across the continent. Zambia Airways launched on December 1, 2021, with the backing of a joint venture between Ethiopian Airlines and the Industrial Development Corporation Limited (IDC), a government-owned financial institution based in South Africa. Both parties hold a 45% and 55 percent% stake in the airline respectively, and provide access to about $30 million in capital. 

Air Congo is another carrier set to launch in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) alongside existing national carrier, Congo Airways. A joint venture between the DRC’s Ministry of Transport, which holds 51% of Air Congo’s shares, and Ethiopian Airlines, which holds a 49% stake, will see the airline take to the skies in December 2021. The MoU signed between the parties will see Ethiopian Airlines share resources in the form of fleet capacity of a minimum of seven aircraft.

A majority of the Ethiopian Airlines’ stakes and ventures were established during the past five to 10 years, with the most recent occurring in the past two years. A key element in these ventures is the sharing of resources, capacity and expertise from EA to its partners. And with a fleet of more than 130 aircraft at its disposal, the reality of bringing forth a number of efficient aviation hubs across the continent is drawing closer.

Several factors control the success of a consolidated African market. Some of these aspects include liberalized skies and regulations and being open to private investment, including investment into infrastructure development, fleet modernization and personnel training. It will also require airlines to gain a greater understanding about how to better position their companies, and to no longer operate as extensions of a government with political motives.

Source: AeroTime Hub

UAE extends ban on air travellers from Kenya

United Arab Emirates (UAE) has extended the ban on Kenyan travelling to its territory indefinitely, restricting inbound flights from Nairobi and a host of other African countries.

In a notice, Emirates Airlines announced that it has extended the ban, which was to end on the eve of Christmas, until further notice.

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) had announced a 48-hour suspension on all flights from Kenya to the Middle East nation on December 20, but on Wednesday, the Dubai-based carrier said that it has, in turn, extended its flights from Kenya suspension to comply with the directive that was to end on December 24.

“Until further notice, flights to and from Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda are suspended. Passengers who have been in or transited through these countries in the last 14 days will not be allowed to enter or transit through Dubai,” said the notice from the airline.

The move is the latest restriction on global travel by UAE aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19 in the wake of the new Omicron variant.

The directive comes as a blow to the national carrier Kenya Airways, which had seen an increase in bookings on this route occasioned by the ongoing Dubai Expo 2020 exhibition.

Kenya Airways suspended passenger flights to Dubai on Tuesday last week in line with the directive.

The national carrier said it would refund passengers who had booked tickets for travel within the suspension period. The travellers will also be allowed to rebook when flights resume.

The suspension came days after Dubai introduced new travel requirements for direct flights from Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

Under the new measures, travellers from Africa were required to provide a PCR test result conducted at the airport six hours before departure for Dubai.

In addition, travellers were to self-quarantine until they received a negative Covid-19 test certificate issued within 48 hours of arrival in Dubai.

Kenya has seen coronavirus resurgence with a rapidly rising caseload since confirmation of the highly infectious Omicron variant last week.

The positivity rate — the ratio of positive tests — rose to 34 percent on Wednesday, which is among the highest levels since Kenya recorded the first coronavirus case on March 12 last year.

The surge in global coronavirus infections has seen many countries tighten restrictions to curb the spread of the Omicron variant.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) labels a country to be a high risk if the positivity rate rises above five percent and advises countries to consider restrictions if it remains above the limit for at least 14 days.

Source: Business Daily

CDC shortens recommended isolation and quarantine period

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that it will shorten the recommended isolation time for asymptomatic people who test positive for COVID-19.

The announcement, made on December 27, 2021, comes after growing pressure from various industries, one of them being the US airline industry, to shorten quarantine periods to avoid disruption in the workforce operations.

Airlines for America, which represents Southwest, American, United, Delta, and other major airlines, have asked the CDC to reduce quarantine period as the current quarantine guidelines could cause labor shortages.

In its announcement, the CDC said the change in guidelines is “motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness.”

Previously, the CDC has recommended 10 days for isolation period to those who are COVID-19 positive. With the updated guidelines, the agency now advises those who test positive to isolate for just five as long as they are asymptomatic, and then wear a mask for another five days. The policy is the same regardless of vaccination status.

For those who have had exposure to COVID-19 and are unvaccinated or have not had a booster shot for more than 6 months,  the CDC now recommends a quarantine period of 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days. Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wears a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure.

Vaccinated individuals who’ve had exposure do not need to quarantine but are required to wear a mask when with others for 10 days.

The Omicron variant is spreading quickly and has the potential to impact all facets of our society. CDC’s updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.

“These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives. Prevention is our best option: get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial and high community transmission, and take a test before you gather.”

Airlines for America believe that shortened quarantine periods may help reduce disruption in the workforce, similar to the massive flight delays and cancellations that occurred over the Christmas weekend.

“As with healthcare, police, fire and public transportation workforces, the Omicron surge may exacerbate personnel shortages and create significant disruptions to our workforce and operations,” Airlines for America CEO Nicholas Calio said in a letter to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

The full CDC guidelines for quarantine and isolation can be viewed here. 

Source: AeroTime Hub

What The British Airways Qatar Airways Joint Partnership Means

British Airways and Qatar Airways shared that they intend to extend their joint business partnership. Amid the announcement, the two flag carriers of their respective countries proudly highlighted that they will perform up to six flights a day to Doha from London Heathrow and London Gatwick this winter. 

Plenty on offer

Both airlines have formed strong connections over the years, especially since Qatar Airways joined oneworld in October 2013, an alliance British Airways is a founding member of. The carriers promote attractive fares, smoother connections, integrated booking platforms, joint customer support, and an extensive network as benefits of the agreements between each other.

Now, British Airways and Qatar Airways propose to expand the partnership and give their passengers greater access between Europe and the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. Those flying to destinations such as Nairobi, Colombo, Singapore, Sydney are set to benefit from the move. Moreover, passengers flying to and from popular European cities, including Amsterdam, Madrid, and Dublin, are expected to notice advantages.

Executive agreements

Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker shared the following about the partnership in a company statement: 

“Expanding our Joint Business with our strategic airline partner, British Airways, is an important milestone in our ambition of providing customers access to the most extensive route network and unrivalled product.” 

Meanwhile, BA chairman and CEO Sean Doyle added:

“The launch of our first flight from Gatwick to Doha was an important milestone in our existing joint business with Qatar Airways. The proposed expansion of the joint business will be great news for customers, offering them access to more destinations across the world with seamless connections. We know customers are always looking for more options to connect onto popular holiday hotspots such as the Maldives and Seychelles, and this expansion will allow them to do just that.”

A colorful relationship

Altogether, this announcement comes on the back of British Airways returning its daily operation to Doha. The first service since the relaunch was Flight BA2033’s December 9th takeoff, which saw a British Airways Boeing 777-200ER depart for the capital of Qatar from Gatwick.

Despite the close relationship between the two carriers, their leaders haven’t always had kind words for each other’s services. For instance, in April this year, Al Baker likened BA to a low-cost carrier and dubbed it “a two out of ten airline” amid his disappointment of the operator in recent times. Nonetheless, Al Baker expressed his optimism for the British outfit under the leadership of Doyle, sharing that he hopes that the company can get its glitter back.

At the beginning of last year, the two airlines applied to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to coordinate nine major routes between the UK and down under via Doha. This move hoped to open up new promising opportunities for British Airways before the global health crisis took its toll on Australian operations. Amid the extension of the joint business partnership, we could see plenty more promising avenues such as this in the next chapter of global aviation.

Source: Simple Flying

Expo 2020 Dubai attracts more than 5.6 million visitors

Expo 2020 Dubai has seen 5,663,960 visits as of December 5, since it first opened on October 1. The recent figures were buoyed by the UAE’s Golden Jubilee festivities, as well as a raft of sport, music and cultural performances.

During October and November, a total of 5,383 government leaders, including ministers, presidents, prime ministers and heads of state, have graced the Expo site to speak at official events or celebrate their nation’s Expo National Day, with Expo hosting a total of 10,461 events in just the first two months.

During his visit last week, President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, congratulated Expo 2020 Dubai for “organising this exhibition and making it a success”.

Six out of 10 visitors (57 per cent) now hold an Expo Season Pass, with the number of repeat visitors in the first two months reaching 1.2 million.

Reem Al Hashimy, Minister for International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “We are delighted with the figures, and that so many people chose to celebrate such a momentous occasion, the UAE’s 50th National Day, with us here at Expo 2020 Dubai. Two months in, these numbers are a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in Expo, from the hosting of spectacular events that make people want to visit again and again, to the bringing together of global change-makers on a powerful platform for action and collaboration, and – crucially – to our robust COVID-19 measures, which allow us to accommodate such large numbers in a safe, reassuring manner.”

More than a quarter (28 per cent) of November visitors came from outside the UAE, with the top international visitor countries including India, France, Germany, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the UK.

School programme

The Expo School Programme has attracted nearly 250,000 pupils from private and public schools across the UAE who have participated in 10,000 dedicated school journeys encompassing The Legacy of the UAE; World of Opportunities; The Universe in Motion; and The Sustainable Planet, while more talented youngsters have delighted visitors from the stage, as part of Expo’s popular Young Stars and Rising Stars entertainment.

November saw some major crowd-pullers, including the end of Riverdance’s popular run; a spectacular performance from the Accademia Teatro alla Scala; award-winning Pakistani musician Javed Bashir; Egyptian singer Mohamed Hamaki; a KITE (K-Pop in the Emirates) concert and the opportunity to take part in a family fun run with sprint king Usain Bolt.

Recent highlights

Other highlights included the Golden Jubilee’s ‘Journey of the 50th’ – a show in Al Wasl dome about the UAE’s present and future – as well as the ‘The Boy and the Horse’, a 20-minute theatrical production that honoured His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice and President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Expo’s Programme for People and Planet in November continued to attract change-makers from around the world, with two of Expo 2020’s 10 Theme Weeks – Urban & Rural Development Week and Tolerance & Inclusivity Week – as well as a slate of festivities and activities to mark World Children’s Day, International Day of Persons with Disabilities and International Volunteer Day pulling in the crowds.

New festive pass

Looking forward, numbers are expected to rise further as Expo’s new Dh95 Festive Pass, on sale until the end of December, gives access to Christmas festivities and more world-class performances, such as Grammy Award-winner Alicia Keys’ show at Al Wasl Plaza on December 10, Academy Award-winning composer and musician A.R. Rahman on the December 22 and Broadway superstar Lea Salonga on December 25.

In keeping with Expo’s sustainability aims, scores of people have travelled to the site using public transport. During October and November, around 455,000 rides were made to and from the site using taxis, more than 600,000 trips were made on the free Expo Rider bus service, and 2.2 million users entered and exited Expo via the Dubai Metro.

Expo 2020’s virtual visitation rose to a 25 million, driven by the uptake of Live@Expo, which enables visitors to take a live virtual tour through the site.

Source: Gulf News

Kenya Airways launches direct Juba-Khartoum flights

Kenya Airways (KQ) has started direct flights from South Sudan capital Juba to Khartoum in Sudan as it eyes Africa expansion.

The national carrier said the new flight will originate from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi flying to Khartoum via Juba and back to Nairobi every Wednesday and Sunday.

The airline will also launch another flight from Nairobi to Juba via Khartoum and back to Nairobi on Fridays.

KQ did not indicate how much it will charge passengers on the route, which is also served by carriers such as Somalia-based Jubba Airways.

“Kenya Airways is steadfast on creating free flows of trade and tourism across Africa and in other key markets because we believe our wide network and reliable services will aid in opening up opportunities across the region,” KQ chief executive Allan Kilavuka said in a statement on Friday.

Flights via Juba, on Wednesdays and Sundays, depart Nairobi at 7.40 am to arrive in the South Sudanese capital at 9.25 am, and leave at 10.05 am to get to Khartoum at 11.25 am. The return trip starts at 12.05 pm in Khartoum for Nairobi, arriving at JKIA at 16.10 pm.

The Friday flight via Khartoum leaves Nairobi at 7.40 am to arrive in the Sudan capital at 10.35 am. The flight departs to Juba at 11.15 am, arriving at 13.20 pm. It returns to Nairobi at 2 pm to arrive at 3.45 pm.

“The new service between Juba and Khartoum is timely and gives us an opportunity to serve a range of travellers and grow our customer base in both Sudan and South Sudan,” said Julius Thairu, KQ acting chief commercial officer.

Source: Business Daily

2021 Visa Openness Index calls for easier travel to propel Africa out of Covid-19 slump

Opening up Africa’s borders to travel will drive investment and an economic rebound, according to the authors of the 2021 Africa Visa Openness Index.

Published yearly since 2016, the Index measures African countries’ openness to travellers from elsewhere on the continent. This year’s edition found that the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic substantially impacted free movement. “In this new era of travel, safety and hygiene protocols have become as important as travel documentation and visa formalities,” said the report, jointly released by the African Development Bank and the African Union Commission on Monday, 13 December.

“The evidence is clear: the countries that make it simpler for Africa’s business people, tourists, students, and workers to visit their territories, are the countries that stand to attract more investment and talent. They are the countries whose economies will recover quickly,” said Khaled Sherif, the African Development Bank’s Vice-President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery.

Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, said: “The Covid-19 crisis has made one thing very certain: Africa needs to be more self-sufficient. To get there, we need to boost intra-African trade, and that means fewer visa restrictions.”

The 2021 Visa Openness Index also makes a compelling case for streamlining the visa process for young Africans. “All young people need is the freedom to move around the continent and support as they develop into Africa’s entrepreneurs and business leaders,” it stated.

Key findings

The Index shows that 36 countries have improved or maintained their Visa Openness Index score since 2016. Over 80% of the countries that have made gains in openness are low-income or lower-middle-income countries. The report mentioned Namibia, Morocco, and Tunisia as countries that have made the most progress in visa openness.

Overall, Africa is almost evenly split between countries with a liberal visa policy and those that partially restrict entry from other African states. A quarter of African countries welcome some or all African visitors visa-free; another quarter, roughly, permit some or all African visitors to obtain a visa on arrival. Twenty-four countries offer electronic visas, up from 15 five years ago.

The Africa Visa Openness Index aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Protocol on the Free Movement of People and, in particular, advances the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, with a market of 1.3 billion people.

“By supporting the free movement of people, we make it easier for Africans to do business in Africa. Free movement of people, especially workers, could help plug skills gaps, while enabling countries to fix skills mismatches in their labour markets,” said Jean-Guy Afrika, the Officer-In-Charge of the Regional Integration Coordination Office at the African Development Bank.

Click here (https://bit.ly/3EYX3YZ) to download the 2021 Africa Visa Openness Report and find out more.

Source: Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

UK to Lift COVID Travel Ban on 11 African Countries

Britain will end a ban on visitors from 11 African countries aimed at combatting COVID-19, the government said Tuesday, despite an alarming spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

After the variant was first detected in southern Africa and Hong Kong in November, the British government compiled a travel “red list” of the 11 African nations later in the month.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced in parliament Tuesday that the ban would be lifted on Wednesday at 0400 GMT since the country had achieved community transmission of omicron.

“Now that there is community transmission of omicron in the U.K. and Omicron has spread so widely across the world, the travel red list is now less effective in slowing the incursion of omicron from abroad,” he said.

While the ban remains in effect, only British citizens or residents arriving from the listed countries are allowed to enter the U.K. on condition they quarantine in a hotel at their expense.

The countries on the list are Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Javid said Monday that omicron, which is more transmissible than earlier variants, would be dominant in London “within 48 hours.” U.K. health authorities say omicron infections are doubling every two to three days, amounting to about 200,000 new cases daily.

South African scientists say the health effects of omicron may be less severe than the delta variant but warn it is premature to reach conclusions.

Source: VOA