TWTWTW 1 June – 5 June. A short week, in which grand statements met reality
Most of Europe took a long weekend on Monday. It may be the last time it gets to do so. In France, there are moves afoot to take it away, to catch up time spent in lockdown. Still, the weather was glorious, as befits Pentecost, and everyone got to take a deep breath.
Because Tuesday saw Qatar Airways’ chief executive flex his muscles and tell the world’s two largest aircraft manufacturers they better give him what he wants or… Like all other airlines that have aircraft orders with Airbus and Boeing, Akbar Al Baker wants deliveries pushed back owing to the Covid-19 traffic slump. “We are negotiating with both Boeing and Airbus to fulfil our requirement to defer and we hope that both the manufacturers will oblige,” he told Reuters. “They have no other alternative to oblige and if they make it difficult to oblige, we will keep them in mind and we will not do business with them again.” Really? That threat only works up to a point.
But the urge to overstate is obviously catching because in Montreal, IACO Council president Salvatore Sciacchitano made another grand statement. “The world needs aviation and aviation today is in great need of ICAO,” he proclaimed as he presented the UN body’s guidelines to support the restart and recovery of global air travel. The ‘Take-Off’ guidelines “will now align public and private sector actions and mitigations as we get the world flying again,” he boasted during an online media briefing, while expressing confidence in the cooperation of the world’s governments. “The council that adopted the report is composed of 36 representatives of member states. So, in this sense, I am very much confident that the guidelines will be implemented.” Don’t hold your breath. How has that worked out in the past? The European Commission and EASA also issued a blueprint for a coordinated restart of air travel across the bloc and so far EU countries—7 of which are also ICAO Council members—are opening frontiers, removing travel bans, and imposing health safety measures on their own terms and at their own pace.
On Wednesday Michael O’Leary thought it necessary to turn to the Financial Times to gain support for his mission to stop the virtually unconditional stream of state aid to Europe’s flag carriers. “Today’s bailouts are regressive, unfair and unlawful. They will set the clock back, threatening the future of European aviation at least as much as the pandemic itself,” the Ryanair CEO wrote in an op-ed. Obviously, extremely irked by France’s €7 billion bailout of Air France, Italy’s €3 billion recapitalization of Alitalia and Germany’s €9 billion rescue package to Lufthansa, the boss of Europe’s largest LCC (again) called on the European Commission “to tackle the biggest distortion of all: the bias in favor of national airlines from big countries with deep pockets.” After all we have been through, he wrote, it would be “a tragedy” if European air transport emerges from the pandemic less competitive than before, with inefficient monopolies effectively renationalized and free to increase fares, reduce choice and engage in predatory conduct that drives low-cost competitors from the market.” Stop. Inhale. Think. Is O’Leary predicting Lufthansa & Co will drive Ryanair and Wizz Air from the market? Drive other LCCs from the market, perhaps…
ICAO’s Sciacchitano might be confident the UN body’s guidelines to support the recovery of global air travel will be implemented on a global scale, but Europe’s airlines and airports are not rushing to adopt the guidelines developed by Europe’s aviation safety agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Thursday saw EASA reveal that so far 10 airlines and airport operators from across Europe –yes, 10, count them, ten—had committed to abide by its guidelines. EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky nonetheless appeared satisfied. “I am delighted to welcome these first implementers of our guidelines and charter,” he said. “These airlines and airports will lead the way in applying the recommended measures and will share their experiences with us. This will help us to reach the ultimate goal of harmonised, health-safe travel across Europe and to destinations beyond.” On the list from the airport side: Spanish airport operator AENA, Athens International Airport, Brussels Airport, Fraport, Milan Malpensa and Linate Airport operator SEA Aeroporti di Milano, Aéroport Nice Côte d’Azur and Paris Charles De Gaulle. From the airlines, only Aegean Airlines, easyJet and Wizz Air are on board. Noteworthy absentees include Europe’s busiest airport (by 2019 passenger data), Heathrow, and Europe’s largest airline groups, Ryanair, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and IAG. Ryanair even appears not to have read all the EASA guidelines or choose to ignore some of them. The LCC is advising passengers to “choose priority [boarding] & 2 cabin bags to keep your luggage with you,” whereas EASA recommends airlines minimise the amount of hand luggage taken into the cabin, in order to expedite the boarding and disembarking procedure and to reduce the movements and potential contamination in the cabin. “Operators should promote the carriage of luggage in the cargo compartments by implementing incentive policies,” it advises.
On Friday, British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair launched a last-ditched attempt to halt the UK government’s imposition of 14-day quarantine requirements from June 8 and threatened to take legal action arguing the measure is “disproportionate and unfair” on British citizens as well as international visitors arriving in the UK. Meanwhile, prime minister Boris Johnson appears to be doubting his own policy and reportedly is keen to put so-called “air bridges” in place to neutralise the quarantine rules. These bilateral deals would allow British holidaymakers to travel abroad without needing to self-isolate for two weeks on return. Only trouble is finding countries happy to have visitors from a place with such terrible infection rates…