How HEPA Filters Have Been Purifying Cabin Air Since the 1990s

As face coverings, hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment have become part of our daily routine, one safeguard has kept American’s customers and team members breathing clean air at 30,000 feet. High-efficiency particulate air (commonly known as HEPA) filters have purified the air on American’s entire mainline fleet — and most regional jets — since the late 1990s. HEPA technology is also used in hospitals and medical facilities around the world, helping keep medical environments clear of bacteria and viruses while providing clean air.

The HEPA filters in use on American’s fleet capture at least 99.97% of airborne microbes by circulating the cabin air once every 2 to 4 minutes. As the filters purify the air on the inside of the aircraft, fresh air enters the engine compressor on the outside. Next, it makes its way into the air conditioning system and is mixed with the recirculated, filtered air. This mixture results in a higher level of humidity in the cabin, providing a more comfortable experience for customers. This mixing process also helps the environment, as mixing fresh air with recirculated air results in a lower overall fuel burn.

£10 million for small businesses to kickstart tourism

The UK Government has announced that communities that depend on tourism will receive a major boost from a new £10 million Kick-starting Tourism Package.

The Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government Simon Clarke MP made the announcement on Friday 3rd July,  the same day the government published a list of countries that people can arrive from and not require a 14-day quarantine period.

AirAsia updates list of Philippines flights until 31 July

Following AirAsia’s resumption in the Philippines on 5 June, commercial flight schedules are being updated based on new developments following coordination with our partners in the government, including local government units.

The resumption of services will initially be for key domestic routes and will gradually increase to include international destinations in the following months.

Select flights are open for booking via the airasia.com website and our mobile app. Guests may use their credit accounts to redeem these flights. Additional routes and flight schedules will be on the AirAsia website and mobile app, subject to approval from the authorities.

Government updates travel corridor list - no 14 day quarantine for arrivals from these countries

The UK government has published details of the special travel corridors that will remove the need for the 14-day self-quarantine on arrival in England.

The new rules will come into effect on 10 July and will apply to all of England,  although not currently Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, as public health policies are devolved to those nations. 

The government confirmed it is now satisfied that it is now safe to ease the need for self-quarantine for arrivals from some countries and territories.

Travel corridors: countries and territories exemption list

From 10 July 2020, unless they have visited or stopped in any other country or territory in the preceding 14 days, passengers arriving from the following countries and territories will not be required to self-isolate on arrival into England.

Andorra	Germany	New Zealand
Antigua and Barbuda	Greece	Norway
Aruba	Greenland	Poland
Australia	Grenada	Réunion
Austria	Guadeloupe	San Marino
Bahamas	Hong Kong	Serbia
Barbados	Hungary	Seychelles
Belgium	Iceland	South Korea
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba	Italy	Spain
Croatia	Jamaica	St Barthélemy
Curaçao	Japan	St Kitts and Nevis
Cyprus	Liechtenstein	St Lucia
Czech Republic	Lithuania	St Pierre and Miquelon
Denmark	Luxembourg	Switzerland
Dominica	Macau	Taiwan
Faroe Islands	Malta	Trinidad and Tobago
Fiji	Mauritius	Turkey
Finland	Monaco	Vatican City
France	Netherlands	Vietnam
French Polynesia	New Caledonia

Ireland is already exempt as part of the common travel area, as are the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

In addition, the government is also exempting the 14 British Overseas Territories. It also expects the list to be added to and amended over the coming days following further discussions between the UK and international partners. It will also be amended should the spread and number of infections of coronavirus increase dramatically increase in those countries. 

Information for travel into Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be published in due course by the Devolved Administrations. Travellers should always check the latest FCO travel advice. Travel advice includes information on any health measures in place for visitors to the country or territory. These can include a requirement to self-isolate, quarantine, or undergo testing for coronavirus, or even restrictions on entry.

If it's not on the list, the requirement for a 14-day quarantine on arrival remains in effect.

Recommended for you...

Boeing force Senior Vice President of Communications to resign over an article written 33 years ago

Niel Golightly was the Senior Vice President of Communications at the Boeing Company,  until he was forced to resign over a complaint from a member of staff over an article written more than thirty years ago.

David Calhoun, President and CEO of Boeing said that he had "discussed at length the article and its implications for his role as the Company’s lead spokesman," with Golightly and respected the decision for him to resign, yet three sources inside Boeing have indicated that there had been no choice,  either resign or be sacked.

Back in 1987 while serving in the military Golightly wrote an article regarding a massive debate going on about whether women should serve in combat. This week Golightly said: "My article was a 29-year-old Cold War navy pilot’s misguided contribution to a debate that was live at the time. My argument was embarrassingly wrong and offensive. The dialogue that followed its publication 33 years ago quickly opened my eyes, indelibly changed my mind, and shaped the principles of fairness, inclusion, respect and diversity that have guided my professional life since. The article is not a reflection of who I am; but nonetheless I have decided that in the interest of the company I will step down,”

Norwegian names Tor-Arne Fosser as Executive Vice President (EVP) Airline Ecosystem

The budget carrier Norwegian that has taken a huge NOK 3 billion loan from the Norwegian Government and laid thousands of staff off in as a result of the coronavirus crises has named Tor-Arne Fosser as the first new Executive Vice President (EVP) Airline Ecosystem.

Fosser is currently the Chief Marketing Officer for Telenor Denmark and will take on the role from October 1, 2020 on a salary that is said to be the same as 16 cabin crew members put together.  He has over 16 years’ experience working for Telenor, and is now returning to Norway after almost two years in Copenhagen working as Chief Marketing Officer for the consumer market.

American Airlines adjusts long-haul international schedule for winter 2020

American Airlines extends its offer of no change fees for flights booked in July

American Airlines Group will adjust its long-haul international schedule for winter 2020 through summer 2021. In an effort to match low demand resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the airline will realign its network with the goal of improving long-term profitability. 

American expects:

Summer 2021 long-haul international capacity to be down 25% compared to 2019.

To focus on markets that create unique connectivity for customers.

To leverage partnerships as the foundation of future international growth.

“COVID-19 has forced us to reevaluate our network,” said American’s Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja. “American will have a significantly smaller international network in the year ahead, but we are using this opportunity to hit reset and create a network using the strength of our strategic hubs that we can build and grow upon and be profitable on in this new environment.”

Delta Customer Experience Specialist went above and beyond to make a customer and his family feel comfortable with mask wearing requirements.

When Delta 360 member Jay G. called to make a reservation change in the midst of the pandemic, Sarah Wright, Customer Experience Specialist at the 360 Desk – Salt Lake City, went above and beyond to make his family feel comfortable with the mask-wearing requirements.

“I explained that my son, Crew, has special needs and is very nervous about surgical masks because of his many surgeries over the years,” said Jay G. “She helped me understand that there are options in regard to mask design, so I asked if she had ever seen any with Elmo on them as he is my son’s favourite. She wasn’t sure, but gave me some guidance on where to look.”

Welcome Back to Spain! Iberia explains the ‘New Normal’

Across the world, throughout the spring of 2020, we’ve all been living through a global public-health emergency unprecedented in our lifetimes. But now, after the extraordinary measures due to the coronavirus and COVID-19 which closed borders and shut down tourism in most countries of the world, Spain is among those which have flattened the pandemic curve enough to return to “normal” as of 1 July, welcoming back foreign visitors – from most other countries within Europe plus 15 more from beyond the continent – with open arms.

But of course, this is a “new normal,” including a number of measures and rules put in place to maximise protections for holidaymakers and tourism-industry workers alike, as well as suppress any potential second wave of the virus (these provisions were tested by a trial project in June which allowed 11,000 Germans to visit the Balearic Islands). Some of these rules apply across Spain, whilst others differ depending on region, and not observing them can carry fines, such as 100 euros for not wearing a face mask in areas where they’re required. So here’s some of what you can expect this summer when you visit the cities, towns, beaches, and natural areas of this remarkable country:

May Passenger Demand Shows Slight Improvement

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that passenger demand in May (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs), dropped 91.3% compared to May 2019. This was a mild uptick from the 94% annual decline recorded in April 2020. The improvement was driven by recovery in some domestic markets, most notably China. “May was not quite as terrible as April. That’s about the best thing that can be said. As predicted, the first improvements in passenger demand are occurring in domestic markets. International traffic remained virtually stopped in May. We are only at the very beginning of a long and difficult recovery. And there is tremendous uncertainty about what impact a resurgence of new COVID-19 cases in key markets could have,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

May 2020 (% year-on-year) World share1 RPK ASK PLF (%-pt)2 PLF (level)3 Total Market  100.0% -91.3% -86.0% -31.0% 50.7% Africa 2.1% -97.9% -79.9% -60.6% 7.1% Asia Pacific 34.6% -82.7% -77.6% -18.4% 62.0% Europe 26.8% -97.7% -95.5% -41.0% 42.7% Latin America 5.1% -95.4% -93.8% -21.0% 62.3% Middle East 9.1% -97.9% -93.9% -47.6% 25.5% North America 22.3% -92.5% -83.1% -48.0% 38.1% 1% of industry RPKs in 2019  2Year-on-year change in load factor 3Load Factor Level

AerCap Delivers New A321NEO-LR to Air Transat

Leasing giant AerCap Holdings has announced today that it has delivered a new Airbus A321LR on operating lease to Air Transat.AerCap is the world's largest Airbus A320neo Family lessor, with 325 aircraft owned and on order.

"We are very pleased to deliver to Air Transat a new A321LR," said Philip Scruggs, President and Chief Commercial Officer of AerCap. "The exceptional capabilities and economics of the A321LR will allow Air Transat to fly to its destinations with greater efficiency during these difficult times for airlines."

"The A321LR is the ideal new-generation aircraft for the transformation of our fleet and the relaunch of our air operations, which will resume on July 23," said Jean-François Lemay, President of Air Transat. "The arrival of our fourth A321LR allows us to become more efficient and provide a better experience for our customers, while taking an important step in the energy transition in air transportation."

Recommended for you...

American Airlines Resets International Network for Remainder of 2020 Through Summer 2021

 plus no change fees for flights booked in July

American Airlines Group will adjust its long-haul international schedule for winter 2020 through summer 2021. In an effort to match low demand resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the airline will realign its network with the goal of improving long-term profitability. American expects:

Summer 2021 long-haul international capacity to be down 25% compared to 2019.
To focus on markets that create unique connectivity for customers.
To leverage partnerships as the foundation of future international growth.

“COVID-19 has forced us to reevaluate our network,” said American’s Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja. “American will have a significantly smaller international network in the year ahead, but we are using this opportunity to hit reset and create a network using the strength of our strategic hubs that we can build and grow upon and be profitable on in this new environment.”

New ticket types for airBaltic flights

As of July 1, the Latvian state airline airBaltic now has four ticket types GREEN, GREEN plus, GREEN classic, and BUSINESS.

From now on date change is available for all tickets,  here's the basic details on the different ticket type.

GREEN

For those who travel light! GREEN is a basic, low cost ticket that comes with the option to change the flight date for a fee – this includes special offers and cherry deals on airBaltic.com.  This is just the basic airline seat and 1 small cabin bag up to 8kg's ticket,  everything else is charged as extra.  You need to check-in online for this deal,  otherwise, you'll have to pay an exorbitant $35 fee to do so at the airport. 

Also interesting to note,  that unlike other airlines, especially US ones,  airBaltic doesn't operate a middle seat free policy to help with social distancing, if you want the seat next to you free,  you'll need to shell out $50 minimum basically its the net fare of a ticket price + surcharge fee, now here's the kicker - you can't buy this online and if you do buy the extra seat free at prices above $50,  you'll still have to pay the $35 airport check-in fee. Also worth remembering is,  you can't have it in the emergency exit row. Oh and its not refundable either and it has to be given up if the flight is overbooked - the standard overbooking factor on airBaltic is an average of 20%.

Karen Clayton has taken on the duties of General Counsel at The International Air Transport Association (IATA)

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Karen Clayton has taken on the duties of General Counsel in addition to her responsibilities as Corporate Secretary effective today, 1 July 2020. Jeff Shane retired as IATA’s General Counsel on 30 June 2020 after seven years of service. 

Building a community of inclusivity

O’Hare International Airport (ORD) Flight Service Manager for American Airline David Cox has spent more than a decade trailblazing a path that connects American and the LGBTQ community in Chicago. He co-founded the ORD chapter of American’s Pride Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG) representing LGBTQ team members and their allies in 2010, and since then, he’s built meaningful partnerships with local organizations to reinforce American’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity.

In addition to his day job of supporting almost 150 flight attendants, David serves as the Global Lead for the Pride EBRG and oversees 21 Pride chapters spanning the United States, Europe and South America. He’s passionate about the group’s collective mission to educate others and advocate for LGBTQ issues. “We will continue raising awareness until the world recognizes that gay rights are human rights,” David said.