An IATA survey shows that a high majority of aviation human resources staff expects to see growing demand for cabin crew and ground operations and customer-service employees over the next 2 years. The survey focuses on airline employee needs outside of pilots and engineers, for which forecasts have been well documented. This survey highlights that airlines will need to plan for general increased staffing levels to keep pace with traffic growth. “While technology is indeed changing the customer-service role, it is not replacing it,” IATA said. While more than 73% of airline HR staff surveyed saw cabin crew, ground operations and customer service as the strongest employment growth areas, 65% also expected to see greater demand for jobs related to security, while 63% saw a need for more regulatory positions. <br/>
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A new congressional report on the US travel insurance industry accuses airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs) of pressuring customers to purchase travel insurance that offers insufficient coverage. The Aug 21 report by senator Edward Markey followed an investigation by Markey’s staff that reviewed the websites of 9 major US airlines and 7 popular OTAs. The investigation found that almost all of the companies were engaged in what it called “questionable” travel insurance marketing practices for policies that offer “minimum coverage and often erect hurdles to the payment of claims.” “The only thing skimpier than airplane legroom are these travel insurance plans,” Markey said. “Consumers are pressured to buy plans that promise extensive or even total coverage, but in reality offer very little". <br/>
Last month, Europe’s airline passengers experienced more than 135,000 minutes of in-flight delays on average each day--94 days’ worth of delays every day — more than double the year before. A lack of capacity and strikes were the main cause of the troubles, said Eurocontrol, which compiled the data. In France, air traffic controllers took frequent industrial action, which meant aircraft were often unable to fly over the country. Indeed, this summer’s delays highlight structural problems afflicting the European airline sector. The EC’s answer to the problems is the Single European Sky initiative — an overarching air traffic management project aimed at increasing capacity and decreasing disruption, which are aims supported by the airlines. But some say reforms are not working as countries jealously guard their sovereignty. <br/>
The Indian govt may extend its Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) to international destinations, particularly in Southeast Asia, as it looks to improve international air connectivity. In a draft policy issued by New Delhi, the plan termed as International Air Connectivity Scheme (IAC) calls for subsidised airfares that will initially connect Guwahati in the Northeastern state of Assam to Dhaka, Kathmandu, Yangon, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok, as well as Vijayawada in the Southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh to Singapore and Dubai. Under the IAC, subsidies are calculated based on the unsold number of passenger seats on the proposed aircraft to be deployed. Nonetheless, the ministry of civil aviation acknowledges that different aircraft types may be operated for the same stage lengths and have different operational costs. <br/>
China said Thursday it would encourage private investment in 28 airport, drone and maintenance projects worth a total of CNY110b, as part of its efforts to make the sector more globally competitive. Eleven of those projects already have private investors, such as the Ezhou cargo airport in Hubei province that Chinese courier S.F. Holding is investing in, the CAAC said along with the National Development and Reform Commission. The remaining 17, which include a flight training school, drone delivery projects and some support services for Beijing's new airport, are seeking private funding. Beijing had said in January that it would ease investment access to its aviation industry while retaining its grip over key airlines and airports in sensitive regions. <br/>