star

United on Thursday became the fourth major airline with routes between London and the New York metropolitan area to require passengers show proof they have been tested negative recently for the novel coronavirus. Beginning December 28, passengers flying on United from London's Heathrow Airport to the United States must provide proof of a negative coronavirus test or an antigen test taken within three days of departure, company officials said. United's policy applies to its flights flying from Heathrow to Newark, New Jersey as well as the company's flights to Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, DC. BA, Delta and Virgin Atlantic announced similar requirements for flights from the United Kingdom to New York on Monday.<br/>

Seven labor groups representing workers at South African Airways who’ve not been paid since March agreed to accept a settlement offer of three months’ wages, a move that will aid the government’s efforts to revive the bankrupt state airline. Members of the groups, including the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union and the Solidarity union, will also receive a lump-sum payment related to an increase they were owed and part of a year-end bonus, the Department of Public Enterprises Enterprises said Thursday. “Funding made available by government is limited and focused on restructuring South African Airways and restarting operations at the airline and subsidiaries,” the department said. “The availability of these funds is a product of government having had to do some belt-tightening to make the restructuring possible.”<br/>

Taiwan’s Transport Ministry on Thursday fined EVA Airways Corp T$1m ($35,000) after the government blamed one of its pilots for a rare locally transmitted case of COVID-19 because he failed to follow disease prevention rules. Taiwan had until this week not reported domestic transmission since April 12, thanks to early and effective moves to stop the virus, including mass mask wearing and strict quarantines for all arrivals. But the government was jolted by Tuesday’s announcement of the domestic infection of a woman who is a friend of a New Zealand pilot confirmed to have been infected earlier this week having flown routes to the United States. EVA Air has sacked the pilot, who has not been named and is being treated in hospital. The case has ignited public anger after the government said he had not reported all his contacts and the places he had been, nor worn a face mask in the cockpit when he should have. In a statement referring to the “uproar” caused by the case, the Transport Ministry cited its minister Lin Chia-lung as saying the airline had not fully put in place epidemic prevention measures. For breaching rules related to COVID-19, the ministry will fine the airline T$1m, the maximum statutory fine it can make, it added.<br/>

All SIA cabin crew members working on flights from London will now have to wear N95 masks and protective overalls amid growing concerns about the new strain of the Covid-19 virus in the city. They will also have to take Covid-19 swab tests after their return. They will not be allowed to resume work on other flights until they get a negative result, in line with the usual practice when flying to areas with higher risks of Covid-19 infections. SIA is currently operating two direct flights daily from London's Heathrow Airport on most days. The flights are about 13 hours long. The additional requirements for protective equipment for flights from London kicked in on Wednesday, SIA said in response to queries on Thursday. Prior to this, cabin crew had already been wearing goggles, gloves and surgical masks for all flights. On Tuesday, Singapore joined more than 40 other countries in tightening restrictions on travellers arriving from the United Kingdom.<br/>

Air India pilots have refused to accept the 5% roll back in "illegal pay cut" and asked Air India CMD to donate it towards funds for building the Parliament or PM CARE. In a letter to Rajiv Bansal, Air India chairman and managing director, the two pilot associations -- Indian Pilots' Guild and Indian Commercial Pilots' Association -- said: "We do not accept this paltry 5% roll back in illegal pay cut and you may advice the concerned to donate this 5% towards funds for building the Parliament or PM CARE". Air India pilots said they will be forced to resort to "industrial action". "We have given the management every benefit of doubt as well as ample time to redress the issue of disproportionate pay cut for pilots of Air India and its subsidiaries so there is no point left in mincing words. If we do not see a timely substantial reduction in this disproportionate pay cut, we will be forced to seek justice through harsher means including 'Industrial Action'," they added. Even MPs have taken a lower pay cut, the pilots said. "While the parliamentarians themselves have taken a cut of only 30% on gross emoluments and vehemently refused to take a higher cut, we think it is completely egregious for us pilots to continue tolerating this arbitrary massive pay cut of 55% on our gross emoluments," the letter said.<br/>

Copa Airlines is set to become the first airline worldwide to operate the Boeing 737 MAX on international routes since the type was grounded in March 2019. According to Copa, it will resume flights with the MAX on January 4, 2021. Copa will be the fourth carrier worldwide to restart commercial operations with the MAX. First, it was GOL Linhas Aereas in Brazil, then Aeromexico in Mexico. American Airlines will operate its first MAX flight on December 29, and Copa Airlines on January 4, according to an announcement by Copa’s CEO, Pedro Heilbron. Copa Airlines became the first non-US carrier to receive a new Boeing 737 MAX since March 2019. It was its seventh MAX 9, and the airline expects to receive one more before the year ends.<br/>

Tokyo 2020 organisers said on Thursday that all 68 domestic sponsors for the Summer Olympics have agreed in principle to extend their contracts for the delayed games, as growing coronavirus infections in Japan overshadow the event. The Tokyo Olympics had originally been scheduled for 2020 but were postponed by a year because of the pandemic. “Partner companies told me about the difficult situation they are in because of the pandemic,” Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said. “But they also told me they definitely want the games to be held, and that they are willing to offer as much support as they can.” Tokyo 2020 organisers expect more than 22b yen ($212m) in additional contributions from them, Mori said. The domestic sponsors include companies hit hard by a steep fall in travel demand amid the pandemic, such as JAL, ANA and travel agency JTB Corp. “There must have been various debates within each company ... I believe they have decided to continue cooperating with us upon realising the historical significance of what may be a once-in-a-hundred-year event.”<br/>