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Passengers on long-haul flights may need to prove they are Covid-safe before they are able to fly, an airline industry chief warned. Lufthansa CE Carsten Spohr said he did not want to introduce the system, which would add another hurdle to travelling at a time when few people are flying, but he accepted it might be needed. Since coronavirus spread around the globe, the airline, travel and tourism industries have been battered by the lockdowns and social distancing that are vital to trying to curb the disease. Airlines and plane-makers have seen profits slump and tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs Spohr said Covid tests and vaccinations could get people flying again and help travellers to feel safe. "Personally, I assume that in the future every passenger on certain intercontinental routes will be either tested or vaccinated," Spohr said. Lufthansa will first increase the number of routes that have rapid Covid testing facilities. "In the second phase, there will probably be an option between a test or proof of vaccination," he said. He said Lufthansa did not want to make it compulsory for passengers to have either proof of vaccination or a Covid test confirming they are healthy. "As an airline, we neither can nor want to stipulate that," he said.<br/>

Turkish Airlines has resumed flights from the UAE, scheduling seven flights weekly from Dubai using wide-body aircraft. Operations from Abu Dhabi will resume from January 2 with four weekly flights, Turkey’s national carrier said. It was on December 21 that Emirates relaunched flying to Istanbul from December 21. Etihad will restart flights from January 17. Turkish airlines is offering flexible options, whereby travelers can now change tickets bought until March 31 for another flight taking place by December 31, 2021, said the airline. The resumption of air services is seen as a big boost to not just airlines but also to Turkey’s tourism industry, hit hard by the pandemic.<br/>