‘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 The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, also found that patients were 73 percent less likely to have severe disease than those admitted during the country’s third wave, which was dominated by the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

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

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

Kenya reports first three cases of Omicron variant

Kenya has detected at least three cases of the new Omicron variant first detected in South Africa last month.

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on Wednesday said the cases were detected among travellers.

Last week, Uganda announced it had detected cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in travellers coming into the country, the first infections to be reported in East Africa.

The cases were detected in people screened at Entebbe International Airport who flew in from five different countries, Ugandan medical authorities said in a statement.

Five had come from Nigeria, two from South Africa — where the variant was first reported — and two from the United Arab Emirates. 

On Tuesday, results of a study published in South Africa showed two shots of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine offers around 70 percent protection against severe disease from Omicron.  

The emergence of the highly mutated variant sparked fears that it could cause severe disease, be more contagious or could evade vaccines. 

Early indicators suggest that it could be more transmissible, but promising data so far has suggested that vaccines still offer protection against Omicron. 

“The double dose of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine showing 70 percent effectiveness in reducing risk of hospitalisation,” said Ryan Noach, the head of South Africa’s leading private health insurance company, Discovery, which co-led the study. 

Two doses of the vaccine offered 93 percent protection against earlier variants, according to the companies.   

The study was based on the results of 78,000 PCR tests taken in South Africa between November 15 and December 7 and was conducted by Discovery along with the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). 

“We are extremely encouraged by the results,” said SAMRC head Glenda Gray. 

But Noach warned that despite the protection offered by two doses, hospitals could still be overrun since Omicron is spreading rapidly in South Africa. 

Source: The Star

Kagwe says no Covid curbs as cases surge

Kenya will not impose restrictions such as lockdowns following the discovery of new Omicron Covid-19 variant cases among two Kenyan travellers and a South African who entered the country last week.

Health Cabinet secretary Mutahi Kagwe said Kenya has instead rooted for vaccinating its citizens in a bid to curb the spread of the variant in Kenya.

“We are not going to announce lockdowns and new curfew measures soon. The only way to avoid another lockdown is vaccination,” he said yesterday.

The announcement comes hours after he had said there were no new variant cases in the country despite rising coronavirus cases.

The positivity rate in Kenya has been increasing with 799 new Covid-19 cases reported yesterday alone, the highest number recorded in a day in recent months.

Data from the Health ministry shows that the positivity rate — the proportion of tests coming back positive — rose to 10.5 percent yesterday from 6.5 on Monday amid the emergence of the infectious Omicron variant.

Total confirmed positive cases are now 257,614 and cumulative tests so far conducted are 2,902,294.

The Omicron variant, which scientists say has a high number of mutations, was first detected in South Africa last month.

Cases have also been reported in travellers in Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong, among other nations.

The variant has prompted coutries such as Israel and United Arab Emirates to impose travel bans on several southern African countries against the advice of the World Health Organisation.

On Monday, operator of Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport in Accra announced it will fine airlines $3,500 for every passenger they fly in who is not vaccinated against Covid-19 or who tests positive for the coronavirus upon arrival.

Kenya’s economy, like others, has been hit by the pandemic, as Covid-19 restrictions reduced revenues and stifled growth.

Economic output contracted for the first time in nearly three decades last year, pummelled by the impact of the coronavirus crisis on key sectors such as tourism.

Source: Business Daily

NDC ‘Failing to Deliver on Expectations

Business Travel Association members report they are “frustrated” with a “lack of progress” from airlines with New Distribution Capability initiatives, according to a five-year report on NDC released by the U.K.-based association.

The association, which includes travel management company membership accounting for more than 90 percent of U.K. managed business travel spending, said that TMCs and business travelers have been “consistently penalized” by NDC, such as with surcharges on NDC content booked through global distribution systems, “with promises unfulfilled by airlines” even with “heavy financial and technological investment from TMCs.” The report also bemoaned slow adoption from airlines, with only about half of airlines currently certified to any standard of NDC.

In addition, the report cited a lack of “significant functionality” such as “personalization, unused tickets, group bookings, interlining, split [passenger name records] and mixing NDC PNR with other air content.” Online booking tools  also remain unprepared to offer full NDC capabilities, according to the report.

“We are fully supportive of the transition to NDC, as modernizing airline retail is essential for the entire business travel community, but this fractured and disjointed approach is failing to deliver on expectations,” BTA CEO Clive Wratten said in a statement. “Airlines must employ a collective customer-centric approach that streamlines with TMCs’ activities to sustainably grow the business travel sector and enable tangible change.”

The report further claimed that airlines and content aggregators have been the major beneficiaries with lower distribution cost while agents have seen “very little” benefit and the travelers has seen little “aside from lower fares.” The fares benefit also is up for debate, as TripBam founder and CEO Steve Reynolds, who recently launched an airfare-reshopping solution, said initial use has not shown that tapping the NDC aggregators brings savings.

“We’re not seeing that significant difference between that content,” Reynolds told BTN during the recent GBTA convention in Orlando. “I had thought I’d see lower fares through NDC right out of the gate, but we’re not seeing it yet.”

Still, there are those that remain optimistic about NDC benefits and adoption. Amadeus earlier this year issued a report calling 2021 “the year of scaling” for NDC as airlines develop bundles and TMCs go live with NDC content. American Airlines this week announced it was on track for a “full integration” with Amadeus for NDC at North American points of sale in early 2022, following completion of integration for European points of sale earlier this year. Capabilities will include access to a new “Corporate Experience” offer that gives access to preferred seats and priority check-in, security lines and boarding.

“This market launch will be a significant milestone for our industry and creates opportunities for more personalized offers and a more intuitive booking experience,” American Airlines managing director of digital and distribution Neil Geurin said in a statement.

The BTA report in fact praised U.S. carriers along with Qatar Airways and Etihad for taking a “customer-centric approach alongside working collaboratively with the travel management fraternity.” It called for a similar approach across the industry.

“Modernizing airline retailing is essential for all of the business travel ecosystem,” according to the report. “It will work only if the entire industry collaborates to ensure a beneficial solution for all and not least a beneficial outcome for our mutual customers.”

Source: BTN