Star Alliance CEO calls for regulators to screen and test rather than quarantine
Star Alliance CEO Jeffrey Goh said regulators and government authorities should test passengers rather than barring them from entry as air travel is "not the cause of infections". Mr Goh said there will need to be "quite a conversation with authorities to bring down restrictions", and there are still countries which favour quarantine over screening and testing.
Wizz Air CEO expects aviation industry will recover from crisis in five to 10 years
Wizz Air CEO József Váradi predicted the the aviation industry will recover from the coronavirus crisis in five to 10 years. Mr Váradi said: "It will take a long, long time for many airlines, especially the inefficient high cost legacy carriers". Wizz Air expects to recover in one year. Mr Váradi noted: "I'm very upbeat with regard to the prospects of this airline, and our prospect is very different from the perspective of the industry".
WHO Emergency Committee chair supports more use of testing over quarantine
World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Committee chair Didier Houssin said the use of rapid coronavirus tests is "certainly now supposed to have a much larger place compared to quarantine", and testing would "certainly facilitate things considering all the efforts which have been made by airlines and by airports". The WHO plans to release "more advice for countries in terms of the risk management process" he said.
IATA: Africa's governments must free up funding & ease quarantine restrictions to prevent 'calamity'
IATA DG and CEO Alexandre de Juniac stated Africa's governments need to "act fast to prevent a calamity" in the region's aviation sector. Mr de Juniac called to free up "committed" financial relief, noting that little of the more than USD31 billion in pledged funding has been provided. He also urged governments to reopen borders with an emphasis on testing as opposed to quarantine, citing the significant traffic impacts recorded as a result of quarantine requirements.
Avinor: Traffic still 'very much affected' by coronavirus pandemic
Avinor director of traffic development Gaute Skallerud Riise stated traffic is still "very much affected" by the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Riise said traffic figures in Oct-2020 show about the same year-on-year decline as Sep-2020 traffic figures. Mr Riise added: "In the transition from Oct-2020 to Nov-2020, traffic, especially domestic, has fallen markedly compared to previous weeks. We attribute this mainly to the strict restrictions that have been introduced".
Fiji 'has taken the first step to creating the Bula Bubble': Fiji Attorney General
Fiji's Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said: "Fiji has taken the first step to creating the Bula Bubble" for Australian and New Zealand passengers due to the "majority" of Fiji's tourists originating from the two countries. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said: "We are opening up a Bula Bubble with them under certain conditions and recognising the fact that they have dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic in a manner that is credible to our health authorities", adding the travellers would receive a coronavirus test on arrival and prior to departure to avoid quarantine on return to Australia and New Zealand.
Cvent: Virtual event technologies puts companies in stronger position for in-person event restart
Cvent CEO and founder Reggie Aggarwal said the addition of virtual and hybrid meeting capabilities by companies to build on their in-person meetings and event capabilities "allow companies to grow their audience, ushering in what we call the golden age of events". The introduction of virtual event technologies has "also allowed companies to keep their meetings and events staff on board, which puts the organizations in a stronger position to hit the ground running when in-person meetings ramp up again".