American Airlines chief executive Doug Parker says the carrier has seen business travel patterns shift amid the pandemic, and that smaller companies are now on the leading edge of the return in corporate travel. “The companies that are more nimble, that perhaps don’t have large headquarters, those that really need to do business, are doing so,” he says at the Skift Aviation forum webinar on 17 November. “Smaller companies are travelling at higher rate than large corporations.” Business travel patterns have also shifted because the way people work has changed permanently. Airlines have to be flexible and adapt, he adds. Prior to the pandemic, business travellers tended to depart on Sundays and return on Thursdays or Fridays. With the advent of video conferencing and other technologies that enable more remote work, those patterns no longer exist, Parker says. “It flattens out the peaks and allows for more and more types of travel,” he says. But in the end, he thinks business travel will return to pre-pandemic levels. “Business is a social operation, we all need to connect, and airlines connect,” he says.<br/>
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British Airways and American Airlines Group are offering free Covid-19 tests to corporate road warriors, to smooth the transition away from Zoom calls and back onto transatlantic jetliners. The offer, being made through American Express’ travel unit, applies to flights between the US and UK on the two airlines, who are allies on North Atlantic routes, starting in early 2022. Corporate customers booking premium seats will be eligible, according to a statement Wednesday. The idea is to make it easier for business travelers to hop on a plane, especially at short notice, according to Andrew Crawley, CCO at American Express Global Business Travel. “There’s incredible pent-up demand for business travel, but coordinating the logistics of testing can sometimes be a challenge,” he said. A recovery in business travel has lagged leisure business, even as restrictions start to recede -- starving major carriers like BA and American of crucial high-margin fares. A ban on European visitors to the US that was lifted earlier this month has helped stoke demand, but with many people still working from home at least part time, a full rebound to pre-pandemic levels is expected to take years. <br/>
Qatar Airways is considering an imminent purchase of a freighter aircraft and is looking at an "attractive proposition from Boeing", CE Akbar Al Baker said Wednesday. The comment from one of the world's largest cargo players is the latest indication that Qatar Airways may help inaugurate a new freighter version of Boeing's future 777X jetliner. "We are seriously looking at placing a large cargo order, a freighter order, because ... as we are also growing our freight business, we need to be sustainable in that and we are going to imminently place a large freighter order," Al Baker said. "Of course, I cannot tell you with whom we are going to place the order. But one thing I can say is that the proposal we have received from Boeing is very attractive to the airline." Qatar Airways says it operates 26 Boeing 777 freighters, 2 747-8 freighters and 6 Boeing 777-300ER mini-freighters. "We don't only look at the price, we look at the performance, and I think the aircraft that Boeing is developing will outperform the current fleet that we have," Al Baker said. Al Baker was speaking to reporters at a ceremony to present the passenger version of the world's largest twin-engined jetliner, the 777X, which arrived in Doha on Wednesday after staging a public debut at the Dubai Airshow. Al Baker said Qatar Airways expected to receive its first passenger version of the 777X in 2023. Boeing said this week it was sticking to plans to deliver the plane in that year, but stressed the timing of certification would depend on regulators.<br/>
One of the women pulled off a plane at Doha airport and forced to undergo an invasive gynaecological search told AFP Wednesday that she feels "disrespected and disregarded" by Qatari authorities and is still "terrified" of travelling a year later. The French woman in her fifties, who asked not to be named, was among a group who were subjected to intrusive examinations in October 2020 as authorities tried to identify the mother of a newborn abandoned in an airport bathroom. The country's prime minister issued a public apology, while an airport police officer who oversaw the searches was reportedly convicted. Qatari officials said apologies had been conveyed through direct channels with Australia, while training was rolled out to airport staff to ensure the incident was not repeated. Seven women are now launching legal action against Qatar Airways and Qatari authorities, seeking redress for an ordeal that sparked condemnation and global attention ahead of the country hosting the 2022 World Cup. The woman said she remained "absolutely terrified" at the thought of travelling again. "I don't think that there's been a single day when I haven't thought about it," she told AFP. "It's still very much present in my mind." She was among a group of female passengers escorted off a Sydney-bound plane late at night without explanation. Story has more.<br/>
Cathay Pacific Airways said on Wednesday it expects second-half results to improve considerably from the first half, helped by exceptionally strong air cargo demand. The outlook comes as the airline continues to suffer from the COVID-19 pandemic-related travel restrictions, operating at only 10% of the pre-pandemic passenger capacity in October and posting a 97.2% decline in passenger numbers from 2019. “October was more challenging for our passenger business than recent months. Demand for student travel, which had been robust over the past few months, tapered down quickly from early-October,” Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Ronald Lam said. However, a strong cargo season in the second-half provided a bright spot, Cathay said, to the extent that the airline achieved close to operating cash break-even for the four-month period from July to October. Reopening of Australian borders for vaccinated citizens also aided the recovery, Cathay said. “We have already added more capacity and seen an increase in flight bookings,” the company said while referring to Australia. <br/>
Qantas has filed a counterclaim against one of its former pilots, who sued the airline for allegedly underpaying his leave entitlements, after settling an earlier age discrimination case with the airline July. Andrew Hewitt, a long-haul captain and career Boeing 747 pilot, was offered an early retirement package last year at the age of 63, however Hewitt refused the deal and fought Qantas in the Federal Court of NSW. The two parties reached a settlement in July for an undisclosed amount. However, Hewitt has since filed a new case against Qantas, accusing the airline of underpaying him his annual and long service leave entitlement by $92,000, according to a report by The Australian. The former pilot argued that Qantas had calculated his entitlements based on the minimum number of hours flown in his last six roster periods, as opposed to his actual flown hours. Meanwhile, Qantas said under the settlement agreement, Hewitt made a “promise not to sue”, and was not entitled to make the claims he has now made in regard to his leave payments, which is why the airline has launched its counterclaim.<br/>