United on Sunday started rerouting its India flights to avoid Afghanistan airspace after Taliban fighters entered the capital Kabul, sealing a takeover of the country, and US officials scrambled to evacuate its personnel. “Due to the dynamic nature of the situation we have begun routing affected flights around Afghanistan airspace,” the airline said. The carrier serves Delhi from its Newark Liberty International Airport hub daily and five times a week from Chicago O’Hare International Airport. It also flies from Newark to Mumbai daily. The flights are among its longest routes. United said it “will continue to work closely” with the FAA and the IATA “to evaluate the situation and determine how we continue service to markets impacted.” United is the only major US passenger airline currently flying nonstop to India. The FAA on July 25 prohibited US airlines from overflying Afghanistan air space below 26,000 feet, which is lower than cruising altitude for such long flights, “due to the risk posed by extremist/militant activity and limited risk mitigation capabilities.” A United spokeswoman said the decision to route around Afghanistan on Sunday was its own. Flydubai and Emirates said they suspended flights to Kabul.<br/>
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Canada will require most commercial passengers traveling by air, rail or large ship to be fully vaccinated by fall The vaccination requirement "includes all commercial air travelers, passengers on inter-provincial trains and passengers on large, marine vessels with overnight accommodations such as cruise ships," said Omar Alghabra, Canada's transport minister, during a virtual press conference Friday The Canadian government also will mandate that all federal employees be fully vaccinated by the end of October. Canadian ministers speaking at the press conference indicated that they wanted to "set an example" for other employers and Canadians as they continue to try and safely reopen more sectors of the economy. Air Canada said it supported the new mandate and said it was in line with science-based procedures for safe travel. "Although Air Canada awaits further details about today's announcement on mandatory vaccinations, it is a welcome step forward in the evolving measures to protect the health and safety of airline employees, customers and all Canadians," according to the statement. Canada has recently started to allow international leisure travelers across its borders, beginning with vaccinated Americans this week. There are tentative plans to extend discretionary travel to other vaccinated international visitors to Canada in early September.<br/>
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has reinstated the monthly variable component to the basic salary of all its Singapore-based staff since Aug 1, while Changi Airport Group will restore wages for all its employees – up to those in middle management – next month. The national carrier had implemented the pay cuts as part of staff measures to cut expenditures last March. CAG introduced the base salary cuts in April last year. In a statement on Friday, it said it will retain pay cuts of up to 30% for senior management. CAG added that the wage restoration is a recognition of the resilience demonstrated by its employees. Separately, SIA said additional pay cuts for pilots remain in place, as per an agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association – Singapore union last year to mitigate further job losses for pilots. SIA's senior management also continue to take additional pay cuts to their basic salary - 15% for senior vice-presidents, 20% for executive vice-presidents and 25% for the CE. Board members will continue taking a 30% cut in fees in solidarity with the management, the airline noted. A staff circular issued by SIA CEO Goh Choon Phong on Wednesday stated that the ending of the full MVC cut of basic salary for Singapore-based staff is applicable for the remainder of the financial year, from August 2021 to March 2022. Additional pay cuts for managers up to divisional vice-presidents will also cease, he said. The cessation of some of the wage cuts from August is a "recognition of the prolonged sacrifices" that staff have made, Goh said. "Many uncertainties remain ahead, and the competition will be stiff in the new normal. We must continue to maintain a tight lid on costs, while being nimble and agile to grab all revenue and growth opportunities in the market," he added.<br/>