BARSA

09/01/2024

Be JUNIOR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT POSITION

Join our dynamic team! We’re seeking a motivated individual for a junior-level administrative role. Responsibilities include diary management, filing, assist with travel arrangements and general office duties. If you’re organized, detail-oriented and eager to learn apply now! Please send a motivational letter which includes 2 references telling us about yourself to [email protected]. by 19th January 2024

27/03/2023

https://www.travelnews.co.za/article/bp-fuel-gap-filled?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-news-2023-03-27&utm_content=article-title

Petroleum giant BP’s decision to withdraw its fuel supply from South Africa’s airports has created shockwaves across the airline industry both domestic and international. The airlines’ major concern

03/02/2023

Ethiopian Airlines now flying to Copenhagen

Ethiopian Airlines is set to launch a new passenger flight to Copenhagen, Denmark as of 22nd of May 2023.

The new flight will be operated five times a week except on Tuesdays and Sundays. Regarding the new flight, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr Mesfin Tasew said, “We are glad to open a new route to Copenhagen, Denmark which will be our 21st destination in Europe. With the launch of the flight, Copenhagen will become a crucial gateway for Ethiopian Airlines in northern Europe and southern Scandinavia.”

26/01/2023

NEWS BRIEF

IATA welcomes restoration of ‘Class A’ ATC services over Somalia, surrounding oceanic airspace

25 January 2023 (Geneva) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomes the reclassification of airspace over Somalia and the surrounding region to Class A. This will take place at one minute past midnight on 26 January 2023 when air traffic control services will be operationally restored after a 30-year disruption.

Some of the region’s busiest airways - linking the African subcontinent south of Ethiopia with the Middle East and Indian subcontinent as well as Western Europe with the Indian subcontinent and Indian Ocean islands - traverse Somalian airspace, which is officially known as the Mogadishu Flight Information Region (FIR). It covers the landmass surrounding the Horn of Africa and extends into the Indian Ocean.

“The reclassification of the Mogadishu FIR as ‘Class A’ airspace will significantly improve safety in the region and enhance efficiency. This is thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Somalia Airspace Special Coordination Team, comprising the Somali CAA, IATA, the International Civil Aviation Organization, adjacent FIRs and airlines,” said IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Middle East and Africa, Kamil Al-Awadhi.

The reclassification of the airspace, and the operational resumption of air traffic control in the Mogadishu FIR has been made possible with the installation and commissioning of modern radio navigation and other technological infrastructure. It follows a successful trial which began last May.

“The upgrade of air traffic management and improved navigation and communication infrastructure will enhance situational awareness along an increasingly busy air corridor and its intersections with routes linking many of the world’s regions,” added Al-Awadhi.

All flights operating in Class A airspace must be cleared by air traffic control which is also responsible for maintaining lateral and vertical separation between aircraft. In the Mogadishu FIR, Class A airspace is the sky above the base altitude of approximately 24,500 feet above mean sea level.

- IATA -

For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Tel: +41 22 770 2967

Email: [email protected]

19/01/2023

EU travel system launch delayed

The launch of ETIAS, the European Union’s €7 (R130) visa-waiver form to enter its passport-free zone, has been postponed by six months to become mandatory in November. Travellers will be able to use the website and fill in the form voluntarily from this May.

Read More

https://www.travelnews.co.za/article/eu-travel-system-launch-delayed

The launch of ETIAS, the European Union’s €7 (R130) visa-waiver form to enter its passport-free zone, has been postponed by six months to become mandatory in November. Travellers will be able to use

19/01/2023

SAVE THE DATE 10TH MARCH 2023 BARSA AVIATION SUMMIT 2023, CENTURY CITY, CAPE TOWN

19/01/2023

Ethiopian Airlines heading back to Atlanta US

Ethiopian Airlines announced that it has finalized all preparations to commence a new service between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Atlanta, USA. Ethiopian will operate a four times weekly flight to Atlanta (ATL) starting from May 16, 2023.

Commenting on the launch of the new flight, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said, “We are truly delighted to open our sixth gateway in North America with the new flight to Atlanta. We have been connecting the U.S. and Africa for 25 years now and the new service will help boost the investment, tourism, diplomatic and socioeconomic bonds between the two regions. As a pan-African carrier, we are committed to further expand our global network and connect Africa with the rest of the word. We are also keen to better serve the U.S. by increasing our destinations and flight frequencies.”

12/01/2023

Croatia joining the Eurozone and Schengen area

Croatia officially joined the Schengen and eurozone from 1 January, having joined the EU in 2013.

Border control-free crossing will go into effect by air with all other Schengen countries in March. Meanwhile, the euro is already circulating in Croatia with about 70% of ATMs distributing the currency. The rest are expected to follow by Jan 15.

11/01/2023

‘Let’s not take two steps backwards’ – ACI World

Airports Council International World (ACI) has called on governments globally to take a co-ordinated and risk-based approach when managing inbound travellers from China, following the implementation of travel restrictions by several countries.

“We can’t repeat past mistakes. We are working with ICAO and other international organisations to protect connectivity – which is vital to fully restoring travel, trade, and tourism that provide economic and social benefits to communities worldwide,” says ACI World DG, Luis Felipe de Oliveira.

“As such, we welcome the Government of China’s plan to lift COVID-19 quarantine requirements for international arrivals. As the last major economy in the world to reopen its borders, the decision represents a key milestone in the recovery of air travel. We now call on them to go further and reassess their testing requirements as well.”

ACI World emphasises that, if any health-related travel measures are deemed necessary, they should be risk- and evidence-based, and that governments should aim to have a harmonised response and to co-ordinate this response with other countries and aviation stakeholders.

“Let’s not take two steps backwards but continue to move forward with the valuable lessons learned from the past,” De Oliveira concludes.

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11/01/2023

Airlines oppose govts on China entries

Airline and tourism bodies are clashing with governments on attitudes to visitors who have been in China where a COVID wildfire of unknown intensity rages.

Many countries say because of the opacity in Chinese reporting of its epidemic, it is impossible to make educated risk assessments, resulting in the need for reintroduction of PCR tests in some states, vaccination certificates in others, and in at least one, Morocco, a ban on visitors who have been in China.

The European Union has recommended to all its 27 Member States that testing requirements be imposed on all arrivals from China. Besides showing a negative COVID-19 test, travellers will also likely face a mask mandate on flights and random testing on arrival in the EU bloc.

Airlines represented by A4E (Airlines for Europe) and Iata, together with airports represented by ACI (Airports Council International) Europe, lament this recommendation.

According to Iata, the agreement is at odds with the assessment published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on January 3, which confirms that the current surge of COVID-19 cases in China is not expected to impact the epidemiological situation in the EU. This is because of the variants circulating in China already being present in the EU, as well as the higher immunity acquired by the EU population.

A4E, ACI Europe and Iata support getting away from testing passengers as a way of tracking COVID-19 altogether. The recommendation now is to test wastewater from airports and aircraft arriving from China as an alternative.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has also weighed in on the decision by countries around the world clamping down on travellers arriving from China, maintaining that “knee-jerk travel restrictions show that governments have learned nothing about the behaviour of this virus and continue to ignore the World Health Organization’s advice that border restrictions do not stop the virus mutating or moving around the globe”.

“After nearly three years, it is great news that China is finally opening up. Chinese visitors around the world contributed US$ 253 billion (R4,3 trillion) to the global economy in 2019, creating jobs and boosting regional economies. The recovery of the Chinese Travel & Tourism sector is very welcome,” says Julia Simpson, WTTC President and CEO.

“The reintroduction of ineffective COVID testing of Chinese travellers is a step backwards for the global travel and tourism sector,” Simpson adds.

More countries restrict travel from China

The latest nations to join those imposing new restrictions against travel from China are Ghana and the United Arab Emirates.

Travellers arriving in both countries from China must now show proof of a negative PCR test result no older than 48 hours before departure. Another test must be taken on arrival in Ghana, at no extra cost to the traveller.

11/01/2023

Thailand makes shock vax U-turn

Thailand has made a second rapid about-turn in two days, by announcing on Monday, January 9, that there would be no requirement for arrivals to carry proof of vaccination to enter the country.

This followed the Saturday, January 7, announcement that all incoming tourists would need proof of at least two doses of an approved COVID vaccine. This was Thailand’s initial response to the news that China was to allow its citizens to travel abroad freely from Sunday, January 8. Thailand clearly did not wish to offend the Chinese market by implementing special entry conditions for Chinese visitors as so many destinations have done. So it announced on Saturday that it would implement mandatory vaccination as a condition of entry for all visitors. This is now reversed.

Thai Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, said Thailand was now expecting 7-10 million Chinese visitors compared with an earlier estimate of five million. "This is a good sign for Thailand's tourism sector. The country's economy will recover rapidly after we've been devastated by COVID for the last three years."

The first flight with Chinese visitors since the pandemic started arrived in Thailand yesterday, carrying the first group of an expected 3 465 passengers on day one, Monday January 9.

Thailand will still require foreigners transiting Bangkok, whose next destination is a country requiring a negative pre-entry COVID-19 test, to show proof of health insurance for Thailand, covering treatment for the disease, in case they are unable to enter the next destination.

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11/01/2023

Nepal reinstates COVID test reports
Nepal has reinstated some of its COVID-related regulations following a surge in infection rates seen in several countries, including China, Japan and South Korea.

Less than a year after Nepal fully reopened to travel, all international travellers must produce either a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test result on arrival.

Hotel bookings and proof of travel insurance must also be presented, according to Simple Flying. However, there is no requirement for travellers to quarantine and those younger than five years are exempt from testing.

11/01/2023

Dubai drops booze tax

Dubai removed its 30 percent tax on alcohol on Sunday, January 8, along with the fee for a licence that individuals need to buy alcohol. This is according to local beverage distributors, reports the Financial Times.

The suspension is expected to last for a test period of one year.

Over 90% of Dubai’s population are foreign residents and alcohol has been widely available for several years, but the hefty municipality tax drove up alcohol prices in the city-state.

Alcohol distributors Maritime and Mercantile International said the move would likely boost the local hospitality industry.

The decision is the latest in a series of measures aimed at cementing Dubai’s position as the dominant hub for tourism and investment in the Middle East, as the semi-independent city-state in Muslim-majority United Arab Emirates is facing increasing competition from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

11/01/2023

China‘s backlash on COVID curbs

In an act of retaliation against recent restrictions on China arrivals into several countries, China has now suspended the issuance of short-term visas for travellers from South Korea and Japan.

South Korea and Japan are just two among several countries that have implemented restrictions on China since it abandoned its zero-COVID policy.

The Chinese embassy in Seoul announced yesterday (January 10) that it would no longer issue short-term visas to South Korean visitors and that the policy adjustment would remain in place until the discriminatory entry procedures against China, such as South Korea’s suspension of its issuance of short-term visas for Chinese nationals until the end of this month, had been removed.

Last week, South Korea introduced the requirement for travellers from China to undergo a PCR test on arrival, according to Reuters. Effective from Thursday (January 12), Chinese travellers will also need to provide a negative PCR test result taken within the 48 hours before departure or a negative Rapid Antigen test result taken within 24 hours before departure.

According to Kyodo News, China has also suspended the issuance of visas for travellers from Japan. Reservations for the visa procedures on the Chinese Visa Application Service Center website reportedly became unavailable in Japan yesterday, January 10.

Japan recently introduced the requirement for travellers from mainland China to provide proof of a negative test result taken prior to departure.

11/01/2023

Dutch air pax tax triples

Effective January 1, travellers departing from airports in the Netherlands will pay more than three times the air passenger tax they paid last year. It’s all part of an effort to reduce the number of flights out of Dutch airports and replace them with train travel because of its smaller carbon footprint, as the Netherlands and much of the rest of Europe get serious about reducing carbon emissions.

According to Travel Tomorrow, the tax per ticket on both short- and long-haul services has been increased from €7,95 (R143) to €26,43 (R477). This applies to all flights, even though long-haul train travel may not be available to a destination at all.

The country announced plans to increase the tax last year as part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The increase means a narrowing of the gap between air tickets and train fares (currently more expensive than airfares). The country hopes that, with a lesser differential, this will encourage travellers to choose rail travel as the more environmentally sustainable option.

But Air France KLM CEO, Marjan Rintel told the Financial Times in a December interview that KLM does not view trains as a competitor, and that she herself uses the train for regular travel between Paris and Amsterdam.

The Dutch government intends to limit movements to a maximum of 440 000 by November 2023, cutting them by more than 10%. Rintel said KLM had responded to this by block-booking seats on the train services linking Amsterdam to Brussels and Paris, and that KLM intended to allow the buying of flight and train sectors in a single booking. She said the airline was currently discussing easier transits and integrated baggage services with Dutch and French train companies.

European governments have already taken steps to move traffic off flights and on to trains. Air France, in the same group as KLM, has already stopped domestic routes where there are rail services with a duration of 150 minutes or less. About 12% of Air France’s domestic routes were removed from the schedule.

15/12/2022

BARSA WEBSITE IS NOW LIVE

We are delighted to announce that the BARSA website has been relaunched. Please check it out on www.barsa.co.za