Delta Air Lines has signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate with Airbus on the research and development of hydrogen-powered aircraft. Under terms of the agreement, Delta will provide to Airbus its fleet and network expectations, along with "the operational and infrastructure requirements needed to develop commercial aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel", the Atlanta-based carrier states. The partners will focus on challenges such as flight range limits, refuelling time and airport compatibility. “To pull the future of sustainable aviation forward, we need to accelerate the development and commercialisation of potentially disruptive technologies,” Pam Fletcher, Delta’s chief sustainability officer, states. “Hydrogen fuel is an exciting concept that has the potential to redefine the status quo. These tangible steps lay the groundwork for the next generation of aviation.” Julie Kitcher, Airbus’s executive vice-president of communications and corporate affairs, adds: “Through close collaboration with key partners, such as Delta, we will integrate our customers’ expertise and specific needs to ensure our zero-emission aircraft will be a game-changer for sustainable aerospace.”

More than half of the world’s top 50 air travel markets are currently open for quarantine-free travel, according to IATA’s latest analysis, which also notes that Asia-Pacific remains the “outlier” among the world’s regions. The reopening of 38 markets represents about 65% of 2019's international demand, up from mid-February levels when 28 markets were reopened, constituting 50% of 2019's international demand. If the removal of Covid-19 testing were factored into border openings, the number of markets shrinks to just 25 markets, comprising 38% of 2019's international demand. This is up from mid-February levels of 18 markets, constituting 28% of 2019's international demand. IATA’s analysis examines the world’s top 50 air travel markets, which comprise 88% of 2019's international demand. IATA director general Willie Walsh states: “The world is largely open for travel. As population immunity grows, more governments are managing Covid-19 through surveillance, as they do for other endemic viruses.” The easing of measures also reflects “growing consensus that travel restrictions such as border closures and quarantine do little to control the spread of Covid-19”. Walsh notes the progress in border reopening could facilitate “a much-needed economic boost from the upcoming Easter and Northern Summer travel seasons”. However, IATA highlights “stark” differences in terms of the degree of openness among the various regions, noting that “Asia is the outlier”. Walsh states: “Travel in Asia remains heavily compromised by Covid restrictions. While North American and European international traffic rebounded to -42% of their 2019 peaks last year, traffic in Asia-Pacific remained at -88%. “Even in [Asia-Pacific], however, there has been some progress, with India and Malaysia among the countries recently announcing relaxation of restrictions. “Hopefully, recent relaxations including Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Pakistan, and the Philippines are paving the way towards restoring the freedom to travel that is more broadly enjoyed in other parts of the world.” In Asia-Pacific, just six of the 16 markets in the top 50 were open for quarantine-free travel, compared to Europe’s 18 out of 20 markets. The rest of the regions – the Americas’ nine markets, the Middle East’s three markets and Africa’s two markets – have fully reopened.

Travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will no longer have to provide a negative test for the virus upon arrival in Canada as of 1 April, marking a continued easing of travel restrictions as airlines in that nation re-launch their networks. Ottawa decided to ease travel rules due to the high vaccination rate and increased availability of rapid tests for Covid-19, Canada’s health minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced on 17 March. “As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, we will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders – and when to adjust those measures – to keep the people in Canada safe,” Duclos states. Federal and provincial travel restrictions in Canada since 2020 were stricter compared with the USA. The rate of new infections was consistently lower compared with the USA, World Health Organization data shows. Air Canada and WestJet were among the critics of these travel restrictions that stifled travel demand. Thanking the efforts of Canadians “to protect one another” by following those travel rules, Canada’s minister of tourism Randy Boissonnault states: “The economy, workers and tourism business owners will benefit from this next step in opening Canada up once again to the world”. Praising the move, Air Canada states: “The end of pre-departure testing will provide travellers with more certainty, allowing them to plan their next trip with more confidence and without the worry of incurring additional costs”. An initial easing of Canada’s travel rules in February prompted the flag carrier and other airlines in that nation to announce plans to restore most of their networks to 2019 levels during the summer travel months. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns travellers that Canada still has a “very high” rate of infections in the wake of the surge of the Omicron variant.