Effects of Covid-19 on airlines

[buksida]

Thai AirAsia: Latest virus outbreak 'destroyed' us
Thai AirAsia (TAA) is dubbing the latest outbreak the worst crisis for aviation in Thailand as airlines face more pressure than during the lockdown last year.

"Travel sentiment has plunged lower than last year. This is different this time because people are voluntarily skipping their travel plans even without a nationwide lockdown order from the government," said Tassapon Bijleveld, executive chairman of Asia Aviation (AAV), the largest shareholder of TAA.

TAA's domestic flight numbers shrank by more than 50% as it had to merge and cancel many flights, with the average load factor taking a nosedive this month.

He said some flights had only 20-30 passengers, a sharp contrast to the resurgent market two months ago.

"We were just rebounding from the first lockdown last year. Despite hardly any profits, at least we could have had a consistent revenue stream from the domestic market. But this outburst of new cases destroyed us," said Mr Tassapon.

Most airlines in Thailand are not in good shape financially as they have received no financial support from the government, particularly the soft loans they have been requesting since last year.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/20 ... stroyed-us

[caller]

They are already consolidating flights. A couple I know and their parents were due to fly from Khon Kaen to Bkk with Thai smiles earlier today. The flight was cancelled and they have been put on a flight tomorrow instead.

[buksida]

Thai AirAsia to furlough 75% of workforce
Thai AirAsia will keep only one-fourth of the staff and ask the rest to take a leave-without-pay offer for four months, starting February, as the re-emerging coronavirus outbreak has dealt a heavy blow to the aviation sector.

Tassapon Bijleveld, executive chairman of Asia Aviation Plc (AAV), the largest shareholder of the airline, said on Monday only 25% of its workforce will be active after this month as the airline is downsizing to match real demand.

He did not mention the size of the workforce, but according to the latest AAV annual report, it had 5,974 employees in 2019.

“Before the Covid-19 resurgence, we had 40 planes serving domestic flights. But since the re-emerging of the outbreak, some provincial lockdowns have made it impossible for people to travel and passenger demand has dropped significantly at every airport,” said Mr Tassapon.

The budget airline has 62 aircraft, which has not been fully utilised since the first nationwide lockdown in April last year. It flies only 10 planes now due to the sluggish demand for air travel.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/20 ... -workforce

[STEVE G]

The air cargo world is still booming, the company I work for had it's most profitable year ever in 2020 and it's not slowing down this year.
https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/1648127.html

[Thailightzone]

Cargo airlines such as UPS, DHL, and Atlas have recently placed large orders for new aircraft.

[buksida]

This is pretty cool - the data is stored on an immutable blockchain, rather than in a central government database for them to do with what they please;

How IATA Travel Pass is using blockchain technology to keep passengers in control of their data
In December 2020, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that it is developing a new digital health credential solution that has the potential to reopen international travel and replace compulsory quarantine measures.

As more airlines are announcing trials of the IATA Travel Pass, due to be released in Q1 2021, FTE caught up with Alan Murray Hayden, Head Airport, Passenger and Security Products, to find out more about the technology behind the solution and how it can help restart global aviation.

So, what is Travel Pass? Travel Pass is a mobile app that will enable travellers to store and manage verified information on their health status, COVID-19 tests and vaccines, in line with any government requirements for testing or vaccine information. The concept of health passports has been around for a while – think Yellow Fever card – but digitising it will lead to more security and efficiency than traditional paper-based processes.

...

The first trials of the app will start in February with Singapore Airlines and British Airways, and just this week Etihad and Emirates also announced trials starting in April.

Prior to a full roll out, Emirates will implement phase 1 in Dubai for the validation of COVID-19 PCR tests before departure. In this initial phase, expected to begin in April 2021, Emirates customers travelling from Dubai will be able to share their COVID-19 test status directly with the airline even before reaching the airport through the app, which will then auto-populate the details on the check-in system.

For Etihad Airways, the IATA Travel Pass will initially be offered to guests on selected flights from Abu Dhabi in the first quarter of 2021. If successful, the pass will be extended to other destinations on the Etihad network.

Hayden also shared with FTE that IATA is in conversations with 15 of the largest airlines in the world to start trialling the solution in the coming months.

Full story: https://www.futuretravelexperience.com/ ... heir-data/

[buksida]

Airlines band together for survival, travel pass
Seven airlines in Thailand have formed an association to deal with the pandemic and pave the way for vaccine passport cooperation.

Bangkok Airways president Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth said the Airlines Association of Thailand (AAT) has set a long-term goal of elevating the aviation industry in Thailand.

However, the short-term priority is the soft loan request the Finance Ministry is considering.

"The domestic market seemed to improve after the lockdown relaxation was implemented nationwide, but it's still a far cry from the numbers seen prior to the latest outbreak," said Mr Puttipong.

The founding members of AAT are Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia X, Thai Smile Airways, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air, and Thai Vietjet.

The group submitted the soft loan proposal to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in late August last year, but there has still been no response from the government.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/20 ... ravel-pass

[handdrummer]

The group submitted the soft loan proposal to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in late August last year, but there has still been no response from the government.

It probably got misplaced along with the plans for a space ship to the moon, a midnight train to Moscow and
the re-opening of the economy.

[PeteC]

Qantas boss: Governments 'to insist' on vaccines for flying

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56460329

The boss of Australian airline Qantas has told the BBC that "governments are going to insist" on vaccines for international travellers.

Coronavirus vaccines are seen as crucial to reviving an industry that saw worldwide passenger numbers fall 75.6% last year.

Chief executive Alan Joyce said many governments were talking about vaccination as "a condition of entry".

Even if they weren't, he thought the airline should enforce its own policy.

"We have a duty of care to our passengers and to our crew, to say that everybody in that aircraft needs to be safe," Mr Joyce said.

He believes that would justify changing the terms and conditions on which tickets are booked.

Long article with many photos. Continued at link....

[Dannie Boy]

If they do make it mandatory, then we’ll be stuck here this year as I doubt we’ll be able to get vaccinated?

[Thailightzone]

Qantas boss: Governments 'to insist' on vaccines for flying

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56460329

The boss of Australian airline Qantas has told the BBC that "governments are going to insist" on vaccines for international travellers.

Coronavirus vaccines are seen as crucial to reviving an industry that saw worldwide passenger numbers fall 75.6% last year.

Chief executive Alan Joyce said many governments were talking about vaccination as "a condition of entry".

Even if they weren't, he thought the airline should enforce its own policy.

"We have a duty of care to our passengers and to our crew, to say that everybody in that aircraft needs to be safe," Mr Joyce said.

He believes that would justify changing the terms and conditions on which tickets are booked.

Long article with many photos. Continued at link....

I'll take it further. I believe, at least for a few years, being vaccinated will become a mandatory requirement for employment in public facing jobs, certain companies may make it a condition of working in their workspaces. Don't be surprised if some countries, states, governments actually write new laws to support these conditions.

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

[pharvey]

I'll take it further. I believe, at least for a few years, being vaccinated will become a mandatory requirement for employment in public facing jobs, certain companies may make it a condition of working in their workspaces. Don't be surprised if some countries, states, governments actually write new laws to support these conditions.

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. It's your main signature anyway....... Don't underestimate the singularity either!!

I work for a large international engineering company and prior to this Covid crap, this for me involved a huge amount of international travel. My colleagues who are thankfully fit for work themselves now carry documents showing an invitation from the (overseas) company, an up-to-date (48/72 hr) NEGATIVE Covid-19 test and/or POSSITIVE antibody test. The same is required for their re-entry to the UK. As it stands, both colleagues in the UK have not had to isolate in the countries they've travelled to, but are expected to isolate upon their return to the UK. One of which however is not due to finish his stint for 2 months, so hopefully the rules will have changed by then!!

[Thailightzone]

I'll take it further. I believe, at least for a few years, being vaccinated will become a mandatory requirement for employment in public facing jobs, certain companies may make it a condition of working in their workspaces. Don't be surprised if some countries, states, governments actually write new laws to support these conditions.

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. It's your main signature anyway....... Don't underestimate the singularity either!!

I work for a large international engineering company and prior to this Covid crap, this for me involved a huge amount of international travel. My colleagues who are thankfully fit for work themselves now carry documents showing an invitation from the (overseas) company, an up-to-date (48/72 hr) NEGATIVE Covid-19 test and/or POSSITIVE antibody test. The same is required for their re-entry to the UK. As it stands, both colleagues in the UK have not had to isolate in the countries they've travelled to, but are expected to isolate upon their return to the UK. One of which however is not due to finish his stint for 2 months, so hopefully the rules will have changed by then!!

Pharvey. I was also speaking from a history of being an engineer/manager in a large multinational manufacturing company. I could see them implementing such requirements across their global operations. Shareholders feel safer seeing these policies implemented, it reassures them business (profits) will continue unimpeded.

[buksida]

Bangkok Airways suspends services, closes offices
Bangkok Airways said on Thursday it was suspending services on the Phuket-Hat Yai, Bangkok-Sukhothai and Bangkok-Trat routes, and postponing the introduction of the planned Bangkok-Mae Sot service.

The airline attributed the flight suspensions to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Phuket-Hat Yai flights will be suspnded from April 23 to Oct 30 and Bangkok-Sukhothai and Bangkok-Trat flights from May 1 to 31.

The inauguration of the new Bangkok-Mae Sot (Tak province) route was postponed to Oct 17.

The airline's ticket office in Hat Yai district, Songkhla, will be closed from May 1 to Oct 31 and the offices in Sukhothai and Trat from May 1 to 31.

Affected travelers can change their flights without a fee, the airline said.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... es-offices

[PeteC]

Thai AirAsia suspends flights on 21 routes

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001169

Thai AirAsia has extended the suspension of flights on 21 routes from June 1 to 13, due to the Covid-19 crisis in the country.

The suspended routes are:

1. Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport) – Nan

2. Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport) – Nakhon Si Thammarat

3. Bangkok (Don Mueang Airport) – Ranong

4. Bangkok (Don Mueang Airport) – Chumphon

5. Bangkok (Don Mueang Airport) – Sakhon Nakhon

6. Bangkok (Don Mueang Airport) – Loei

7. Bangkok (Don Mueang Airport) – Buri Ram

8. Chiang Mai – Pattaya

9. Chiang Mai – Phuket

10. Chiang Mai – Khon Kaen

11. Chiang Mai – Krabi

12. Chiang Mai – Hat Yai

13. Chiang Mai – Surat Thani

14. Pattaya – Hat Yai

15. Udon Thani – Phuket

16. Udon Thani – Pattaya

17. Khon Kaen – Phuket

18. Khon Kaen – Hat Yai

19. Pattaya – Phuket

20. Chiang Mai – Hua Hin

21. Udon Thai – Hua Hin

Thai AirAsia had resumed all of its regular flights in late April, after the second Covid-19 wave ebbed. However, the airline was again affected by the virus crisis. In addition to the suspended routes, some flight frequencies were reduced as well.