Aviation trade group IATA has called on US jurisdictions to eliminate quarantine requirements imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, advocating instead for systematic pre-departure testing protocols. “Mandatory arrival quarantines for air travellers have the same effect as outright border closures,” Peter Cerda, IATA’s regional vice-president for the Americas, said on 1 October. He adds that such restrictions will continue discouraging discretionary travel and prevent the industry from getting back on its feet. Instead of implementing job-destroying arrival quarantines, states should be encouraging the federal government to work with other governments to implement systematic pre-departure testing,” Cerda says. IATA says 64% of travellers surveyed agree that quarantines are unnecessary for those testing negative, and 80% are prepared to take pre-departure coronavirus tests. Just over half of respondents say the virus is in check enough to reopen the USA to foreign visitors. In March, the government halted all foreigners from entering the USA, leaving the border only open to citizens and permanent residents. But as the pandemic drags on, the virus is spreading unevenly across the country. Some states have been able to keep it in check with lockdowns and slow reopening's, while others have experienced surges in recent weeks. The New York City region and isolated Hawaii Islands are two areas that require 14-day quarantines for inbound passengers, effectively choking off tourism activity for the past several months Hawaii, for which tourism from both US and foreign visitors is an key part of the economy, will ease quarantine requirements on 15 October. If a passenger shows proof of a negative coronavirus test that is not more than 72h old they can bypass the mandated quarantine. This has prompted both Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines to ramp up their schedules between the islands and the US mainland. New York, meantime, still requires self-isolation for passengers arriving from 34 other US states. Monitoring quarantined passengers remains a challenge for all jurisdictions, leading experts to question the effectiveness of such measures. Numerous airlines have introduced pre-departure screening programs aimed at encouraging customers to book travel in the coming weeks. The important Thanksgiving holiday long weekend, among the USA’s busiest travel weekends, is just eight weeks away. “These and other airline-led testing programs will provide valuable experience while the numbers of travellers are still low, so that testing can be efficiently ramped up as demand returns,” IATA adds. “Establishing systematic pre-departure testing is the key to unlocking global connectivity, stimulating battered economies, and giving hope to the 10% of the global workforce whose livelihoods depend on travel and tourism,” the trade group says.

Source: Cirium

United Airlines has immediately begun the process of laying off more than 13,000 employees from its workforce after the 30 September expiration date of restrictions related to the US CARES Act payroll-support program passed. The Chicago-based airline intends to furlough 1,995 employees in airport operations; 313 in catering operations; 389 in contact centers; 6,939 in in-flight services; 1,400 in management and administrative roles; and 2,241 in technical operations. Involuntary furloughs of 155 employees at United's network operations centre could be delayed or cancelled if the members of the aircraft dispatchers' union ratify a letter of agreement by 7 October. In late September, United's pilot union ratified an agreement that will delay involuntary furloughs of pilots until June 2021. United had stated on 28 August that it would furlough 2,850 of its 13,000 pilots by the end of 2020, beginning after 30 September. United's chief executive Scott Kirby, along with other aviation executives, met with White House and Congressional leaders on 17 September in an attempt to persuade them to extend the US CARES Act's payroll-support program. As of 1 October, a new coronavirus relief package encompassing a PSP extension is still being negotiated in Congress. "In a continuing effort to give the federal government every opportunity to act, we have made clear to leadership in the [presidential] administration, Congress and among our union partners that we can and will reverse the furlough process if the CARES Act payroll-support program is extended in the next few days," United stated on 30 September. "We implore our elected leaders to reach a compromise, get a deal done now and save jobs."

Source: Cirium

Airlines trade organisation IATA says the industry must thoroughly prepare to play a leading role in the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine when one becomes globally available. The organisation says on 30 September that it will need to closely coordinate and partner with humanitarian aid organisations, pharmaceutical companies, border authorities and other logistics professionals to mastermind a plan for what could mean transporting billions of vials to all corners of the earth quickly and safely. Little is known about what kind of transportation the vials will require, or how many doses will need to be moved around the world. An estimated 7.8 billion vials – one per living person - would require a capacity of 8,000 Boeing 747 aircraft, Hughes says. “Will they need to be deep frozen? Or can they be transported in a more conventional cooling chain of between” 2-8°C (36-46°F)? “It’s a very delicate live culture,” Hughes adds. “If something happens to the temperature range, the entire shipment has to be thrown away.” In addition to the temperature safety aspect, physical security is another top concern which will require in-depth planning and preparation to “avoid unlawful interference with critical supply chains”, Hughes says. “If you look at many parts of the world where there aren’t a lot of freighter operations, it’s critical that there is a robust network of passenger services in place to adequately provide the capacity necessary to transport [the] vaccine when it becomes available,” he adds. The trade group said earlier this week that global cargo capacity, measured by available cargo tonne-kilometres, shrank by 29.4% in August, year-on-year. July had shown a 31.8% drop. The biggest issue continues to be a dearth of belly-cargo capacity in widebody passenger aircraft. Widebody aircraft carry particularly high levels of cargo, but have seen the greatest declines in utilisation through the past months as the global health crisis drags on. In total, belly capacity for international air cargo was down 67% year-on-year in August – partially offset by a 28.1% increase in freighter capacity, IATA said. However, until a vaccine becomes widely available, IATA says the air transport industry must learn to live with coronavirus. It is advocating for pre-departure testing that would act as an alternative to quarantine requirements. Last week, IATA charman Alexandre de Juniac said a systematic pre-flight coronavirus testing regime for all international passengers is the only way to kick-start the airline sector’s recovery. The scale of testing required – perhaps millions of passengers daily – means non-medical personnel would need to deliver tests, he said. At the same time, governments must to agree to common testing standards - possibly with ICAO’s involvement - to ensure “mutual recognition” of results

Source: Cirium