Articles tagged “airports”

You can debate about in-flight studies on the risk of spreading infection. But American Airlines at least has the hard evidence that its guest-facing workers have a reported lower infection rate than the company as a whole or than the urban areas where they tend to work. That bodes well for a business travel rebound.

From government bailouts to layoffs, commercial airlines have taken drastic measures to stay afloat since Covid-19. Not Ethiopian – now operating out of the second largest capacity airport in Africa, while turning a profit and forging ahead with further expansion plans beyond its new state-of-art, bio-safety terminal.

New tech launched today in Seychelles spotlights the issues many border agencies will face when collecting coronavirus-related health data from travelers.

Even if Congress coughs up another $10 billion in aid to airports, the future looks murky. With airlines planning to contract, it's likely that some smaller airports could lose air service altogether.

The airport sector needs to invest in contactless tech and automation through the challenges. A recent product contest with vendors and a new accreditation program may help airports make progress.

Vendors are getting creative with pandemic-related services, like the following: Passport control via facial recognition. Contactless elevators. Food-ordering without needing an app. Luggage disinfection via ultraviolet light. Mask-detecting robots.

Mind the gap.

If airlines and travelers are counting on airport screenings and quarantines to be a effective counter-measures in the absence of a coronavirus vaccine, the CDC said these tactics will "have less impact" when transmissions are widespread. Everything depends on effective vaccines.

This week's coronavirus-related travel stories included Hong Kong legacy hotel competitors seeing a common threat, Blackstone has a Hilton playbook, Delta's CEO looked for a three-year recovery, and Expedia's new CEO got a private equity lifeline.

It's difficult to imagine that middle seats on planes will be permanently removed after a recovery takes place. That's why coronavirus testing is so important. But if passengers won't fly with another flyer at their elbows, then expect airfares to skyrocket.