Toronto Pearson International Airport, via its official website and Twitter account, announced (23-Sep-2021) customers accessing certain food and beverage concessions must show proof of identification and full COVID-19 vaccination to enter, as per Ontario provincial regulations. Exceptions will be made for children under the age of 12 and those who either provide valid medical reasons or who are entering spaces in a work capacity.
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The North Atlantic market will reopen following the US decision to lift the ban on travellers from a number of countries, including the EU and UK. The Biden administration will allow fully vaccinated travellers into the US from early Nov-2021. Quarantine will not be required, but passengers will need to provide proof of vaccination, a negative test and contact information.
The ban has weighed heavily on capacity and traffic. As a percentage of 2019 capacity, the North Atlantic has underperformed versus all Europe since Apr-2020. Moreover, it has been Europe's second weakest passenger traffic region (Europe-Asia has been weaker).
This matters to European airlines: the North Atlantic is their most important intercontinental market.
British Airways and Lufthansa led Europe's airlines by North Atlantic ASKs in 2019. However, smaller airlines – La Compagnie, Virgin Atlantic, Icelandair and Aer Lingus – had the highest percentage of their 2019 ASKs on North Atlantic. IAG had the biggest exposure among Europe's big airline groups.
There are wrinkles to be ironed out, such as exactly which vaccines the US will recognise, but the North Atlantic capacity recovery should surely soon catch up.
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CAPA chairman emeritus: SAFs 'need incentives from governments'
On several occasions recently CAPA has reported on the efforts made by the part-privatised Airports of Thailand (AoT) to take over facilities of varying sizes from the state operator, the Department of Airports (DoA).
At length a shortlist was drawn up and the actual transfer of three of them will take place from Jan-2022. It will require compensation to be made from AoT to DoA and AoT’s job will be to develop the airports into tourist hubs; presumably something DoA was considered incapable of.
That will be a tough task, given that foreign visitors are scarce in most of the resorts as Thailand reels from the coronavirus pandemic, and could slip behind other resort areas if they open up faster.
On the periphery of all this is Bangkok Airways, arguably the most successful airline owner and operator of airports anywhere – although it is not without some criticism in the country – and seeking to extend its influence both in Thailand and abroad. Its expertise would be useful to the government, although it is not likely to be asked to provide it.
Premium Analysis
European aviation: capacity and traffic recoveries on a plateauEurope's aviation recovery remains on a plateau, with no significant change in the percentage of 2019 seat numbers or passenger numbers since early Aug-2021.
Total seat numbers in Europe are 34.2% below 2019 levels in the week of 20-Sep-2021, the eighth week in the region of -34% (after three months of a positive trend before that).
Europe remains in fourth place in the regional capacity recovery ranking. Asia Pacific, where seat capacity is down by 40.0% versus 2019, has slipped to the bottom. The Middle East is down by 39.4%, Africa by 32.6%, Latin America by 25.3% and North America by 20.0% this week.
Airport passenger numbers in Europe were down by 41% versus 2019 in the week of 5-Sep-2021, according to the most recently available data from ACI Europe. The traffic recovery is weakest in the UK, in spite of an improving trend. It is stronger in Southern Europe than in northern markets and strongest in non-EU Eastern Europe.
The easing of international travel restrictions by the UK from 4-Oct-2021 and by the US in early Nov-2021 may help to nudge Europe up from its plateau.
The decision by American Airlines and GOL to deepen their partnership is hardly surprising, and more of an evolution of their relationship as the chess pieces in Latin America are placed in position.
After being caught off guard when Delta forged a relationship with LATAM Airlines Group in 2019, American is now solidifying its position in Latin America, and is willing to pay to maintain its strength in the region – evidenced by its decision to invest in both GOL and the ultra-low cost carrier JetSMART.
The move reflects American’s recent decisions to forge what could be deemed unconventional partnerships, which in part have resulted from a certain level of necessity.
But this could also be a scenario where, ultimately, necessity is indeed the mother of invention.
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Air Peace, via its official Facebook account, announced (23-Sep-2021) it received its fourth Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. As previously reported by CAPA, the airline deployed its first three E195-E2s into service in Jul-2021. Air Peace chairman and CEO Allen Onyema commented: "We are supposed to have received more of these aircraft before now but the scarcity of dollar has delayed this" (Vanguard, 23-Sep-2021).
S7 Group announced (23-Sep-2021) its new low cost Russian airline will be named Citrus and will commence operations in Jul-2022. The LCC's network will focus on direct interregional domestic routes, mainly in central Russia, bypassing Moscow hubs. Citrus will operate a fleet of A320neo aircraft and a preliminary agreement has been signed for the first four aircraft. The airline plans to expand its fleet by six to eight aircraft p/a for its first three years of operations, reaching a fleet of more than 20 aircraft in 2024. Passenger traffic is expected to reach approximately one million in the first year of operations, increasing to between six and seven million p/a from 2024. Citrus will launch ticket sales in spring 2022. [more - original PR - Russian]
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24-Sep-2021 12:38 PM
Milan Malpensa Airport pax down 56.7% to 1.5m in Aug-2021, compared to Aug-2019
Assaeroporti reported (22-Sep-2021) the following traffic highlights at Milan Malpensa Airport for Aug-2021:
- Passengers: 1.5 million, -56.7% compared to Aug-2019;
- Cargo: 55,410 tons, +45.2%;
- Aircraft movements: 14,442, -47.2%.[more - original PR - Italian]
IATA reported (23-Sep-2021) All Nippon Airways (ANA) is in the process of evaluating the commercial and technical requirements for implementation of the IATA Travel Pass. ANA was the first airline in Japan to trial the app, conducting their trial at the end of May-2021. Japan Airlines (JAL) has also conducted a trial of the app, starting in Jun-2021 and finishing at the end of Aug-2021. Both carriers reported they have received positive feedback from their passengers who chose to utilise the app. [more - original PR]
CAAC stated (22-Sep-2021) Air France's Paris-Tianjin service will continue to be suspended for a further two weeks from 11-Oct-2021m after seven passengers on flight AF382 tested positive for coronavirus on 10-Sep-2021. The carrier's service was scheduled to be suspended for four weeks from 13-Sep-2021. [more - original PR - Chinese]
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Aviation returns to the 1930s
Issue 53
- There has been much talk about the post-COVID-19 industry reverting to the profile of the 1970s, but in two very important ways the real timeframe to compare is the 1930s.
Global Outlook 2020: A look into the coming decade, expect massive change
Issue 52
- If the first two decades of the century were transformational for the aviation industry, the 2020s will be revolutionary.