Airlines and airports around the world are doing everything they can to instill confidence that it is safe to fly again, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Airlines are requiring face masks for passengers and staff, imposing new aircraft cleaning procedures, using social distancing to board flights, blocking middle seats on planes and, in one case, even prohibiting passengers from lining up to use plane bathrooms. As to the airports, they are screening passengers’ temperatures through high- and low-tech means; using biometric screening to speed check-in, security and customs and immigration processes; and using autonomous robots to clean terminal floors. But none of it is consistent. And it’s unclear whether the measures are enough. Will social distancing measures work, for instance, when travelers are sitting on planes for hours with strangers? Temperature checks may identify those already ill, but how do you screen for the virus when, by some estimates, 35 percent of people with it are asymptomatic and 40 percent of transmission occurs before people feel sick? “So much is uncertain right now,” said Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group, a travel analysis firm. “Do airports and airlines need to invest in something long term that will be permanent, like airport security, or are these short-term, tactical responses? This uncertainty, combined with unnecessary variation from airport to airport in health screening processes, ends up with confused consumers not being confident enough to take a trip." Story has more.<br/>
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Mask-wearing, temperature controls, disinfection of aircraft: the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on Monday published a series of health recommendations for a pandemic-hit airline industry as it relaunches air travel. The protocol was drawn up by an international task force formed by the Montreal-based ICAO with the help of other UN agencies, like the World Health Organisation, as well as the IATA. Its report on relaunching aviation in the wake of Covid-19 was expected to be approved Monday by the ICAO's executive committee. The changes being suggested are the most important for air travel since the massive security measures put in place after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US. IATA's DG, Alexandre de Juniac, unveiled the main measures proposed in the "best practices" guide at the end of last week. The recommendations are intended to serve as a "framework" for assuring the safety of passengers and workers on planes and at airports. On their arrival at airports, travellers should present a health certificate and undergo an initial temperature check, under the guidelines. Online check-in before arriving at the airport should be given priority, and passages through security should be re-thought to limit physical contact and waiting in lines. Story has more details.<br/>
Air travel is nowhere near pre-pandemic levels. But it began bouncing back in May. The number of people passing through airport security checkpoints nearly doubled over the course of the month. The TSA says it screened nearly 949,000 passengers over the past weekend. It scanned 476,000 people over the first weekend in May. American Airlines (AAL) said more people travelled this past weekend than over Memorial Day, the start of the summer travel season.<br/>Although the increases are significant, the pandemic has dealt an unprecedented blow to the industry. During the busiest day in May, only 14% of travelers flew compared to the equivalent day in 2019. More passengers are also filing onto each flight. Domestic flights carried an average of 47 passengers each this weekend, up from an average of only 17 passengers at the beginning of May, according to Airlines for America. Those loads are unprofitable, so more passengers on flights means airlines will burn less cash with each takeoff and landing. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said Friday his company is anticipating "a brutal low-fare environment as there are far more airline seats right now — and there will be for some time — than there are customers." But increasingly full flights also present challenges for travelers to socially distance in small aircraft cabins. <br/>
It’s a tale of unending agony for India’s battered aviation industry. Even as domestic airlines cope with challenges to take to the skies after a two-month hiatus, they’ve been struck by another bolt from the blue: The South Asian nation’s biggest fuel supplier Indian Oil Corp. increased the price of jet fuel by the steepest on record effective Monday. The higher price adds to the operational overhead of airlines because fuel comprises as much as half the cost of flying a jet. While the increase was imminent after a recovery in oil prices, it’s unwelcome for airlines seeking to get airborne again. India, which allowed airlines to resume domestic flights from May 25, has put restrictions on fares and capacity deployed making their viability more difficult at a time when the industry’s recovery is seen to be long and slow. To be sure, while the increase of 56.5% is the sharpest, it comes after six consecutive reductions since February that took the price to its lowest since at least since 2005. So, even after the escalation, the rate for aviation turbine fuel in Delhi is at a multiyear low. <br/>
Airlines in India will need to keep the middle seat empty if passenger load factors and seat capacity allow for it, the aviation regulator said in a notice to domestic and international carriers. However, members of the same family would be allowed to sit together, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in its notice issued on Sunday. The regulator did not elaborate on what load factors or seat capacity would require the middle seats to be left vacant. It said the rules would come into effect from June 3. If a seat between two passengers is occupied, the DGCA said, the person in that seat must be provided with additional safety gear such as a ‘wrap-around gown’ apart from the face mask and face shield that airlines already have to provide to everyone on board.<br/>
Ministers are working on plans to replace quarantine for arrivals to the UK amid signs the troubled policy could be phased out within weeks of being brought in. The “unworkable” plan could be largely superseded by so-called air bridges by the end of June, with officials working behind the scenes to strike multiple deals with foreign countries to make them exempt. Under the new rules all UK arrivals will be asked to stay at home for 14 days to stop the spread of coronavirus and could be fined GBP1,000 if they fail to stick to the rules. A senior government source told the Telegraph that Boris Johnson was now "personally in favour" of the air bridges policy and has become convinced it is the best strategy to contain the virus while allowing travel to begin again. The Department for Transport and the Home Office have been told to come up with plans to allow the introduction of air bridges by the end of the month. Officials are looking to negotiate the travel corridors with low-risk countries like Greece, Portugal and Australia to enable passengers to sidestep the 14-day quarantine for all arrivals, including returning Britons.<br/>
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has, from Monday, resumed allowing some transit passengers to use the airport. “From 1 June 2020 until further notice, only transit/transfer passengers who have been checked through at the origin port and take transit/transfer flights operated by the same airline group are accepted at HKIA,” the airport says. “Passengers should confirm in advance that they are able to enter the final destination. Please check with airlines for details.” The ban on non-Hong Kong residents entering the city remains in place, and all non-Hong Kong residents arriving from overseas by aircraft will be denied entry to Hong Kong, the airport says. As has been the case since 25 March, non-Hong Kong residents coming from mainland China, Macau, and Taiwan may enter, but are subjected to a 14-day compulsory quarantine. However, if they have travelled to other countries or regions within 14 days before coming to Hong Kong, they will be denied entry. Local carrier Cathay Pacific says that its passengers will be able to transit through Hong Kong if their itinerary is contained in a single booking and the connection time to their next Cathay Pacific or Cathay Dragon-operated flight is within 8h. “Subject to both requirements being met, from 1 June 2020, transit connections will be available between Hong Kong and the destinations that we operate flights to,” the airline says. However, in this “first phase” of reopening, transiting to and from destinations in mainland China is not allowed.<br/>
Embraer said Monday that it expects to sign new strategic partnerships in the future, after Boeing abruptly canceled a deal in April to take over the company’s commercial jet division. Embraer CE Francisco Gomes Neto said it was still early to discuss such opportunities as the company is studying a new five-year plan. He added that partnerships could involve products, engineering and production. Embraer said ahead of a Monday earnings call that it was not currently negotiating with China’s state-owned COMAC, Russia’s Irkut or India on any potential deal to replace the one with Boeing, adding that it regularly evaluates potential partnerships. The company reported a $292m Q1 loss Monday due to weak demand amid the coronavirus pandemic and the impact of the failed deal with Boeing. Embraer also said it was seeking new liquidity. Reuters reported that Brazilian development bank BNDES is helping coordinate a $600mn loan for the planemaker, which burned through $677m in cash in the quarter. The firm said its decision to put staff on paid leave in January in order to finalize details of the Boeing deal was largely responsible for a 23% drop in revenue. <br/>
Helicopter and jet makers are turning to digital technology so customers can inspect their big-ticket purchases remotely before taking delivery, as they strive to push through deals paralyzed by the coronavirus pandemic and bring in much needed cash. With outside quality inspectors unable to travel to factories to examine aircraft because of lockdowns, manufacturers hope the remote systems will ease the logjam in deliveries after they slowed to a trickle in April. Aircraft makers make at least half their revenue and generate significant cash at delivery. The pandemic has caused a cash squeeze across the industry, so every delivery counts. Airbus “e-delivered” three A320neo jets in April and Italian helicopter maker Leonardo is in talks with 20 clients about using its “smart delivery” HeliLink video system for inspections. But deliveries remain at a fraction of usual levels. Turboprop maker ATR is also offering customers digital ways to sign off on their purchases after it failed to make any deliveries in Q1. Nevertheless, industry sources say there are still significant obstacles that are likely to check a resurgence in deliveries anytime soon.<br/>