MONTREAL: Airlines need up to another $80 billion to survive, the head of the industry’s trade association told a French daily on Friday, as many countries tighten restrictions to confront another wave of coronavirus infection. “For the coming months the industry is estimated to need $70-$80 billion (59 to 67 billion euros) in additional aid,” the head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Alexandre de Juniac told La Tribune. “Otherwise they won’t survive.” Airlines are one of the sectors worst hit by measures adopted by governments to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but they have also received an…
Author: holidayweekly
ISLAMABAD: The NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) organized a webinar on “Pakistan’s Tourism Potential,” at Islamabad campus on November 24,2020. The event brought to the fore the crucial propellers of strength and harmony in the tourism sector of Pakistan. A distinctive factor was the pursuit of discovering connections of our local approaches and experiences with the world-class Turkish ideals of tourism advancement. The keynote addresses were delivered by two eminent personalities – Mr Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, Human Resource Development, and Chairman National Tourism Coordination Board; and His Excellency İhsan Mustafa…
ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways has partnered with information technology company SITA to trial the use of facial biometrics in order to check in cabin crew at the airline’s crew briefing centre at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The trial will use facial recognition technology to identify and authenticate crew members, allowing them to complete check-in procedures and mandatory pre-flight safety and security questions digitally via their own mobile devices. The new initiative will replace the current kiosk-based check-in process which requires crew to use their staff identity cards as a form of authentication. Sulaiman Yaqoobi, Vice President flight operations, Etihad Aviation…
VENICE: Venice is postponing its tourism tax until 2022 due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the numbers of visitors heading to the iconic city. The city will now be introducing a tourism tax from the 1st January 2022. It was originally due to launch in 2019 but has been delayed twice already, once due to the logistics of implementing a tax, and again earlier this year when the pandemic first broke. The new tourism tax would see tourists charged up to €10 for visiting the city, particularly those visiting on a cruise holiday or just for a…
World Ski Awards, the global initiative to recognise and reward excellence in ski tourism has unveiled the winners of its 2020 programme to coincide with its inaugural World Ski Awards Winners Day. Winners include Europe’s highest ski resort, Val Thorens, voted ‘World’s Best Ski Resort’, thanks to its winning combination of snowsure pistes and extensive slopeside accommodation. Sleek urban design amid a spectacular alpine helped Switzerland’s W Verbier to capture ‘World’s Best Ski Hotel’, while Chalet Zermatt Peak, sitting in the shadow of the majestic Matterhorn, claimed ‘World’s Best Ski Chalet’. New arrival on Japan’s luxury ski hospitality scene, Park…
KARACHI: The unprecedented circumstances caused by the pandemic shook the way of functioning across the world to its core. Businesses and industries also suffered ill fate and extreme losses throughout the year however if we were to name one industry that were the most adversely affected it had to be the travel & trade world. With an already unsteady travel & trade industry, Pakistan’s travel agents suffered gravely. BSP dues, refunds and due bills were few of the many problems faced by them in the past few months. In such difficult times, circumstances’ certain members of the travel fraternity under…
NEW DEHLI: Air India has received its 5th ban from flying to Hong Kong after carrying multiple positive passengers on two consecutive flights. Air India is now barred from flying from Delhi to Hong Kong for two weeks, from November 20th to December 3rd. The airline has struggled with bans in other countries as well, as cases remain high in India. Air India received a two-week ban this week after two subsequent flights on November 10th and 17th violated the city’s COVID-19 rules. Both flights had three positive passengers, triggering the automatic ban (more passengers on the 17th flight had…
Holland American Line on Friday matched the voluntary cancellation extensions by other cruise lines when it announced that it would suspend all operations through at least March 31, 2021. Holland, like other lines, said the decision was made in order to give it time to “prepare and develop its plans to meet the Framework for Condition Sailing Order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).” At the same time, Holland America said that it would also be cancelling sailings of eight days or longer that call in the United States until Nov. 1, a similar move…
TOKYO: AirAsia Japan has filed for bankruptcy with the Tokyo District Court, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, leaving 23,000 passengers without refund. Last month, the Japanese subsidiary of the Malaysian AirAsia Group announced that it would be ceasing its operations. AirAsia Japan became the first airline operating in Japan to go bankrupt during the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline said that its total liabilities were 21.7 billion yen ($208 million). The value of 23,000 tickets to be refunded is estimated at 520 million yen, including tickets purchased by the travel agencies. In a statement, the airline said: “Given…
BEIJING: China’s aviation regulator will not yet allow Boeing’s troubled 737 MAX jet to fly in the company’s biggest market owing to lingering safety concerns, despite the US lifting a ban on commercial flights. Boeing’s best-selling aircraft was grounded worldwide early last year following two crashes that killed 346 passengers. It has since faced lengthy tests and approval processes with aviation regulators worldwide. But the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on Friday that there was “no set timetable” for the resumption of flights, according to state broadcaster CCTV, dealing a blow to the plane-making giant. China was the…