Monthly Archives: July 2020

Air Serbia now flies to Oslo

Air Serbia on July 16 with flight JU 450, using an Airbus A319, launched direct flights between Belgrade and Oslo. The national airline will be operating flights to the Norwegian capital two times a week, on Thursdays and Sundays.

When it comes to northern Europe, the national airline also operates flights to Stockholm and Copenhagen, and the introduction of flights to and from Oslo will enable better connectivity with Scandinavia for the entire region. Once the flight schedule reaches full capacity, Air Serbia will provide its passengers with good connections from Oslo via Belgrade to Sarajevo, Tivat, Podgorica, Skopje, Bucharest, Sofia, Thessaloniki and other destinations in its international network.

Oslo flight schedule:

FlightNo.	Place of departure	Time of departure	Destination	Time of arrival	Frequency	Date of first flight
JU450	Belgrade (BEG)	06:05	Oslo (OSL)	08:55	Thu	16 July, 2020
JU451	Oslo (OSL)	09:40	Belgrade (BEG)	12:25	Thu	16 July, 2020
JU454	Belgrade (BEG)	17:05	Oslo (OSL)	19:55	Sun	19 July, 2020
JU455	Oslo (OSL)	20:40	Belgrade (BEG)	23:25	Sun	19 July, 2020

Air Serbia aircraft photo gallery:

Air Serbia aircraft slide show:

IATA: Traveler survey reveals COVID-19 concerns

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released public opinion research showing the willingness to travel being tempered by concerns over the risks of catching COVID-19 during air travel. The industry’s re-start plans address passenger’s main concerns.

Concerns for Travel During COVID-19

Travelers are taking precautions to protect themselves from COVID-19 with 77% saying that they are washing their hands more frequently, 71% avoiding large meetings and 67% having worn a facemask in public. Some 58% of those surveyed said that they have avoided air travel, with 33% suggesting that they will avoid travel in future as a continued measure to reduce the risk of catching COVID-19.

Travelers identified their top three concerns as follows:

At the airport

On board Aircraft

1. Being in a crowded bus/train on the way to the aircraft (59%)

1. Sitting next to someone who might be infected (65%)

2. Queuing at check-in/security/border control or boarding (42%)

2. Using restrooms/toilet facilities (42%)

3. Using airport restrooms/toilet facilities (38%)

3. Breathing the air on the plane (37%)

When asked to rank the top three measures that would make them feel safer, 37% cited COVID-19 screening at departure airports, 34% agreed with mandatory wearing of facemasks and 33% noted social distancing measures on aircraft.

Passengers themselves displayed a willingness to play a role in keeping flying safe by:

Undergoing temperature checks (43%)
Wearing a mask during travel (42%)
Checking-in online to minimize interactions at the airport (40%)
Taking a COVID-19 test prior to travel (39%)
Sanitizing their seating area (38%).

“People are clearly concerned about COVID-19 when traveling. But they are also reassured by the practical measures being introduced by governments and the industry under the Take-off guidance developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These include mask-wearing, the introduction of contactless technology in travel processes and screening measures. This tells us that we are on the right track to restoring confidence in travel. But it will take time. To have maximum effect, it is critical that governments deploy these measures globally,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

The survey also pointed to some key issues in restoring confidence where the industry will need to communicate the facts more effectively. Travelers’ top on board concerns include:

Cabin air quality: Travelers have not made up their minds about cabin air quality. While 57% of travelers believed that air quality is dangerous, 55% also responded that they understood that it was as clean as the air in a hospital operating theatre. The quality of air in modern aircraft is, in fact, far better than most other enclosed environments. It is exchanged with fresh air every 2-3 minutes, whereas the air in most office buildings is exchanged 2-3 times per hour. Moreover, High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters capture well over 99.999% of germs, including the Coronavirus.

Social distancing: Governments advise to wear a mask (or face covering) when social distancing is not possible, as is the case with public transport. This aligns with the expert ICAO Take-off guidance. Additionally, while passengers are sitting in close proximity on board, the cabin air flow is from ceiling to floor. This limits the potential spread of viruses or germs backwards or forwards in the cabin. There are several other natural barriers to the transmission of the virus on board, including the forward orientation of passengers (limiting face-to-face interaction), seatbacks that limit transmission from row-to-row, and the limited movement of passengers in the cabin.

There is no requirement for social distancing measures on board the aircraft from highly respected aviation authorities such as the US Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency or ICAO.

“It is no secret that passengers have concerns about the risk of transmission onboard. They should be reassured by the many built-in anti-virus features of the air flow system and forward-facing seating arrangements. On top of this, screening before flight and facial coverings are among the extra layers of protection that are being implemented by industry and governments on the advice of ICAO and the World Health Organization. No environment is risk free, but few environments are as controlled as the aircraft cabin. And we need to make sure that travelers understand that,” said de Juniac.

No Quick Solution

While nearly half of those surveyed (45%) indicated the they would return to travel within a few months of the pandemic subsiding, this is a significant drop from the 61% recorded in the April survey. Overall, the survey results demonstrate that people have not lost their taste for travel, but there are blockers to returning to pre-crisis levels of travel:

A majority of travelers surveyed plan to return to travel to see family and friends (57%), to vacation (56%) or to do business (55%) as soon as possible after the pandemic subsides.
But, 66% said that they would travel less for leisure and business in the post-pandemic world.
And 64% indicated that they would postpone travel until economic factors improved (personal and broader).

“This crisis could have a very long shadow. Passengers are telling us that it will take time before they return to their old travel habits. Many airlines are not planning for demand to return to 2019 levels until 2023 or 2024. Numerous governments have responded with financial lifelines and other relief measures at the height of the crisis. As some parts of the world are starting the long road to recovery, it is critical that governments stay engaged. Continued relief measures like alleviation from use-it-or-lose it slot rules, reduced taxes or cost reduction measures will be critical for some time to come,” said de Juniac.

One of the biggest blockers to industry recovery is quarantine. Some 85% of travelers reported concern for being quarantined while traveling, a similar level of concern to those reporting general concern for catching the virus when traveling (84%). And, among the measures that travelers were willing to take in adapting to travel during or after the pandemic, only 17% reported that they were will willing to undergo quarantine.

“Quarantine is a demand killer. Keeping borders closed prolongs the pain by causing economic hardship well beyond airlines. If governments want to re-start their tourism sectors, alternative risk-based measures are needed. Many are built into the ICAO Take-off guidelines, like health screening before departure to discourage symptomatic people from traveling. Airlines are helping this effort with flexible rebooking policies. In these last days we have seen the UK and the EU announce risk-based calculations for opening their borders. And other countries have chosen testing options. Where there is a will to open up, there are ways to do it responsibly,” said de Juniac.

The Survey

The 11-country survey, which was conducted during the first week of June 2020, assessed traveler concerns during the pandemic and the potential timelines for their return to travel. This is the third wave of the survey, with previous waves conducted at the end of February and the beginning of April. All those surveyed had taken at least one flight since July 2019.

Cathay Pacific Group issues profit warning, carried only 900 passengers a day in June

The Cathay Pacific Group issued a profit warning and released combined Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon traffic figures for June 2020.

Profit Warning

In its 2019 annual results announcement dated 11 March 2020, the Group had disclosed that it expected to incur a substantial loss for the first half of 2020. Based on the unaudited results of the Group for the six months ended 30 June 2020, and on a basis consistent in all material respects with the accounting policies normally adopted by the Group as set out in the annual report for the year ended 31 December 2019, the Directors of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited estimate that for the six months ended 30 June 2020, the Group will record a net loss attributable to shareholders of approximately HK$9.9 billion, which compares to a net profit to shareholders of HK$1.3 billion for the same period in 2019. This includes impairment charges amounting to approximately HK$2.4 billion, which mainly relate to 16 aircraft that are unlikely to re-enter meaningful economic service again before the 2021 summer season together with certain airline service subsidiaries assets. This estimated interim net loss is in the process of being reviewed by our auditors and may be subject to adjustments.

Traffic Figures for June 2020

Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon carried a total of 27,106 passengers last month, a decrease of 99.1% compared to June 2019. The month’s revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) fell 98.8% year-on-year. Passenger load factor dropped by 59.3 percentage points to 27.3%, while capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), decreased by 96.1%. In the first six months of 2020, the number of passengers carried dropped by 76% against a 65.7% decrease in capacity and a 72.6% decrease in RPKs, as compared to the same half-year period for 2019.

The two airlines carried 93,228 tons of cargo and mail last month, a decrease of 43.1% compared to June 2019. The month’s revenue freight tonne kilometres (RFTKs) fell 35.8% year-on-year. The cargo and mail load factor increased by 11.7 percentage points to 74.5%, while capacity, measured in available freight tonne kilometres (AFTKs), was down by 45.9%. In the first six months of 2020, the tonnage fell by 31.9% against a 31% drop in capacity and a 24.6% decrease in RFTKs, as compared to the first-half period for 2019.

Cathay Pacific Group Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Ronald Lam said: “The landscape of international aviation remains incredibly uncertain with border restrictions and quarantine measures still in place across the globe. Although we have begun to see some initial developments, notably a slight increase in the number of transit passengers following the easing of transit restrictions through Hong Kong International Airport, we are still yet to see any significant signs of immediate improvement.”

Passenger

Mr Lam said of the airlines’ June traffic performance: “Demand continued to be very weak in June with our airlines carrying less than 1% of the passengers we carried in the same month in 2019. We operated about 4% of our normal passenger flight capacity in June. This was slightly more than we operated in May, having resumed services to some destinations such as New York, San Francisco, Amsterdam and Melbourne in late June. Load factor remained low at 27.3%, and on average we carried approximately 900 passengers a day only.

“We observed a gradual pickup in connecting passenger demand as the ban on transit traffic through Hong Kong International Airport began being partially eased. Towards the end of the month, transit traffic reached about 32% of overall traffic, with notable demand from destinations in Southeast Asia such as the Philippines and Vietnam to North America. This change in traffic mix meant a more tapered average yield performance though.”

Cargo

Cathay Pacific continued to operate a full freighter schedule as well as chartered flights from its all-cargo subsidiary, Air Hong Kong, in June. There were fewer cargo-only passenger flights compared with May.

Mr Lam said: “Despite a mild pickup in general airfreight movements, our cargo tonnage fell by 5% month-on-month as demand for medical supplies waned following a peak month in May. The reduction of long-haul carriage from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong made way for movements from Southeast Asia and the Indian sub-continent as local lockdown measures eased.

“Meanwhile, the improvement in inbound Hong Kong loads and network support led to a higher load factor, which increased 11.7 percentage points year-on-year to 74.5%. Yields came down following the significant rise seen in May.“

Outlook

Earlier this week, Cathay Pacific’s shareholders passed the resolutions pertaining to the company’s HK$39 billion recapitalisation plan. The management team is moving forward with a comprehensive review of all aspects of the Group’s operations and will make its recommendations to the Board on the future size and shape of the airlines by the fourth quarter.

Mr Lam said: “While some markets are starting to relax border restrictions and quarantine requirements in July, we remain cautious and agile in our approach to resuming our passenger flight services. We have adjusted our overall capacity for July to approximately 7%, which remains subject to the potential further relaxation or tightening of government health measures. We expect that our airlines will operate up to 10% of the normal flight schedule in August and will continue to assess the potential of increasing more flights and adding destinations for our customers in the coming months.

“The one certainty facing the global aviation industry is that the landscape will be significantly changed when international air travel recovers. The Group is moving decisively to best position the business to be competitive and to secure its financial health over the long term in a new normal. What will not change is our resolute commitment to safety, to serving our customers and our dedication to contributing to the success of the Hong Kong international aviation hub. We remain absolutely confident in the long-term prospects of both the Cathay Pacific Group and our home hub.”

CATHAY PACIFIC / CATHAY DRAGON COMBINED TRAFFIC	JUN	% Change	Cumulative	% Change
	2020	VS JUN 2019	JUN 2020	YTD
RPK (000)
– Chinese mainland	3,350	-99.5%	757,639	-83.4%
– North East Asia	5,791	-99.6%	2,007,121	-76.1%
– South East Asia	17,796	-98.8%	2,308,206	-74.1%
– South Asia, Middle East & Africa	–	-100.0%	1,449,874	-72.6%
– South West Pacific	21,713	-98.2%	3,102,322	-61.3%
– North America	71,010	-97.9%	5,276,304	-71.4%
– Europe	26,053	-99.1%	3,766,593	-74.0%
RPK Total (000)	145,713	-98.8%	18,668,059	-72.6%
Passengers carried	27,106	-99.1%	4,389,092	-76.0%
Cargo and mail revenue tonne km (000)	596,037	-35.8%	4,129,114	-24.6%
Cargo and mail carried (000kg)	93,228	-43.1%	666,525	-31.9%
Number of flights	1,110	-83.7%	15,713	-61.7%

CATHAY PACIFIC / CATHAY DRAGON COMBINED CAPACITY	JUN	% Change	Cumulative	% Change
	2020	VS JUN 2019	JUN 2020	YTD
ASK (000)
– Chinese mainland	22,811	-97.6%	1,244,583	-78.7%
– North East Asia	26,101	-98.4%	2,970,028	-71.1%
– South East Asia	74,624	-95.9%	3,667,936	-65.7%
– South Asia, Middle East & Africa	–	-100.0%	2,278,996	-64.1%
– South West Pacific	67,500	-95.2%	4,385,990	-53.3%
– North America	234,994	-93.7%	7,639,514	-64.5%
– Europe	107,117	-96.5%	5,544,914	-66.9%
ASK Total (000)	533,147	-96.1%	27,731,961	-65.7%
Passenger load factor	27.3%	-59.3pt	67.3%	-16.9pt
Available cargo/mail tonne km (000)	799,987	-45.9%	5,958,145	-31.0%
Cargo and mail load factor	74.5%	11.7pt	69.3%	5.9pt
ATK (000)	850,713	-69.4%	8,594,749	-47.3%

Cathay Pacific Airways aircraft photo gallery:

Cathay Pacific Airways aircraft slide show:

https://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/frame/slideshow?key=GkNVXc&speed=3&transition=fade&autoStart=1&captions=0&navigation=0&playButton=0&randomize=0&transitionSpeed=2

Electric Aviation Group unveils world’s first hybrid electric 70+ seater aircraft

Electric Aviation Group has issued this statement:

A pioneering design for a Hybrid Electric Regional Aircraft which will deliver a technical and commercial entry point for sustainable mass air transport is being unveiled today. The disruptive design has been developed by the Electric Aviation Group (EAG), the UK-based engineering and development firm, which expects its first aircraft to be in service by 2028.

EAG has optimised the latest technology, economics and operational parameters to create the design for the Hybrid Electric Regional Aircraft (HERA), to ensure it can solve the challenges of decarbonisation and mass transportation.

Key information about the 70+seater HERA:

Whisper-quiet operation reduces noise pollution
Innovative airborne battery regeneration to minimise turn-around time
Efficient battery integration
Thermal management of motors and power electronics
Gear Assisted Take-Off Run (GATOR) gives rapid acceleration for a quick lift-off reducing energy requirements
Short take-off-and-landing (STOL) performance enables new route opportunities affording greater profitability to operators
Cabin-flex design enables passenger operation during the day and cargo operation at night
Suitability for operating from regional airports brings convenience to travellers and gives increased proximity to warehouses, enabling private sector cargo to optimise last-mile terrestrial logistics and delivery systems and reduce carbon emissions
Future-proof design to accommodate alternative energy sources if available before 2030
Flexibility to transform into an all-electric or carbon-neutral as the battery density improves or alternative fuels and associated powertrain technologies mature and become affordable.

The design, which is being unveiled to coincide with the opening of FIA Connect, the virtual Farnborough Airshow today, has received unequivocal support from EAG’s JetZero consortium, which includes some of the UK’s leading engineering and manufacturing organisations and senior academic advisors.

“Significant investments have been raised to develop sub-19 seat hybrid and all-electric aircraft which we believe is the wrong strategy. These small planes cannot meet the demands of mass air transportation or the requirements of decarbonisation,” commented Kamran Iqbal, founder and CEO at EAG. “Our design is for an aircraft that will initially offer 800 nautical miles range at launch in 2028, and which will be able to carry over 70 people. We will be a first mover in what is a $4.4 trillion market.”

EAG will draw on the rich heritage and strong aviation industry in Bristol when it begins production of the new aircraft for which it has already developed and filed a total of 25 patents covering a wide range of technologies. The organisation expects to initially create more than 25,000 jobs and unlock $5 billion investments in the UK aerospace industry.

“We expect this to be a great example of British design, engineering and build,” said Kamran Iqbal. “Not only will the development of the HERA help the Department of Transport accelerate its ‘Jet Zero’ carbon reduction goals, it will also help to create much needed job opportunities in the aerospace, manufacturing, engineering and services industries post-Brexit. This represents the future of both passenger and cargo flights internationally and as an opportunity for investment, it could not be better timed.”

Aeroflot updates its strategy to 2028, Aurora to be sold

Aeroflot has issued this statement:

The Board of Directors of PJSC Aeroflot held a meeting on July 16 at which Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev presented an updated Aeroflot Group strategy for the period through 2028.

Under the updated strategy the Group will target 130 million passengers in 2028. The Group’s fleet is expected to reach 600 aircraft, of which 235 will be Russian-built.

The Strategy also calls for additional differentiation among the Group’s airlines in terms of their individual priorities and operating models.Aeroflot will focus on developing long-haul operations.

Pobeda will focus on budget travel and will aim to carry 55-65 million passengers in 2028. Further development of the Group’s low-cost carrier will help significantly reduce average ticket prices for economy-class travel and increase air transport accessibility in Russia.

Meanwhile, Rossiya will focus on the Russian domestic market, including flat fares on socially important routes, as well as on operating Russian-built aircraft.

Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev said:

“Key aspects of the updated strategy were developed at the end of 2019. Recent developments caused by the coronavirus pandemic showed us that we are on the right track. The updated strategy will make air travel more affordable and increase mobility, providing additional support for Aeroflot Group’s future growth.

“The strategy through 2028 is called 30/30, as it calls for an increase in passenger traffic by 30 million, and a decrease in the average fares for economy-class passengers in Russia by 30%. It is an ambitious goal, but I believe that we can achieve it and put Aeroflot Group among the 10 largest global aviation groups.”

Note: Aeroflot Group will sell its 51% share of Aurora to the minority owner.

Aeroflot aircraft photo gallery:

Aeroflot slide show:

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Icelandair fires its flight attendants after negotiations fail, reverses course

Icelandair made this announcement:

As previously announced, Icelandair has been negotiating with the Icelandic Cabin Crew Association (FFI) on a new long-term collective-bargaining agreement for the company’s cabin crew members. The objective has been to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the Company while safeguarding the competitive compensation and working conditions of the Company’s cabin crew members.

Unfortunately, the negotiations with the Icelandic Cabin Crew Association have come to an end without a conclusion. On July 8, 2020, the members of the Icelandic Cabin Crew Association, rejected a new collective-bargaining agreement which had been agreed to and signed between the parties’ negotiation committees. Although the negotiations were continued after the results of the voting were announced, it has now become evident that a mutually agreed conclusion will not be reached.

Icelandair has been exploring other options regarding safety and service onboard its aircraft. As a result, the Company will instruct its pilots to assume responsibility for safety on board but services will continue to be at a minimum, as it has since the impact of Covid-19 started. The Company expects to initiate discussions with a counter party within the Icelandic labor market on future terms for the Company’s cabin crew members.

Due to this unfortunate situation, Icelandair will permanently terminate the employment of its current cabin crew members and permanently discontinue the employment relationship between the parties. The Company’s pilots will temporarily take over responsibility for onboard safety on July 20.

Update: Icelandair later reversed course and issued this statement:

“Despite the failure of negotiations between Icelandair and the Icelandic Cabin Crew Association (FFI), the parties managed to resume discussions and signed a new collective agreement which is valid until September 30, 2025”.

“The current agreement results in a further reduction in operating costs without adversely affecting the working conditions of cabin crew members,” the statement said. “As a result of these advancements, Icelandair pilots will not take responsibility for on-board safety and the most recent cabin crew layoffs will be withdrawn.”

Looking back:

On July 11, 2020 Icelandair celebrate 75 years since the first international passenger flight from Iceland, when a Catalina flugbátur (‘flightboat’, or seaplane) flew a six-hour flight from Reykjavík to Largs Bay, Scotland.

Icelandair aircraft photo gallery:

Icelandair aircraft slide show:

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Qatar Airways remains committed to a sustainable operation as it rebuilds its network, grounds its A380s

Qatar Airways made this announcement:

Qatar Airways is one of the few global airlines to have never stopped flying throughout this crisis. The airline’s mix of modern fuel-efficient aircraft helped it to develop a sustainable and adapted solution, allowing it to continue flying routes with less overall demand as it has a variety of aircraft it can select from to offer the right capacity in each market.

Due to COVID-19’s impact on travel demand, the airline has taken the decision to ground its fleet of Airbus A380s as it is not commercially or environmentally justifiable to operate such a large aircraft in the current market.

Environmentally conscious passengers can travel with the reassurance that Qatar Airways continuously monitors the market to assess both passenger and cargo demand to ensure it operates the most efficient aircraft on each route. Finding the right balance between passenger and cargo demand has enabled the airline to continue operating its full fleet of Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft, helping take people home safely and providing reliable airfreight capacity to support global trade and the transport of essential medical and aid supplies.

Qatar Airways is the largest operator of A350 series aircraft, and was the launch customer for both the A350-900 and A350-1000. With a total of 49 A350 variants in the current fleet at an average age of 2.5 years, and a seating capacity optimized for the current market, the A350 is perfectly positioned to lead the airline’s rebuilding of its network.

The 30 Boeing 787 aircraft in the Qatar Airways fleet also provide appropriate capacity to offer the right capacity on routes in Europe while markets recover. As the world prepares itself to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, Qatar Airways’ A350 fleet is the aircraft of choice for the most strategically important long-haul routes to the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions.

Qatar Airways was the first airline in the Middle East to secure accreditation to the highest level in the IATA Environmental Assessment Programme. While its home and hub, Hamad International Airport, will be the first airport in the region to achieve a 4-star Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) rating as part of plans to expand its capacity to more than 53 million passengers annually by 2022.

While Qatar Airways has remained focused on its fundamental mission of taking people home and transporting essential aid to impacted regions, the airline has not forgotten its environmental responsibilities. The airline’s internal benchmark compared the A380 to the A350 on routes from Doha to London, Guangzhou, Frankfurt, Paris, Melbourne, Sydney, Toronto and New York. On a typical one-way flight, the airline found the A350 aircraft saved a minimum of 16 tons of carbon dioxide per block hour compared to the A380. The analysis found that the A380 emitted over 80% more CO2 per block hour than the A350 on each of these routes. In the cases of Melbourne, New York and Toronto the A380 emitted 95% more CO2 per block hour with the A350 saving around 20 tonnes of CO2 per block hour. Until passenger demand recovers to appropriate levels, Qatar Airways will continue to keep its A380 aircraft grounded, ensuring it only operates commercially and environmentally responsible aircraft.

Qatar Airways’ focus on sustainability also extends to its home and hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), which was recently voted ‘Third Best Airport in the World’ and ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the sixth year in a row. It recently announced plans to expand capacity to more than 53 million passengers annually by 2022, further positioning itself as the airport of choice in the region for savvy international travellers. The terminal building will be the first airport in the MENA region to achieve a 4-star Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) rating, which was developed for rating green buildings and infrastructures. The terminal will also be a LEED Silver certified building, featuring a number of innovative energy efficiency measures.

Globally, Qatar Airways relaunched 11 destinations on July 1, 2020 including Bali Denpasar, Beirut, Belgrade, Berlin, Boston, Edinburgh, Larnaca, Los Angeles, Prague, Washington DC, and Zagreb. This marks the largest number of route resumptions in a single day since Qatar Airways started to rebuild its network in what the airline has dubbed ‘Takeoff Wednesday’. By the end of July, its network will expand to more than 450 weekly flights to over 70 destinations worldwide.

Qatar Airways has further enhanced its onboard safety measures for passengers and cabin crew. The airline has introduced Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for cabin crew, which includes gloves, facemasks, safety glasses and a new protective gown that is fitted over their uniforms. A modified service that reduces interactions between passengers and the crew inflight has also been introduced.

Onboard, all Qatar Airways passengers are now provided with a complimentary protective kit. Inside a ziplock pouch, they will find a single-use surgical facemask, large disposable powder-free gloves and an alcohol-based hand sanitiser gel. The airline has also introduced disposable face shields for adults and children. Passengers travelling from Hamad International Airport (HIA) will receive their face shields at the check-in counters, whereas at other destinations, the face shields will be distributed at the boarding gates.

Qatar Airways aircraft photo gallery:

Qatar Airways aircraft slide show:

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Sundair’s D-ANNA goes on vacation

Sundair’s Airbus A320 D-ANNA is wearing new promotional colors titled “Katta macht Urlaub”.

Katta, the ring-tail lemur is the mascot of Schauinsland Reisen, the tour operator which owns 50% of Sundair. Katta’s friends, Ingo Flamingo, Adele Shrimp and Otto Octopus, are also featured on the side of the plane.

These characters are the central part of the “Katta macht Urlaub” (“Katta goes on vacation”) hotel concept for families that includes animation for children.

Javier Rodriguez reporting from Spain.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by the group): D-ANNA is pictured on finals for runway 24R at Palma de Mallorca Airport. Sundair Airbus A320-233 D-ANNA (msn 916) (Katta macht Urlaub) PMI (Javier Rodriguez). Image: 950654.

Sundair aircraft slide show:

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Middle East Airlines-Air Liban receives its first Airbus A321neo, introduces a new livery

MEA on July 10 took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo registered as T7-ME1. It also ushered in a new era with a new livery.

MEA aircraft photo gallery:

MEA aircraft slide show:

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Air Transat makes its first two delivery flights with a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend, a first for the Airbus plant in Hamburg

Air Transit has made this announcement:

Air Transat is making its first two delivery flights today and tomorrow with its new jets fuelled by a kerosene blend containing 10% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a first for the Canadian carrier. It is also a first for the Airbus plant in Hamburg, Germany, which produces these aircraft, because until today delivery with SAF was offered only to Airbus customers at its plants in Toulouse, France, and Mobile, Alabama. The first aircraft took off at 2:04 p.m. (local time) from Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport (XFW) and will land at approximately 4:00 p.m. (local time) at Montreal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL). The second will depart the next day, Saturday, July 18.

Both delivery flights are carbon-neutral because the kerosene fossil fuel portion was offset by the purchase of carbon credits. “We are proud to be the first Canadian carrier to operate carbon-neutral flights, and we will continue to pursue our commitment to providing our passengers with a travel experience that takes account of our environmental footprint,” Mr. Lemay continued.

Produced by the Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) process by Neste and supplied by AirBP, the sustainable fuel for both flights is certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system and meets the sustainability requirements of the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive.

Air Transat and Airbus have a long-standing and productive partnership on environmental matters. Since its inception, Air Transat’s Environment department, with the technical support of the Airbus team, has implemented several projects aimed at improving fuel efficiency and environmental management of its flight operations and facilities, including the fuel management program and ISO14001 certification.

These two aircraft, which are the fifth and sixth Airbus A321neoLRs that Air Transat is adding to its fleet, are part of an agreement with AerCap for the long-term lease of 17 A321neos (16 in LR version). These new-generation aircraft consume 15 percent less fuel than the previous generation of Airbus jets.

Air Transat recently announced another important SAF initiative. The carrier has reached an agreement with the SAF + Consortium of Montreal to purchase a large portion of its SAF production, which will be made from CO₂ produced by large industrial emitters. Using a process called Fischer Tropsch (FT), the CO₂ will be captured and converted into synthetic aircraft fuel, which is estimated to have an 80% lower carbon footprint than conventional jet fuel.

In other news, Air Transat announced the gradual resumption of operations as of July 23, 2020. The new flight schedule, which extends to October 31, 2020, offers 4 destinations in Canada: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, from many countries, notably Portugal, Unites States, Greece, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, France and United Kingdom.