DOHA: Qatar Airways will begin a phased approach to expanding its network this month.The Middle Eastern carrier said growth would be in line with passenger demand and the expected relaxation of entry restrictions around the world. Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “As we follow the indicators of the global travel market on a daily basis, we continue to focus on our mission – how we can enable mobility for our customers and provide them with seamless connectivity to their final destination.” With entry restrictions constantly evolving, accurately predicting future travel is challenging. However, while the expectation…
Author: holidayweekly
British airline Virgin Atlantic plans to cut 3,150 jobs and move its London Gatwick operations to the bigger Heathrow airport, it said on Tuesday, as it counts the cost of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the US, United Airlines Holdings, which operates flights to Ireland, will cut at least 30 per cent of its managerial and administrative jobs when government restrictions lift in October, bracing for a prolonged travel slump in the age of Covid-19. In Australia, meanwhile, Qantas Airways warned public appetite to fly overseas could take years to return as the airline borrowed yet more funds to weather aviation’s…
Princess Cruises has cancelled a number of cruises through the end of the 2020 summer season. The line said reduced flight availability, the closure of cruise ports in regions around the world and other factors impacting international travel made the decision unavoidable. All remaining Alaska cruises on Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess for the summer season have been scrapped, along with European and transatlantic cruises on Enchanted Princess, Regal Princess, Sky Princess, Crown Princess and Island Princess. Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises, said: “As the world is still preparing to resume travel, it is with much disappointment that we…
BRUSSELS: EU states should guarantee vouchers for travel cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic and start lifting internal border restrictions in a bid to salvage some of the summer tourism season, the bloc’s executive will say next week. Tourism, that normally contributes almost a tenth of the European Union’s economic output, is among the sectors hardest hit by the global outbreak that has grounded nearly all travel. Germany and other member states have urged a suspension of EU rules that force cash-drained airlines and the hospitality industry to offer full refunds for cancelled flights and trips instead of vouchers for future…
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister of Aviation Division GhulamSarwar Khan chaired a high-level meeting which was attended by the Secretary Aviation Division Hassan Nasir Jamy and other senior officers of the Aviation Division. Federal Minister reviewed the progress on the on-going process of segregation of functions of the Civil Aviation Authority. Federal Minister said that it is a matter of high importance and should be carried out at high priority in light of the decisions of the Federal Cabinet. GhulamSarwar Khan said that according to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to enhance the ease of doing business in Pakistan, the…
CAIRO: Egypt is allowing hotels to reopen for domestic tourists on condition they operate at no more than 25 percent capacity until the end of May and implement a range of other health measures to guard against the new coronavirus, the cabinet said on Sunday. The virus has shut down Egypt’s tourist sector, which accounts for 12 to 15 percent of gross domestic product, leading to losses estimated at $1 billion per month. The government has suspended international passenger flights and closed hotels, restaurants and cafes, as well as imposed a night curfew. For hotels to resume operations they must…
VIRGINIA: Coronavirus crippled the global travel industry, but human behavior in the economic recovery lends itself to a quicker bounce back for hotels over airlines, according to Hilton’s Chief Executive. Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta, like many hotel executives and analysts, anticipates local and drive-to travel will recover first from the coronavirus downturn in travel. Occupancy rates cratered to the point where Hilton temporarily suspended operations at 950 hotels until demand returns to a level justifying reopening. But Hilton won’t need airlines to rebound in lockstep for the hotel company to begin its own bounce back from coronavirus. “I think airlines…
BANGKOK: PATA has inked a new partnership with TCI Research, a leading travel data intelligence agency. Under the agreement, TCI Research will be the sole content contributor to the industry-related, data-focused article for both editions of Issues & Trends 2020. They will also have the opportunity to share market trends, data and analysis with PATA members. PATA strikes data partnership deal with TCI Research to build resilience in the tourism industry TCI Research fuels destinations’ success through data, setting global proprietary standard analytic solutions for all-size DMOs and travel verticals, with a focus on visitor experience, destination reputation and resident…
BUENOS AIRES: Argentina has banned all internal and international commercial flights until September 1st as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic. A decree from National Civil Aviation Administration asked airlines to refrain from selling tickets for departures over the next four months. Argentina closed its borders to non-residents in March, imposing quarantine measures. The country currently has nearly 4,000 confirmed infections, with 192 deaths, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University in the United States. In response to the decision, aviation industry groups said thousands of people could lose their jobs. Figures from the International Air Transport Association state the…
MADRID: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a 22% fall in international tourist arrivals during the first quarter of 2020, the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) shows. According to the United Nations specialized agency, the crisis could lead to an annual decline of between 60% and 80% when compared with 2019 figures. This places millions of livelihoods at risk and threatens to roll back progress made in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The world is facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Tourism has been hit hard, with millions of jobs at…