TEXAS: American Airlines has reported a pre-tax loss of $2.7 billion for the second quarter of financial 2020. Coupled with a ‘worst ever’ loss of $1.6 billion reported by United Airlines earlier in the week, the figures illustrate the huge toll the Covid-19 pandemic continues to take on the US aviation sector. “This was one of the most challenging quarters in American’s history,” said American Airlines, chief executive, Doug Parker. “COVID-19 and the resulting shutdown of the United States economy have caused severe disruptions to global demand for air travel.” Excluding net special items, American saw a second-quarter pre-tax loss…
Author: holidayweekly
ESSEX: Cruise & Maritime Voyages has ceased trading with immediate effect, becoming the latest casualty of the slowdown in travel prompted by the global Covid-19 outbreak. Administrators Duff & Phelps were appointed to wind up the company earlier. Sister companies South Quay Travel & Leisure, Independent Coach Travel and Viceroy will also close, along with international sales offices in Australia, France, the United States and TransOcean Kreuzfahrten in Germany. Paul Williams, joint administrator for Duff & Phelps, stated: “The travel, tourism and wider hospitality industry has been engulfed with a devastating and unprecedented global pandemic of seismic proportions impacting very…
DUBAI: Between April and June 2020, Emirates SkyCargo has facilitated the movement of essential commodities and other supplies for individual consumers and businesses across the world by operating more than 10,000 cargo flights to destinations across six continents. The flights were a mix of scheduled, ad-hoc and charter operations. In Pakistan, Emirates SkyCargo offers cargo capacity on 39 weekly flights including passenger services. Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo said: “As a customer focused organisation, Emirates SkyCargo has innovatively adapted our cargo operations and offerings over the last few months in line with rapidly evolving market demand. In…
MUSCAT: Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, continues to serve the nation and its customers with 61 special flights from 28 March to 30 June to bring people to Oman and to their homes in other countries. The airline has taken passengers, some of whom were outside Oman for medical treatment, to and from 30 cities including Cairo, Paris, Bangkok, Dubai and Riyadh. A number of the flights to Muscat also delivered cargo to the country. “In the time that it is not authorised to operate normally, Oman Air will continue to provide special flights on…
DUBAI: Emirates has announced that it will cover the Covid-19 medical expenses and quarantine costs for its customers travelling to and from the UAE, free of cost. The airline will cover medical expenses of up to €150,000 ($172,127) and quarantine costs of €100 ($114.7) per day for 14 days, should they be diagnosed with Covid-19 during their travel, while they are away from home. This cover for Covid-19 related medical expenses and quarantine costs is offered by Emirates free of cost to its customers regardless of class of travel or destination. This cover is immediately effective for customers flying on…
KINGSTON: The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) has saluted legendary hotelier Heinz Simonitsch, who died over the weekend. The body cited him as one of the foremost pioneers of sustainable tourism development in the region. “Professor Heinz was a pioneer in the industry in so many ways, leading by example, providing exemplary service, infusing ‘Caribbean’ and ‘Jamaican’ into his product offering, and expanding the boundaries of the industry well beyond that of his beloved Half Moon hotel with investments in the development of the people and communities surrounding his property,” recalled CHTA Chief Executive, Frank Comito, and CHTA, President,…
DOHA: Qatar Airways will seek compensation from four Arab neighbors who have refused to allow it to use their airspace under the terms of a boycott now in place for more than three years, it announced Thursday, July 16. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled Tuesday that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was competent to hear the dispute, after the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt argued that the body’s aviation-only remit left it ineligible to decide on “security” matters. “In line with the ruling of the ICJ and the legal precedent allowing the State of Qatar to…
LONDON: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has warned governments around the world that further country-wide border closures could seriously jeopardize global economic recovery. Rather, WTTC is urging authorities to take a more carefully calibrated approach and introduce localized measures and only when necessary. By avoiding blanket travel restrictions, it would prevent the stalling of the fragile economic recovery and not cripple the already bruised and battered travel and tourism sector. WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara said: “Governments should not close off access to other countries in their entirety. Only regional border measures should be imposed if essential,…
HUNZA: The tourism industry of Gilgit-Baltistan has been facing severe crisis amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak as many people associated with it are fearing losing their jobs and businesses. The hotel and tour operators association in Hunza carried out a strike and blocked the main highway as they allege inattention by Prime Minister Khan. Ali Madad, President of Hunza Hotels Association said, “When -19 pandemic start spreading across the world and it reached Gilgit-Baltistan, we were requested by the administration to close all hotels. We agreed to their request as we decided to collectively work for the welfare of the…
ISLAMABAD: As the government is reopening different sectors of the economy one after another and there is clear cut decrease in Covid-19 infections almost all over Pakistan, the country’s tourism industry is still facing with strict restrictions, leaving all associated businesses on the verge of bankruptcy, particularly the tour operators and hospitality industry. The tour operators, especially those who depend on the five-month tourism summer season, have denounced that the concerned authorities were yet to reopen the industry despite orders from the prime minister. In a letter sent to Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Syed Zulfikar Abbas…