Shares of United rose close to 4% on Wednesday after the carrier forecast that the rebound in travel demand will continue in the coming months. United reported its sixth consecutive quarterly loss after the market closed on Tuesday. But the airline’s losses are narrowing and the carrier said bookings have continued to improve, even for hard-hit segments like business travel and international long-haul trips. United’s CEO, Scott Kirby, said Wednesday that the fast-spreading delta variant of Covid-19 hasn’t affected bookings, echoing similar comments from Delta’s CE last week. However, Kirby said on an earnings call that the spread of the delta variant might cause a “pullback” in the reopening of the economy but added that he thinks it would be temporary “if it does happen” “There will be ups and downs,” he said on the call. “And we’re prepared to deal with whatever those are, knowing that we can’t precisely forecast exactly what the ups and downs are going to be.” Kirby said that the US should lift an entry ban on most non-US citizens arriving from the UK and the European Union, restrictions that have been in place since March 2020. “We’re not going to prevent the delta variant from coming to the United States by closing those borders because it’s already here,” Kirby said. United, and other airlines and travel companies have repeatedly pressed the Biden administration to lift the restrictions, but the peak travel season has passed without any change from the US. Kirby said there is a “human element” to the ban. “There’s families who haven’t seen each other in 18 months,” he said.<br/>
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Japanese companies have accelerated efforts to help expatriates leave Indonesia amid a surge in coronavirus cases driven by the delta variant, with Tokyo supporting chartered flights home by easing entry restrictions. A chartered ANA flight landed at Tokyo's Narita Airport on Wednesday, carrying 192 returnees who are required to spend more than a week in quarantine at a hotel. The flight was the first under a program launched by the airline to bring back expats working in Indonesia for Japanese companies along with their families. Japan Airlines will send its own chartered flight on Sunday. This follows an ANA flight chartered by the general contractor Shimizu that repatriated 52 employees and family members last week. A total of 370 Japanese nationals in Indonesia have tested positive as of Wednesday, with the infections resulting in 17 deaths, according to the Japanese Embassy in Jakarta. Roughly 2,000 Japanese expats showed interest in leaving the country as of Friday, the deadline to sign up for the chartered flights, according to the embassy, which is taking the applications. Both ANA and JAL will send additional chartered flights to accommodate surplus applicants. The Japanese government is supporting the flights by exempting them from the limits placed on international arrivals leading into the Tokyo Olympics. Packages cost between 400,000 yen and 500,000 yen ($3,650 to $4,560) per person for economy-class seats on a chartered flight out of Indonesia and quarantine accommodations -- an 11-night stay at a hotel. The Japanese government expects most flight packages to be purchased by expats who can expect their employers to defray costs.<br/>
It might seem contradictory to invest in carbon-emitting polluters while pledging to be an eco-trailblazer, but that's exactly what Singapore's investment company, Temasek, is attempting to do. As one of the world's largest institutional investors, its US$282b portfolio is replete with businesses that contribute to global warming - from Singapore Airlines to Sembcorp Marine, a supplier of offshore rigs. While peers like Norway's sovereign wealth fund have used hard targets and the sale of assets to improve their green credentials, Temasek is taking a different path. "We never said we will not invest in an emitter of carbon - as long as this emitter is on a journey, a path and we can be helpful in terms of how we can shift them," said Nagi Hamiyeh, Temasek International's joint head of investments. Temasek's approach is emblematic of the delicate dance many global investors face, especially those laden with legacy assets that once belonged to the state. Temasek has pledged to halve the net carbon emissions of its portfolio compared with 2010 levels by 2030, and reach net-zero by 2050. It's ramped up the amount of money it allocates to impact investment and environmental, social and governance funds. The firm has pumped billions of dollars into Singapore Airlines, a major global carrier. Hamiyeh said that unlike peers, the airline has not cancelled new aircraft purchases, allowing it to upgrade to models that emit less carbon. The carrier has pledged to hit net zero by 2050.<br/>