star

In what could be a glimpse into the future of pandemic air travel, United will begin offering free coronavirus tests to passengers on select routes. United hopes the move will not only increase traffic on mostly empty transatlantic flights, but also spark international cooperation to break down travel restrictions. "We firmly believe that testing is a key component of a multi-layered approach to safely opening travel across the globe," United's managing director of operations policy and support Aaron McMillan told reporters in a briefing call. "The pilot program will guarantee that essentially everyone on board just tested negative for Covid-19." The four-week trial run begins November 16 on United Flight 14, which departs for London Heathrow from Newark Liberty International Airport three times each week. United says passengers must arrive at least three hours before the 7:15 pm flight to receive a required rapid molecular Abbott ID Now test which United says produces results within 20 minutes. United says those who test negative for coronavirus will be allowed to board the flight. Those who test positive will be isolated by clinicians and either refunded or rebooked at a later time. "It would be a requirement for everyone on board to have that negative test result prior to flight," said McMillan.<br/>Although the move does not allow travelers arriving in the United Kingdom to bypass its mandatory 14-day quarantine, United hopes the trial will serve as a proof of concept.<br/>

Starting November 1, passengers traveling on United flights will be able to use the first class lavatory, regardless of which class they are traveling. In a memo to employees, the airline confirmed the change as a way to reduce queuing and crowding around bathrooms. The memo said that cabin crew should ask passengers to “Please use the restroom located in your cabin when possible.” However, when there is overcrowding of one restroom, passengers can move around the cabin to use a different toilet, even if it means passing from economy into first class. Previously, United passengers could only use bathrooms in their ticketed cabin. A spokesperson for the airline said: “The updated policy allows our flight attendants more flexibility to let customers use another lavatory during certain situations. That may include when there is a line for one lavatory but not another, when the service cart is in the aisle, etc. We’ll continue to ask customers to use the lavatory in their cabin via an onboard announcement, but we’ve added “when possible” to the announcement in order to reflect the increased flexibility.” The airline has said this should reduce the number of people using the same restroom and prevent crowding and queueing in the aisles. <br/>

Family members of the 157 people who died in the crash of a Boeing 737 Max in Ethiopia are demanding more records from US safety agencies, according to a pair of letters sent on the second anniversary of another accident involving the plane. A letter to the NTSB, which assisted in the investigation of both crashes, accused the agency of an “unreasonable pro-secrecy stance.” A second letter to the Department of Transportation and the FAA also demanded more documentation, saying “public trust in the FAA needs to be repaired with more than just assurances.” The letters, which were signed by dozens of relatives and acquaintances of the dead, are part of a lawsuit filed on behalf of the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10, 2019. The NTSB has said in correspondence that the work it’s conducting in the investigations isn’t complete, so it can’t release the information under its guidelines. The FAA traditionally doesn’t provide information it considers proprietary. The agency said Thursday that it planned to respond directly to the families.<br/>

South Africa’s National Treasury has defended a controversial 10.5b rand ($641m) lifeline for its bankrupt national airline, saying that setting it on the path to recovery will entice private investors. “Government is not going to want to hold on to South African Airways at all costs,” Treasury Director-General Dondo Mogajane said after the bailout was announced on Wednesday. “If that means giving up the majority shareholding, that will happen.” While the airline hasn’t made a profit for almost a decade and has long relied on state support to fly planes, administrators appointed late last year have produced a viable rescue plan, Mogajane said. If it can be implemented, as many as five potential strategic-equity partners are waiting in the wings, he said, without naming them. “Most of them are saying fix the old, pay off the debt -- and then we will come on,” Mogajane said. The claim that a number of private investors are queuing up to take responsibility for SAA is a familiar one, having been made repeatedly this year by Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and his department, the most vocal supporters of the airline’s rescue. Yet so far, the only potential backer to officially come forward has been Ethiopian Airlines Group, Africa’s biggest carrier, which made clear it was interested in an operational role rather than providing cash. Gordhan welcomed the bailout on Thursday, accusing its critics of lacking “financial literacy.” The next steps will include the appointment of an interim board, CEO and CFO, he said in a statement. <br/>

Almost 5,000 Thai Airways International employees have signed up for the company's early retirement programme, as concerns mount over the airline's ability to reduce its operating costs to match falling revenues. The scheme had been welcomed by employees, almost 5,000 of whom have applied, the airline's acting president, Chansin Treenuchagron, said on Thursday. Applications for the scheme closed on Oct 28. Employees whose applications were approved will receive severance checks equivalent to 2-14.33 months of pay, depending on their position, in addition to other benefits. The airline's furlough programme, meanwhile, will run from Nov 1 to April 30. The programmes were among the ailing flagship carrier's efforts to turn its balance sheets around. Earlier this month, THAI announced that despite the fact that 80% of its 19,000 employees had agreed to pay cuts or go on unpaid leave, the financially-struggling airline only has enough financial reserves to last until December. As of the end of June, the company's debts stood at 332.2b baht. Its debt rehabilitation was approved by the bankruptcy court on Sept 14. Chansin said the early retirement programme had allowed the company to meet its workforce reduction target. On Thursday, he thanked participants of the scheme, saying they would help ensure the airline can stay in business. Now, he said, the company's focus was to come up with a payout plan, as it didn't have many cash reserves and couldn't take out loans. <br/>

Air NZ's wings have been clipped yet again. It is cutting almost 400 more international crew jobs and is looking to make several hundred other workers on leave without pay officially redundant. The national carrier reported a $454m loss for the year ended June and has slashed 4000 jobs as it struggles to stay in the air after Covid-19 decimated international aviation. Air NZ is burning up to $85m a month just keeping the doors open, and it has started drawing down a $900m government loan. It is also planning a capital raise by mid-2021. CE Greg Foran had hoped there would be a fully-fledged trans-Tasman travel bubble by now. He said without it the airline has been forced to shed yet more staff. "They are our international long-haul crew, and that's come about through us making a decision that the 777s aren't going to be back for some time," Foran said. "Also the fact that international borders that we'd hoped we were going to see some action across the Tasman and Pacific Islands by now hasn't eventuated. So we've got too many, and in light of what we're seeing, we think it's appropriate that we take that action." It leaves Air New Zealand with 205 long-haul crew staff, Foran said. "We've had about 500 on furlough, effectively leave without pay, and that allows us to get that crew back a bit quicker. We're having a discussion with the union around how we handle those crew. Foran said the company is fortunate to have a high performing domestic market. "We're up and running, we're running circa 70 to 80% of pre-Covid volumes. "In terms of outsourcing and whether that happens [in the future] that's a discussion and a decision that once again requires detailed analysis. We don't have any plans to outsource cabin crew at this point."<br/>