Air travel is slowly picking up globally thanks to a recovery in domestic flights, with countries in the Asia-Pacific region accounting for half of the top 20 markets, according to travel data analytics provider Cirium. Vietnam, Indonesia and South Korea are the only countries in the world to show growth in domestic air travel in July compared with the same month last year, while China and the US dominate in the number of flights operated, Cirium said in a report Friday. There are 413,538 domestic flights in the US scheduled for this month, down 46% from a year earlier. China has 378,434, though capacity is higher there, according to the report. The figures “reveal a fragile but cautiously resurgent market, as the air travel attempts to recover from the worst collapse in its history,” Cirium’s director of market development Alistair Rivers said.<br/>
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The CE of Heathrow airport has warned the aviation industry needs to prepare itself for periodic lockdowns around the world as countries are hit by new coronavirus outbreaks. John Holland-Kaye said the airport was considering a range of possible responses as new infections swept across cities previously thought to have brought the pandemic under control, such as Melbourne, Australia, which this week was put into lockdown for six weeks. “If we have periodic outbreaks around the world, we’ve got to have a different fall back to complete quarantine. There’s got to be an alternative that will just become part of the way we live our lives and we need to start working on that now,” Holland-Kaye said. His warning came as millions of people who are eager to take summer holidays weigh the benefits and risks of flying overseas. Holland-Kaye noted it could take several years to develop a coronavirus vaccine and said it was essential that governments and industry came up with a way to ensure outbreaks did not result in another complete shutdown in air travel. Heathrow has been calling on the UK government to lead the way in developing a common testing standard for airports around the world to screen passengers for coronavirus.<br/>
The traditional British summer getaway to sun-soaked Mediterranean beaches picked up steam Friday as UK quarantine restrictions were removed from dozens of countries, including France, Greece and Italy. But with many flights still cancelled, resorts working on ensuring that they are COVID-safe and many potential vacationers reluctant to make a trip abroad in light of the pandemic, Britain's airports are much less busy than they would be in any other year. Last week's announcement by the British government to ease quarantine requirements for anyone arriving back to the UK has given some a nudge to take the plunge. Scotland’s list is slightly different to that for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, requiring people from Spain to quarantine, for example. “We probably would have gone later,” said Ray Gordge, 64, at Gatwick Airport, south of London, on his way to Paris to see his daughter for the first time in six months, and meet his new grandson, born last week. As of Friday, anyone arriving back to England, Wales and Northern Ireland — resident or non-resident — from around 75 countries and territories won't have to self-isolate for 14 days. The aviation and travel industries are hoping the new rules will help them salvage part of the summer vacation booking season battered by the restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic — thousands of people have lost their jobs as business ground to a halt. The crucial period will be later this month when the school year officially ends and travel companies and airlines start ramping up operations. Gatwick CE Stewart Wingate said the relaxation of the rules can make a "massive difference,” given that around three-quarters of the destinations the airport serves are now free from quarantine requirements.<br/>
After decades of insisting it needs three runways, Heathrow airport will make do with just one – with closure of the southern runway either partially or fully until October. A “Notice to Airmen” (Notam) has been issued to pilots and airlines warning that the runway, known as 09R/27L, will close at one minute to midnight on Sunday 12 July until the same time on 30 September. The reason given is “WIP” (work in progress). The airport is taking advantage of the lull in air traffic to conduct repairs on the southern runway. Terminal 4, which is adjacent, has been closed since April. All operations will be concentrated on the northern runway (09L/27R), which will run a “mixed mode” operation of landings and take-offs. Normally one of the two runways is used for arrivals and the other for departure. Air traffic controllers usually switch them at 3pm each day, giving respite to residents. But instead, west Londoners will hear the arrival of aircraft from before 5am to nearly 11pm daily. John Stewart, chair of Hacan, the group opposed to expansion at Heathrow, said: “Runways always need repairing from time to time but this is going to be tough on people living under the northern flight path. It will mean all-day flying. Even at a time when there are fewer planes, it is going to present problems.” A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Reduced passenger demand as a result of Covid-19 means we have an opportunity to undertake necessary repairs to the southern runway with less disruption caused than if we were operating at full capacity."<br/>
Airports are set to axe up to 20,000 jobs unless the Government intervenes by waiving business rates to help them cope with the Covid-19 crisis, ministers have been warned. The Airports Operators Association (AOA) Monday announces its appeal for urgent business rates relief to bring the industry in line with the hospitality, leisure and retail sectors and other nations that have benefited from such support. It says the failure of the Government to provide business rates relief has made the financial challenge faced by airports significantly worse after a near-collapse in passenger numbers since March. It is seeking a year’s relief from business rates for all airports in England and Wales after independent forecasts that it will take up to four years for passenger numbers to return to pre-Covid levels despite the Government's easing of quarantine with "air bridges." The AOA says airports in England have paid more than GBP70m in business rates since the start of lockdown in March despite passenger numbers being down by around 97%. The annual cost of business rates for airports in England is more than GBP210m. By contrast, airports in Scotland have been given 100% rates relief for a year from the Scottish Government while those in Northern Ireland have been granted the same relief until March next year. <br/>
The Japanese government plans to increase the number of people who can receive PCR tests for the novel coronavirus at airports to about 10,000 per day in September, aiming to gradually resume international travel. It will hold talks with 10 countries and regions, including China, South Korea and Taiwan, as early as the middle of this month to adjust the number of visitors. Currently, daily testing capacity for arriving passengers at Japanese airports is limited to 2,300 people, but the government plans to increase that to 4,000 by the end of August, through measures such as increasing outsourcing to the private sector. In September, it plans to set up PCR testing centers for Haneda, Narita and Kansai airports to handle 6,000 more travelers and bring the total capacity to 10,000. Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar and Singapore are also being considered by the Japanese government as areas for resuming travel, in addition to China, South Korea and Taiwan. These areas have strong economic ties with Japan, and coronavirus infection levels there have been relatively stable. Negotiations with these countries and regions will be the second phase for the Japanese government, following talks with Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam. The government has decided to launch negotiations with those four countries on June 18 and is holding consultations with them sequentially.<br/>
Airlines and airports worldwide are reining in costs and halting new spending, except in one area: reassuring pandemic-wary passengers about travel. "Whatever the new normal ... it's going to be more and more around self-service," said Sean Donohue, CE of Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport (DFW). The airport is working with American Airlines - whose home base is DFW - to roll out a self-check-in for luggage, and all of its restrooms will be entirely touchless by the end of July with technology developed by Infax Inc. They will have hands-free sinks, soap, flushing toilets, and paper towel dispensers, which will be equipped with sensors to alert workers when supplies are low. "One of the biggest complaints airports receive are restrooms," Donohue said. Dallas is piloting three technology options for luggage check-ins: Amadeus's ICM, SITA, and Materna IPS. DFW has become the world's busiest airport thanks in part to a strategy by large global carrier American to concentrate much of its pandemic flying through its Texas hub. Last year DFW rolled out biometric boarding for international flights and is taking advantage of the lull in international traffic to work with US Customs and Border Protection to use the VeriScan technology for arriving passengers too, he said. The Dallas airport is also testing new technology around better sanitization, beginning with ultraviolet technology that can kill germs before they circulate into the HVAC system.<br/>
Dubai Airports has announced the resumption of scheduled operations by foreign carriers at Dubai International Airport (DXB), one of the busiest airports in the UAE. This week, 13 international airlines resumed scheduled flights following the resumption of airport operations on 7 July. Air Blue, Air France, Cebu Pacific, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, Gulf Air, KLM, Lufthansa, Mahan Air, Middle East Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Philippine Airlines and Royal Jordanian are currently resuming operations at DXB. More airlines are expected to resume flights at the airport in the following weeks. In addition, DXB-based Emirates airline and flydubai have boosted their schedules. Restaurants and retail outlets are also open throughout the airport. Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said: “We have ensured everything is in place to welcome airlines from around the world back to Dubai as a growing number of bilateral agreements between countries conclude to facilitate the opening of borders and the gradual return of traffic. We remain in close discussions with government officials and airlines to support the resumption of additional services as approvals are granted in the weeks and months ahead.”<br/>
Boeing is scrambling to shore up financing for the 737 MAX as it awaits regulatory approval for design changes after the plane was grounded following two fatal crashes, industry sources said. Boeing is anxious to resume deliveries once regulators declare it safe and airlines agree training. But confidence in the jet has been hit by the 15-month grounding, making the financing needed to ensure smooth deliveries scarce and compounding a dearth in demand due to the coronavirus crisis. “Nobody wants to take new aircraft and this is particularly true for the MAX right now,” a senior aviation financier said. The value of MAX jets on the aircraft market has fallen by 11% since the start of 2020 and is likely to face more pressure in coming months, depending on the timing of its return, Eddy Pieniazek of aviation advisers Ishka said. With capital markets unavailable after the collapse in air travel during the coronavirus crisis and banks refusing most new business, only leasing companies have spare financing capacity though many are also fighting their own problems, bankers say. Boeing’s strategy has been to encourage lessors to strike deals with airlines to buy MAX jets and rent them back to airlines. In return, Boeing is seen ready to allow the same leasing companies to cancel part of their own plans to buy MAX jets directly, easing pressure on their balance sheets.<br/>