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China plans to allow chartered flights from eight countries as it loosens restrictions on inbound travel imposed for the coronavirus pandemic, though the US won’t be included amid growing tensions between the two nations, people familiar with the matter said. Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Germany, the UK, Italy, France and Switzerland will be allowed to schedule charter flights into China, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isn’t public. They didn’t say how many of the flights will be permitted. For the past two months, China has allowed international airlines to fly in only once a week under the “Five-One” policy, which also limits the external flights of domestic carriers. Beyond cargo services, US airlines had already stopped flying to China by the time the policy was introduced, as had the likes of BA and Lufthansa. The Civil Aviation Administration of China didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. CAAC is allowing domestic and foreign airlines to apply for “green channels” for chartered flights to China.<br/>

Serbian authorities have banned Montenegro’s national carrier from operating flights out of Belgrade after the small nation's government excluded Serbia from a list of countries with which Montenegro will reopen its borders after declaring an end to its coronavirus outbreak. The Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate said Montenegro Airlines planes cannot land at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport as of Wednesday. The aviation agency said unrestricted travel between the two countries has been “seriously violated” by Montenegro’s decision to ban Serbs from entering Montenegro. The flight and border entry bans come amid deepening tensions between the former Balkan allies, which existed as one state before Montenegro split off through a 2006 referendum. Montenegro Airlines planned to resume flights to the Serbian capital on June 1. Air Serbia, still has plans to fly to two destinations in Montenegro starting June 7. Story has more.<br/>

Consumer advocates are fighting for regulations that would require airlines to offer full refunds to sick passengers. Airline policies are unfairly rigid when it comes to infectious diseases. Unless you bought a fully refundable ticket, carriers will charge a change fee and any applicable fare differential if you decide that you’re too sick to fly. And if you bought a “basic” economy ticket and can’t fly, you’re out of luck — and out the cost of the ticket. While airlines have loosened their refund policies during the pandemic, there’s every indication that they are about to return to their former policies, including their rules on infectious diseases. Critics say these policies encourage contagious people to fly and could contribute to another outbreak. “Airlines must change their policies,” says Los Angeles-based physician Carole Lieberman. “They need to do more to make sure infectious people don’t fly — and without the passenger suffering any penalty.” Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports, has been lobbying for laws that would compel airlines to issue full refunds during a pandemic. But Bill McGee, a consumer advocate with the magazine, fears that airlines may quickly return to their old ways after the pandemic. “It’s clear the airlines are being obstinate about refunds, despite the taxpayer bailout,” he says.<br/>

Cyprus is pledging to cover all costs for anyone testing positive for the coronavirus while on vacation on the eastern Mediterranean island nation, according to a letter seen Wednesday. The Cypriot government says it will cover lodging, food, drink and medication for COVID-19 patients and their families. Patients will only have to pay for the taxi ride to the airport and the flight back home. A 100-bed hospital will cater exclusively to foreign travellers who test positive. About 112 intensive care units equipped with 200 respirators will be reserved for critically-ill patients. A 500-room “quarantine hotel” will be reserved for patients’ family members and other close contacts. The pledge came in a five-page letter dated Tuesday that was sent out to governments, airlines and tour operators. International air travel to Cyprus begins June 9, initially from 19 countries, with passengers required to undergo a COVID-19 test three days prior to departure. That measure will be lifted June 20 for 13 countries, including Germany, Finland, Israel, Greece and Norway. Officials say travel will be expanded to more countries depending on a constant evaluation of their infection rates. Passengers will have to show their test certificate prior to boarding an aircraft and may have to wear masks throughout the flight. Their temperature will be taken on arrival to Cyprus and some random testing may take place at no cost to the traveller.<br/>

An air-travel corridor between Australia and New Zealand could be trialed within weeks, a key test of how international flights worldwide can resume while the coronavirus threat remains. Draft guidelines of how quarantine-free flights can safely operate between the countries will be handed to both governments in early June, according to the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum, which is coordinating a group of government agencies, airports, airlines and health experts working on the plan. If the recommendations are approved, trials could start the following month, Ann Sherry, the forum’s Australian co-chair, said Wednesday. Tightly controlled flight bubbles -- which can be enlarged to include other countries -- have emerged as potential models for a global travel industry smashed by the pandemic. China and South Korea opened a narrow travel corridor with onerous restrictions this month, while border restrictions have been lifted in some parts of Europe. “We see ourselves probably as the first bit of international travel, but hopefully not the last if we can make this scalable and set the preconditions for making this work more broadly,” Sherry said. <br/>

With news that many countries in Europe are reopening to tourism in time for summer, travellers with their sights set on Asia are anxiously awaiting word on when they'll be given the green light to visit their favorite destination.<br/>As of now, those with Thailand in mind will need to wait at least a few more months before packing their bags. "It is still dependent on the outbreak situation, but I think at the earliest, we may see the return of tourists could be the fourth quarter of this year," said Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). And even then, he said, there will likely be restrictions on who can visit and where they can go. "We are not going to open all at once," he added. "We are still on high alert, we just can't let our guards down yet. We have to look at the country of origin [of the travellers] to see if their situation has truly improved. And lastly, we have to see whether our own business operators are ready to receive tourists under the 'new normal'." Similar versions of this strategy are already being looked at in the region -- referred to as "tourism bubbles." "We have studied a possibility of offering special long-stay packages in isolated and closed areas where health monitoring can be easily controlled -- for example, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Samui. This will be beneficial for both tourists and local residents, since this is almost a kind of quarantine." For now, Thailand isn't taking any chances and the country's borders are firmly shut. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has issued a temporary ban on all international commercial flights into the country until June 30, excluding repatriation flights. <br/>

Boeing intends to shed more than 13,000 employees, the planemaker said Wednesday, including the first round of compulsory cuts as part of previously announced plans triggered by the coronavirus-driven collapse in global air travel. The initial tranche of cuts is far larger than indicated Tuesday by union officials. The aerospace company said the layoff notices delivered this week will be the largest part of plans announced last month to shed about 10% of its 160,000-strong global workforce this year as it reduces jetliner production in response to airlines’ inability and unwillingness to take new aircraft after huge declines in passenger traffic. Boeing announced roughly 6,770 involuntary layoffs among US employees, while a further 5,520 had been approved for voluntary severance packages and will leave over the next few weeks. The company said it had completed its voluntary-layoff program after offering staff buyouts last month, with several thousand more jobs set to go under compulsory cuts over the next several months. They mark the first major reductions by the company since 2017, when it laid off roughly 1,500 workers as part of a wider cost-cutting drive. The plane maker has about 18,000 international employees and is cutting about 700 jobs in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The company said Wednesday that it is still working on overseas layoff plans.<br/>

Boeing has resumed production of its beleaguered 737 Max planes, the company said Wednesday. Boeing halted production of the jetliners in January as a worldwide grounding of the planes dragged on longer than expected. Airlines have been prohibited from flying the jets since March 2019 after the second of two fatal crashes that together killed 346 people. While expected, the restart of 737 Max production is a milestone for Boeing. The company halted deliveries of the planes shortly after the second crash and has been logging a surge in cancellations from customers this year as the coronavirus pandemic adds to Boeing’s struggles. It continued producing the planes until it suspended output in January. Meanwhile, hundreds of them had piled up in storage facilities around the US. The recertification process for the jets was beset with delays as new problems cropped up and tasks took longer than expected. Boeing declined to comment on whether the FAA was close to certifying the planes as safe to fly again. “Work on the project continues, as does our steadfast refusal to speculate on a timeframe for completing it,” the FAA said.<br/>