AIRLINE BRIEFS NEWS FROM AROUND
The newest technology CT Scanner from Smith's Detection for enhanced TSA passenger screening being delivered to JFKIAT. Photo by Jeff Yapalater
26 AIRPORT VOICE, OCTOBER 2020
THE AIR INDUSTRY
U.S. Airline August 2020
Passengers Decreased 70%
from August 2019 but Rose
2% from July 2020.
Hawaii Covid tests
The State of Hawaii launch
its pre-travel testing program
on Oct. 15, 2020, offering
guests traveling from the
U.S. Mainland to Hawaii the
option to forego the mandatory
14-day self-quarantine.
Travelers who take a valid
COVID-19 test from a stateapproved
testing facility no
more than 72 hours prior to
the final leg of departure and
show proof of a negative test
result upon arrival in Hawaii
will be exempt from the self-
CBP Pre-clearance
U.S. Customs and Border
Protection is expanding its
preclearance program at international
airports, allowing
travelers to go through customs,
immigration, and agriculture
inspections before
they board a flight to America
according to travel & Leisure.
At JFK Etihad currently
enjoys this benefit from Abu
Dhabi airport art part of the
UAE, as well as Ireland with
Air Canada precleared at
LGA. CBP preclearance operations.
When these travelers
arrive in the U.S., they simply
gather their luggage and
leave the airport, no further
CBP inspection needed.
Delta retires planes
Delta Air Lines will retire
more aircraft earlier
than planned in an effort to
streamline its fleet and cut
costs as the air travel industry
recovers from the shock
of the coronavirus pandemic.
Delta to retire aircraft and
take up to $2.5b charge.
IATA
IATA has called on US
jurisdictions to eliminate
quarantine requirements imposed
to prevent the spread of
the coronavirus, advocating
instead for systematic pre-departure
testing protocols.
IATA will move its annual
general meeting — traditionally
the biggest event in the
airline calendar — online,
as the coronavirus outbreak
continues to preclude large
scale physical meetings.
Says IATA director-general
Alexandre de Juniac:
“When we postponed this
year’s AGM from June until
November, it was with the
expectation that government
restrictions on travel would
have been sufficiently eased
to enable a physical meeting.
That now seems unlikely and
alternative plans for a virtual
event are being activated.”
People:
AvPORTS -Welcomes Suzanne
Boda to the Board of
Directors. Ms. Boda spent 37
years in the airline industry,
retiring this year as Senior
Vice President of American
Airlines. N
Ginger Evans, CAG
CAG-The President of the
National Academy of Sciences
has reappointed Ms.
Evans to the Executive Committee
for Transportation
Research Board for a second
three year term. The mission
of Transportation Research
Board is to provide leadership
in transportation, innovation
and progress through
research and information exchange.
NRK Norway -Former
EVP of Norwegian Air Bjørn
Erik Barman-Jenssen will
begin a new position in establishing
a new airline of
of Norway. The new airline
NRK Norway is expected
to take off in the first half
of 2021. It was reported that
Hungarian WIZZ Air promised
to make an investment
in the new airline..
Expedite payments
The House has approved
a bill that aims to encourage
airport incentive payments
to contractors to expedite
runway upgrades and other
infrastructure. Under the
legislation, which the House
passed on Oct. 1, incentive
payments of up to $1 million
would become an eligible use
of federal Airport Improvement
Program (AIP) grant
funds. The measure, however,
does not authorize increased
AIP funding, which
totaled $3.35 billion in fiscal
year 2020. Under the proposed
legislation, it would
be up to individual airport
authorities to use the incentives.
Roosevelt Hotel Closes-
The Roosevelt Hotel in
Manhattan, close to trains,
subways and shopping is
closing. This was a big destination
for crew headquarters
from JFK Airport.
JetLondon
JetBlue announced its anticipated
service to ondon
from JFK. It has been said
that is has slots at Heathrow
but this is not confirmed.
Time to spill the tea. Nonstop
service to London from
New York (JFK) and Boston
arrives in 2021. Yes, on Jet-
Blue.
United JFk?
A couple of news sources
said that United Airlines is
exploring a return to JFK
Airport after leaving Terminal
7 five years ago. There
was no comment from United
and as of now the slot availability
at JFK is being explored.
It’s a Breeze
David Neeleman’s Breeze
start-up reportedly has
raised $83 million to fuel his
new airline company. Initial
start October date has been
pushed to first quaerter of
2021.
Spirit Airlines celebrated
their 20 years servicing Chicageo
at at ORD.
KLM/AF-KLM had discointinued
its 747 Combi aircraft
earlier this year. The
Combi was used for shipping
horses and livestock into JFK
Aiport. With the lack of an
aircraft, KLM is not directly
handling horses there. However,
KLM uses their 747 as
cargo freighters as do several
other airlines such as Lufthansa
and Korean Air and
Air China are the only commercial
carriers operating
both the 747-8 and A380.
Tampa Airport
Tampa International Airport
will offer travelers two
kinds of coronavirus tests
from Oct. 1 to 31, execurives
for the airport and BayCare
announced. The airport
is teaming with BayCare
Health System to offer voluntary
testing for any passenger
departing from or arriving
at the airport.