The UN aviation agency on Wednesday warned of possible pilot fatigue and lapsed licenses as airlines get ready to fly again once travel restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus are lifted. The ICAO guidance on risks arising from the pandemic is contained in a new handbook for air travel authorities. The outbreak forced the grounding of planes around the world as borders and airports were closed, and the travel sector has struggled to address hoe to maintain social distancing in cramped airplanes. As "travel restrictions are lifted, there will be challenges for the industry to ramp up operations and restart," the handbook says. Notably, widespread closures including of flight simulators and clinics have resulted in "significant" setbacks for training crews and air traffic controllers, and have made many medical certificates, licenses and other approvals unavailable. The ICAO said civil aviation authorities should review requests for exemptions to the regulations on a "case-by-case basis," and include "a safety risk assessment and proposals for additional risk mitigation." "Sector-wide exemptions could also be issued," it said.<br/>
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A lobbying group representing US airlines Wednesday said federally mandated minimum service requirements are “unsustainable” for carriers as the Covid-19 pandemic sends passenger numbers to the lowest levels since the 1950s. One of the requirements to receive portions of $25b in federal payroll grants and loans under the coronavirus rescue package is that airlines have to keep a certain number of flights, which varies by carrier and is based on networks before the disease spread widely. The DoT has issued some waivers but Nicholas Calio, president and CEO Airlines for America, said in prepared testimony ahead of a Senate hearing that “the cost associated with operating nearly empty flights to communities with little to no demand significantly exacerbates air carrier liquidity.” Airlines aren’t currently planning to seek additional federal aid to weather the coronavirus, Calio told lawmakers. Even with the reduced schedule, airlines are averaging about 17 passengers per domestic flight, A4A said. “We would ask both this Committee and the Administration to seek solutions to address the challenges posed by this unsustainable requirement,” Calio said in the prepared testimony ahead of a hearing at the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. US air travel demand dropped 96% in April to the lowest levels since before the jet age, according to A4A.<br/>
Airlines and airports must adopt even more measures against the spread of Covid-19, some of which would imply major new costs for an industry already suffering steep losses, a public health expert will tell lawmakers. Passengers should be screened for elevated temperatures and all employees should be required to wear masks and gloves, according to prepared testimony by Hilary Godwin, dean of the University of Washington’s School of Public Health. In-flight seating, she said, must be arranged so that people aren’t too close together, and airports have to be reshaped to promote social distancing. The air-travel industry and government agencies overseeing it must allow public health considerations to “play a far greater role than before this pandemic,” Godwin said in the remarks. She is among four witnesses scheduled to appear Wednesday before the Senate Commerce Committee in a hearing on the state of the airline industry during the coronavirus pandemic. Godwin recommended dramatic changes to how airport terminals looked before the pandemic, when passengers clustered in boarding areas, restaurants and security lines. Now, there should be social distancing in all those areas, she said. “The probability that healthy individuals will interact with one or more individuals who are infected but may not know increases exponentially as the number of people passing through the airport increases,” she said in her written testimony.<br/>
Nigeria will extend a ban on all flights by four weeks as part of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a government official said Wednesday. Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation, said Thursday would mark the last day for the enforcement of the current ban. “The ban on all flights will be extended for an additional four weeks,” Mustapha said. Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika later said there was a need to train airline staff in safety measures before flights restarted. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has 2,950 confirmed cases and 98 deaths. Lockdown restrictions were eased on Monday in Lagos, the country’s commercial hub, and the capital, Abuja.<br/>
Less than two weeks ago, Gatwick’s CE was talking about flights restarting by the end of this month as the UK’s second-biggest airport plotted its recovery from the pandemic that has hit the aviation industry hard. Stewart Wingate said that, based on what he had seen as some countries eased the lockdown in Asia, he was hoping for “some meaningful volume coming through the airport by the end of May and start to ramp up volumes in June and then July”. But the mood has darkened at the airport in the past week. Virgin Atlantic said it was closing its operations just days after BA, Gatwick’s second-biggest carrier, also threatened to walk away. Between them the two airlines serve more than 70 routes. Such a dramatic loss of services raises the prospect of higher fares for consumers — 46m used the airport last year — pushing up the costs of holidays. “One of the main reasons that UK air ticket prices are so keen is the intense competition in the industry and any reduction in competition will not work in the favour of the customer, impacting on both prices and choice,” said Luke Petherbridge, head of public affairs at ABTA, which represents UK travel agents. <br/>
A third runway at Heathrow may not be needed for more than a decade due to the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the aviation industry, the airport’s CE has claimed. With industry leaders warning that passenger numbers may take years to recover to pre-crisis levels, John Holland-Kaye yesterday stated that it could be “10 to 15 years” before the GBP14b expansion of the UK’s largest airport was required. However, highlighting the significant pressure on the sector, he told MPs that if the UK economy did not bounce back quickly then “we’re all in a different world.” His warning comes after major UK airlines announced tens of thousands of reducancies in recent weeks, with British Airways announcing 12,000 job losses and threatening to pull out of Gatwick Airport. Speaking to the Commons transport select committee, Holland-Kaye said that Heathrow was currently burning through cash at a rate of GBP200m per month, with the airport holding enough liquidity to survive for a year. Asked whether the virus had left the third runway in doubt, he added: “Whether that will be needed we will have to see how things turn out over the next few years. If we are successful in rebuilding the UK economy, we will be needing that in 10-15 years’ time. If not, then I think we’re all in a different world.” <br/>
Heathrow will start using thermal cameras to carry out temperature checks on passengers within the next fortnight, as it called for common health screening standards around the world for air travellers. The UK’s busiest airport said it would trial thermal cameras capable of monitoring the temperature of people in the immigration halls, initially in Terminal 2. If successful, it will install the equipment in the departures, connections and staff search areas. Similar technology is in place at many Asian airports, for example at Singapore Changi. The airport is also trialling ultraviolet lighting to sanitise security trays and contact-free security screening equipment to reduce person-to-person contact. John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow CE, told MPs on the transport select committee that a common international standard for health screening in aviation was crucial to restoring confidence and encouraging people to return to flying. He said: “Aviation is the cornerstone of the UK economy, and to restart the economy, the government needs to help restart aviation. The UK has the world’s third-largest aviation sector, offering the platform for the government to take a lead in agreeing a common international standard for aviation health with our main trading partners. This standard is key to minimising transmission of Covid-19 across borders, and the technology we are trialling at Heathrow could be part of the solution.”<br/>
An airport services subsidiary of Dubai’s Emirates Group said on Wednesday it would review its operations in Australia after being left out of a government scheme there to save jobs. The dnata business includes ground handling and catering services and retail and hospitality. Australia in March announced a A$130b ‘job keeper’ package to project jobs from the coronavirus crisis that has sent shockwaves through the economy. However, companies owned by foreign governments have been excluded from the scheme that provides funds to businesses to pay workers. Emirates Group, which also counts the Emirates airline among its assets, is owned by Dubai’s state fund.<br/>
The WTO must decide whether the US has fully complied with WTO rulings on illegal government aid to Boeing, and that process could take some time, a spokesman for Airbus said Wednesday. The US government on Wednesday told the WTO that it had fully complied with the WTO's rulings since Washington State had now repealed its tax breaks for Boeing, and there was "no valid basis" for the EU to retaliate against US goods. But Airbus spokesman Clay McConnell said the US notification was "a claim" that would have to be reviewed by the WTO. He said Airbus also looked forward to receiving more information about how the United States would remove other subsidies to Boeing that were identified in WTO rulings.<br/>
At least two Brazilian airlines and planemaker Embraer have hired investment banks to help with talks with state development bank BNDES for government support, sources with knowledge of the matter said. Embraer has hired Itau BBA, the investment banking unit of Itau Unibanco Holding, two sources said. Embraer is seeking credit lines of $1-1.5b after a deal with Boeing fell through. Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo reported earlier on Wednesday that Embraer hired Itau BBA. Itau BBA is also advising airline Azul SA on negotiations with BNDES, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Azul confirmed the hiring of Itau BBA, saying it was suggested by BNDES. Azul had previously hired restructuring specialists for talks with its creditors, including banks, suppliers and lessors of its planes. All payments were suspended.<br/>