CHICAGO: Australia and Taiwan have joined a growing list of countries offering financial aid to their ailing aviation sectors as global airlines are forced to cut capacities due to plummeting demand and stricter border controls due to the coronavirus, said a report. US carriers have already asked Washington for $50 billion in grants and loans, plus tens of billions in tax relief, said a report. The Australian government said it would refund and waive charges to airlines such as domestic air traffic control fees worth $430 million, including A$159 million upfront, as it advised citizens against all travel outside the…
Author: holidayweekly
LONDON: Global airlines need to up to $200 billion of government support to help them survive the coronavirus crisis, the International Air Transport Association said on Tuesday. Issuing a rallying call for the aviation industry, IATA Chief Alexandre de Juniac said governments needed to act decisively to support carriers as many of the companies are running out of cash. “If we want to maintain a strong airline sector able to cope with this difficult crisis and provide the resources to ensure the recovery will happen in due time, we need governments to act strongly and quickly,” he said. The $150…
ISLAMABAD: While implementing the decisions taken by the National Security Council (NSC) meeting, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has closed five major airports of Pakistan for international flights. The authority has also issued a notification in this regard which stated that the international flights will remain suspended at Peshawar, Faisalabad, Quetta, Sialkot, and Multan. The notification further stated that domestic operations will remain operational at the following airports across Pakistan. The Peshawar-bound international flights will now land at Islamabad, whereas, international flights for Quetta have been diverted to Jinnah International Airport Karachi, the notification added. The four international fights coming…
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday permitted Air Marshal Arshad Mehmood Malik to continue as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL). A three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard Malik’s appeal against the Sindh High Court order that restrained him from performing functions as CEO of PIA. The court remarked that it expected the Air Marshal to do well and deliver for the national carrier. The court summoned the management and the office-bearers of CBA PIA to deal with the issue of workforces…
LONDON: As many as one million jobs are being lost every day in the tourism sector due to the sweeping effect of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. [huge_it_slider id=”528″] According to the London-based international organisation, the growing job losses are affecting every level of the industry and are gathering pace as countries go into lockdown. The organisation argues the vast closure of hotels, suspension of the majority of international and domestic airline flights, cessation of cruise lines and growing global travel bans are all having a catastrophic ‘domino effect’ hitting huge numbers of suppliers…
TOKYO: A member of the Japanese Olympic Committee’s executive board has publicly broken ranks with the International Olympic Committee, telling a Japanese news outlet that she believes it is time to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. [huge_it_slider id=”527″] The world’s largest sports gathering, Tokyo Olympic Games are scheduled to begin July 24. Kaori Yamaguchi, a retired judo athlete, told Nikkei that she believes the IOC is “putting athletes at risk” by asking them to continue to train, as usual, in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a message that president Thomas Bach and the IOC have communicated to athletes…
MADRID: Officials in Spain have ordered the closure of all hotels, campsites and short-stay accommodation from Coming Tuesday. The closures come amid a rising number of coronavirus cases in the country. There have been 14,769 cases recorded in the country, with 638 deaths to date. Spain is currently under an intensive lockdown, which is expected to last for another two weeks. In response to the latest moves, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has advised Britons to get in touch with their travel operator as soon as possible. A spokesperson said: “The Spanish government have confirmed that all hotels will close…
MUSCAT: The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has ceased the issuing of all types of visas, said a report. “We would like to inform everyone that all types of visas have been suspended,” Times of Oman reported citing a statement from the ROP. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism in Oman has asked tourists to leave the country at the earliest, to avoid possible infection by COVID-19. “With regard to the exceptional circumstances that the world is currently going through due to the recent developments from the spread of the coronavirus, the Ministry of Tourism would like to draw your attention to…
DUBAI: The UAE has announced a temporary suspension on issuing of visas-on-arrival for holders of exempted passports, effective 01:00 (UAE local time) today, March 19 as part of the precautionary measures adopted by the country to contain the spread of COVID-19, said a report. Holders of diplomatic passports are exempted from this decision, WAM reported, citing a statement from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship. According to the statement, the decision will apply to holders of exempted passports until a medical clearance process is activated at the departure country. The decision comes within the framework of the UAE’s support…
LONDON: Travellers stuck abroad Massive traffic jams have formed at European borders while British tourists are stranded at airports as they desperately try to get home before countries close their gates due to coronavirus. [huge_it_slider id=”526″] Britons have accused airlines of abandoning them or demanding extortionate journey fees as more and more countries go into lockdown. Tom Widdall, who is in Morocco with his heavily pregnant girlfriend, was due to fly home from Agadir to Manchester on Saturday, but his easyJet flight was cancelled. He said he has been unable to get onto an earlier flight and claimed he has…