Low vaccination rates take toll on African airlines

Demand for air travel to, from and within Africa is being challenged by low vaccination rates across the continent as well as impacts from rising inflation, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said.

Africa accounts for 1.9% of the total global passenger air travel market.

The global aviation body’s latest data shows that the passenger load factor for African airlines on international flights increased by 14.1 percentage points to 64.5% in March 2022 compared to March 2021. Available seat capacity on international flights was up 49.9% in March 2022 compared to March 2021. 

The combined domestic and international passenger load factor rose 11 percentage points to 65.7% in March 2022 compared to March 2021.

During March 2022, African airlines saw cargo volumes increase by 3.1% in March 2022 compared to March 2021. Their cargo carrying capacity was 8.7% above March 2021 levels.

“Air cargo markets mirror global economic developments. In March, the trading environment took a turn for the worse. The combination of war in Ukraine and the spread of the Omicron variant in Asia have led to rising energy costs, exacerbated supply chain disruptions, and fed inflationary pressure. As a result, compared to a year ago, there are fewer goods being shipped—including by air,” explained IATA Director General Willie Walsh in a statement.

Source: Fin24

IATA: March Air Demand Rebounds at Slightly Slower Pace

Despite a slowdown in the pace of year-over-year total increases, passenger air traffic in March was the closest to 2019 levels since the pandemic began, according to the International Air Transportation Association. 

March passenger air volume was 58.7 percent recovered compared with March 2019 levels, versus February’s 54.5 percent. Revenue passenger kilometers in March were up 76 percent year over year, compared with an increase of nearly 116 percent in February.

Effects on air travel from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine were “limited.” However, the Covid-19 omicron variant spread in China has affected domestic air travel, though not international traffic for Asia-Pacific carriers, according to IATA.

“With barriers to travel coming down in most places, we are seeing the long-expected surge in pent-up demand finally being realized,” IATA director general Willie Walsh said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we are also seeing long delays at many airports with insufficient resources to handle the growing numbers.”

Total global capacity was up 46 percent year over year, representing a slowdown from the increase of 68.4 percent in February 2022. Capacity was down 35.5 percent compared with March 2019. Europe led both traffic and capacity changes, at 246.9 percent and 162.8 percent, respectively. Asia-Pacific continued to report year-over-year declines for both categories, at 17.9 percent and 14.9 percent, respectively. Total load factor was 74.7 percent.

March domestic air traffic continued its recovery, increasing 11.7 percent year over year, representing a 23.2 percent decline from March 2019 levels. Domestic capacity was up 1.5 percent year over year and was down 18.4 percent from 2019 levels. Brazil showed the strongest year-over-year traffic increase at 99.1 percent. China’s domestic traffic declined 59.1 percent, due to “drastic lockdowns” and travel restrictions following the spread of omicron in the country.

Still, Asia-Pacific airlines saw international traffic increase 197.1 percent year over year in March, up from the 146.5 percent increase in February, following relaxed restrictions in South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand. Every region except Africa reported triple-digit percentage increases in international traffic, with Europe leading the regions at a 425.4 percent gain as well as a 224.5 percent increase in capacity. 

“The ongoing recovery in air travel is excellent news for the global economy, for friends and families whose forced separations are being ended, and for the millions of people who depend on air transport for their livelihoods,” Walsh said. 

Source: BTN

UAE updates entry procedures for international travellers – all you need to know

Dubai – Are you planning to travel to the UAE anytime soon? If so, you may be wondering whether you need to take a PCR test and what any other COVID-19 requirements may be for entering the country.

With the UAE’s authorities updating entry procedures in the past few weeks, here is a round-up of all the requirements you need to be aware of:

Emirati, GCC citizens can enter using ID cards

On April 29, National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) announced that Emirati and GCC citizens are now allowed to enter the UAE using ID cards, without the need to show their passports.

Fully vaccinated passengers do not need a PCR test

From February 26, 2022, fully vaccinated passengers need to present a valid vaccination certificate(s) reflecting that the passenger is fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the WHO or the UAE and includes a QR code.

Unvaccinated passengers coming into the UAE

If you are a visitor or resident travelling to the UAE and are not fully vaccinated, you are required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate issued within 48 hours after the sample was collected and issued by an approved health service provider with a QR code.

According to the website of Emirates airlines, test certificates sent via SMS are not accepted and the PCR test result must have a readable QR code. It is important to note that for transit passengers, the rules and conditions for entry at the final destination will apply.

Unvaccinated passengers under the age of 16

Unvaccinated passengers arriving in the UAE who are under the age of 16 are exempt from presenting a negative PCR test result upon arrival.

However, NCEMA stressed on the need for these passengers to adhere to all preventive and precautionary measures in place in the country.

COVID-19 PCR test and vaccination exemptions

• Children below 12 years old.
• Passengers with moderate to severe disabilities:
– Moderate or severe disability includes neurological disorders and intellectual or developmental disabilities. For example: Acute spinal cord injury, Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Ataxia, Autism spectrum, Bell’s palsy, Brain tumours, Cerebral aneurysm, Cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, Epilepsy and seizures.
– All other passengers, including those who are visually impaired, hearing impaired or physically challenged must hold a negative COVID 19 RT PCR test certificate as per the requirements.

Source: Gulf News

The wealthy return planes as business activity revives

Wealthy Kenyans and private aviation firms have resumed flying and buying planes after a slowdown in 2020 following the Covid-19 pandemic that reduced the millionaires’ net worth and hit demand for travel.

Official data show the number of registered planes increased by 47, excluding those owned by the National Police Service and the Kenya Defence Forces, to 782 last year.

This is a rebound from the previous year when the rich and aviation firms sold and grounded 72 planes after coronavirus triggered a slump in air travel and reduced the need for purchase of commercial flights.

The virus, which disrupted businesses and hammered most asset classes, reduced the net worth of wealthy Kenyans and saw the rich reduce their appetite for helicopters and small jets.

Kenya’s economy has rebounded following the easing of measures aimed at curbing Covid-19’s spread while travel has also resumed.

“ The resumption of international flights on August 1, 2021, within the Covid-19 operating period spurred revival of passenger operations within the aviation industry and operators renewed their certificates of airworthiness in order to continue with operations,” said KCAA on Thursday.

“Most aircrafts had been parked during the Covid period 2019/2020.”

Kenya’s business magnates, politicians and new millionaires are fast taking to the skies as the preferred mode of transport – expanding the market for leasing and private ownership of planes.

Apart from urban-based business leaders, politicians and wealthy deal-makers, Kenyan skies are also dominated by large-scale farmers and ranchers based in Narok, Laikipia and Nanyuki.

The farmers mostly use their small aircraft to spray their crops.

Aero Club of East Africa – a lobby group of private aircraft owners – attributed the recent growth in the number of registered planes to Nairobi’s rising status as the region’s business hub and a growing number of wealthy individuals with the means to own and maintain an aircraft.

Kenya has been ranked fourth in terms of the number of dollar millionaires, according to a report by research firm New World Wealth and Henley & Partners which helps high-net-worth individuals to acquire residence or citizenship through investment.

The Africa Wealth Report 2022 indicates that Kenya has 8,500 individuals with a net worth of over $1 million (Sh115.7 million).

The population of Kenya’s dollar millionaires in the study is significantly higher than estimates in other reports, indicating the difficulty of tracking the wealthy in Africa.

The latest Knight Frank Wealth Report put the number of Kenya dollar millionaires at 3,323.

When the devolved system of government was introduced in 2013, it raised hopes of addressing the economic imbalance, but analysts say there is a need to offer incentives to attract private investors to counties.

Besides convenience, wealthy individuals have also acquired aircraft to satisfy their ambitions for reliable and personalised travel.

Source: Business Daily

Travellers can now fly seamless from Minnesota to Nairobi

Kenyans living in Minnesota can now fly with ease to Nairobi after the national carrier signed a code-sharing agreement with the US-based JetBlue airline to have passengers traveling to JKIA connect through New York.

Minnesota is one of the cities in the US with the largest number of Kenyans, and the new agreement will give them a seamless connection to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The move comes as a boost to the carrier just ahead of the summer season when a lot of tourists travel to Kenya for holidays.

KQ   , which launched direct flights to New York in 2018, departs JFK at 1.45 pm on the days that it has flights on the route, making connections from Minnesota hard for passengers wanting to connect to Nairobi.

The agreement will see Kenya Airways passengers in Minnesota book their flights to Kenya directly and fly out of Minnesota to get on the nonstop JFK to Nairobi flight and will collect their luggage at JKIA.

“That’s great for us and I’m happy to see our partnership with Jetblue,” KQ chairman Michael Joseph told the Business Daily.

“The partnership will also allow JetBlue passengers to book a through ticket to Nairobi and enjoy seamless connections to the rest of KQ’s destinations.” said the airline.

JetBlue Airways is a low-cost US carrier headquartered in Long Island, New York, and based out of John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Ranked by passenger traffic, JetBlue is among the leading low-cost carriers worldwide as well as the sixth-largest domestic airline in the US, accounting for 5.3 percent of the domestic market in 2021.

The US route is one of the crucial destinations for the national carrier as it plays a major role in connecting travellers who transit through the JKIA.

Kenya Airways cut New York flights to three a week from five last month on the back of low demand following an end to a peak season in December last year.

The airline said the number of passengers on the route had dropped with a reduction in cabin factor, forcing them to remove two flights to JF Kennedy, which had been introduced in November last year.

The carrier had projected its daily direct flights to the US would boost annual revenues by more than 10 percent in 2019 and 2020.

The long-haul route aimed to encourage more business and tourist travel, with the US being one of Kenya’s biggest source of visitors.

The direct flight from New York cut the journey to 15 hours on the long-haul route tapped as part of an effort to revive the airline’s fortunes. The carrier had forecast its daily direct flights to the US would boost annual revenues by more than 10 percent in 2019 and 2020.

Source: Daily Nation

Dubai airport Eid rush: nearly two million travellers expected over next 11 days

Dubai is gearing up for a busy travel period as Ramadan ends and the Eid Al Fitr holiday begins.

More than 1.9 million passengers are expected to fly to or from Dubai International Airport between April 28 and May 9.

The busiest day for travel will be May 7, when more than 200,000 people will transit the airport. Daily traffic will exceed 177,000 over the entire holiday period, said Dubai Airports.

Emirates airline is also getting set for an influx with more than 700,000 people booked to fly via Terminal 3 of Dubai International over the Eid holidays.

The Dubai airline says its busiest period will be the weekend before Eid.

Popular destinations for UAE travellers flying with Emirates include London, Istanbul, Manila, Cairo, Paris, Casablanca, New York and Los Angeles. An additional 23 flights to seven cities across the GCC and Middle East have also been added to the airline’s network for the holidays.

The airline expects Terminal 3 to be busy with travellers until May 9 and reminded all passengers to get to the airport at least three hours ahead of their flight departure time to allow for check-in, health document checks and immigration formalities.

Any passengers trying to check in less than 60 minutes before their departure will not be accepted for travel, said Emirates.

And low-cost airline flydubai is also expecting the next few weeks to be busy. The airline plans to operate more than 2,200 flights between April 30 and May 8 to accommodate a surge in demand.

The budget airline has increased capacity on some of its most popular routes for the break, including to Baku, Tbilisi, the Maldives and Sarajevo, and expects capacity to be between 80 and 100 per cent on flights to Almaty, Budapest, Colombo, Kathmandu, Naples and Yerevan.

How to beat the Eid rush at Dubai International Airport

Dubai Airports and Emirates have issued tips for travellers flying over Eid to help people beat the rush.

Passengers should check the latest travel regulations for their destination with their airline, said airport authorities. These can change regularly so its important to find out before leaving for the airport.

Travellers should also plan for extra time to get to the airport over the holiday, with the roads around Dubai International expected to get congested during peak times.

Emirates offers early check-in options, with most travellers able to drop bags off for flights as early as 24 hours before take-off time. Using this option could mean having one less thing to worry about on departure day. US passengers flying Emirates can check in 12 hours before departure.

To cut down on crowds, passengers flying from Terminal 1 at Dubai International should arrive at the airport no earlier than three hours before departure time.

Passengers should also make use of online check-in services whenever airlines offer the facility to help cut-down on queue times.

Once at the airport, registered travellers over the age of 12 can use the Smart Gates to help speed up passport control procedures.

Source: The National News

Dubai ranked third-best city in the world for digital nomads

Dubai has been ranked the third-best city in the world for digital nomads to live in, according to new research by real estate consultancy Savills.

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, topped the table and Miami was ranked second in the Savills Executive Nomad Index, which lists the top 15 cities for long-term remote workers, based on internet speed, quality of life, climate, air connectivity and prime rents, Savills said in a statement on Wednesday.

Portugal’s popular Algarve region, in the south of the country, was ranked fourth, followed by Barbados in the Caribbean.

Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Saint Lucia, Malta and Antigua & Barbuda round out the top 10. No cities in Asia featured in the index.

“Remote working enabled business owners from abroad to make Dubai their main hub,” said Helen Tatham, head of residential community sales and leasing at Savills Dubai.

“UK nationals have long favoured Dubai for holiday and work, but the market also benefited from new demand from French, German, Swedish and Swiss buyers.”

The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the remote-working trend, with the adoption of new technologies encouraging more workers to move away from the cities or countries where their employers are based.

In response, some countries, including the UAE, enacted legislation designed to attract foreign-employed workers.

The UAE unveiled a one-year residency permit for remote workers in March last year to attract more talent to the region and boost business opportunities. The visa permits foreign remote professionals to live in the Emirates while continuing to serve employers in their home countries.

Dubai topped the Savills index for air connectivity, with the emirate’s airlines reaching more than 100 countries, Savills said.

All cities that featured in the Savills index either have a digital nomad visa programme, or equivalent, or, in the case of US and European countries, are already part of a large economic bloc that allows free movement of people for living or work, the consultancy said.

They offer favourable climates year-round, a high quality of life and have established prime residential markets, Savills said.

“The modern executive nomad – a distant cousin of the freelance creative working from a cafe in Bali or Costa Rica – owns a villa in the Algarve or a condo in Miami, attends Zoom calls from an airy home office and hops on a flight back to London, New York or Geneva for the quarterly board meeting,” said Paul Tostevin, head of Savills World Research.

“Provided travel connections are good and high-speed internet is reliable, individuals and families are motivated to relocate and are placing a greater emphasis on health, wellness and overall lifestyle.”

Lisbon topped the index on the back of its high quality of life, low pollution, favourable climate and good air connectivity.

“Tech executives and entrepreneurs are drawn by Lisbon’s burgeoning status as a tech hub,” said Ricardo Garcia, head of residential at Savills Portugal.

“Real estate costs are low and there is a strong local talent pool. Companies are moving their headquarters to Portugal.”

Miami has grown in appeal as a remote working destination in the US owing to its warm climate and beaches, Savills said.

The city also offers good air connectivity and digital infrastructure, as well as a strong prime rental market and a comparatively good quality of life,.

Barbados, which has the fastest internet in the Caribbean, is popular with digital nomads thanks to its climate and good air connectivity.

Barcelona, which placed sixth, also has fast internet and a strong global connectivity through its air and rail systems, Savills said.

“As the workplace has evolved to a new, more flexible model, executive nomads are turning what were previously holiday home markets into year-round ones,” Mr Tostevin said.

“Certain locations in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, as well as cities such as Lisbon, Miami and Dubai, offer them connectivity, favourable climates and a high quality of life.”

Source: The National News

South Africa is introducing a digital nomad visa – will it revive the struggling tourism sector?

South Africa’s captivating coastlines and unique ecosystems attract millions of travellers every year. With tourism bringing in an estimated $10 billion (€ 8.2 billion) to the economy and employing millions throughout the country.

However, South Africa’s tourism industry suffered a major setback in 2020, when COVID-19 reached the country’s shores. Before the pandemic, international visitors in South Africa spent over $30,000 (€27,000) per minute while criss-crossing the nation. A figure that seems insurmountable in today’s South Africa, as tourism companies search for new ways to make up for lost time.

How can South Africa revive its tourism industry?

Industry leaders at the World Travel Market Africa event in Cape Town, South Africa are convinced that the antidote to the ailing tourism sector is the fast-tracking of digital nomad visas. This ambitious visa regime would allow international remote workers to stay in the country for longer than 90 days and up to a year in total.

“There are a number of destinations that have done this like Dubai, Greece and Maldives. Those destinations have seen an overall growth in tourism numbers,” explains Velma Corcoran, Country Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at Airbnb.

“What we have done as Airbnb is work closely with the Italian Ministry of Tourism to support them in lobbying for a digital nomad visa.”

President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, describes the remote work visa as a tool to enable economic growth. However, while this is under review by the government, South Africa faces the double threat of safety issues and skills shortages.

Crime rates in South Africa: An ongoing issue

Safety is South Africa’s achilles heel, and crime affects domestic and international visitors alike. In the last three months of 2021, murder rates increased by 8.9 per cent and hijackings rose by 13.8 per cent.

“We must deal with another major challenge, a challenge which was well articulated to me by the President of China who told me that many Chinese tourists want to come to South Africa and Africa, but the issue that is holding them back is crime,” says President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Unless the government acts to increase safety measures in the country, it is likely that some tourists will continue to be put off by crime statistics.

A shortage of skilled workers

The pandemic has left a huge gap in South Africa’s skilled labour market too. And while the tourism industry is crying out for more international and domestic travellers, the reality is that the country could struggle to meet their demands.

The government’s job retention support scheme lessens the burden, explains Monika Iuel, Chief Marketing Officer at WESGRO, but more still needs to be done to support the industry. She believes that digital technology will play an important role in closing the gap.

“I think the government’s scheme for payroll alleviation was a little support. I do not think it was anywhere sufficient because tourism and the hospitality industry are a big service industry,” says Iuel.

“For WESGRO, digital communications has gone on steroids because the only way to reach the consumer is on digital platforms.”

Will introducing a digital nomad visa help tourism?

There’s no doubt that introducing a digital nomad visa would provide a welcome boost for the tourism industry.

Should South Africa give the visa the greenlight, it will become the first mainland African country to offer visitors a long-term remote visa, joining the African island nations of Mauritius, Seychelles and Cape Verde.

While the finer details have yet to be confirmed, it is likely that there will be a minimum salary requirement for tourists applying for the visa, as well as rules regarding health insurance, proof of work and accommodation.

Source: euronews

Sustainable travel: Africa leading with ban on single-use plastics

There is a collective effort worldwide to phase out the use and production of single-use plastic. Back in 2002, Bangladesh was the first ever country to ban thin, single-use plastic. Several countries followed suit by either imposing a partial or complete ban on the use of plastic, or levying tax on every single single-use plastic item.

The fight against plastic pollution is not just to make our surroundings look prettier and cleaner, but mainly to save the planet we live in from dying. With rivers, ocean, land and even mountains already all choked up with plastic waste, very recently researchers have found traces of plastic inside our body, in the blood.

The plastic we discard ends up in our land and ocean, two main areas from where we get our food to survive. The lifespan of a normal plastic item is upto 1000 years, plastic bottles upto 450, and plastic bags for about 20 years. Let’s just say our entire lifetime. That’s too much time in our life, living with plastic in our system and that can’t be good.

When the whole world is fighting the good fight for a cleaner eco-friendly life, Africa is taking things one step ahead of everyone and setting a new bar for the whole world. Out of 170 nations that pledged to ban the single-use plastic, around 77 of them have passed full or partial ban, 34 countries are from Africa alone.

Countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Mali, Cameroon, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Morocco, South Africa, Rwanda and Botswana have strict policies on use of single-use plastic. They are either completely banned or the government levies a very high tax on them.

Taking things one notch higher is Tanzania that, as of 2019, has announced that travellers are no longer allowed to bring in plastic bags when they visit the country. This includes all plastic carriers, regardless of their thickness.

They even make in-flight announcements to surrender any plastic bags. Special counters are set up at the airport and border posts for travellers to surrender any kind of plastic bags. The only exception is ziplock bags used as toiletries, provided they leave Tanzania with you. Travellers are encouraged to bring cloth carry bags instead of plastic.

So now you know what to pack and what not to when you plan for that beautiful African holiday that you have been waiting for. It is always better to be an environmentally conscious traveller.

Source: Times of India

Tata Sons begins process to merge AirAsia India with Air India

Tata Sons has started the process to merge Air India, the flag carrier airline of India, with low-cost carrier AirAsia India. 

In a legal notice to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), seen by Times of India on April 27, 2022, Air India notified the local competition regulator about its proposed aim to merge with low-cost carrier AirAsia India.  

“The proposed combination relates to the acquisition of the entire equity share capital of AirAsia India Private Limited by Air India Ltd- an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Private Limited (TSPL). At present, TSPL holds 83.67% of the equity share capital of AirAsia India,” the document states. 

The consolidation of both airlines means that merged airlines will hold roughly a 16% share of the local domestic passenger market. However, Air India ensured that the proposed merger “will not lead to any change in the competitive landscape or cause any appreciable adverse effect on competition in India, irrespective of the manner in which the relevant markets are defined”. 

Tata Sons, which currently owns an 83.67% share in AirAsia India, formally took control of Air India on January 27, 2022. Since then, the new owner of the loss-making airline has initiated a gradual consolidation of both businesses.  

In February 2022, immediately after Air India’s privatization, the two airlines signed an Interline Considerations on Irregular Operations (IROP) cooperation agreement, where Air India and AirAsia India agreed to serve each other’s domestic customers to minimize passenger inconvenience in the event of flight disruptions. 

After taking control of Air India, Tata Sons holds shares in four Indian airlines, including AirAsia India, Vistara, and Air India Express. The Mumbai-based conglomerate reportedly plans to move all four carriers to a 70,000 square feet office near Delhi.  

Source: Aerotime Hub