Free-spending technology firms are usually among the biggest corporate travel customers. But as the pandemic starts to wane and planes fill up again, airlines are finding that Silicon Valley’s workers aren’t coming back so quickly. “Tech is definitely trailing,” said Andrew Nocella, CCO at United Airlines. He pointed in particular to the San Francisco area, where business travel is rebounding “slower than the remainder of the country.” That’s a worrisome sign for airlines, which are counting on the return of lucrative corporate flights to buoy profits as the pandemic subsides. Tech firms have embraced remote-work options in recent years, which could explain why the industry has been slower to resume the type of in-person meetings that might require a plane trip. Companies including Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. have begun calling staff back, but with flexible policies allowing work from home two or three days a week. Others such as Meta Platforms Inc. and Twitter Inc. are letting some stay remote indefinitely. “Tech is probably the one that is most likely to consider substitutes,” like video conferencing over a face-to-face meeting, said Alaska Airlines Group CFO Shane Tackett. “It’s the one that’s furthest behind.”<br/>
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Israel and Egypt have agreed to expand their aviation ties with a new direct route between Tel Aviv and the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh expected to launch in April, Israel's PM said on Wednesday. "Cooperation between the two countries is expanding in many areas, and this contributes to both peoples and to the stability of the region," the Israeli leader, Naftali Bennett, said. Israeli carrier Israir said once it receives necessary approvals, it plans to operate 15 weekly flights on the Tel Aviv-Sharm El-Sheikh route. Egyptair currently flies nonstop between Tel Aviv and Cairo. 1979.<br/>
Taiwan’s two largest carriers were in the black for 2021, helped a significant jump in revenue during the year. While China Airlines continued its profitable streak for another year, compatriot EVA Air bounced back from the red to post a full-year operating profit of around NT$10.4b ($363m). This compares to the NT$827m operating loss it reported for 2020. Revenue for the year rose 16.6% to NT$104b, offsetting a 4% rise in costs and expenses to around NT$93.5b. The carrier reported a net profit of NT$6.6b, compared to 2020’s NT$3.4b net loss. As for China Airlines, it posted an operating profit of nearly NT$15b, a significant jump from the NT$2.2b full-year profit in 2020. Revenue in 2021 grew 20.5% to NT$139b, while costs and expenses only inched up 9.6% to NT$124b.<br/>
Air New Zealand has revealed it’s rehired around 700 flight attendants and pilots in the last six months. The airline said there were “more opportunities on the horizon” as international flying starts to increase with the relaxing of COVID border restrictions. In 2020, the company cut around 4,000 jobs, or around 30% of the business, in an attempt to reduce the wage bill by $150m. The process of cutting jobs was overseen by a head of HR, Joe McCollum, who was appointed to oversee the restructure, before leaving shortly after at the end of 2020.<br/>Today, the airline employs roughly 8,400 people, significantly down from the around 12,000 pre-pandemic. The news of rehirings was revealed on the day PM Jacinda Ardern said her nation would re-open its borders months earlier than originally set. The country will now allow fully-vaccinated Australians to enter from 11.59 pm on 12 April, and visitors will not need to isolate.<br/>