UK aviation industry bodies have reacted with alarm to the government's decision to bring back mandatory pre-departure Covid-19 testing requirements from 7 December. The UK Department for Transport announced on 4 December that from 04:00 on 7 December, anyone aged 12 and above wishing to travel to the UK must show proof of a negative PCR or lateral-flow test result taken no earlier than 48h prior to departure. The government also added Nigeria to its travel red list from 04:00 on 6 December. The measures are "temporary" and are being implemented in response to Covid-19's new Omicron variant, says the government. They will be reviewed on 20 December. UK Airport Operators Association (AOA) chief executive Karen Dee has described the latest travel restrictions as "a devastating blow" for aviation and tourism. "Pre-departure tests act as a major deterrent to travel and most of the limited remaining demand following the reintroduction of self-isolation will now fall away, just as airports were hoping for a small uplift over the Christmas holiday," states Dee. "Travel and aviation are the only sectors hit with any operating restrictions in response to the Omicron variant." She adds that the UK and devolved governments "should have done the right thing" and "announced support for our businesses and our staff to get through another period of shutdown". British Travel Association (BTA) chief executive Clive Wratton says the introduction of pre-departure testing "with little warning" is a "hammer blow" to the industry. Wratton is calling for state support to be provided to the sector, and says that "above all, the government must talk to the industry and give us an exit plan that ensures the survival of our sector". The UK is among a number of countries to have reintroduced travel restrictions in response to the Omicron variant. The US government announced on 2 December that it was tightening pre-departure Covid-19 testing timelines for inbound international travellers, regardless of nationality. The timeframe is being reduced to 24h prior to departure, whereas previously incoming vaccinated non-US citizens had to show proof of a negative result from a test result taken three days before departure.

Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority has initialed a comprehensive air transport agreement with the European Union and its member states, a first step in a five-year implementation leading to "a fully formalised open skies accord". Oman Air says the agreement paves the way for Oman to increase flight frequencies on existing European routes and add other European destinations for the airline and budget carrier Salam Air. Moreover, the agreement will allow EU airlines to fly to all Omani airports from their home country or from any other EU member state. Currently, Air France and KLM are the only EU airlines that fly direct to Muscat International airport. Besides market access, the agreement also contains provisions on a number of other important aspects of aviation including commercial opportunities, doing business, safety, security, air traffic management, environment, fair competition and social aspects. The agreement, which comes after nearly two years of negotiations, strengthens both parties’ commitment to fair access to markets for Oman and all EU member states. Oman holds bilateral third and fourth air freedom rights with several EU member states, including France, Germany and Italy. Both sides will now initiate their respective internal procedures in preparation for the signing of the agreement. Oman Air says since Oman’s reopening to fully vaccinated arrivals in September this year, it has reinstated a number of its pre-pandemic European routes including London, Paris, Zurich and Munich. The carrier says it is "confident" that remaining paused routes will resume in early 2022, as global vaccination rates continue to increase and entry restrictions ease.

British Airways has signed a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply deal with Houston-based energy company Phillips 66 that will see waste-based fuel produced at a plant in the UK used to partially power "a number of" the carrier's flights from early next year. BA says the "multi-year" agreement will make it the first airline to use SAF produced "on a commercial scale" in the UK. The fuel will be produced at the Phillips 66 Humber Refinery in Immingham, Lincolnshire. The plant will produce "thousands of tonnes" of SAF, says BA, which will be supplied to the airline "to power a number of its flights from early 2022" as part of its mission to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. BA's parent company, IAG, has committed to power 10% of its flights with SAF by 2030. The fuel provided by Phillips 66 will be produced from a "sustainable waste feedstock" and delivered to BA via existing pipeline infrastructure that feeds directly into UK airports. "The UK has the resources and capabilities to be a global leader in the development of SAF, and scaling up the production of SAF requires a truly collaborative approach between industry and government," states BA chief executive Sean Doyle, adding that the carrier aims to develop its relationship with Phillips 66 "with a view to growing production capacity and using a wider range of sustainable waste feedstocks to supply our future flights". Humber Refinery general manager Darren Cunningham says the Immingham plant was the first in the UK to co-process waste oils to produce renewable fuels. "We're currently refining almost half a million litres of sustainable waste feedstocks a day, and this is just the start," he says. "Markets for lower-carbon products are growing, and this agreement demonstrates our ability to supply them." IAG has previously announced that it is investing $400 million in the development of SAF and has partnered with other fuel providers including LanzaJet and Velocys. It sees the potential for 14 SAF plants to be built in the UK, providing enough government support is available.