You will not be required to have a Covid-19 free certificate to fly, as had been expected, but you must not show any fever or coronavirus symptoms before you board an aircraft for the country’s airports.

This is part of the new protocols formulated by the Ministry of Transport and aviation players for air travel during the Covid-19 pandemic in preparation for the resumption of flights.

The protocols come barely two weeks after President Uhuru Kenyatta directed their formulation, and set the stage for the reopening of the airspace for domestic flights.

On Sunday Transport Principal Secretary Samuel Kitungu toured the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to assess the measures the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) had put in place for the resumption of passenger operations.

AIR TRANSPORT

The Protocol for Air Travel Operations during The Covid-19 Public Health Crisis exclusively obtained by Nation provides the best practices on conducting commercial passenger air transport while ensuring the health and safety of the passengers, staff and crew by through operations that minimise the risk of transmitting the coronavirus.

Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said that the adverse impact of the virus had been experienced in most sectors of the economy, with the aviation industry being among the worst hit, necessitating a protocol to guide air travel and ensure its resumption.

“This protocol has been developed to help contain the spread of the virus and ensure that the sector is opened up, taking cognizance of the measures put in place by the Ministry of Health,” Mr Macharia said.

The protocols, which will be reviewed every three months, cover five key areas: the airports, passenger management, aircraft and arrival process, the management of aircrew and operators, and disinfection and sanitisation.

The implementation of the protocol will see the airport management agency, KAA, invest in new safety and health equipment.

KAA is expected to invest in whole-body scanners to avoid invasive screening both for the safety of the passengers and staff. The authority is also expected to upgrade its security cameras and CCTVs to be able to use biometrics even when people are wearing face masks.

EASE CONGESTION

To ease congestion, the agency will be required to install four extra security screening machines at the PSY at JKIA to ease congestion.

“Unlike in the past, passengers and airline operator crew shall be advised to remove items such as belts, and items from their pockets like wallets, keys and phones, and put them in their carry-on bags instead of the bins to reduce touchpoints during screening. KAA shall dedicate special bins for shoes only and disinfect them regularly, “the new protocols say.

On passenger management, all passengers must have their temperature checked using thermal scanners and thermal guns, before they enter the airport to identify those whose temperature is 37.5 degrees or higher.

“Where a passenger’s body temperature will be found to be 37.5 degrees or higher, temperature checks will be repeated at least once for confirmation purposes.

‘‘Any passenger with an elevated body temperature shall be referred to secondary assessment by port health services present at the airport for Covid-19 testing and will not be allowed to travel,” the new rules say.

Passengers will be encouraged to check in online, with detailed information for contact tracing before they are allocated a seat and provided with their boarding pass.

Airlines will also be expected to have their own contracted medical team at the check-in counters to help assess the passengers’ fitness to fly.

MEDICAL TEAM

“Before accepting any passengers on the flight, the air operator’s medical team, in conjunction with the Port Health and Air Operators Passenger Services, shall check the health conditions of the passengers by screening and profiling.

Confirmed or suspected cases, or those who can pose potential health risks shall be notified at the earliest opportunity and not be accepted for travel,” the protocol says.

The protocols will also allow passengers to carry with them up to a maximum of 100ml of liquid sanitisers (in a transparent package) as part of carry-on luggage.

Aboard the aircraft, the operators will be expected to provide guidance material on preventive measures, including hand hygiene, particularly before eating or drinking, and after use of the toilet.

Other guidance materials expected include the appropriate use of face masks, limiting contact with cabin surfaces and reduced movement in the aircraft.

The protocol also seems to appreciate the difficulty airlines might have of reworking their seating arrangement to conform to the social distancing rule, instead urging the air operators will ensure, to the extent possible, physical distancing among passengers.

Source: https://www.nation.co.ke/kenya/news/new-aviation-protocols-ready-as-domestic-flights-set-to-take-off-734614

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments to avoid quarantine measures when re-opening their economies. IATA is promoting a layered approach of measures to reduce the risk of countries importing COVID-19 via air travel and to mitigate the possibility of transmission in cases where people may travel while unknowingly being infected.

“Imposing quarantine measures on arriving travellers keeps countries in isolation and the travel and tourism sector in lockdown. Fortunately, there are policy alternatives that can reduce the risk of importing COVID-19 infections while still allowing for the resumption of travel and tourism that are vital to jumpstarting national economies. We are proposing a framework with layers of protection to keep sick people from traveling and to mitigate the risk of transmission should a traveller discover they were infected after arrival,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

IATA encourages a layering of bio-safety measures in two areas:

Reducing the risk of imported cases via travellers

 

• Discouraging symptomatic passengers from traveling: It is important that passengers do not travel when ill. To encourage passengers to “do the right thing” and stay home if they are unwell or potentially exposed, airlines are offering travellers flexibility in adjusting their bookings.
• Public health risk mitigation measures: IATA supports health screening by governments in the form of health declarations. To avoid privacy issues and cut the risk of infection with paper documents, standardized contactless electronic declarations via government web portals or government mobile applications are recommended. Health screening using measures such as non-intrusive temperature checks can also play an important role. Although temperature checks are not the most effective screening method for COVID-19 symptoms, they can act as a deterrent to traveling while unwell. Temperature checks can also shore-up passenger confidence: in a recent IATA survey of travellers, 80% indicated that temperature checks make them feel safer when traveling.
• COVID-19 testing for travellers from countries perceived to be “higher-risk”: When accepting travellers from countries where the rate of new infections is significantly higher, the arrival authority could consider COVID-19 testing. It is recommended that tests are undertaken prior to arrival at the departure airport (so as not to add to airport congestion and avoid the potential for contagion in the travel process) with documentation to prove a negative result. Tests would need to be widely available and highly accurate, with results delivered quickly. Test data would need to be independently validated so as to be mutually recognized by governments and securely transmitted to the relevant authorities. Testing should be for active virus (polymerase chain reaction or PCR) rather than for antibodies or antigens.

Mitigating Risk in Cases Where an Infected Person Does Travel

 

• Reducing the risk of transmission during the air travel journey: IATA encourages the universal implementation of the Take-Off guidelines published by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Take-Off is a temporary risk-based and multi-layered approach to mitigate the risks of transmitting COVID-19 during air travel. The comprehensive Take-Off guidelines are closely aligned with the recommendations of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These include mask wearing throughout the travel process, sanitization, health declarations and social distancing where possible.
• Contact tracing: This is the back-up measure, should someone be detected as infected after arrival. Rapid identification and isolation of contacts contains the risk without large-scale economic or social disruption. New mobile technology has the potential to automate part of the contact-tracing process, provided privacy concerns can be addressed.
• Reducing risk of transmission at destination: Governments are taking measures to limit the spread of the virus in their territory that will also mitigate the risk from travellers. In addition, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travel protocols provide a pragmatic approach for the hospitality sector to enable safe tourism and restore traveller confidence. Areas of the industry covered by the protocols include hospitality, attractions, retail, tour operators, and meeting planners.

“Safely restarting the economy is a priority. That includes travel and tourism. Quarantine measures may play a role in keeping people safe, but they will also keep many unemployed. The alternative is to reduce risks through a series of measures. Airlines are already offering flexibility so there is no incentive for sick or at-risk people to travel. Health declarations, screening and testing by governments will add extra layers of protection. And if someone travels while infected, we can reduce the risk of transmission with protocols to prevent the spread during travel or when at destination. And effective contact tracing can isolate those most at risk without major disruptions,” said de Juniac.

There are some hurdles to being able to implement the full suite of measures. “Data transmission, required for health declarations, testing and tracing, raises privacy concerns. And mutually recognized standards would be needed for testing. Governments have a common interest in finding solutions. The rapid agreement by governments to ICAO’s Take-Off guidelines demonstrates that progress on complex issues is possible where there is the political will to do so,” said de Juniac.

There is every economic incentive to make a layered approach work. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that travel and tourism accounts for 10.3% of global GDP and 300 million jobs globally (direct, indirect and induced economic impact).

Mandatory quarantine measures stop people from traveling. Recent public opinion research revealed that 83% of travellers would not even consider traveling if quarantine measures were imposed on travellers at their destination. And analysis of trends during the lockdown period shows that countries imposing quarantine saw arrivals decrease by more than 90%—an outcome that is similar to countries that banned foreign arrivals.

“A layered approach to safety has made flying the safest way to travel while still enabling the system to function efficiently. That should be an inspirational framework to guide governments in protecting their citizens from the terrible risks of both the virus and joblessness. Quarantine is a lop-sided solution that protects one and absolutely fails at the other. We need government leadership to deliver a balanced protection,” said de Juniac.

 

Airports in Dubai will welcome tourists from July 7, 2020, it was announced on Sunday. The tourists will be required to present a recent Covid-19 negative certificate or undergo testing at the airport.

The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management added that the emirate’s airports would start receiving residents stranded abroad from tomorrow (June 22). It also said that citizens and residents will be permitted to travel overseas from June 23.

This came as the committee announced new protocols and conditions for citizens, residents and tourists travelling into or out of Dubai airports.

The committee said the announcements will allow thousands of people affected by worldwide restrictions in passenger air traffic since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic to resume their travel plans.

The decisions have been announced as per directives issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the follow-up of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

 

 

 

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/dubai/dubai-to-welcome-tourists-from-july-7

The Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) on Friday June 19, 2020 held an online meeting to assess the impact of the national budget on the travel industry.

KATA hosted their appointed auditors Ronalds LLP who took the members through the Kenya Budget 2020/ 2021 and how it will affect business for travel agents.

Ronalds partner Mr Ronald Bwosi took members through a presentation on the Tax Amendment Act 2020, Finance Bill 2020 and the 2020/2021 budget.

Tax Laws amendment Act, 2020, he explained, brings into effect the tax measures directed by the President Uhuru Kenyatta during his announcement of the governments intentions to manage the COVID-19 outbreak.

“The Amendment Act also comes with other measures that aim at increasing the revenue channels and thus affect the operations of many tax payers significantly,” Mr Bwosi said.

His Colleague Mr Peter Mwanja further explained that the Finance Bill, 2020 has re-introduced some of the tax proposals initially proposed by the Tax Amendment Bill, 2020 but were rejected by the parliament. “Furthermore, the bill provides additional tax changes and other miscellaneous amendments,” he further said.

KATA members were engaged interactively in a session hosted by KATA CEO Ms. Agnes Mucuha, where they explored the various bills and the budget and its impact on the ailing businesses that have been closed down due to the highly contagious global pandemic.

KATA Chairman Mr Mohammed Wanyoike thanked the team of auditors for breaking down the intricacies to the agents, a move he said, will help prepare travel agents for the new business order.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airports Council International- Africa (ACI Africa) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Regional Offices for African States are united in their call to governments in Africa to rapidly implement ICAO’s global guidelines for restoring air connectivity to ensure the safe and harmonized restart of aviation in the region. These guidelines are contained in Takeoff: Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis, which was approved by the ICAO Council. They have also been adopted into the African Union’s Restart and Recovery Strategies during and after COVID-19 for the African Aviation Sector.

“Developed based on the latest medical evidence and consistent with health best practices the ICAO Take-off guidance provides governments with a framework for restarting aviation while protecting public health. Governments in Africa are encouraged to implement the guidance urgently and in a harmonized and mutually recognized way to allow aviation to safely start contributing to Africa’s economic recovery post COVID-19. Air connectivity is critical to economic and sustainable development in and across the continent,” said Mr. Barry Kashambo, Regional Director, ESAF speaking on behalf of the ICAO Regional Offices accredited to African States.

“ICAO’s Take-off guidance is a global way forward for aviation. Implementation should give governments the confidence to open borders without quarantine, and passengers the confidence to fly. But guidelines mean nothing if they are not implemented. And that is our main message to governments in Africa. Deviations from the guidance and mandatory approaches, especially on quarantine and social distancing, will damage public confidence, make it harder to operate effectively, slow down the industry restart and increase the economic pressures already created by COVID-19. This would be harmful to public health and the economic recovery,” said Muhammad Albakri, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East.

“Safety and security remain the industry’s main priority, and both are firmly entrenched into every airport’s operations and corporate culture. Building on this track record, the ICAO Take-off guidance is fully aligned with our industry’s focus on passenger and staff wellbeing. We therefore urge African States to urgently adopt these guidelines so that we can ensure the implementation of consistent, harmonized and effective measures across the region, a prerequisite for passengers to return to air travel in all confidence, and for the swift restoration of air connectivity for the sustainable recovery of the travel, business and tourism sectors on the continent,” said Ali Tounsi Secretary General, ACI Africa.

COVID-19 has crippled the air transport industry in Africa. Demand is forecast to fall by 58.5% in 2020 year-on-year – the largest drop of all the regions. Airlines in the region are expected to post a net loss of $2 billion this year as passenger revenues decline by over $6 billion compared to the previous year. Concurrently, African airports are expected to lose 51% of their revenues in 2020, i.e., around $2.2 billion. Job losses in aviation and related industries in the region could reach 3.1 million and GDP supported by aviation could fall by $28 billion. Before the COVID-19 crisis, aviation supported 6.2 million jobs in the region and generated $55.8 billion in GDP.

 

The ICAO Guidance proposes a layered and phased approach to restarting aviation and identifies a set of generally applicable risk-based measures. In line with recommendations and guidance from public health authorities, these will mitigate the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus during the travel process.

Measures include:

•  Physical distancing to the extent feasible and implementation of “adequate risk-based measures where distancing is not feasible, for example in aircraft cabins”;
• Wearing of face coverings and masks by passengers and aviation workers;
• Routine sanitation and disinfection of all areas with potential for human contact and transmission;
• Health screening, which could include pre- and post-flight self-declarations, as well as temperature screening and visual observation, “conducted by health professionals”;
• Contact tracing for passengers and aviation employees: updated contact information should be requested as part of the health self-declaration, and interaction between passengers and governments should be made directly though government portals;
• Passenger health declaration forms, including self-declarations in line with the recommendations of relevant health authorities. Electronic tools should be encouraged to avoid paper;
• Testing: if and when real-time, rapid and reliable testing becomes available.

The organizations are also urging states to identify every opportunity where travel restrictions could be lifted, through bilateral or multilateral arrangements among countries – as soon as the epidemiological situation allows for it.

ICAO, IATA and ACI Africa also pledged their commitment to providing support to industry stakeholders in the region to help ensure implementation and compliance with the recommended ICAO Take-off guidance. This includes the development of more detailed operational procedures in four specific areas – Airport, Aircraft, Crew and Cargo – based on the Take-off guidance.

“Restarting international connectivity safely while ensuring that aviation is not a meaningful source for the spread of COVID-19 is not an option but a must. Aviation is facing the biggest challenge of its history; we need all hands-on deck to get the industry up and running again and we are committed to making the journey as seamless and risk-free as possible. We will collaborate with and support states to implement these guidelines in the fastest and most efficient way and encourage governments and other industry stakeholders to reach out to us for support,” said Albakri.

IATA, ACI Africa, ICAO, the African Union, African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Africa Airlines Association (AFRAA) Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) and CANSO are working closely to support the safe restart of the industry in Africa.

IATA, ACI Africa and ICAO firmly believe that now is the time for all stakeholders of the aviation ecosystem to act in unity and work together towards a swift, efficient, harmonized and sustainable recovery of the African air transport industry.

The ICAO Council adopted a new report and recommendations today aimed at restarting the international air transport system and aligning its global recovery.

The COVID-19 report and guidelines were produced by the Council’s Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART). They were developed through broad-based consultations with countries and regional organizations, and with important advice from the World Health Organization and key aviation industry groups including the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airports Council International (ACI World), the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), and the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations (ICCAIA).

“The world looked to the ICAO Council to provide the high-level guidance which governments and industry needed to begin restarting international air transport and recovering from COVID-19,” underscored ICAO Council President Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano.

“We have answered this call today with the delivery of this report, and with its recommendations and Take-Off guidelines which will now align public and private sector actions and mitigations as we get the world flying again, in full accordance with the latest and most prudent medical and traveller health advice available to us.”

CART Chairperson Ambassador Philippe Bertoux, the Representative of France to the ICAO Council, noted that the CART guidelines were intended to inform, align and progress the national, regional, and industry-specific COVID-19 recovery roadmaps now being implemented, but not to replace them.

“These guidelines will facilitate convergence, mutual recognition and harmonization of aviation COVID-19 related measures across the globe,” he emphasized. “They are intended to support the restart and recovery of global air travel in a safe, secure and sustainable way.”

“In order to be effective, we need to take a layered and especially a risk-based approach. Measures will be implemented or removed as needed based on the wide ranging medical and other factors which will be at play,” he said.

“Countries and operators need both autonomy and certainty as they take action to get the world flying again,” Bertoux continued, “and the CART guidelines are therefore designed to serve in both these capacities as a common reference, while remaining adaptable. This needs to be understood as a type of ‘living guidance’ which will be continuously updated based on latest risk assessments as we monitor progress and reconnect the world.”

The CART’s Report contains a detailed situational analysis and key principles supported by a series of recommendations focused around objectives for public health, aviation safety and security, and aviation economic recovery.

This content is supplemented by the report’s special ‘Take Off’ document which contains guidelines for public health risk mitigation measures and four separate modules relating to airports, aircraft, crew, and air cargo.

“The world needs aviation and aviation today is in great need of ICAO,” Council President Sciacchitano emphasized. “Global cooperation through this organization has helped countries to connect the world to their mutual benefit for over 75 years, and now it’s helping us to reconnect it. Solidarity among all countries and regions and industry sectors will be critical going forward, and ICAO is where we achieve that for global aviation.”

ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu also welcomed the CART’s accomplishment and highlighted that ICAO will continue to develop implementation packages to assist Member States to restart the operations and recovery. “Restoring public confidence in air travel has very broad benefits. This isn’t only about the operational and economic viability of the air transport sector, but of entire societies and regions having their economic livelihoods and stability restored”, she commented. The full CART Report is available as part of ICAO’s COVID-19 platform, and will be regularly reviewed and updated based on the latest data and information received from all stakeholders.

The coronavirus has taken a huge chunk from the aviation industry, and the prospect of an impending second wave paints a dark cloud in an already gloomy environment. For many of us, the return to normality is taking forever. 

For the airlines and airports, it is a tricky balance between generating much required revenue and adhering to the laid-out health regulations. On a bright note, experts agree that travel will indubitably rebound, though no model can accurately predict when.

From my telescopic lens as an aviation expert, I foresee a paradigm shift on existing pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight rituals when airports reopen.

True to Heraclitus’ quote, “nothing endures but change”, this pandemic has changed everything for everyone globally. Aviation industry players have different expectations as aircraft reignite their engines to soar back to the skies.

Since the coronavirus pandemic is ushering in a new era of air travel, it is time to prepare for what coming back to travel will actually look like. The post-Covid-19 travels will witness fundamental changes in the experience of air travel, depending on airports infrastructure, security protocols, airlines and government laid down procedures.

Previously passengers were required by their airlines to arrive at the airport one to three hours before flight departure. To facilitate obligatory checks, this requirement will change and range from four to six hours before flight departure. Passengers with special baggage may need to arrive earlier to oversee the repackaging procedures.

Full-body disinfection booths could become common, as could cleaning robots sprinkling anti-microbial spray and air steriliser to disinfect public spaces. Baggage will be sanitised and given a tag once the process is complete in what is dubbed as “sanitagging”.  

Passengers may need to show identification documents together with an immunity document or health certificate in a process similar to what some states do for yellow fever and polio ahead of travelling to their lands. Airlines may introduce mandatory pre-boarding temperature checks for all passengers.

Passengers will use individual mobile phones to check-in and to generate boarding passes as an alternative to check-in kiosks. Custom-designed plexiglass shields will be ubiquitous as they dot check-in desks, forex bureaus and open offices. 

The era of ever-crowded boarding queues has ended. Airlines will send short text messages to its passengers advising on the assigned boarding slots and they will consequently arrive sequentially using their allocated slot time.

The International Air Transport Association already recommends mandatory face coverings for both passengers and crew members. It is likely that the airlines will make wearing masks compulsory for passengers while on board.

Aircraft will employ the concept of “touchless cabin”. To keep clear of touching the seat-back screens, personal devices will dominate the inflight entertainment giving way to personalised inflight entertainment via the passenger’s own gadgets.

This disruptive technology accelerated by the pandemic will hit the last nail in the coffin of printed in-flight magazines. Your Kenya Airways’ Msafiri or South African Airways’ Sawubona may be extinct. The seat-back pockets, assumed to be among the most contaminated spots onboard planes, will ordinarily be empty.  

Concerns that the flight attendants could inadvertently pass the virus as they give out meals on board signifies the end of the trolley era. Consequently, passengers picking up their food before they board to limit the chance of a contact infection inflight will be a common sight during boarding.

Passengers may begin buying their meals at touchless vending machines before embarking on a flight. These vending machines will also most likely stock personal protective equipment like gloves and masks to cater for a business opportunity where travelling passengers need to refill their stock.

Unknown by many, travelling passengers have had the option of pre-ordering meals before travelling, but they have seldom maximised this opportunity. This may now become the norm. Some airlines have indicated that they will not be serving meals on flights of less than four hours.

Cabins will have an in-flight janitor cleaning surfaces and lavatories at regular intervals to ensure high standards of hygiene and sanitisation. Going to the lavatory will be in a systematic and sequential order preceded and succeeded by a thorough cleaning and sanitising exercise after each visit. 

Soon, the aviation industry will witness a new concept of flying involving flights within the city using urban air mobility, air taxis and drones for personal transport. This will be a concept of door-to-door seamless transportation where passengers use the same “vehicle” for the transportation on the ground and in the air.

My prediction is that the recovery period for the aviation industry will take years if not decades to rebound. Flying may become prohibitively expensive in the long term. The saving grace will be when airlines employ the strategy of lowering fares to stimulate demand and to mitigate the risk of low passenger numbers.

Since the operators need to shore up their balance sheets, governments and global institutions need to collaborate to save and stimulate the industry in the post-pandemic period to save jobs and keep the world connected.

Mr Thendu is an aviation expert with over two decades of experience in air navigation services provision

Source: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001375128/what-flying-in-the-age-of-covid-19-might-look-like

 

Kenya’s travel agents have resolved to stop issuing credit facilities to their clients to sustain businesses in this time of crisis.

The radical decision, arrived at by lobby group, Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) was informed by the losses incurred as a result of Covid-19 pandemic, which they say has greatly affected their cash-flow positions. 

Expected to be affected are corporates, government agencies, non-governmental organisations and traders who book for travel and pay over an extended period of time.

The policy will ensure that travel agents deal with cash paying clients, and therefore are able to remain operational in times of crisis as seen with the Covid-19 pandemic.  

“Travel post-pandemic needs to be on cash basis. Kata is working with TRA on setting up frameworks that will see travel agents paid on cash basis,” said Kata Board of Directors Treasurer Joseph Kithitu.

New normal

Kithitu said with no credit extended to travel agents, the new move would enable KATA members to align their businesses to deal with the new normal.

“We may not push as many volumes as before, but we will be able to remain operational even through such crisis,” he said. 

He said travel agents had undergone a traumatic period in the four months to June since the government instituted partial lockdown that restricted local and international travel as a way of mitigating the spread of the virus.

Many businesses, he added, have closed down and laid off staff because of nil bookings.

“All we can do now is chase after payment from government, corporates and our other clients,” he said, adding that  business had been hit harder as airlines were not refunding travel agents for travel that was already booked during the coronavirus period.

Source: https://www.pd.co.ke/business/economy-and-policy/tough-times-ahead-as-travel-agents-adopt-no-credit-policy-40975/#:~:text=Kenya’s%20travel%20agents%20have%20resolved,in%20this%20time%20of%20crisis.&text=The%20policy%20will%20ensure%20that,with%20the%20Covid%2D19%20pandemic.

 

Kenya Airways (KQ) plans to resume passenger flights as soon as the government lifts a travel ban that had been imposed on international flights on March 22, ending months of lost revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ban effectively cut off Kenya Airways’ flow of new revenues at a time it had no cash revenues.
It is expected that air travel will be fully operational by the third quarter of the year.
The airline sees the move as the best-case scenario but warns that the ultimate length of suspension of the flight business is still uncertain.
According to KQ in its latest report, “There is reasonable expectation that the flights could resume in the third quarter of the year with business expected to have started at very low capacity and a gradual ramp-up, influenced by the gradual lifting of travel bans, uncertain passenger confidence and health safety measures.”
Discussions with key industry stakeholders are going on in relation to a safe return to passenger routes, the airline says.
It is expected that KQ will be able to cover its variable costs on resumption.
“The resumption is expected to happen within the period of the moratoriums already being negotiated with lenders and lessors and thereby allowing the airline to grow back its revenue base and gradually cover its fixed costs,” says the airline.
The airline has been operating only cargo flights for essentials services such as medicine but it has not been enough to sustain business given that it was already a loss territory before the coronavirus pandemic.
KQ’s Chief Executive Officer Allan Kilavuka had unsuccessfully applied for a bailout from the National Treasury to help meet maintenance costs of grounded planes, salaries and settle utility bills like security, electricity and water.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday took a cautious approach to the pandemic, warning that relaxing measures such as curfews and containment of certain counties by just 20 percent would lead to 200,000 infections and 30,000 deaths by December.

Source; https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/06/15/kenya-airways-plans-to-resume-passenger-flights/

Authorities in the UAE last month said that people whose residency visas expired during the Covid-19 outbreak would be extended until the end of the year.

The decision was made to help residents and companies amid strict stay-home measures that were put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

But as residents begin to leave the country on repatriation flights or others remain abroad, unable to return because flights have been grounded and borders closed, questions about visas and sponsorships remain.

People have been keen for more information about their residency status after authorities gave March 1, 2020 as a cut-off date for the visa changes.

Many residents, whose visas were cancelled, worry about overstay fines after they lost jobs because their companies cut back on staff due to the economic effect of the pandemic.

The National spoke to Haider Hussain, partner at Fragomen, an immigration services firm, to explain the current rules.

He said authorities have been proactive as they attempt to provide clarity where possible in a constantly evolving scenario due to the virus.

What happens if my visa expired between March and December?

Anyone whose residency visa expired between March and December will have it extended until December 31 automatically. This applies whether your residency visa expired in April or will expire in June or later. In UAE immigration records, the visa will be extended to December 2020.

What about people whose visa expired or was cancelled before March 1?

These residents can stay in the country for three months, beginning May 18, 2020, without incurring fines. This means they can remain until August 18 without paying visa overstay fines. If they find a new job and are sponsored by their employer, they will be issued a residency visa.

What happens to residents who have lost their jobs and their employers have cancelled their visa after March 1?

People whose visas were cancelled after March 1 have a 30-day grace period from the date of cancellation. They need to secure a new job to change their sponsorship or leave the UAE within a month or risk incurring fines. The overstay fines are Dh225 on the first day and Dh25 for each subsequent day.

One option is to file for a tourist visa. Although tourist visas remain suspended for people outside the UAE, people within the country can apply for a tourist visa to get immediate relief. This will give them an additional 90 days without being fined.

The in-country visit visa fee including immigration status change will cost about $435 (Dh1,598) for a 30-day short stay and about $530 (Dh1,946) for 90 days.

They can also apply for a seat on a repatriation flights that various countries are organising.

Employers are encouraged to be accommodating and companies are requested to show compassion by delaying or holding visa cancellations until restrictions on travel lift.

Authorities have also been lenient in some cases when companies or individuals request a waiver or reduction on fines. Companies and individuals are assessed on a case-by-case basis. In some instances, employers have covered fines to alleviate pressure on employees.

What happens to the visas for dependent family members or domestic workers?

The same rules apply to dependents.

Residency visas for dependents that expire between March 1 and December 31 will be renewed automatically until the year-end and this includes housemaids and domestic workers.

In case of cancellation, the dependents’ visa must be cancelled first and only then can an employee’s residence permit be cancelled. Dependents too have an option of securing a tourist visa or if the family breadwinner secures fresh employment and gets a new visa, the dependents also then can be sponsored.

Can dependent visas be put on hold and not cancelled?

If the person sponsoring others is changing jobs, they can put their dependents’ visas on hold rather than cancelling them. This freezes their status in the system and they cannot exit the country during that time. The sponsoring resident can then cancel their visa, get a new one and then remove the hold on the dependent’s visa. This is for dependents not sponsored by a company but sponsored by a spouse or resident.

The ‘hold’ process was suspended during the stay home restrictions since original documents needed to be submitted but the facility is available now since Amer centres have reopened.

Do you still need to get a medical test?

Regardless of category, for renewal or extension of visas, residents, domestic workers, employees do not require medical tests. It may be required if there is a new entrant into the country, an application would then need to be submitted.

What services are available online and when do you need to go to the Amer centre?

People can check the status of their residency on the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship website.

Processing for visas varies between emirates and several services are available online. You may need to visit an Amer centre if original documents must be submitted over the counter.

Several employers and companies have continued to apply online for new visas and for renewals of residence permits due to expire.

Instead of the residence permit being stamped on passports, people have received an electronic residence permit or an e-permit that is emailed.

At present, there is no clear indication of whether these electronic renewals must be re-endorsed on the passport with a visit to the Amer centre.

With offices moving to 100 per cent staffing this month, there will be a better understanding about whether all extension of visas will be via an e-sticker or if passport must be submitted for re-endorsement of residency permits.

Clarity on this will be important since it could have an impact on people who travel in and out of the UAE as flight services resume.

What happens if my visa is cancelled but I cannot leave the UAE because there are no flights available to my country?

The UAE authorities have been accommodating and supportive where possible depending on each case. Residents should also get in touch with embassies about any processes in place.

How do I check if my visa is valid?

Visit this website: https://smartservices.ica.gov.ae/echannels/web/client/default.html#/fileValidity

Alternatively, visit this website if you are a Dubai residence permit holder:

https://smart.gdrfad.gov.ae/Public_Th/StatusInquiry_New.aspx

 

Source: https://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/coronavirus-uae-residency-visa-processes-amid-covid-19-explained-1.1029130