While politicians hail digital health passes as the solution to aviation's COVID-19 crisis, airline bosses are still having sleepless nights about clogged up airports as they worry how to deal with the millions who have already been vaccinated. More than 220 million people have been fully vaccinated against the disease, according to Our World in Data. Almost a billion have had at least one dose. But many were given shots before the development of new user-friendly, digital health passes, raising uncertainty over the status of millions of certificates issued beforehand, and industry fears of a paper trail that could gum up airports. "As governments begin to amend travel restrictions for vaccinated travelers, it is essential that they provide clear guidance on the acceptance of paper certificates," the group representing global airlines said. The IATA and a similar lobby for the world's airports have already backed efforts by the WHO to provide common standards to simplify vaccine records.<br/>
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Even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage in many corners of the world, places that have successfully vaccinated a substantial share of the population are plotting the next step: how to let people start traveling again, whether for beach vacations or board meetings. By early summer, countries of the European Union and beyond aim to issue vaccine passports that would let those who have been inoculated freely cross borders. Some places — Australia and New Zealand, for instance, and Singapore and Hong Kong — are joining together to create “travel bubbles” that allow citizens to visit without mandatory quarantines. And governments are drawing up lists of vaccines and tests they deem sufficiently effective to permit entry. Airlines are adding flights and filling out schedules in anticipation of increasing numbers of vacationers. “There’s optimism that we're getting a little closer to seeing some form of travel this summer, especially in the trans-Atlantic market,” said John Strickland, owner of aviation advisory firm JLS Consulting in London. “Airlines have done a lot of the spade work on digital travel passports and testing, and there's a huge impetus on governments to get some travel going.”<br/>
US airlines have been bolstered by the return of customers eager to travel within the country or just outside its borders, but the nation’s largest carriers are still lamenting the loss of two particularly lucrative parts of the business: international and corporate travel. At least one of those could rebound this summer. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the EC, said over the weekend that she expected the European Union to ease travel restrictions for vaccinated American tourists, a move that could let the airline industry cash in during the year’s busiest travel season. “Long-haul international flying represents a significant opportunity for United,” Andrew Nocella, the CCO for United, told investors last week. “We have seen in recent weeks that immediately after a country provides access with proof of a vaccine, leisure demand returns to the level of 2019 quickly.” American Airlines and United said this month that international travel remained about 80% lower than in 2019. They and other airlines expect strong demand for domestic flights this summer, and the restoration of trans-Atlantic travel could provide the industry a much-needed boost as it works to generate profits again. The news of the EU reopening to vaccinated American tourists was also welcomed by Willie Walsh, the director general of the IATA, who said it could bode well for carriers elsewhere, too.<br/>
Malaysia will temporarily suspend all flights from and to India from tomorrow in its bid to stop the new Indian Covid-19 variant from entering the country, says Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Ships and Indian citizens with Malaysian work permits will also not be allowed entry. In his daily updates on April 25, Ismail Sabri, who is also Defence Minister, said the National Security Council has agreed to the proposal by the Health Ministry, with exemption given to Malaysian citizens, who will undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine upon entry. “All travellers who begin their journeys from any Indian destination, via direct or transit flights, are barred from entering Malaysia. This ban will also apply to travellers who are transiting in Malaysia to a third country, ” he said.<br/>
India’s mounting crisis surrounding a surge in coronavirus infections is prompting wealthy families to flee the country by private jet. With reports of hospital bed, oxygen and drug shortages sweeping social media, Indians who are able to afford fares running into millions of rupees are booking flights to boltholes in Europe, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean, according to the head of a private jet company. “It’s not only the ultra rich,” said Rajan Mehra, CEO at New Delhi-based private plane firm Club One Air. “Whoever can afford to take a private jet are taking private jets.” India reported 352,991 new infections on Monday, the highest daily tally worldwide since the pandemic began. With the country’s health infrastructure creaking under the strain, Bollywood movie superstars were spotted escaping to destinations including the Maldives, while at least three Australian cricketers have quit the Indian Premier League, the sport’s leading club tournament.<br/>
China’s eastern city of Suzhou will become a new base for the space and aviation industry with the revenues of more than 500 companies in the industry expected to reach 60b yuan ($9.3b) there by 2023, state-backed Suzhou Daily said Monday. Suzhou, in the eastern province of Jiangsu and not far from Shanghai, will provide subsidies or rewards ranging from 3 million yuan to 50 million yuan to companies and researchers to promote the development of big aircraft, aviation intelligence equipment and the space sector, Suzhou Daily said. In the next decade, China envisions massive constellations of commercial satellites that can offer services ranging from high-speed internet for aircraft to tracking coal shipments. To meet the demand for satellite launches, China will have to build bigger rockets that can carry more satellites or build more launch sites, or both. <br/>