Air France attempts to instill confidence in flying

Air France has made this announcement:

In the context of the current health crisis and given the very gradual lifting of travel restrictions worldwide, Air France is introducing exceptional measures to assist and reassure its customers.

A fully flexible sales policy

Air France is adapting its commercial measures to enable its customers to book their next trip in complete confidence.

If customers wish to cancel their trip, their ticket can now be changed at no extra cost and without proof, on the date and to the destination* of their choice. If they prefer, they can request a refundable credit voucher. These measures, which provide optimal flexibility, apply to all trips until March 31, 2021.

If their flight is cancelled by the airline, customers can choose to postpone their trip to the date and destination* of their choice, request a full ticket refund or receive a credit voucher, which is also refundable if not used.

Finally, for all trips until the end of the year, customers who are members of the Flying Blue loyalty program will have their Miles and experience points (XP) doubled.

Since the start of this unprecedented crisis, Air France has significantly strengthened its sales teams dedicated to supporting its customers. Close to 700 agents are currently in charge of handling refund and credit voucher requests. Since January 2020, 2 million requests have been processed and 1.1 billion euros refunded.

*if the change of destination results in a change in price, only the fare difference will be applied.

A new travel insurance cover for epidemic-related risks

In partnership with Allianz Travel, Air France is extending its travel insurance cover to provide its customers with better protection. The company now also provides them with cover** should they fall ill or be required to quarantine due to an epidemic or pandemic disease such as Covid-19.

This insurance thus allows them to deal with unforeseen expenses with cover in specific events, notably during their trip with medical assistance and refund of medical expenses abroad or additional costs incurred from quarantine (accommodation expenses, for example).

This insurance cover, available to customers at the time of purchasing their ticket on the airfrance.com website and in company customer relations centres, is in addition to the existing Cancellation + missed flight, Multi-risk and Assistance products.

**cover available for customers residing in France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK, and shortly in other countries.

Air France Protect, Air France’s health commitment

The health and well-being of Air France customers and staff are at the heart of the company’s concerns. Air France is committed to providing its customers optimum health and hygiene conditions at each stage of their trip. Grouped under the “Air France Protect” label, the measures implemented by the company are regularly adapted to changes in the current health context.

In line with the current regulations, it is compulsory to wear a surgical mask upon arrival at the airport, where a number of measures have been implemented to guarantee a customer travel experience in optimum conditions of health and safety – application of physical distancing measures, counters equipped with Plexiglass protection screens, regularly disinfected self-service kiosks, hand sanitizer available throughout the airport and the reorganization of customer channels at check-in and boarding to limit contact.

The wearing of surgical masks is also compulsory on board the aircraft and throughout the duration of the trip. The air in the cabin is renewed every 3 minutes. The air recycling system on board Air France aircraft is equipped with HEPA – High Efficiency Particulate Air – filters identical to those used in hospital operating theatres. In addition, to limit interaction, the in-flight service has been simplified – the meal and beverage service has been completely adapted and duty-free sales have been temporarily suspended. The newspapers and magazines offer is now fully-digital, accessible in the Air France Play app.

Air France has also reinforced aircraft cleaning procedures, notably with the disinfection of all surfaces in contact with customers such as armrests, tables and screens before each flight. A specific procedure for disinfecting aircraft by spraying an approved virucidal product has also been introduced.

Reopening the skies, flight after flight

Air France is currently operating flights to close to 170 destinations, including over 70 cities in Europe, several international routes worldwide and its entire network in France, including the French Overseas Departments and Corsica. Prior to their trip, Air France invites its customers to check the entry conditions and travel documents required on arrival. To find out more, consult the airfrance.traveldoc.aero website.

Teruel Airport has found an expandable niche for airliner storage in Spain

All photos by Javier Rodriguez, reporting from Spain.

Teruel Airport in Spain has become the biggest aircraft storage airport in Europe.

The airport was built specifically for airliner storage and maintenance.

From Wikipedia:

“Teruel Airport (IATA: TEV, ICAO: LETL) is an airport near Teruel, Teruel (Province), Spain. Plataforma Aeroportuaria-Teruel (PLATA) was certified for public use by the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA), on February 5, 2013. Permission for air operations was granted by the Spanish Aviation Authority and the Government of Aragon on February 28, 2013. It serves as an aircraft maintenance and aircraft storage for the Tarmac Aerosave company.

PLATA is owned by a consortium formed by the Government of Aragon and Teruel City Council, and it does not belong to AENA Group.

The dry climate makes it suitable for long-term storage of aircraft. During the COVID-19 pandemic around 100 grounded planes have been parked there.”

From the airport:

PLATA is built on the old Caudé Aerodrome, which was used during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). It was later used as an artillery range by the Spanish Air Force. It covered an area of 2,043,600 m2, now are 3.400.000 m2. This site was used historically for military aeronautical activities because of its exceptional climate conditions, location and low density of air traffic.

WestJet updates schedule with key sun markets

WestJet has released an updated schedule designed to get Canadians to and from key destinations while supporting the economic recovery of Canada through continued domestic flying. Starting October 4, 2020 WestJet will offer operations to and from 48 destinations including 39 in Canada, three in the U.S. and three in Mexico, two in Jamaica and one in the U.K.

While the schedule is significantly reduced compared to 2019, several major routes have returned including nonstop service between Calgary and Palm Springs, Phoenix, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas along with the return of nonstop service between Toronto and Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica and Cancun. The airline is also reintroducing non-stop Dreamliner service from Toronto to London (Gatwick).

The updated schedule is supported by the layered framework WestJet has built to ensure Canadians can continue to travel safely and responsibly, through the airline’s Safety Above All hygiene program. The airline continues to provide flexibility in booking, change and cancellation policies for guests.

To provide piece of mind for those booking international travel (excluding the U.S.) WestJet also recently announced the availability of no-charge COVID-19 travel insurance coverage for eligible guests for reservations made on or after September 18, 2020, for WestJet air-only and WestJet Vacations bookings.

Boeing and Etihad Airways concluded testing on the ecoDemonstrator program

Boeing and Etihad Airways concluded testing on the aerospace company’s 2020 ecoDemonstrator program last week with a cross-country flight using a 50/50 blend of sustainable and traditional jet fuel.

Flying from Seattle to Boeing’s manufacturing site in South Carolina, Etihad’s newest 787-10 Dreamliner used the maximum sustainable fuel blend permitted for commercial aviation. The transcontinental flight also demonstrated a new way for pilots, air traffic controllers and airline operations centers to communicate simultaneously and optimize routing.

Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator program takes promising technologies out of the lab and tests them in the air to accelerate innovation. This year’s program evaluated four projects to reduce emissions and noise and enhance the safety and health of passengers and crew. All of the 787-10 test flights used a blend of traditional jet fuel and sustainable fuel produced from inedible agricultural wastes to minimize emissions, with the final flight operating at the maximum 50/50 commercial blend.

The fuel from World Energy and supplied to Boeing by EPIC Fuels has been certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials to reduce carbon emissions by more than 75% over the fuel’s life cycle.

The partnership between Boeing and Etihad Airways represents a longstanding collaboration to make flying more sustainable. The two companies were among the founding partners that created the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium in 2010. Based at Khalifa University near Abu Dhabi, the pilot project for a unique desert ecosystem produces sustainable fuel from plants that grow in the desert, irrigated by coastal seawater. Etihad used the initial batch of fuel from the pilot project in January 2019 on a passenger flight from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam.

In January 2020, Etihad took delivery of its signature green 787-10 using a fuel mix comprising 30% SAF produced by World Energy.

Boeing has been a leader in industry efforts to develop sustainable aviation fuel since before the first test flight on a commercial airliner in 2008. Along with others in the industry, the company worked to gain certification of sustainable fuel for commercial use in 2011 and collaborates around the world to create regional production roadmaps.

For more than a decade, World Energy and EPIC Fuels have produced and supplied SAF to Boeing for flight testing. Boeing offers airlines the option of using sustainable fuel for their airplane delivery flights. The first of these occurred in 2012 with an Etihad 777-300ER delivery flight from Everett, Washington, to Abu Dhabi.

Photo: Boeing.

Will Alitalia abandon Milan Malpensa?

Local media reports in Italy are reporting Alitalia will drop all flights to and from Milan Malpensa Airport on October 1, 2020 after 70 years. The airline has not confirmed the media reports.

In Italian from il Giornale.it.

Alitalia also serves Milan Linate Airport.

Alitalia aircraft photo gallery:

TAP announces new routes for Summer 2021

TAP Air Portugal has made this announcement:

Summer network planned based on seasonal expansion opportunities.

Departing from Lisbon, Zagreb, Fuerteventura and Ibiza are TAP’s new destinations in Europe.
TAP will fly to two new destinations in Tunisia: Djerba and Monastir.
Oujda is the new destination in Morocco.

TAP takes advantage of seasonal expansion opportunities to plan and strengthen its network, taking into account its strategy between Europe and the Americas, as well as Africa. For Summer 2021, the Portuguese airline plans to launch six new routes: Ibiza and Fuerteventura, in Spain; Oujda, in Morocco; Zagreb, in Croatia; and Djerba and Monastir, in Tunisia.

From June next year, TAP will offer two weekly flights from Lisbon to Ibiza and one from Lisbon to Fuerteventura, in Spain.

TAP new flights in Spain and Zagreb, in Croatia, are now available for sale. The other routes will be available from September 15th. Inaugural flights are scheduled between May and June 2021, with the exception of Zagreb, which is scheduled to start in March next year.

Ibiza, Fuerteventura and Zagreb are the new destinations in Europe

Lisbon-Ibiza flights depart on Saturdays and Sundays, departing from Lisbon at 11 am and arriving on the Spanish island at 1:45 pm, from where they return at 2:30 pm and arrive at Humberto Delgado airport at 3:25 pm.

TAP will have a weekly flight, on Saturdays, to Fuerteventura, departing at 11 am from Lisbon and arriving at 1:20 pm. In the opposite direction, flights depart at 2:05 pm and arrive in the Portuguese capital at 4:10 pm.

Between Lisbon and Zagreb, three weekly flights will be operated, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Departures from the Portuguese capital will be at 8:00 am with scheduled arrival at the capital of Croatia at 12:05 pm.

Destinations with white sand beaches in North Africa

Tunisia will become part of TAP’s summer network next year. Djerba and Monastir are the two destinations, in Tunisia, where TAP will fly on Sundays and Fridays, respectively, departures from Lisbon at 09h25 and 10h00 and arrivals at 12h30 and 12h55 pm.

TAP will offer two weekly flights to Oujda, in Morocco, on Saturdays and Sundays, departing from Humberto Delgado Airport at 10 am and arriving on the African continent at 12:05 pm.

Cancun, Cape Town, Agadir and Santiago de Compostela with inaugural flight scheduled for 2021

It will be in 2021 that the first flights departing from Lisbon to Cancun, Cape Town, Agadir and Santiago de Compostela will take off, four destinations announced this year, which saw the start postponed due to the current situation.

The list of routes and flights will be adjusted whenever circumstances require, in view of the dynamics of restrictions and demand.

TAP Air Portugal aircraft photo gallery:

Avianca Holdings S.A. issues statement on Government of Colombia financing commitment and Colombian Court injunction

Avianca Holdings S.A. has issued a statement regarding the commitment from the Government of Colombia to participate in the Company’s expected debtor-in-possession (“DIP”) financing, following the injunction issued by the Administrative Court of Cundinamarca. Avianca commented as follows:

Avianca reiterates its gratitude to the Republic of Colombia for its continuing support and commitment to participate in the Company’s debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing. Avianca’s DIP financing, which is supported not only by the government of Colombia but also by the Company’s existing lenders and by more than 90 additional third-party institutional investors, is critical to sustain Avianca’s operations, maintain connectivity throughout Colombia, and help support the country’s economic recovery.

Avianca looks forward to presenting information to the Colombian courts in the coming days, alongside information being presented by the government of Colombia, that will demonstrate that participation by the Republic of Colombia in the Company’s debtor-in-possession financing is a beneficial transaction for the country. The transaction has been structured in a way that provides substantial collateral support as well as attractive economic returns to the Republic that are equal to those of other senior secured private institutional investors, and ahead of certain other key stakeholders and third-party lenders in a US$ 700 million subordinated loan.

We expect to file our DIP motion with the US Bankruptcy Court in the coming week and are confident that the Colombian courts will authorize the Colombian government to move forward with funding in a timely manner.

Seaborne adds a mask to SAAB 340B N336SA

Seaborne Airlines has joined the mask-wearing effort on flights by painting one of their SAAB 340B aircraft (N336SA) with a mask on the nose.

Seaborne Airlines serves San Juan Airport, St. Thomas Airport, and Seaplane base, St. Croix Airport, and Seaplane base, Anguilla, Antigua, Tortola, Dominica, St. Maarten, Nevis, St. Kitts. Also flying to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic for a limited time.

Silver Airways is a U.S. Airline operating over 100 daily scheduled flights between gateways in Florida and the Bahamas. The company is owned by Versa Capital Management, LLC, a Philadelphia-based private equity investment firm. Silver Airways is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale (Florida) with a maintenance facility based at Orlando International Airport in Florida.

Hector Rivera reporting from Puerto Rico.

Gulf Air resumes direct flights to India

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has announced that it will resume its direct flights to and from the Republic of India staring with Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) on September 14, 2020 along with Cochin and Calicut this week with plans to announce a further expansion into more destination within India soon. The flights are operating based on a special agreement between the governments of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of India.

Gulf Air has been operating direct flights between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of India since 1960 and its network of Indian cities has always been key within the Gulf Air’s global network. The airline currently flies to and from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Manila, Athens, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

Gulf Air aircraft photo gallery:

WestJet to offer guests no-charge COVID-19 travel insurance for air and vacation reservations

WestJet has made this announcement:

WestJet has announced no-charge COVID-19 travel insurance coverage for eligible guests booking travel to Mexico, the Caribbean and European destinations including the United Kingdom.

For reservations made on or after September 18, 2020, any WestJet air-only reservation including WestJet Vacations bookings for travel to and from Mexico, the Caribbean (excluding the U.S.), Europe (including U.K.) and inbound to Canada will provide eligible guests no-charge COVID-19 travel insurance through new partner TuGo^®. Coverage will be automatically applied at no additional charge to eligible guests at the time of purchase for travel until August 31, 2021 for up to 21 days. One-way travel reservations will also be eligible for coverage for up to seven days.

“We know Canadians are seeking reassurance and our guests can now have confidence knowing they are protected against unforeseen medical costs related to the pandemic when choosing to book with WestJet,” said Arved von zur Muehlen, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. “Safety measures have been implemented across our entire travel journey and providing our guests peace of mind during their travels is worth the investment we are making to ensure the safest travel experience for our guests.”

TuGo^® Travel Insurance COVID-19 coverage for WestJet guests includes*:

Emergency medical and hospital costs for outbound travellers if diagnosed with COVID-19 while outside of Canada(excluding U.S) for up to a maximum limit of $100,000 CAD per insured person.
Emergency medical and hospital costs for inbound travellers visiting Canada diagnosed with COVID-19 while in Canada up to the maximum limit of $100,000 CAD per insured person.
Quarantine accommodation costs when the traveller tests positive for COVID-19 on the trip up to $150 CAD per insured person, per day to a maximum of 14 days for inbound and outbound reservations.
Ambulance transportation and air evacuation costs related to COVID-19, up to the maximum limit of $100,000 CAD per insured person for inbound and outbound guests.
COVID-19 repatriation costs in case of death of up to $5,000 CAD per insured person for inbound and outbound guests.
One-way economy airfare for the return of one travelling companion and dependent children when air evacuated back home for treatment.

“TuGo is excited to partner with WestJet to offer Canadians an opportunity to travel again,” said Patrick Robinson, TuGo’s CEO. “With our shared focus on the health, wellness and safety of travellers, it’s a natural fit for our two Canadian-owned and operated companies to come together to equip and support Canadians in this ‘next normal’.”

WestJet has built a framework to ensure Canadians can continue to travel safely and responsibly. From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline invested quickly in hygiene and safety measures to mitigate the risk throughout the entire travel journey, investing millions of dollars’ worth of equipment, cleaning and additional measures to protect those who had to fly. The airline continues to invest, test and trial multiple additional safety measures to ensure safety above all.

*Exclusions apply. Not available to residents of Saskatchewan or for travel including cruises.