Rex today announced all frontline staff on duty have now been fully vaccinated against COVID- 19, the first airline in Australia to reach this milestone. The several hundred vaccinated staff include pilots, flight attendants, customer service officers at airports and all other workers across the Rex domestic and regional networks who may need to interact with passengers face-to-face.
Company-wide, 93 percent of all Rex staff have either been double vaccinated or received their first dose.
Rex reopens its domestic network on November 15 with the resumption of flights from Melbourne to Sydney and Canberra. Melbourne – Adelaide flights restart on November 26, while flights to the Gold Coast from Sydney and Melbourne begin on December 17.
The airline’s unique Refund Guarantee Policy also protects the financial health of passengers from any COVID-related disruptions.
Rex is Australia’s largest independent regional and domestic airline operating a fleet of 60 Saab 340 and six Boeing 737-800NG aircraft to 61 destinations throughout all states in Australia. In addition to the airline Rex, the Rex Group comprises wholly owned subsidiaries Pel-Air Aviation (air freight, aeromedical and charter operator) and the two pilot academies, Australian Airline Pilot Academy in Wagga Wagga and Ballarat.
British Airways has today announced the launch of two new routes to Jersey and Gibraltar from London City Airport. Operating initially over the summer period, the routes will launch on 25 June, 2021. Two flights a week will operate to Jersey and Gibraltar – on Mondays and Fridays – offering important air links for business travellers, holiday makers and those visiting friends and relatives as regulations ease, as well as for cargo.
With fares starting from just £42 to Jersey and £43 to Gibraltar each way*, customers can book from today via ba.com. Customers benefit from British Airways’ flexible booking policy, offering customers no change fees or a voucher exchange for bookings made for travel before the end of April 2022, giving customers a large variety of options should their plans change.
Minister for Business, Tourism, Transport and the Port of Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar the Hon Vijay Daryanani MP said: “This is excellent news and continues to show the confidence that the industry has in Gibraltar as a destination. A seasonal link with London City Airport operated by BA CityFlyer brings yet another operator to Gibraltar and opens up a further catchment area from the UK. This service will complement BA’s mainline services from Heathrow and the local business and financial services community will undoubtedly welcome a link to London’s financial district. Our tourism, retail and hospitality industries can also look forward to greeting customers from the City and the east London catchment area.”
Both flights will be operated by BA CityFlyer’s Embraer E190 aircraft. British Airways will continue to operate its services to Jersey and Gibraltar alongside these new London City services.
British Airways has introduced a range of safety measures and partnerships to make the travel experience simple and enjoyable during and after the pandemic. These include partnerships with testing provider Qured, and mobile travel health app VeriFly.
WASHINGTON – At Amtrak, we want to show customers how much we love them by offering a Valentine’s Day Buy One Get One Free Sale. Thursday, February 11, through Tuesday, February 16, customers can purchase one ticket and bring a companion along for free for nationwide travel between February 22 and August 27, Customers can receive discounted tickets by using the code C214 at checkout or at amtrak.com/vdaysale.
Customers can skip the flowers and chocolates this year and take advantage of the Amtrak Loves You, limited-time offer to buy one ticket and get another one free for a future getaway, through August. Travel is available on select trains nationwide including the Auto Train, Northeast Regional, Acela, Southwest Chief, Empire Builder, California Zephyr and many other popular routes throughout the country. Two customers can make it a date and travel together for as low as:
Route
Fare
Cities
Fare
Chicago – Milwaukee
$25
New York – Chicago
$112
Oklahoma City – Fort Worth
$31
Lorton – Sanford
$115*
Albany – New York
$45
Los Angeles – Seattle
$126
New York – Philadelphia
Coach: $46 Acela: $81
Charlotte – New York
$126
Philadelphia – Washington, DC
Coach: $46 Acela: $92
Washington, DC – Atlanta
$132
New York – Providence
Coach: $50 Acela: $94
Philadelphia – Savannah
$140
Boston – New York
Coach: $58 Acela: $98
Washington, DC – New York
Coach: $74 Acela: $128
Fares will vary by train
*Plus the cost of your vehicle
Before traveling on Amtrak, customers should review state-specific travel advisories and restrictions that may be in place for various destinations. Once onboard, Amtrak customers can enjoy the freedom to use their phones and electronic devices (no “airplane mode”), large spacious seats with ample leg room, no middle seat and one of the most generous baggage policies in the travel industry.
Amtrak is leading the way by setting a new standard of travel with enhanced safety and cleaning measures. In an effort to simplify and safeguard the travel experience, several cleaning, contact-free and convenience measures have been implemented into every part of the customer journey, including:
Face Coverings: Per federal law and Amtrak policy, all customers and employees must wear a face mask or covering that fully covers the entire mouth and nose, fits snugly against the side of the face, and secures under the chin at all times while onboard and in stations. Neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas, face shields, and masks containing valves, mesh material or holes of any kind do not qualify as acceptable face coverings. Face masks can be removed briefly while actively eating, drinking or taking medication. Children under 2 years old are not required to wear a face covering. Refusing to wear a mask is a violation of federal law; passengers may be subject to penalties under federal law, denied boarding, removed from the train and banned from future travel in the event of noncompliance.
Enhanced cleaning: Amtrak has enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols at stations and onboard our trains.
Air Quality: All trains are equipped with onboard filtration systems with a fresh air exchange rate every 4-5 minutes.
Physical distancing: Signage has been displayed at our busiest stations to indicate safe distances in high traffic areas. In addition, protective plastic barriers have been installed at customer counters at our busiest stations.
This sale is valid for one free companion rail fare traveling on the same reservation as one full adult fare. Adults must travel together and be booked in the same reservation. Upgrades to Acela First Class, and non-Acela Business Class are valid upon payment of full accommodation charge. Upgrades to sleepers are not permitted. This offer is not combinable with any other discount offer. All prices will be automatically discounted from the standard fare when accessing this promotion at amtrak.com/vdaysale or by using the discount code (C214) when booking their trip. Other terms and conditions apply.
During a visit of the Airbus premises in Manching, Europe’s largest military aviation development centre, the Defence Ministers of Germany and France, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Florence Parly, expressed their nations’ support for key European defence programmes.
Ministers Kramp-Karrenbauer and Parly met with senior company executives led by Airbus Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Guillaume Faury, Airbus Defence and Space CEO Dirk Hoke as well as local policy-makers.
The event marked the first-ever joint visit of a German and French Defence Minister on site, which is home to some 5,600 Airbus employees from 43 nationalities and some 1,000 service-members from the German armed forces.
Both Ministers stressed the importance of fostering key European defence programmes such as the development of an European drone, the so called Euro MALE RPAS unmanned aerial vehicle, and the Future Combat Air System (FCAS).
An European industry consortium under the lead of Airbus, with its partners Dassault Aviation and Leonardo, aims at developing a European drone for France, Germany, Italy and Spain, also often publicly referred to as the “EuroDrone”. This new system is designed to bring unique operational capability to Europe in the field of unmanned aerial surveillance.
The FCAS programme, brought to life by the governments of France and Germany in 2017, will provide the next level of airpower by creating a System of Systems of manned and unmanned platforms with full operational capability planned for 2040. Spain has meanwhile joined the programme, making FCAS a true European endeavour.
On the industrial side, Dassault Aviation and Airbus are leading the FCAS activities together with other key partners. Despite constraints due the COVID19 pandemic, the Joint Concept Study, launched in 2019, and the Demonstrator Phase 1A, launched this year, remain on track.
“The visit of the French and German Defence Ministers to Manching is a clear signal of the importance of a strong and capable defence industry for Europe”, said Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus. “Manching is the centre of competence and national champion for all German fixed-wing military platforms and thus of strategic importance for our local customer. Here, we are also shaping the future of military aviation with multinational programmes such as the EuroDrone and FCAS and we are very grateful that we could showcase this today to decision-makers.”
Besides ongoing programmes, the Ministers also received a glimpse of the high-end technical engineering capabilities of Airbus by visiting into the future of flight with the Low Observable UAV Testbed (LOUT), a research project funded by the German Ministry of Defence that had first been publicly revealed in the fall of 2019. Low observability will be one of the key factors in the development of the Future Combat Air System.
Policymakers also praised the high-level visit to one of Bavaria’s top industry sites:
“Manching is a prime example of what Europe can achieve in defence if we join forces. Not only are we proud of the international spirit we see here in Bavaria coming from companies like Airbus where Germans, French, Spanish, British and other nationalities are working hand in hand. Manching is also an example for unique and critically important cooperation models with the Bundeswehr”, said Reinhard Brandl, member of the CSU in the Bundestag’s budget committee. “The future of European defence and the future of high-tech industry sites such as Manching hinges on programmes such as FCAS and the EuroDrone. Therefore, we have to ensure they are endorsed and brought forward in a joint and balanced manner.”
LONDON (Reuters) – Irish airline Aer Lingus said it was reviewing its social distancing procedures after a flight on Monday was packed with passengers.
European flights have all but come to a standstill during the coronavirus pandemic with only a few services operating for essential travel such as people going to work or being repatriated, or for cargo.
While there is no visibility on when travel restrictions will ease, airlines are considering how to safely restart services and give passengers confidence to fly.
Aer Lingus, owned by IAG <IAG.L>, said it would consider how it operates after its Belfast to London Heathrow flight on Monday had “unexpectedly high loads” and that due to the level of the demand for the route, it could need to make changes.
“Aer Lingus is reviewing its processes and procedures applicable to the operation of this service,” an Aer Lingus spokeswoman said, adding that safety was its top priority.
Some airlines have discussed leaving middle seats empty on flights to enable social distancing, while other airlines such as Germany’s Lufthansa <LHA.DE> and Hungary’s low cost airline Wizz Air <WIZZ.L> have made it compulsory for passengers to wear face masks on flights.
(Reporting by Sarah Young and Ian Graham; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
FILE PHOTO: The Aer Lingus EI-DER Airbus A320 makes its final approach for landing at Toulouse-Blagnac airport
JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced that starting May 4 all customers will be required to wear a face covering during travel. The policy comes after the airline began requiring all crewmembers to wear face coverings while working. JetBlue has modeled its policy on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines that indicate all individuals should wear a face covering in public to help slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
“Wearing a face covering isn’t about protecting yourself it’s about protecting those around you,” said Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer, JetBlue. “This is the new flying etiquette. Onboard, cabin air is well circulated and cleaned through filters every few minutes but this is a shared space where we have to be considerate of others. We are also asking our customers to follow these CDC guidelines in the airport as well.”
This new policy will require customers to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning. Customers will be reminded of this requirement before their flight via email and at the airport by both terminal signage and announcements. Small children who are not able to maintain a face covering are exempt from this requirement.
CDC guidance defines a suitable face covering as an item of cloth that should fit snugly against the side of the face, be secured with ties or ear loops, include multiple layers of fabric and allow for unrestricted breathing. The CDC recommends surgical masks and N-95 respirators be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders.
Maintaining distance onboard whenever possible
Beyond face covering requirements for crewmembers and customers, since late March, JetBlue has limited the number of seats available for sale on most flights, allowing the airline to provide additional space between individuals who are not traveling together. Before each flight, JetBlue reviews seat assignments to ensure as much personal space as possible. In addition, rows near crewmember jump seats have been blocked off to create buffer zones for added crewmember and customer safety.
Safety enhancements throughout the journey
All of JetBlue’s aircraft are equipped with hospital grade high-efficiency air particulate (HEPA) filters. All recirculated air is passed through these HEPA filters before re-entering the cabin and being mixed with fresh air. All of the air in the cabin is, on average, completely changed every three minutes. HEPA filters are capable of removing 99.97 percent of particles, bacteria and viruses. To learn about how air circulates onboard JetBlue’s fleet, view this JetBlue video at https://youtu.be/Q2_C2iN-tEs.
Since the coronavirus began spreading in the United States, JetBlue has increased the rigor of its aircraft cleanings at night and between flights, using disinfectant approved to kill the coronavirus. Cleanings have been focused on the places customers and crewmembers touch the most, including seat covers, seatbelts, tray tables and armrests. Traditional food and beverage service have been adjusted onboard to limit touchpoints between crewmembers and customers. To learn about all the additional measures JetBlue has implemented visit http://blog.jetblue.com/coronavirus.
Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus COVID-19, our teams have been doing everything possible to guarantee the safety and health of our passengers and cabin crew.
We regularly consult all relevant international authorities to make sure that we follow – and even surpass – their instructions on health precautions related to the effort to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.
Aircraft cleaning procedures, which were already of the highest standard given our all-business class offer, have been reinforced to guarantee a safe and relaxing experience for our passengers. Our brand-new A321neo also features a state-of-the-art air circulation system that renews cabin air every 3 minutes.
COMMERCIAL POLICY
In light of President Trump’s recent restrictions on travel between Europe and the U.S., effective March 13th at midnight for a period of 30 days, we have been forced to reassess our flight schedule for the upcoming months.
We must suspend all scheduled flights from March 18th to April 12th, 2020,resuming with one daily flight between Paris and New York from April 13th once the restrictions are lifted.
The launch of the seasonal route from New York to Nice is pushed back to June 1st, 2020.
In the unlikely event that your flight has been cancelled by La Compagnie in light of the Covid-19 situation, you will be notified directly via the contact details provided in your booking and will be offered solutions to modify, postpone or cancel your flights.
Any passengers with a flight scheduled between now and May 31st, 2020 who would like to postpone their departure may do so, regardless of fare conditions and at no charge, or receive a non-refundable but transferrable voucher (valid for 12 months).
Emirates is providing customers more flexibility, choice and value through its newly introduced waiver policy for all booked tickets issued on or from today, 7 March until 31 March 2020, allowing customers across its network the choice of changing their travel dates without change and reissuance fees.
The move provides Emirates’ customers with peace of mind should they decide to change their travel plans due to the evolving COVID-19 situation. Customers can change their booking to any date for travel within an 11 month date range in the same booking class without change penalties. Difference in fare, if applicable applies. The policy covers all existing destinations across the Emirates network.
Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline, said: “We want our customers to feel fully supported, comfortable and confident when making travel plans, while offering them the best fares, without incurring change fees should they decide to delay or adjust dates. The situation remains dynamic and we will continue to look at ways to provide flexibility, convenience and peace of mind for our customers.”
Emirates Skywards will also be providing more flexibility to its members who have been impacted by the outbreak of the coronavirus through imposed travel restrictions and flight reductions. Skywards Platinum, Gold and Silver members can maintain their current status by fulfilling 80% of their tier travel requirements between 31 March and 30 June 2020. In addition, Skywards members booked to travel between 1 March and 30 June 2020 will be able to benefit from an additional 20% bonus Tier Miles.
For additional peace of mind, Emirates is also taking its aircraft cleaning process to the next level through additional precautionary measures of implementing enhanced disinfecting procedures after flights from destinations most affected by COVID-19. If the airline is alerted to any suspect or confirmed cases of infectious diseases, teams will be immediately deployed for a deeper cleaning to thoroughly disinfect all cabins of that aircraft with stronger, approved chemicals. Across all its aircraft, Emirates utilises HEPA filters, which are proven to remove more than 99% of viruses in the cabin environment. If there is a suspected case onboard, Emirates will go a step further to replace all the HEPA filters on the aircraft.
Customers are advised that fare differences or applicable taxes may apply if they wish to change their bookings to a different fare class. Current refund and rebooking conditions for tickets issued before 5 March still apply. Customers impacted due to cancellations of flights impacted by the COVID-19 virus are advised to check emirates.com for rebooking or rerouting options.
Customers who wish to change their travel arrangements after making bookings between 7 March and 31 March can visit their travel agent or contact the Emirates call centre at +971 600 555555.
Starting from February 10th to April 29th, EVA will cut down its cross-strait route network to five destinations in China in compliance with Taiwan government’s epidemic prevention policy. Please refer to the details.
In compliance with Taiwan government’s epidemic prevention policy, EVA Air is reducing flights to / from Mainland China. Starting from February 10th to April 29th, EVA will cut down its cross-strait route network to five destinations in China, including Beijing, Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai Hongqiao, Xiamen and Chengdu.
EVA is working on the flight cancellation for February and updating the information on its website. The schedule changes for March and April will be announced next week.
For the latest schedule update as well as related rules of ticket refund, itinerary change and service charge exemption, passengers can visit EVA’s dedicated webpage for the flights affected by the novel coronavirus outbreak:
DUBLIN (Reuters) – The European Cockpit Association (ECA) pilot group has urged regulators to take action over what it described as a “safety hazard” caused by Ryanair’s <RYAAY> approach to flight crews’ sick leave, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
Europe’s largest budget carrier has spent the last two years negotiating improved pay and conditions with its pilots and cabin crew after a revolt by some staff forced it to recognize trade unions for the first time.
The ECA, which represents pilots’ associations in 33 European countries, said Ryanair adopts a practice of systematically questioning absences due to certified sickness, leading to investigative and disciplinary meetings where staff are threatened with potential dismissal.
Asked about the ECA’s concerns, a Ryanair spokeswoman said the airline operates “a standard sick pay scheme, and like all employers, manages absenteeisms”.
The airline, which has never had a fatal crash and has one of the youngest fleets in Europe, regularly cites safety as its top priority.
The ECA said it raised the issue with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) a year ago but that Ryanair’s “problematic approach” to flight crew’s sickness has not substantially changed.
“In fact, we are concerned that the safety hazard created by this approach remains fully in place, must be considered endemic, and quite evidently is not adequately addressed by the competent national authority: the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA),” the letter dated Nov. 5 said.
A spokeswoman for the ECA confirmed it had sent such a letter to the regulator, the second in a year, and that it was concerned that the safety hazard related to Ryanair’s policy remains unaddressed.
In the letter, the ECA said it was aware that the EASA raised the matter with the IAA following the initial complaint but that the Irish regulator told one of the ECA’s member groups that it was satisfied there was not a systematic issue of crews flying while unfit due to fear of sanction at Ryanair.
The IAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Citing letters sent to staff, the ECA said Ryanair or broker agencies overseeing agency workers used by the airline have gone as far as threatening to halt pilots’ career progression, due to their sickness rate.
The pilot group called on the European regulator to ensure the IAA adequately fulfils its safety oversight role by summoning Ryanair to stop the practice of intimidating letters and investigative proceedings and also carry out an independent confidential survey among Ryanair crew.
(Story by Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin, editing by Giles Elgood)
FILE PHOTO: A Ryanair commercial passenger jet takes off in Blagnac near Toulouse
