Destinations............Jersey, an island of exotic charm on your doorstep.

With European holiday hot spots filling up and getting more expensive, a holiday closer to home is looking more and more viable, making Jersey in the Channel Islands far more desirable than ever before.

The golden island offers a wonderful array of holiday possibilities, closer to home, and with more security and peace of mind.  The isle of Jersey may only be 45 square miles, but the island manages to fit a lot into that space!  The island has a unique charm that is both exotic and reassuringly familiar that offers something for everyone and with such short flight times, is pretty much on our doorstep!  

Top places to visit include the wonderful St. Ouen's Bay, a wonderful expanse of natural beauty. Jersey's west coast is five miles long, and at least three of those miles are covered in golden sand. The beach along St. Ouen's Bay is popular in spring, summer, and autumn.  Even in winter, especially as it is a prime spot for surfing it still attracts visitors from far and wide. So good is it for surfing that the British and European Championships having taken place there a number of times over the years.

Plenty of places to relax, walk, picnic or just enjoy the sand and the peace. Maybe stroll down to El Tico for a bite to eat.  This little restaurant has great views,  good food, although the portions have got a fair bit smaller in recent times, they are still good quality meals, a table outside in fine weather is ideal.  Not only do you have fine views of the beach and sea, depending on wind and weather conditions, you can also even see aircraft coming in on approach to the island's airport. 

Corbière Lighthouse

British Airways backing away hideous fire and rehire regime

Photo  British Airways 

British Airways appears to be pulling back from the hideous fire and rehire policy it introduced to thin out its workforce dramatically, in the wake of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

In a surprise to the airline's HR departments, BA's boss Alex Cruz told MP's there was no need for the firm to lay off cabin crew and then rehire them, many on such inferior terms, they would be faced pay cuts of 50%.  Speaking at a Transport Select Committee in London, Cruz said the airline would now follow the "standard methodology" by seeking agreements with unions over contract amendments.

Cruz told the Members of Parliament  "there will be no need to issue new contracts", subject to staff approval after reaching an agreement with the Unite trade union.  

The airline had caused an outcry, when it introduced the policy earlier this year, leading many public figures to denounce the airline as a national disgrace and customer associations to instigate boycott calls.   

US mega carrier adding Antimicrobial Spray to its cabin cleaning regime

US mega carrier adding Antimicrobial Spray to its cabin cleaning regime 

United Airlines today announced that it is adding Zoono Microbe Shield, an EPA registered antimicrobial coating that forms a long-lasting bond with surfaces and inhibits the growth of microbes, to the airline's already rigorous safety and cleaning procedures. United is currently applying the coating each week on more than 30 aircraft to seats, tray tables, armrests, overhead bins, lavatories and crew stations and expects to add this latest measure to its entire mainline and express fleet before the end of the year.

The antimicrobial coating, created by Zoono Group Limited, a New Zealand Company and distributed in the USA by MicroSonic Solutions, will serve as an added layer of protection that complements the airline's existing, daily electrostatic spraying regimen before departing flights.

"This long-lasting, antimicrobial spray adds an extra level of protection on our aircraft to help better protect our employees and customers," said Toby Enqvist, United's Chief Customer Officer. "As part of our layered approach to safety, antimicrobials are an effective complement to our hospital-grade HEPA air filtration system, mandatory mask policy for customers and daily electrostatic spraying. We've overhauled our policies and procedures and continue to implement new, innovative solutions that deliver a safer onboard experience."

Sheremetyevo Airport and Rossiya Airlines launch Russia's newest aircraft maintenance complex

Sheremetyevo Airport and Rossiya Airlines Launch Russia's Newest Aircraft Maintenance Complex

Photo Sheremetyevo International Airport

Sheremetyevo International Airport inaugurated its new hangar complex for aviation service and maintenance of Aeroflot Group aircraft yesterday, September 15th.

The construction of the hangar complex was completed in just 12 months, a record time for such a complex technical facilities of this kind in Russia, and JSC SIA invested more than $ 57 million in the project.

Alexander Ponomarenko, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sheremetyevo International Airport stated, "We are pleased to open the new hangar complex for the Aeroflot Group today. The new hangar will enable servicing aircraft at Sheremetyevo and help to increase safety and optimize operation of our airline partners."

How culture and creativity saved thousands of Delta jobs

Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of Delta employees and creative thinking, Delta will avoid involuntary furloughs for the airline's ground and flight attendant groups in the U.S.

CEO Ed Bastian shared in a memo to all employees today that Delta has effectively managed staffing between now and the peak 2021 summer season for most frontline groups.

"Avoiding involuntary furloughs in this unprecedented environment is entirely due to the innovation, hard work and shared sacrifice of our people," Bastian said. "Our teams have done an extraordinary job identifying opportunities to spread work around and shift people into new roles that are essential to our business."

COVID-19's impact to the airline industry has been staggering. In the early days of the crisis, Delta was faced with an unprecedented decline in customer demand, resulting in the largest capacity reduction in Delta's history. The company responded with swift, decisive action to protect the business, from immediately parking aircraft to reducing capital expenditures.

Delta people rallied just as quickly. Within days, roughly 10,000 Delta people volunteered to participate in an unpaid, voluntary leave of absence to protect the company. Since then, the road to recovery has proven to be long and choppy, but Delta people have proven to be equally resilient.

Emirates to axe hundreds of jobs in the UK

The Dubai based Emirates is about to axe hundreds of staff in the UK, at least according to The Telegraph newspaper, as the airline struggles to fill planes to London.

The newspaper claims to have seen a private inertanl email that warns the gulf carriers UK based staff that the airline needs to "consider reducing the size of its UK workforce" as the downturn in business caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic doesn't look like picking up in the near future. 

According to the paper,  Emirates blames quarantines, border controls, travel restrictions and so on for the bookings slump.  The Telegraph reports that 600 jobs will go,  however a spokesperson for the airline wouldn't be drawn on numbers,  "Regretfully this means that we’ve had to resize our workforce in line with our reduced operational requirements, resulting in redundancies across all markets, including in the UK."

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Social distancing promo Alaska Airlines.......

Whilst most of the major U.S. airlines air still keeping the middle sear free for the safety of passengers and help to ensure social distancing onboard aircraft. The carrier Alaska Airlines is bucking the trend, by offering the entire row for just one passenger! 

The airline's 'Get the Row with BOGO' promo is back! Running through to October 31st passengers can buy a seat and then buy a second one on the same flight for just the taxes and fees and with the middle seat free, 

"Our hope is that with this offer, as well as our Next-Level Care and middle seat blocking through Oct. 31, our guests are given further peace of mind while traveling to our more than 115 destinations this fall," said Sangita Woerner, Alaska Airlines' senior vice president of marketing and guest experience. "We have added layers of safety to keep our guests and employees safe when they are ready to fly, and hope to see many of them in the skies in the coming months."

Heathrow to Lahore service to come from British Airways

To compete directly with Virgin Atlantic, rival UK carrier British Airways has confirmed it will launch flights from Heathrow to Lahore, Pakistan, four times a week from 12 October 2020.

BA said it would operated the flights to the ‘City of Gardens’ with Boeing 787-8 aircraft and following on the heels of the carrier's relaunch of services to Islamabad.

Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Director of Network and Alliances, said “We are delighted be starting direct flights to Lahore, connecting London with Pakistan’s two biggest cities, following the relaunch of our services to Islamabad.

Our new flights will give us the opportunity to open up more of Pakistan to travellers from the UK, so they can experience its delights and rich culture. We also think this will be hugely popular with the British Pakistani community, giving them more convenient options to visit family and friends.

Delta launches service at new Salt Lake City airport as part of $12B investment in U.S. airports

 

• The new 900,000-square-foot Concourse A houses 78 gates 

• Our largest-ever Delta Sky Club includes an outdoor Sky Deck 

• The airport will deliver $5.5 billion in estimated economic impact to the Salt Lake City region 

Delta Flight 2020 departed for Atlanta from Salt Lake City International Airport’s stunning new Concourse A Tuesday, marking the official first flight in Delta’s new home in this core hub after a decade of partnership in planning, design and construction to deliver the first U.S. global aviation hub of the 21st century.  

“I want to congratulate the Salt Lake City leadership for their vision and partnership in creating this iconic new air travel experience,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “On behalf of Delta’s global workforce, and the more than 4,000 employees based in SLC, we look forward to welcoming and serving our customers travelling to, from and through the Mountain West region.” 

STARLUX Airlines Deploys IBS Software's iCargo Platform to Manage All Cargo Business Functions from Launch

STARLUX Airlines, Taiwan's newest luxury carrier, has deployed IBS Software's iCargo platform to manage business and operational functions for its entire cargo business. The iCargo management platform was implemented ahead of STARLUX Airlines' launch in January 2020, which saw maiden flights to Macau, Penang and Da Nang with three A321neo aircraft. Although COVID-19 has significantly impacted flights, STARLUX's cargo operations have been ramping up quickly during this difficult time.   

After a rigorous evaluation process, STARLUX Airlines chose IBS Software's iCargo SaaS-based cargo platform to provide a single, unified platform for all critical functions. iCargo now manages all aspects of STARLUX's cargo business, including sales, airline operations, US customs, mail, Unit Load Device, cashiering, claims, cargo and mail revenue accounting, portal services, data warehousing and business intelligence modules.

Jetstar returns to the skies in New Zealand

Jetstar returns to the skies in New Zealand

Jetstar has announced on Monday today it will resume domestic services in New Zealand from 17 September. The decision comes after it was confirmed that on-board social distancing restrictions will be eased, allowing airlines to utilise the middle seat.

After a four-week suspension, the airline will resume up to 75 flights on six domestic routes, approximately 60 percent of its pre-COVID schedule.

In keeping with government requirements, masks will be mandatory on all services, with Jetstar’s Fly Well packs, which include masks and sanitising wipes, available at the gate and onboard.

Boeing Australia ‘Fires Up’ Engine on First Loyal Wingman Aircraft

Boeing Australia powered up the commercial turbofan engine on the first Loyal Wingman aircraft in September, as part of ground testing and preparations for the first flight.

This milestone comes on the heels of Boeing completing the first unmanned Loyal Wingman aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force earlier this year, a major step forward for the unmanned vehicle serving as the foundation for the global Boeing Airpower Teaming System, an artificial intelligence-powered teaming aircraft developed for the global defense market.

“This engine run gets us closer toward flying the first aircraft later this year and was successful thanks to the collaboration and dedication of our team,” said Dr. Shane Arnott, program director of the Boeing Airpower Teaming System. “We’ve been able to select a very light, off-the-shelf jet engine for the unmanned system as a result of the advanced manufacturing technologies applied to the aircraft.”

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Coordination of COVID-19 travel restrictions between Member States

Airlines for Europe (A4E) welcomes the renewed efforts of the European Commission (proposed Council Recommendation from 04.09 1) and the initiative from the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union to improve coordination on cross-border travel and restore the integrity of the EU / Schengen area. This is a critical step for the re-establishment of air services of European airlines and the economic recovery.

Over the last six months, an increasing number of uncoordinated national measures have not only impacted the freedom of movement in the EU, but also had significant knock-on effects on the European travel and tourism sector. Member States adopted diverging measures, often implemented at very short notice, based on different criteria, and not sufficiently coordinated with other Member States.

While some Europeans were keen to take a plane to enjoy their summer holidays or travel for business, the chaotic border restrictions along with confusion about quarantines, passenger registrations and test requirements have led citizens and businesses across Europe to decide not to fly. As a result, although July saw a small recovery in the number of flights and passenger traffic, these figures have stalled in August – with only 30% of 2019 travellers accounted for.

This issue should be a political priority for the Council of the EU. A4E has consistently called for a common European approach to travel restrictions providing EU citizens, airlines and their passenger's clarity, predictability, and confidence in our air transport system. Such an approach should rely on: