Italy’s civil aviation authority is meeting with Ryanair on 16 September to discuss allegations of non-compliance with the country’s coronavirus-related health measures. ENAC notes that despite speaking to the airline about similar issues in early August, it is still receiving “reports regarding Ryanair’s incomplete compliance with the provisions planned in Italy to limit the health risk derived from coronavirus on board the aircraft departing and arriving at national airports”. The previous allegations – denied by the Irish carrier – included claims from ENAC that social-distancing requirements were not being met, and came with a threat that Ryanair’s Italian services could be suspended. This time, the authority will also “verify compliance” by Ryanair with the requirement that all passengers complete Covid-19 self-declaration forms, noting that the lack of adherence contributes to the lengthening of the checking process at airports. It cites Milan Bergamo airport – Ryanair’s largest Italian base – where passengers have been waiting for excessive periods inside the facility in recent days, ENAC claims, “as evidenced by videos”. Ryanair parked a number of aircraft at Milan Bergamo during the grounding of services earlier this year Before they travel to Italy, passengers are required to download and complete a self-declaration form supplied by the Ministry of Interior, which is meant to be collected by the airline and may be requested by border police. By signing the form, passengers agree to measures including the wearing of face masks on board aircraft and in airports. Ryanair has been contacted for comment.

Source: Cirium

Air New Zealand is considering making hundreds of cabin crew redundant as a "last resort" measure in response to a reduction in long-haul demand. The flag carrier says it has reduced its Los Angeles passenger service from a daily frequency to three return flights per week, and converted all San Francisco flights to cargo-only services. It will continue to operate eight cargo-only flights on the Auckland-Los Angeles route. "We recognise that a reduced schedule will require a smaller number of cabin crew going forward and we are working through what this means for the team. Any decision we make will be made in consultation with our people and the unions, with redundancies as the last resort," the airline says. "We appreciate that our cabin crew have already made significant sacrifices throughout Covid-19, but sadly our international schedule remains largely limited by border restrictions and unfortunately there is not enough flying to provide sustainable rosters for the number of crew we have." The airline, which posted its first loss in 18 years for the financial year ended 30 June, says that in the "foreseeable future" it has "around 385 more widebody cabin crew in the business than we have work for". Amid the turmoil of the Covid-19 pandemic, 4,000 staff have already left Air New Zealand. The airline has scaled back its executive team by a third, from nine members to six. Back in June, the airline painted a stark picture of the next two years, saying that it expected to be just 70% of its former size in 2022, with long-haul travel a distant prospect for 2021.

Source: Cirium

The 13 airlines of the Oneworld alliance plan to cut their carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, matching the individual commitments of several member carriers. Each of the airlines will work towards the target "within the existing environmental framework previously agreed to by governments, including through the International Civil Aviation Organization", the alliance says. Individual carriers will also develop their own approaches through initiatives such as improved efficiency, investments in sustainable aviation fuels and more fuel-efficient aircraft, and the reduction of waste and single-use plastics. Several Oneworld carriers have already made significant investments towards reducing their carbon emissions. British Airways and Iberia parent IAG, for example, committed last year to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and is investing heavily in an initiative to turn commercial and industrial waste into sustainable aviation fuels. Finnair is looking at a range of measures to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. "The commitment of Oneworld member airlines to reach net zero emissions by 2050 underlines the importance that we as an alliance have placed on becoming a more sustainable industry," states Oneworld chairman and Qantas Group chief executive Alan Joyce. "Despite the challenges we are all facing amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, we have not lost sight of the responsibility we have to reduce emissions in the long term and today's announcement reflects the strength of that commitment." Oneworld chief executive Rob Gurney adds: "Alongside our member airlines, we are proud to be the first alliance to commit to net-zero emissions by 2050 and play a role in making the industry more sustainable. We want to thank our member carriers for their support and recognise IAG and Qantas for the leadership they have shown as we committed together to this goal." The alliance has 13 members: American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, S7 and SriLankan Airlines.

Source: Cirium