Starting later this year, Aeroméxico will launch its first two transatlantic routes from airports other than México City Int'l, connecting Guadalajara and Monterrey General Mariano Escobedo to Madrid Barajas. The route from Guadalajara is set to commence on December 15 and will be operated 3x weekly while flights from Monterrey will begin the day after and will be operated with the same frequency. Aeroméxico will serve both routes with B787-9 aircraft. The still-tentative flights to Madrid will be the only scheduled intercontinental passenger services for both regional airports. Guadalajara, however, sees a fair number of scheduled transatlantic cargo services. The Mexican flag carrier has also announced that it will launch its first intercontinental service from Cancún. Services to Sao Paulo Guarulhos are set to begin on December 15 and will also be operated 3x weekly with a B787-9. While the leisure resort in Yucatan is well served intercontinentally, both from Europe and South America, Aeroméxico has, until now, routed all of its traffic to Cancun via Mexico City Int'l.<br/>
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British Airways’ passenger flights between Dubai and London since January 2021 have resumed to a daily operation since August 13, the airline has announced. The flight will depart from Dubai at 12:15 (LT) and will arrive in London at 16:55 (LT). These direct return flights from Dubai to the UK will enable many people to reunite with their loved ones who have been kept apart due to Covid-19, it said. Sohail Ali, BA Senior VP, Middle East and Africa, Airport Operations, said: “We can’t wait to welcome our customers on board our flights and are delighted to be able to reunite families and friends with their loved ones after such a long time apart. The safety of our customers and colleagues has always been at the heart of everything we do. We have also introduced a range of measures to provide stress and hassle-free travel.”<br/>
Malaysia Airlines has recorded a 100% vaccinated status for all its pilots and cabin crew on active roster, according to its parent company, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG). MAG, through its COVID-19 Immunisation Policy which started in July 2021, has made it compulsory for all employees to be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, except for those with health and medical reasons. MAG said the group managed to accelerate the vaccination rate of its Malaysia-based employees, which currently stands at 95%. Group CEO Captain Izham Ismail said the latest vaccination progress aimed to provide passengers with the assurance and peace of mind that they can choose to travel with any airline under MAG confidently. "We will continue to boost public confidence in air travel, stimulate the recovery in domestic and international travel demands, and ultimately position Malaysia as a safe destination once the situation recedes,” he said.<br/>
Qantas has announced it will require its frontline staff to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by November to help it keep flights in the air and avoid the potential long-distance spread of the virus, joining SPC as the second major Australian company to commit to the move. In a statement, Qantas said its decision to mandate had been backed by a staff survey showing an overwhelming majority of its workforce either were vaccinated or planned to be and supported mandatory jabs. The national carrier’s decision will have a ripple effect throughout the aviation industry, with CE Alan Joyce revealing Qantas was working with contractors and suppliers who also wanted to mandate vaccinations. “One crew member can fly into multiple cities and come into contact with thousands of people in a single day,” Joyce said. “Making sure they are vaccinated given the potential of this virus to spread is so important and I think it’s the kind of safety leadership people would expect from us.” Qantas has already said passengers on international flights will need to be vaccinated when they resume but Joyce said he had not decided whether to extend that policy to domestic services. The move will test industrial law, which most experts say does permit mandatory vaccination in high-risk industries like aviation but that interpretation has not yet been considered by a judge or tribunal. “We understand there will be a very small number of people who decide not to get the vaccine, and that’s their right, but it’s our responsibility to provide the safest possible environment for our employees and for our customers,” said Joyce. Asked whether Qantas’ policy amounted to “no jab, no job”, Joyce did not give a definitive answer but said medical exceptions and redeployment opportunities would be limited.<br/>