Tag: covid-19 pandemic

In the biggest ever bailout package in aviation history, Lufthansa and the German government have finalised the terms of a €9 billion ($9.8 billion) rescue deal, following weeks of intense negotiations over the future of the airline. The rescue package will give the government a 20% stake in the group, which owns airlines in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. Lufthansa said in a statement that Germany’s Federal Economic Stabilization Fund, which is being used to assist companies hit by the corona virus pandemic, has approved a “stabilization package,” which the company’s executive board supports. Underscoring the trouble facing airlines, Lufthansa’s ... Read more

Any comeback by the beleaguered airline industry will extend into 2023, according to new data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA estimates that passenger traffic won’t rebound to pre-crisis levels until at least 2023. It expects that global passenger demand in 2021 will be 24% below 2019 levels and 32% lower than the forecast the association made in October 2019. The new data is based on a slower opening of economies and relaxation of travel restrictions. Lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders could return if the virus comes back strong in the fall and winter with a second wave, ... Read more

As a result of the unprecedented crisis resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, all the seven properties of Sinclairs Hotels at Siliguri, Darjeeling, Dooars, Kalimpong, Burdwan, Port Blair and Ooty are currently closed. The launch of the eighth property in the Sinclairs’ chain – Sinclairs Gangtok -scheduled on April 15 had to be postponed. In response to today’s needs, Sinclairs is introducing a host of changes and new initiatives to keep our guests safe and healthy. Sinclairs will now have special emphasis on hand washing hygiene to sanitizing of guestrooms and common areas so that our guests enjoy hospitality in a ... Read more

Indonesian hospitality startup BoboBox has secured US$11.5 million in a series A round led by Horizons Ventures and Alpha JWC Ventures. Other new and existing backers such as Kakao Investments, Sequoia Surge, and Mallorca Investments also participated in the round, according to a statement. Bobobox provides affordable hotel accommodation in the form of modular capsules. They are fitted with applications and internet-of-things systems to improve security, comfort, and affordability. With the fresh funding, the three-year-old startup plans to accelerate its product improvement by growing its tech team and strengthening its manufacturing and operating models. It also plans to extend its ... Read more

There are talks in Japan about subsiding holidays of international travellers, to draw them in. Japan has witnessed the worst passenger arrival numbers in its history due to the pandemic, and is looking at ways to restart tourism. In fact, the Japan Tourism Agency has proposed paying foreigners half the cost of taking a holiday in Japan. According to various reports, the head of the Japan Tourism Agency, Hiroshi Tabata, said that he’d developed a subsidy plan costing $12.5 billion to entice travellers back to Japan, commencing as soon as July. To be clear, it’s a plan and not set ... Read more

Californian tourism has been on a growth curve for more than a decade. However, the coronavirus outbreak seems to have put the brakes on it. Tourism Economics projects California will lose $72.1 billion in state-wide travel related spending in 2020. It has also found the pandemic will affect 613,000 California jobs by the end of May, which is more than half the tourism industry’s workforce. “The coronavirus pandemic has devastated our tourism economy, but we know tourism is a resilient industry,” Ernest Wooden Jr., the president and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, said in a statement. “It’s ... Read more

Air India has informed flyers that bookings for domestic flights will start from today. Tweeting about the same, the national carrier said, “Our domestic flight bookings will start from 1230 hrs today. To book login to Air India website or contact authorised travel agents or visit our booking offices or call customer care.” After a two-month gap, India will reopen air travel from May 25. The government has allowed one-third of the operations beginning Monday and set limits on fares which will be applicable for three months. GoAir, Vistara, IndiGo and others have not opened bookings yet. “As per the ... Read more

China has acquired a stake in budget airline Norwegian Air after the cash-strapped carrier underwent a major restructuring, according to a notification to the Oslo Stock Exchange. BOC Aviation, owned by the Chinese government via subsidiaries including Bank of China and China Investment Corporation, has emerged as one of the new owners of the Norwegian low-cost airline. “Upon completion of the conversion [of lease obligations], BOC Aviation will hold 389,053,742 shares in NAS [Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA], representing 12.67% of the outstanding shares and votes in the Company,” read the notification. AerCap, a top aircraft leasing company headquartered in Ireland, ... Read more

No meals, no eatables, no magazines, no on-board sales, Aarogya Setu not required for kids below 14, limited baggage, minimal use of lavatory, less contact by security staff and using masks throughout the journey. That’s new age flying for you. India has issued detailed guidelines for airlines, airport, passengers and other stakeholders, for resumption of domestic flights after a gap of two months. The domestic flights will operate again from May 25, as lockdown restrictions continue to get eased. Here are the new norms: Before arriving at airport Familiarise yourself with the new procedures, especially about norms of social distancing, minimum ... Read more

IndiGo will join the Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate Indians stranded overseas. This will be the first instance of a private airline joining an exercise that was a monopoly of Air India till date. In a statement on Thursday, the country’s largest airline said that it has been authorised to operate 97 reparation flights between Kerala and the Middle East. Adhering all the precautionary measures, the flights will be operated between Kerala and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Doha, Kuwait and Muscat. IndiGo has been granted nearly half of the total 180 repatriation flights allotted to private airlines. “We had ... Read more

Hilton has announced that all its hotels in China have officially resumed operations. Each hotel has implemented strict anti-epidemic measures to ensure the health and safety of guests and employees, the hospitality major said. Hilton said it has also made adjustments to policies and operations in order to meet the needs of guests and the community at large, during this time. “Today, I am thrilled to announce that all Hilton hotels in Chinese mainland have officially resumed operations,” said Qian Jin, Area President, Hilton Greater China and Mongolia. About 150 Hilton hotels were closed for bookings after the pandemic turned ... Read more

US carriers JetBlue Airways and United Airlines have announced fresh safety measures aimed at restoring confidence in travel, as several executives pointed to signs of domestic demand improving. A Reuters report said that American states are starting to reopen and airlines expect an increase in domestic travel over the extended holiday weekend for Memorial Day on May 25. While data shows only a small fraction of recent flights were more than 70% full, there may soon be full or near-full planes, said Airlines for America, a trade group representing major U.S. airlines. The group launched a public awareness campaign called ... Read more

Kerala Tourism has stated that hotels accommodating non-resident Keralites (NRKs) on paid quarantine will have to follow the standard operating procedure (SOP) as detailed below: PRE- REQUISITES AND CONDITIONS • The guests willing for paid quarantine should register themselves with the online portal designed for paid quarantine hotel bookings. The details of persons shall also be provided. • The guest should not be having any symptoms at the time of checking in at the hotel • Only family members who have travelled with them would be allowed to share the hotel room. • The guests should be willing to abide ... Read more

Eleven European Union (EU) member states have agreed on a set of principles to ensure freedom of safe travel, in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The agreement was announced following a videoconference that took place between the ministers of foreign affairs of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Austria and Slovenia. “Freedom of movement and travelling across Europe is a fundamental part of the European project,” the ministers said in a joint statement. In accordance with the guidelines announced recently by the European Commission for restoring tourism and transport in the post-Covid-19 period, the ministers’ agreement focuses on a phased and ... Read more

The domestic flight operations in India will resume once the state governments are ready to open airports, civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday. The Centre alone cannot make a decision in this regard, Puri added. “It is not up to Centre alone to decide on resuming domestic flights. In the spirit of cooperative federalism, the state governments where these flights will take off and land should be ready to allow civil aviation operations,” said Puri on social-networking platform Twitter. Commercial flight operations in the country have been suspended since March 25 when the government first imposed a ... Read more