CAPA News Briefs

Macau's Statistics and Census Service reported (21-Jan-2022) visitor arrivals to Macau for Dec-2021 and for the 12 months ended Dec-2021. Details include:

• Dec-2021:
  • Visitor arrivals: 820,870, +24.5% year-on-year;
    • Mainland China: 762,554, +25.7%;
    • Hong Kong: 50,768, +8.5%;
    • Taiwan: 7306, +28.5%;
• 12 months ended Dec-2021:
  • Visitor arrivals: 7.7 million, +30.7%;
    • Mainland China: 7.0 million, +48.2%;
    • Hong Kong: 589,014, -30.1%;
    • Taiwan: 70,950, -31.9%;
    • US: 171, -98.7%;
    • Canada: 125, -98.0%;
    • Australia: 72, -99.1%;
    • Japan: 64, -99.6%. [more - original PR]

Emirates Airline stated (20-Jan-2022) as a result of telecommunication operators delaying the roll out of 5G networks around US airports, the US Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing have issued formal notifications that lift the previous restriction on aircraft operations, enabling Emirates to safely restore full scheduled operations to all its US destinations. From 21-January-2022, the airline will reinstate its Boeing 777 operations to Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth, Miami, Newark, Orlando and Seattle. Emirates services to Los Angeles, New York John F Kennedy, and Washington DC remain unimpacted. Services to Boston, Houston and San Francisco, on which the airline had temporarily deployed A380 aircraft on 20-Jan-2022 and 21-Jan-2022, will return to Boeing 777 operations on 22-Jan-2022. Emirates previously suspended its services to some US destinations based on the FAA advisory and Boeing recommendations on possible interference between the 5G antennas and aircraft systems, as safety of operations is the top priority. [more - original PR]

Statistics New Zealand reported (21-Jan-2022) 5309 visitor arrivals to New Zealand in Nov-2021, an increase of 3.8% year-on-year. Visitor arrivals from Australia declined 58.3% to 536. [more - original PR]

Thailand's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration approved (20-Jan-2022) the resumption of the exemption from quarantine (Test & Gp) entry scheme. From 01-Feb-2022, fully vaccinated travellers from any country can apply for a Test & Go Thailand Pass 60 days in advance. [more - original PR]

Mango confirmed (20-Jan-2022) the process to identify an investor for the airline and restart operations is ongoing. The carrier remains in business rescue and not operating until further notice. [more - original PR]

Solomon Airlines aligned (20-Jan-2022) with the lockdown in Honiara and public health measures announced by the Solomon Islands Government on 19-Jan-2022, closing the national carrier's Point Cruz Sales Office and Head Office in Honiara, and undertaking only essential aircraft and system maintenance. The airline has also cancelled all domestic flights until 23-Jan-2022. Solomon Airlines international services are now also suspended for passenger arrivals and departures to and from Honiara, including the Honiara to Brisbane service on 21-Jan-2022, following direction from the COVID-19 Oversight Committee. The airline's 21-Jan-2022 service between Brisbane and Honiara will operate as a cargo only service, pending further advice from the Solomon Islands Government and approval to again accept passengers. Solomon Airlines said the national carrier will consider further suspensions in accordance with any lockdown extension as directed by the Solomon Islands Government. [more - original PR]

Cayman Airways received (19-Jan-2022) its fourth and final Boeing 737 MAX 8 (VP-CIZ) from Air Lease Corporation, marking the conclusion of the carrier's fleet modernisation programme. According to the CAPA Fleet Database, the carrier's fleet comprises seven aircraft, including four MAX 8s. CEO Fabian Whorms said the addition will provide greater scheduling flexibility. [more - original PR]

Air Seychelles announced (20-Jan-2022) plans to resume operations to the Maldives on 04-Mar-2022. The airline stated it will offer a tourism link between the Maldives and Johannesburg. The Maldives relaunch will mark the resumption of commercial passenger services to all of Air Seychelles' pre-pandemic destinations, which also include Johannesburg, Mumbai and Tel Aviv. As previously reported by CAPA, Air Seychelles last resumed Johannesburg-Seychelles-Malé service in Jul-2021 and the airline entered a partnership with Visit Maldives in Sep-2021. [more - original PR] [more - original PR - II]

CAAC reported (20-Jan-2022) the following traffic highlights for Chinese airlines for Nov-2021:

• Passengers: 21.5 million, -51.6% year-on-year;
  • Domestic: 21.4 million, -51.6%;
    • Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan: 34,000, +29.3%;
  • International: 104,000, -36.6%;
• Passenger load factor: 63.1%, -11.3pp;
• Cargo: 607,000 tonnes, -10.1%;
  • Domestic: 372,000 tonnes, -16.9%;
    • Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan: 14,000 tonnes, -9.1%;
  • International: 235,000 tonnes, +3.3%. [more - original PR - Chinese]

Queensland Airports Ltd reported (19-Jan-2022) the following traffic highlights for Dec-2021:

• Passengers: 326,013, -57.7% compared to Dec-2019; 
  
  • Gold Coast Airport: 204,271, -66.5%; 
  • Townsville Airport: 103,974, -25.9%;
  • Mount Isa Airport: 15,766, -9.6%;
  • Longreach Airport: 2002, -7.9%. [more - original PR]

Kenya's Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife released (19-Jan-2022) its Tourism Sector Performance Report for 2021. Key highlights are as follows:

• International passenger arrivals: 870,465, +53.3% year-on-year;
  • Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport: 644,194;
    • +64.2% from FY2020 levels;
    • -56% from FY2019 levels;
  • Mombasa Moi International Airport: 48,749;
    • +44.3% from FY2020 levels;
    • -62% from FY2019 levels;
• Total inbound flights: 59,486, +44% year-on-year;
  • Domestic: 43,949, +55%;
  • International: 15,537, +19.9%;
• Tourism revenue: KES146 billion (USD1.29 billion), +65.9%;
• Top five international arrivals by country:
  • US: 136,981;
  • Uganda: 80,067;
  • Tanzania: 74,051;
  • UK: 53,264;
  • India: 42,159.

Cabinet Secretary for Tourism Najib Balala stated Kenya is "optimistic that we will eventually go back to our all-time high international visitor arrivals that is 2019, or even surpass it" due to high vaccination rates and mass border reopenings [more - original PR]