The Biden administration has been weighing changes to sweeping travel restrictions that bar much of the world’s population from coming to the United States, but has reached no decisions, government and industry officials said. EU countries agreed on Wednesday to ease COVID-19 travel restrictions on non-EU visitors ahead of the summer tourist season, a move that could open the bloc’s door to all Britons and to vaccinated Americans. Ambassadors from the 27 EU countries approved a EC proposal from May 3 to loosen the criteria to determine “safe” countries and to let in fully vaccinated tourists from elsewhere, EU sources said. Biden administration agencies have been holding meetings for more than a month and reaching out to industry officials about when and how they could begin to unwind the travel restrictions first imposed in early 2020 in response to COVID-19 that bar much of the world’s population from entering the United States. Asked whether the United States would allow vaccinated Europeans to enter, a White House spokesman said there were no changes in travel restrictions planned at the moment.<br/>
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EU governments agreed to allow quarantine-free travel for vaccinated tourists and visitors from countries deemed safe, paving the way for the resumption of hassle-free trans-Atlantic flights. Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states backed a proposal to waive quarantine for those with coronavirus inoculations approved by its drug regulator, including shots from Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson. The approval could be finalized this week and implemented soon after. Unvaccinated travelers can also avoid quarantine if they come from countries that have controlled the Covid-19 outbreak, meaning a 14-day new-case rate of less than 75 per 100,000, according to two officials familiar with the decision. This would likely land the US on a “white list” which is due to be adopted later this week. But with so many Americans already vaccinated, the designation may be less important to the travel industry than whether American officials reciprocate and loosen rules for European visitors. The EU move highlights the importance of trans-Atlantic travel to getting its economies restarted after the decimation of the global coronavirus crisis -- especially in tourist dependent nations such as Greece, Spain and Italy. Opening their doors will give EU countries access to a powerful US travel rebound, while validating a gamble on vaccination that the American and European officials have emphasized over the reliance on strict lockdowns prevalent in Asia.<br/>
Ireland’s air connectivity is likely to shrink by 30% after the imposition of Europe’s most “repressive” COVID-19 travel restrictions and may need five years to recover, the head of global industry group IATA Willie Walsh warned on Wednesday. Walsh was speaking a day after Irish airline Aer Lingus, part of the International Airlines Group he headed until late last year, announced a major restructuring including layoffs to “rebuild financial health.” Ryanair, Ireland’s largest airline, has said it will give priority to other European markets in the coming months and base fewer planes in Ireland due to the restrictions. The Irish government, which has prioritised international connectivity in recent years as a support for its large U.S. multinational sector, advised against most non-essential international travel since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.<br/>
The Australian government is in talks with the IATA about a new digital certificate that could unlock quarantine-free overseas travel for vaccinated Australians. In recent days, the prime minister Scott Morrison has begun talking up the idea of a new digital vaccination passport that could be used for domestic travel, saying this would be the “next most achievable step” as more Australians became vaccinated. Morrison has also signalled that Singapore is the next most likely destination for a travel bubble with Australia, with negotiations between the two countries about how this would operate well under way. IATA has been in discussions with Australian Border Force about the use of the IATA Travel Pass – a mobile app that allows travellers to store and manage their verified certifications for Covid-19 tests and vaccines. Qantas has trialled the IATA pass, along with another similar product known as the CommonPass. While Australia does not have any national digital vaccination certification process in place, all immunisation data is stored by the department of social services.<br/>
Boeing resumed deliveries of its best-selling 737 MAX on Wednesday, following approval of a fix for an electrical grounding issue that sidelined dozens of jets, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Reuters reported on April 16 that Boeing stopped delivering its cash cow single-aisle 737 MAX after the electrical grounding problem - months after the plane returned to service following a lengthy safety ban due to fatal crashes. read more A Boeing spokeswoman declined to comment.<br/>
Airbus plans to merge activities at two of its plants in southern Spain, after the end of production of the A380 superjumbo left the factories without enough work for both. The company has held discussions with unions and the Spanish government, a spokeswoman said. The proposed plan will involve closing one site -- which one hasn’t been determined, she said -- and aims to avoid forced layoffs. The decision comes after workers in Spain held protests over the potential closure of the Puerto Real plant, which assembled the horizontal stabilizers for the double-decker A380. Airbus, based in Toulouse, France, said in February 2019 that it would end production of the biggest commercial airliner in the skies. A potential 460 positions will go as a result of the decision. The planemaker plans to avoid forced layoffs, in part by reviving a voluntary severance plan it used last year after announcing 15,000 job cuts. Airbus will also look at measures like furlough and seek to improve competitiveness at the surviving location. The company has also been holding discussions with unions over plans announced last month to overhaul parts production.<br/>
The world’s biggest maker of renewable diesel says it’s creating a new market for low-carbon jet fuel as passengers slowly return to the skies. Neste Oyj is betting that sustainable aviation fuel, SAF, will appeal to businesses eager to cut carbon emissions. The company also expects the fuel’s higher price won’t be an obstacle, as post-pandemic air travel resumes with a more climate-conscious mindset. “People will start flying again, but then they want to fly in a more sustainable way,” CEO Peter Vanacker said. “Just like we did with renewable diesel, we are creating this market.” The Finnish company is investing about $230m to equip its Rotterdam renewables refinery to make more sustainable jet fuel. Combined with an expansion at its Singapore facility, Neste will be able to make 1.5m tons of SAF a year by the end of 2023, up from just 100,000 tons now. That compares with 300m tons of fossil fuels used in aviation each year pre-pandemic. Neste has been manufacturing biodiesel for more than a decade at its Porvoo plant, making its first investment in the renewable technology as early as 2005. After initially being unprofitable, the product overtook traditional oil products as Neste’s profit driver in 2018.<br/>