RAF Sentinel R1 aircraft conducts last operational flight

A UK Royal Air Force Sentinel R1 aircraft has carried out the last operational flight of the aircraft type from RAF Waddington after 14 years of service.

The Sentinel R1 aircraft of V (Army Cooperation) Squadron have flown circa 32,300 hours conducting approximately 4,870 sorties during its service life. The withdrawal from service was first announced as part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review. The UK continues to invest heavily in NATO ISTAR capabilities, not least Maritime Surveillance (Poseidon), Airborne Early Warning and Control (E-7 Wedgetail), Armed ISTAR (Protector), Rivet Joint and Shadow – all of which have either entered service or will do in the near-term.

    “It has been an absolute privilege to have commanded V (AC) Squadron. It is a fantastic Squadron, with wonderful people, that has delivered exceptional results on multiple operations across the globe. Pivotal to that success has been the fantastic effort and support from across the whole of the Sentinel enterprise.”

    Wing Commander Dominic "Dutch' Holland

    Officer Commanding V (AC) Squadron

The Sentinel aircraft was commissioned through engineering firm Raytheon to provide an Airborne Stand-off Radar (ASTOR) system and first saw service during Operation HERRICK in 2008.  Five aircraft were acquired and V (AC) Squadron was reformed to operate the aircraft.

Union and WestJet reach tentative first collective agreement for mainline cabin crew.

In Canada, the union CUPE and regional airline WestJet have reached a tentative first collective agreement for mainline cabin crew. CUPE Local 4070 represents over 3,100 cabin crew members at the airline. 

 CUPE has represented cabin crew at WestJet since July 2018. The parties have been engaged in collective bargaining towards a first union contract since April 2019.

CUPE Local 4070 President Chris Rauenbusch called this “an unprecedented achievement at the height of trying times for our industry.” Rauenbusch noted that COVID-19 travel restrictions and layoffs made achieving this milestone “a monumental task.”

“In the past year, over 90% of our members have been grounded due to the pandemic,” said Rauenbusch. “To achieve a constructive tentative agreement in this environment is remarkable.”

Air France unveils its new in-flight safety video

Air France is today unveiling its new in-flight safety video, an elegant, lively and fast-moving showcase of French culture. Incorporating all the latest regulatory changes in force, this video symbolizes the essence of the Air France brand. An invitation to travel for everyone all over the world, where the airline declares its love of France and its lifestyle.

Two flight attendants explain the safety instructions to passengers from all walks of life, travelling together from one iconic landmark to another, places that highlight the best of France, to the tune of lively melodies, inspired by musicals.

Video: New safety instructions | Air France

In an instant, passengers are transported from the steps of the Opéra Garnier to the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, from the sunny French Riviera to the legendary Hotel Martinez. The stroll continues through the vineyards of Provence, past museums, a fashion show, a typical French café terrace and along the banks of the Seine and its famous booksellers. So many fascinating places just waiting to be discovered and admired.

Marriott International offers planners new hybrid meeting solutions

More meeting and event professionals have been looking to plan hybrid virtual/in-person meetings and events as the meeting industry adapts to new ways of connecting during the global pandemic. However, meeting and event professionals often require additional information about technology, health protocols, and logistics available to them. Marriott International is offering innovative solutions to help Connect with Confidence and streamline the current planning process. New resources for hybrid meetings and events, including providers and pricing, will be available next month at Marriott hotels across the United States and Canada, and are slated to be available globally in the near future.

Hybrid meetings have become an essential way for meeting and event professionals to provide an immersive, engaging experience that integrates both virtual participation and in-person experiences through technology. Marriott has curated a list of providers including Encore, Cvent, Convene, MeetingPlay and Hopin that offer technology solutions for hosting hybrid meetings. These providers offer a range of features and services that allow meeting and event professionals to execute hybrid meetings across the Marriott portfolio of hotels in the United States and Canada.

RAF Voyager delivers first consignment of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine to British Forces Cyprus.

RAF Voyager delivers first consignment of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine to British Forces Cyprus.

A Voyager from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire delivered the first consignment of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine today yesterday to RAF Akrotiri.

The first jabs will be given to Frontline Health Care workers and the most vulnerable members of British Forces Cyprus next week. The British Bases have confirmed that its vaccination programme will begin on 1st March with individuals falling into vulnerable groups offered the vaccine first.

The AstraZeneca vaccine was flown into RAF Akrotiri on Wednesday and will be administered in a phased process, following guidelines set by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in the UK. Officials at the Bases have confirmed those with a higher risk of contracting the virus, or individuals at greater risk of becoming seriously ill should they catch it, will receive the vaccine first.  This phase will include frontline healthcare workers, clinically vulnerable people and those over 50, with the second dose expected to be administered between four and 12 weeks later.

Qantas posts massive half year loss

The Australian Qantas Group has posted a massive Statutory Loss Before Tax was $1.47 billion for the half-year, which included further redundancy and restructuring costs of $284 million (in addition to the $642 million provided for in FY20) and a further $71 million write-down of the A380 fleet in-line with its Australian dollar market value.

    Underlying Loss Before Tax: $1.03 billion

    Statutory Loss Before Tax: $1.47 billion

    $6.9 billion revenue impact from COVID-19 crisis in HY21 (down 75%)

    Underlying operating cash flow: $1.05 billion

    Total liquidity of $4.2 billion, providing capital for restructuring and buffer against uncertainty

    Domestic airlines generating positive underlying cash flow

    Losses in Qantas International offset by record Qantas Freight performance

    Continued strong cash generation by Qantas Loyalty

    Restructuring program on track to deliver $0.6 billion in cost benefits in FY21

    International flying now aiming to restart end-October 2021

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: "These figures are stark but not surprising.  During the half we saw the second wave in Victoria and the strictest domestic travel restrictions since the pandemic began. Virtually all of our international flying and 70 per cent of domestic flying stopped, and with it went three-quarters of our revenue.

Despite the huge challenges, these results show the Group’s underlying strength."

More losses for Norwegian

The budget airline Norwegian reported its fourth-quarter 2020 results last week, showing more massive losses as the carrier edges slowly out of bankruptcy protection. The troubled airline reported a net loss of  NOK 16.6 billion.

Out of a current fleet of 131 aircraft, an average of 15 were operational during the fourth quarter, mainly on domestic routes in Norway. Norwegian carried 574,000 customers, a decrease of 92 percent compared to the same period in 2019. The load factor was 52.4 percent, a decrease of 32.5 percentage points compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.

Jacob Schram, CEO of Norwegian, said: "2020 was an exceptionally difficult year for the aviation industry and for Norwegian. Consequently, the fourth-quarter results are as expected. Unfortunately, many of our employees are furloughed or have lost their jobs, partly due to the company’s decision to cease long-haul operations."

ATSG Reports 2020 Results

Air Transport Services Group, Inc, the leading provider of medium wide-body aircraft leasing, contracted air transportation and related services, this week reported consolidated financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2020.

ATSG's fourth quarter 2020 results, as compared with the fourth quarter of 2019 include:

    Customer revenues down $4.0 million to $399.4 million, and up $118.4 million to $1.57 billion for the year.

Fourth quarter ACMI Services revenues were down $17.9 million due primarily to the effects of the pandemic on passenger operations for commercial customers and on combi aircraft flying for the U.S. Military. Aircraft leasing revenues for the quarter increased $9.3 million as a result of record deployments of leased Boeing 767s during 2020.

    GAAP Earnings from Continuing Operations were $2.3 million, or $0.04 per share basic, versus a loss of $41.1 million, or $0.70 per share. 2020 GAAP earnings were $25.1 million, or $0.42 per share basic, versus $60.0 million, or $1.02 per share in 2019.

The unrealized effect of the quarterly re-measurement of warrant liability values decreased ATSG's after-tax earnings by $37.7 million ($0.51 per share) and $81.8 million ($1.04 per share), respectively, for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2020. Warrant losses for 2020 were a result of an increase in the probabilities of additional warrants related to customer leases and increases in the traded value of ATSG shares during the quarter and year. Payroll expense were partially offset by federal CARES Act grant proceeds intended to mitigate pandemic effects at certain ATSG businesses.

Airbus A321neo - the future MINT experience for JetBlue

The U.S. airline JetBlue has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo jet to be configured with the airlines new reimagined premium cabin,  Mint, which features an all-new onboard layout, featuring comfort and connectivity perks that set the airline apart from other U.S. carriers. 

JetBlue’s A321neo with Mint features 16 Mint suites – including two Mint Studios™ – and 144 core seats. It will first operate on select flights between New York-JFK and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) this summer. Today’s delivery – tail N2105J named “NEO Mintality” – brings JetBlue’s total fleet count to 270 aircraft, is the airline’s 16th A321neo and the first of this aircraft type to feature Mint.

“With so much excitement around JetBlue’s London plans, we’re delighted to also introduce our fabulous, all-new transatlantic Mint suites to customers on select flights within the U.S.,” said Jayne O’Brien, head of marketing and loyalty, JetBlue. “Our reimagined Mint and award-winning core experience, combined with the superior economics of the A321neo aircraft, will position JetBlue to compete effectively and add relevance to our customers in Mint markets.”

Early Cherry Blossoms Signal Budding Tokyo Trends For 2021

Surrounded by Ueno’s budding cherry blossoms, Japan’s largest classical music festival, “Tokyo Spring Music Festival 2021,” will begin its month-long event on March 19 and end on April 23. This will be the festival’s 17th annual event and the first time it’ll livestream all musical programs online.

2021’s festival features a diverse lineup of performances such as maestro Riccardo Muti’s “Italian Opera Academy in Tokyo,” the “Tokyo-HARUSAI Wagner Series,” and performances that were postponed last year, all of which are sure to celebrate spring in grand fashion. (An online ticket purchase is required to view livestreaming programs.)

https://www.tokyo-harusai.com/news_en/20201204/

The Agency for Cultural Affairs and the National Museum of Nature and Science have teamed up with the TV anime series Heaven's Design Team (airing this January). Starting last December, exhibits at the museum will offer commentary by voices of characters from the popular comic’s animated series.

The National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno is the only comprehensive national science museum in Japan. It consists of the Global Gallery, where you can see exhibits about space, earth, the birth of early life and the development of science and technology, and the Japan Gallery, where you can discover nature from the Japanese archipelago and the history of the Japanese people. The anime's detailed depictions of the bodies and ecologies of living creatures make it a fun way to learn about them. At the museum, there are nine exhibits of animals that appear in the anime, with each one featuring an explanation by a character from the show.

https://tendebu.jp/ (Japanese)

No further action over NATS delays caused by shortage of staff at the start of the COVID pandemic

Earlier this week the UK's The UK Civil Aviation Authority released its decision in relation to an investigation (Project Palamon) under section 34 of the Transport Act 2000 (TA00). We have considered alleged contraventions by NATS (En-Route) Plc ("NERL") of certain statutory duties under the TA00 and certain conditions of its Air Traffic Services Licence. This investigation followed complaints by Ryanair and Stansted Airport about air traffic flow management delays experienced by airlines and passengers of Stansted and Luton airports.

This investigation also follows an earlier investigation conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority addressing similar complaints brought by Ryanair and Stansted Airport in 2016 in relation to NERL's performance (Project Oberon).

London Gatwick posts £465.5 million loss for 2020

Gatwick publishes 2020 annual results, with renewed optimism for international travel to return in Summer 2021 whilst maintaining its financial resilience

Despite an encouraging start to 2020 passenger numbers at Gatwick fell 78% in the year ended 31 December, 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. The airport remained open throughout the pandemic, however all revenue streams were impacted and the collapse in passenger demand led to a £465.5m loss for the twelve-month period and negative EBITDA at -£25.1m.

 

Decisive and swift action was taken to protect the financial strength of the business.  A strategic reduction in capital expenditure resulted in the deferral of over £380m from the investment originally planned in 2020 and 2021. Operating costs were reduced by over £140m in 2020 through a variety of actions including restructuring and reducing staffing levels by over 40%, renegotiating contracts and consolidating all air traffic and passengers into one terminal. 

 

Cathay Pacific delivers first Fosun Pharma/BioNTech vaccines to Hong Kong and beyond

Cathay Pacific Cargo’s Vaccine Solution proves its value and is recognised by UNICEF’s COVAX distribution initiative

Cathay Pacific has successfully delivered the first batch of Fosun Pharma/BioNTech vaccines to Hong Kong, drawing on its long-established expertise in pharmaceutical shipments under cold chain protocols to meet the handling demands of the Fosun Pharma/BioNTech product.

The first delivery of the first batch of one million Fosun Pharma/BioNTech vaccines to be supplied to Hong Kong arrived from Frankfurt today and were unloaded as priority from a freighter flight to the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal.

Cathay Pacific Director Cargo Tom Owen said: “Different vaccines have differing requirements. The Fosun Pharma/BioNTech vaccine must be transported in a deep frozen state, which requires more complex transportation and storage solutions. Our Vaccine Solution has proven itself to be ideally suited to the fast and effective distribution of this and other vaccines across the globe, using our freighter and passenger fleet, and our extensive global network.”

UK Civil Aviation Authority launches consultation on proposed modifications to the licence of Gatwick Airport Limited

The UK Civil Aviation Authority has this week published a consultation on proposed modifications to the licence of Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL). The purpose of these modifications is to implement the policy approach set out in our October 2020 consultation, in particular to accept a set of commitments offered by GAL as the basis of our economic regulation for the four years from 2021/22 to 2024/25.

Having considered the responses to the October 2020 consultation, the Civil Aviation Authority's view is that GAL's proposals form part of a package that is likely to be in the interests of consumers. The new commitments include:

    a price commitment with a cap of Retail Prices Index (RPI) + 0% for published charges;

    a number of detailed changes to service quality targets; and

    a minimum investment commitment of £120 million per year on average.

SWISS to expand schedules from mid-summer onwards

SWISS to expand schedules from mid-summer onwards

In view of the continuing travel restrictions, SWISS does not now expect to see any tangible resumption of air travel activity until mid-summer at the earliest. So in the second quarter in particular, SWISS’s schedules will be substantially less extensive than originally planned. The company expects to be able to return its operations to around 65% of their 2019 capacity in the course of the third-quarter period. A total of 85 destinations will be served from Zurich and 43 from Geneva in the 2021 SWISS summer schedules, with a strong focus on meeting the needs of travellers visiting friends and relatives and leisure travel customers. SWISS will also be introducing new services from Zurich to Tallinn (Estonia) and Billund (Denmark) and from Geneva to Santorini (Greece), Split (Croatia) and Funchal/Madeira (Portugal).

In the light of new virus mutations, lockdowns, border closures and tightened travel restrictions, the recovery of the air transport sector has been further delayed. As a result, SWISS’s 2021 summer schedules will be considerably less extensive than had originally been planned, especially in the second-quarter period. “With the tighter travel restrictions in response to high infection rates, we have again had to tangibly reduce our service offer,” says SWISS Chief Commercial Officer Tamur Goudarzi Pour. “We won’t be substantially expanding it again until the summer travel season. But when we do so, we’ll be putting a clear focus on leisure travellers and on customers visiting friends and relatives, as the business travel segment will take longer to return.” SWISS plans to restore its capacities to around 65% of their 2019 levels in the course of the third-quarter period. The company will serve 85 destinations from Zurich and 43 from Geneva in its 2021 summer schedules.

FedEx Express Liam aircraft takes to the skies – a first for Africa

 “Liam” - FedEx Express Aircraft N273FE is taking to the skies. The plane has been named after Liam Perumal, the 12-year-old son of team members based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“Thank you, FedEx, for this wonderful surprise.  I would like to encourage all the youth of our country to never give up on their dreams, stay on the path and you will be smiling at the end of the race. ”, said Liam.

Liam was selected following a tradition that started in 1973, when the very first FedEx Express plane, a Dassault Falcon 20, was named ‘Wendy’ honouring the daughter of Frederick W. Smith, founder, chairman and CEO of FedEx.

FedEx has over 680 planes, with Liam being the first plane to be named after a team member’s child based in Africa.

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First Airbus A321neo aircraft arrives at JetBlue

The U.S. airline JetBlue has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo jet this week, which has been configured with the new reimagined premium cabin,  Mint, which features an all-new onboard layout, featuring comfort and connectivity perks that set the airline apart from other U.S. carriers. 

JetBlue’s A321neo with Mint features 16 Mint suites – including two Mint Studios™ – and 144 core seats. It will first operate on select flights between New York-JFK and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) this summer. Today’s delivery – tail N2105J named “NEO Mintality” – brings JetBlue’s total fleet count to 270 aircraft, is the airline’s 16th A321neo and the first of this aircraft type to feature Mint.

“With so much excitement around JetBlue’s London plans, we’re delighted to also introduce our fabulous, all-new transatlantic Mint suites to customers on select flights within the U.S.,” said Jayne O’Brien, head of marketing and loyalty, JetBlue. “Our reimagined Mint and award-winning core experience, combined with the superior economics of the A321neo aircraft, will position JetBlue to compete effectively and add relevance to our customers in Mint markets.”

Gulf Air to start Singapore service

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has confirmed it will add Singapore to its growing route network with a weekly flight starting April 2021. The airline continues to explore opportunities to expand its network and reach to different regions of the world. Known for its premium leisure and business appeal, Singapore will serve as another boutique destination of the only boutique airline in the Middle East. Gulf Air’s newest destination will further enhance the connectivity of the airline’s destinations in Europe and GCC, with a convenient departure and arrival timing to/from Singapore.

Operated by the airline’s flagship Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the Singapore route will be added to Gulf Air’s list of Asian routes of Bangkok and Manila. Gulf Air first operated flights to Singapore in the 1990s and by adding it to its network in April 2021, it will be amongst the airline’s top long-haul routes.

Gulf Air’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner offer 282 seats in a two-class configuration, with 26 Falcon Gold Class seats and 256 Economy Class seats – a 32% increase in capacity on the airline’s previous wide body offering. The industry-leading technology of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner boasts superior fuel efficiency, environmentally friendly operations and range flexibility that will facilitate Gulf Air’s planned network expansion and fleet optimisation at a lower operating cost.  

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Virgin Galactic has issued its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2020.

Virgin Galactic has issued its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2020.

“We accomplished several significant milestones during 2020 despite the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic. “Looking ahead, we’re focused on completing our test flight program, expanding our fleet of spaceships and motherships, and developing our unique and transformative customer experience. I am excited about the talent we’re bringing on to our leadership team and the investments we’re making in the business, both of which will position us well to scale for future growth.”

American Airlines and Deloitte Pioneer Market-Based Solution to Reduce Carbon Emissions from Air Travel

American Airlines and Deloitte Pioneer Market-Based Solution to Reduce Carbon Emissions from Air Travel

Innovative pilot program designed to increase production of sustainable aviation fuel

FORT WORTH, Texas ― American Airlines and Deloitte today announced an innovative collaboration to advance the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to reduce emissions from aviation. The SAF emissions agreement between American and Deloitte reduces life cycle emissions from aviation by 3,050 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is equivalent to approximately 10,000 passengers flying one-way from New York City to Los Angeles.

This is one of the first collaborations between an organization seeking to reduce net emissions from business travel and a U.S. airline that is using SAF in its daily operations. This provides Deloitte with an opportunity within aviation to help meet its ambitious goal to reduce its business travel emissions per employee by 50% by 2030. Deloitte recognizes the importance of SAF in enhancing its ability to connect with clients through sustainable business travel.

From Airline to Landline: United Offers Seamless Travel from Denver International Airport to Breckenridge and Fort Collins

From Airline to Landline: United Offers Seamless Travel from Denver International Airport to Breckenridge and Fort Collins

 

New luxury bus collaboration allows customers to fly into DEN, have their bags and ski equipment automatically transferred and be driven to Breckenridge and Fort Collins

United announced today that it is making it easier for customers to travel to Breckenridge and Fort Collins, Colorado with convenient year-round ground transportation service connecting through its Denver hub. This is the first time Breckenridge has ever been served by an airline and will be Fort Collins' first global network carrier service in 25 years.

Beginning March 11, United will start daily service to Breckenridge (QKB) and on April 1, will start four-times daily service to Fort Collins (FNL). The airline is teaming up with Landline – a premium ground transportation company – to offer connecting service to these popular destinations through Denver International Airport (DEN). Customers can book their travel on united.com starting today, selecting Breckenridge or Fort Collins as their destination.

"United's new service from Denver to Breckenridge and Fort Collins is just one example of how we are identifying opportunities to innovate our route network to get people where they want to go with ease and convenience," said Ankit Gupta, United's vice president of Domestic Network Planning and Scheduling. "Our customers tell us that national parks and ski destinations are important to them and we are proud to partner with Landline to offer a unique, seamless way to help them get there."

Commercial revenues of €1,306 million for IAG Cargo during 2020

Photo British Airways

                              The cargo division of the International Airlines Group,  IAG Cargo has released details of its 2020 performance today and reported positive commercial revenues of €1,306 million over the whole of last year. 

  

IAG is one of the world's largest airline groups with 533 aircraft as of 31st December 2020. It is the third-largest group in Europe and the sixth-largest in the world, based on revenue.   

Overall yields for IAG Cargo for 2020 were up 94.6 per cent on the same time last year at constant currency. Sold tonnes were down 34.9 per cent.   

Lynne Embleton, CEO at IAG Cargo, said:  "In 2020, the IAG Cargo team delivered exceptional results amid a  challenging economic and capacity environment.   

Our top priority was to maintain a broad network and product proposition for cargo customers despite the pandemic. Without a freighter fleet, we adapted our operations and quickly established a comprehensive network of scheduled cargo-only flying using the group’s passenger aircraft. We identified markets most in need of air cargo supply, where the demand could support the yields required to cover the costs of cargo-only-services.  

American Airlines has an offer for AAdvantage members --

Redeem AAdvantage Miles for at-Home COVID-19 Testing Before Take-Off

Whether it’s checking travel guidelines or taking a preflight coronavirus (COVID-19) test, planning travel looks a bit different these days. To help ease the travel experience, American Airlines continues to find ways to provide more flexibility and choices for customers throughout their journey.

Starting Feb. 25, AAdvantage® members can redeem miles to order an at-home COVID-19 testing kit through LetsGetChecked, one of American’s testing partners. The pre-flight testing program covers nine countries and any U.S. city, state or territory that has COVID-19 travel restrictions.

American’s partnership with LetsGetChecked started in September 2020 as part of an ongoing effort to help protect customer health and safety, inspire confidence in air travel and advance the industry’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This edition of American Minute explains how at-home testing works.

$67 million net loss for Fly Leasing during 2020

Fly Leasing Limited, a global leader in aircraft leasing, has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2020. As of 31st December 2020, the company had 84 aircraft and seven engines in its portfolio. FLY's aircraft and engines are on lease to 37 airlines in 23 countries. 

Fourth Quarter 2020 Highlights

Net loss of $107 million, $3.51 per share

Non-cash impairment charge of $115 million

Sold two aircraft and one engine;17% premium to book value

Raised $180 million five-year Term Loan

Repaid FLY's $325 million 2021 Notes

2020 Full Year Highlights

Net loss of $67 million, $2.21 per share

Sold eight aircraft and three engines; 19% premium to book value

$25.88 book value per share

2.3x net debt to equity

$132 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents

Unencumbered assets of $180 million

Qantas and Jetstar delay international flights until October

    Flights to most international destinations to now resume late October 2021

    Trans-Tasman flying to ramp up from July 2021

    New flexibility for international bookings, with unlimited flight date changes

 

Qantas and Jetstar have slammed the breaks on restarting international flights,  the Australian airlines are now planning to restart regular international passenger flights to most destinations from 31 October 2021 – a four-month extension from the previous estimate of July, which had been in place since mid-2020.

The date change aligns with the expected timeframe for Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout to be effectively complete.

Capacity will be lower than pre-COVID levels, with frequencies and aircraft type deployed on each route in line with the projected recovery of international flying. International capacity is not expected to fully recover until 2024.

The Group remains in close consultation with the Federal Government around the reopening of international borders and will keep customers updated if further adjustments are required.