oneworld

Spanish airline Iberia will let social media users choose an additional destination for its summer flights, the company said, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shroud air traffic forecasts and schedules in deep uncertainty. IAG-owned Iberia has so far announced 112 summer destinations and on Friday invited the public to pick another from seven options: Ljubljana in Slovenia; Bastia in France; three Greek cities; Portugal’s the Azores; or Fez in Morocco. The unusual move underscores the uncertainties surrounding the peak season, with the EC promising a digital vaccine passport in time to save the summer, but tourism-dependent economies fearing a repeat of last year’s weak business. As early-bird bookings give way to last-minute deals, travel firms are looking for creative ways to reassure passengers and gauge interest as they struggle to plan schedules.<br/>

Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific said Friday a relaxation of quarantine requirements for its cargo crew would help to boost air freight capacity and lower its cash burn at a time when it has only a skeleton passenger service. The airline had previously said rules that took effect on Feb 20 and required most crew to quarantine for two weeks in hotels before returning to normal life in Hong Kong would increase cash burn by about HK$300m to HK$400m per month, on top of the regular HK$1b to HK$1.5b levels. "Just this week, the government announced that it would lift the mandatory quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated Hong Kong-based aircrew on freighters and cargo only passenger flights from today," Cathay chief customer and commercial officer Ronald Lam said. "This will have a positive impact on our cargo business while also progressively reducing our monthly operating cash burn." It did not say by how much its cash burn would fall or by how much its freight capacity will rise.<br/>