IATA boss Willie Walsh called out digital transformation as a key focus for airlines as they seek to reduce staffing pressures which are limiting their ability to restore capacity against strong travel demand.
IATA
Net Zero by 2050: IATA’s major commitment and challenges
Last week was, generally speaking, a pretty strong showing for emissions concerns in the aviation world. IATA, the industry’s largest global trade group, passed a resolution targeting net zero emissions across their operations by 2050.
United Airlines introduces at-airport COVID testing for SFO-Hawaii flights
As the largest carrier between the mainland and Hawaii United Airlines has a lot to gain by increasing passenger numbers to the islands. Quarantine restrictions limited the viability for most visitors over the summer but a new policy allowing passengers with a negative COVID test to skip the quarantine could help boost traffic. United will soon offer testing at San Francisco International Airport to help meet that requirement.
A stalled recovery: Airline traffic retreating
The commecial aviation industry as we once knew it faces a dire situation. And none of the recent data offers much of the way in optimism for the coming months.
Cargo passenger hybrids coming to US airlines
Airlines around the world removed the seats from their passenger planes to make more room for cargo. But not in the US. That could change very soon, as the FAA now allows for exemptions to cargo restrictions, engineering companies are securint certifications for the new configurations and airlines are getting the paperwork in order to make the shift.
TSA implementing lower-touch screening protocols
The TSA screening process will look a little different next time you pass through an airport. The agency is adjusting its passenger screening protocols to reduce touch points where travelers and screeners must interact.
Fighting for the middle: A pandemic seating shift
Forget the fight over who gets the arm rests; middle seats on planes are now generating real fights over if they should be occupied at all. And airlines are fueling the flames with misleading marketing messaging.
IATA recommends against blocked middle seats, favors "layered" protections
How can airlines best ensure the safety of their passengers on board? Airline trade group IATA used its weekly briefing to highlight several factors that play into the reduction of potential virus transmission with blocking middle seats seen as a wholly unnecessary measure, so long as other practices are followed.
Argentina plans to restart flights in September 2020
Like many countries around the world Argentina grounded its air traffic network in March 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The country now has a tentative reopening date for the industry: 1 September 2020.
Inflight social distancing will kill short-haul LCC travel: IATA
Blocking middle seats or even sitting passengers every other row is not a problem when load factors hover in the mid-teens, occasionally peaking at 30% for an especially busy flight. But if social distancing rules remain in place IATA executives believe the LCC market could collapse as a financially unsustainable endeavor.