Air Canada ripped Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s COVID-19 travel restrictions in a statement Monday after the Canadian government announced it would finally lift mandates and quarantine rules beginning in October. Several airlines welcomed the news that travelers will no longer have to be vaccinated to fly or wear masks on planes, and that incoming travelers will no longer have to submit health information through the ArriveCAN app, beginning Oct. 1. Air Canada took things one step further, issuing a statement blasting the government for having restrictions in the first place “Air Canada welcomes the removal of these restrictions, acknowledging that air travel is safe and that the measures were not justified by science,” the company said. “We believe it will greatly facilitate travel, help to continue stabilizing the country’s air transport sector and support Canada’s economy.” Canada kept its travel restrictions, which applied to both air and rail travel, longer than many other countries, including the United States. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, however, said the government reserves the right to bring those restrictions back if needed. “Obviously we have no hope to reintroduce some of these measures but if we need to protect the safety of Canadians, we will have to.”<br/>
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More than 300 pilots marched on Swiss International Air Lines headquarters near to Zurich airport on Thursday to press their contract demands ahead of a possible walkout next month. Pilots at Swiss, a unit of Deutsche Lufthansa, have been working without an accord since April after management rejected a tentative deal from initial talks, the Aeropers union has said. The union has been polling members on strike action, and has said a walkout could take place from Oct. 17. Swiss management has offered to take the case to an arbitration panel, while pilots have made a counteroffer. German pilots at flagship carrier Lufthansa agreed this month not to strike until mid-2023 under an initial wage dispute agreement. Strikes and staff shortages forced airlines to cancel thousands of flights to avoid hours-long queues at major airports in the first summer following COVID lockdowns, with disruptions set to continue deep into the autumn. <br/>
The 37-year-old man who was arrested for allegedly making a false bomb threat on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight was charged on Thursday for causing alarm and voluntarily causing hurt. Singapore Airlines flight SQ33, which landed at Changi Airport on Wednesday, was travelling from San Francisco to Singapore when American La Andy Hien Duc allegedly shouted that there was a bomb on the plane. He also grabbed another passenger's luggage from the cabin's overhead compartment. In a statement on Thursday, the police said he then allegedly assaulted a cabin crew member who tried to intervene and restrain him. La Andy Hien Duc was one of 208 passengers on board the SQ flight, which left San Francisco at 10.26pm on Monday (Tuesday, 1.26pm Singapore time) for Singapore. Preliminary investigations revealed that he had claimed there was a bomb in a hand-carry bag nearly six hours from arrival in Singapore.<br/>