TRAVEL AGENTS TO SELL 2 NEW BRITISH AIRWAYS REFUNDABLE TICKET TYPES In a bid to get travel back to normal, BA has launched 2 new ticket types which are aimed at business travellers and can be only purchased at present via travel agents and not online. The new fares; Select and Select Pro allow for a full or partial refund with a cancellation fee of a little as UK£50. They will be on sale to the public when ‘Book With Confidence’ option currently running is withdrawn. Select and Select Pro both allow free changes to your ticket, but with the fare difference being paid. Select Pro is fully refundable, but is only available on long-haul routes. Select is refundable with a fee. The only difference between Select Pro and a traditional ‘Fully Flexible’ ticket is that you must actively cancel a Select Pro ticket before departure. You cannot ask for a refund in the future.
END OF ALITALIA As Italian national carrier, Alitalia sees no signs of improving its financial standing, the Italian government wants to create a new national carrier from it, which would be called ITA (Italy Air Transport). Approval from the EU is scheduled but it seems that after 75 years Alitalia will close as the European ‘Union’ refuses to save the national airline of one of its ’united’ members, despite letting another ‘member’ country rescue its own airline (Lufthansa) with UK£ 7.78 billion. This is the same path that the Greek national carrier, Olympic Airways, which now runs domestic flights within Greece had to take. It is hoped that Italy Air Transport (Italia Trasporto Aereo) could begin operations this year.
XINJIANG BUILDS 37 AIRPORTS IN 5 YEARS TO ATTRACT MORE TOURISTS Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is set to construct 15 civil airports within the next 5 years. In the past 5 years, the number of civil airports grew by 22. This is all part of the wider 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) which aims to bring 37 airports to the region. Expansion to the Kashgar and Turpan airports is scheduled in 2021 as well as the beginning of construction of the Zhaosu and Tashikurgan airports. New airports will begin construction in Qitai, Bayanbulak, Barkol, Wusu, and Hoboksar by the end of 2021. Airports are also planned at Aheqi, Baicheng, Qinggil and Jeminay. This expansion not only gives wider connectivity but aims to bring in more tourists in years to come.
FALKLANDS SUSPENDS LINKS TO CHILE AND BRAZIL The Falkland Islands has suspended commercial air links with Chile and Brazil until 29 June 2021, due to continued issues with the global pandemic. With travel restrictions, global border controls and the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus the decision was made to put back to opening up of the islands.
KENYA AND NIGERIA AUTHORISE RETURN OF 737 MAX Kenya’s Civil Aviation Authority and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority have both announced that the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft can fly into their airspace. Nigerian airlines has orders for the aircraft which include Air Peace (ten 737 MAX 8s), Arik Air (eight 737 MAX 8s) and Green Africa Airways (50 firm orders and 50 options). Kenya's airlines do not currently operate any Boeing 737 MAX, but the certification will allow other carriers, like Ethiopian Airlines and Turkish Airlines to fly the 737 MAX into Kenya’s airspace. Ethiopian Airlines will restart Boeing 737 MAX operations in MAX 8s in its fleet.
July 2021. Currently, Ethiopian Airlines has 4 Boeing 737
