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The first "Covid-tested" flight arrived in Rome from New York on Wednesday, an initiative designed to open up air routes between Europe and the United States blocked by the pandemic. Passengers had to show they had returned a negative virus test within 48 hours of getting on the Alitalia flight from John F. Kennedy airport, and were required to take another test on arrival at Rome's Fiumicino. All 100 passengers on board came up negative, according to the AGI news agency, allowing them to avoid a 14-day quarantine required of other arrivals from the United States. Everyone on board still had to wear masks and replace them every four hours, according to airport authorities. "This is an extraordinary experiment, because it rekindles hope for air travel, mobility and the economy even in the presence of coronavirus," said Ms Nicola Zingaretti, head of the Lazio region that includes Rome. The move follows the launch in September of so-called virus-free domestic flights between Rome and financial capital Milan.<br/>

A new, state-owned Alitalia could replace the old carrier in April once it has secured the approval of both the Italian parliament and the EC, the manager chosen to head the revamped airline said Wednesday. After 11 years of turbulent private management and three failed restructuring attempts, the coronavirus crisis scuppered government’s plans to sell the ailing carrier. Earlier this year, Rome decided to set aside E3b and create a new company that would buy the good assets of the old carrier and launch a new strategy with the state’s support. To receive fresh public money, after the old carrier burnt around 8 billion euros in taxpayers’ funds in the last four years, the revamped carrier needs to show it would be profitable and that the new resources will not be used only to allow a zombie company to survive. “The E3b (earmarked by the government) is an ambitious endowment ... we will use it gradually, we will keep part of the money for when there is an opportunity in the market,” CEO designate Fabio Lazzerini told members of a parliamentary committee. The new CEO, who served as managing director at Emirates in Italy before moving to Alitalia in 2017, said he and Chairman Francesco Caio were putting the finishing touches on a new business plan to be presented to the parliament and the EU. “The new airline will focus on premium clients, will not be a low-cost carrier,” he said.<br/>

Delta's CEO on Wednesday asked employees to sign up for more unpaid leave with a slump in travel to continue into 2021. “Our voluntary unpaid leave program will continue to be essential to positioning Delta for the recovery, and we will need participants for the foreseeable future,” Ed Bastian said in a note to staff. “I ask everyone to consider whether a voluntary leave makes sense for you and your family.” Executives at Delta and other airlines in recent weeks have warned about a slowdown in bookings as Covid-19 infections rose, making it more challenging to trim its cash burn. The TSA said it screened 501,513 people at US airports on Tuesday, the fewest since July 4 and about a quarter of the 1.9m people the TSA screened a year ago. Bastian said despite Christmas and New Year’s Eve being a few weeks away, demand would likely climb to just about a third of last year’s levels. He said he expects a rebound in air travel in the spring after Covid vaccinations ramp up. More than 40,000 Delta employees have opted for unpaid leaves of absence at the company’s urging. Roughly 18,000 accepted buyouts and early retirement packages, cutting Delta’s pre-pandemic head count by about 20%.<br/>

Ecological pressure group Greenpeace has lost a legal bid to impose stronger environmental conditions for state aid intended for Dutch carrier KLM. A court in The Hague has rejected the case brought by Greenpeace, which had argued that this obligation for stricter conditions rested on the government under UN climate treaties among other agreements. Greenpeace had insisted that the government should discontinue the financial support unless KLM took measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to specific levels. It had claimed that the government was “not taking sufficient measures” to achieve the objectives of the Paris climate accord, and that it had not ordered specific measures against the aviation sector. But the judge in the case ruled on 9 December that the Dutch state is “not obliged” to attach conditions to the aid package equivalent to the demands put forward by Greenpeace. KLM does not operate domestic services, so its carbon dioxide emissions essentially result entirely from international services. But the judgement says that emission contributions to which countries have committed under the Paris climate agreement – on which Greenpeace’s case relies – “only relate to the reduction of domestic emissions” and “do not include” those from cross-border aviation. The judge has rejected Greenpeace’s claim and ordered it to pay the costs of the proceedings. Greenpeace says it is “disappointed” with the verdict, adding that it “allows KLM to continue to pollute”.<br/>

Korean Air said Wednesday it has shipped a COVID-19 vaccine ingredient from Incheon to Amsterdam using its cold chain logistics as it gears up for upcoming deliveries of vaccines. A passenger flight transporting a Korean company's vaccine ingredient departed from Incheon International Airport on Tuesday, and it was transported to a vaccine production plant in Europe on Wednesday, Korean Air said, without specifying the firm's name. The carrier said it loaded 800 kilograms of a vaccine ingredient in special containers for medical items that maintain cryogenic temperatures of minus 60 C. Korean Air is the first carrier in the nation to transport a vaccine ingredient that requires storage at an extremely cold temperature, attesting to its capacity for vaccine delivery.<br/>