American Airlines is trialing a mobile app designed to prepare passengers for international travel by helping them navigate COVID-19 restrictions.

The US carrier has partnered with identity assurance company Daon to test the VeriFLY app on flights between its Miami hub and Jamaica from November 18.

The app aims to help travelers easily understand COVID-19 testing and documentation requirements for their destination and streamline airport check-in through digital verification that customers have completed the requirements.

READ: Cathay, airports welcome Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble.

American intends to expand it to other markets and is also working with multiple countries to further streamline the process and incorporate the app at destination airports.

This would mean customers have an expedited verification process on both ends of the travel journey.

“Piloting this new solution is a direct response to our customers’ increasing desire to explore more international travel opportunities,” said American Airlines president Robert Isom.

“The app will help us deliver a more seamless travel experience as we support demand return and put customers’ minds at ease that they are fully prepared for their trip.”

Passengers will need to create a secure profile on their mobile device and will then be prompted to confirm details for their trip such as flight information, a negative COVID-19 test that fulfills their destination’s requirements and other required documentation.

As travelers verify each required element for travel, the app verifies that the customer’s data matches a country’s requirements and displays a simple pass or fail message.

The airline says this simple message will streamline the check-in and document verification process at the airport before departure.

The app also provides travelers with reminders when their travel window is coming to a close or once their credential has expired.

Passengers using VeriFLY will get an expedited entry lane for testing verification in the Miami Airport’s North Terminal where they will be required to simply show their approved “pass” validation.

They will still be required to follow all rules and regulations for health and safety verification in their arrival countries.

Daon says VeriFLY stores travelers’ information in a secure manner.

Beleaguered carrier Cathay Pacific has welcomed a move to launch a Hong Kong-Singapore quarantine-free air travel bubble, expressing hope it will lead to similar moves elsewhere.

The move, announced jointly by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Singapore Tourism Board ahead of flights resuming November 22, was hailed as a milestone for the global tourism industry that demonstrated the close ties between the destinations.

Both destinations have already put in place city-wide certification programs for hygiene and safety.

READ: More signs of aviation life as Qantas plans lounge reopenings.

In the case of Hong Kong, authorities say this involves a scheme that aims to ensure every touchpoint of a visitors’ journey is covered by anti-epidemic measures.

HKTB executive director Dane Cheng described the agreement as “a hugely important moment that shows the world that safe international travel is possible, and paves the way for us to bring tourist flights to and from other markets.”

Cathay needed some good news after being hit hard by the pandemic as passenger revenues shrunk to as little as 2-3 percent of pre-crisis levels, prompting a $HK39 billion recapitalization of the company.

In October, it announced it would cut 5900 staff and asked pilots and cabin crew to agree to reduced pay and conditions as part of a corporate restructuring.

This included axing subsidiary Cathay Dragon and retiring the Dragon brand.

READ: Cathay slays the Dragon and slashes 5900 staff.

Cathay Pacific chief customer and commercial officer Ronald Lam welcomed the easing of restrictions with Singapore and said the airline was excited to facilitate the two-way quarantine-free travel bubble.

“Cathay Pacific is all ready to fly passengers safely and securely between the two cities under the new arrangement,’’ he said.

“We believe that this will be a milestone showcase for the opening of more, similar air travel bubbles with other popular destinations in the region and beyond.”

The Airports Council International Asia-Pacific also welcomed the move, describing at as much needed progressive step towards the recovery of the sector.

“This first-of-a-kind arrangement is a leading example of a risk-based approach that balances the risk of virus transmission with the need to re-establish connectivity based on a robust multi-layered approach of measures for the safety of all,” said ACI Asia-Pacific director-general Stefano Baronci.

“We call upon governments in the region to take note and follow suit for the sake of the survival of the aviation industry.”

ACI has repeatedly called for the safe re-opening of borders without quarantine by using a coordinated approach to testing.

It wants authorities, in consultation with the industry, deciding on testing prior to departure or upon arrival and away or on airport premises.

“The expectation of increasingly performant rapid tests will facilitate the introduction of accurate, cost-effective and simplified testing available to large numbers of passengers,” said Baronci.

“We encourage governments to mutually recognize test results based on a commonly-accepted protocol, preferably based on pre-departure tests, thereby saving the passenger the ordeal of being subjected to multiple tests on a round trip.

“We further call on states to bear the cost of these health measures in accordance with the World Health Organizations’ international health regulations.”

Qantas will have reopened 30 of its 35 domestic lounges by early December as border restrictions ease and the number of flights increases.

Qantas Clubs in Brisbane, Hobart, Coolangatta, Perth and Sydney will reopen from December 2 along with the business lounge in Melbourne and regional lounges in Devonport and Launceston.

Qantas began reopening its domestic lounges after closing them on March 23, along with their international counterparts, due to government restrictions.

READ: Rex boss promises Jetstar pricing on new 737 services.

“As more of our customers return to the skies, we’re delighted we can now reopen almost all of our lounges in time for Christmas,’’ said Qantas chief customer officer Steph Tully.

“We know how much our frequent flyers value being able to relax in our lounge with a bite to eat and a drink before their flight.

“It’s another step towards returning the travel experience back to normal. It also means more of our people can get back to work.”

Tully said the airline would keep a close eye on demand and would look at opening the remaining few lounges as borders opened and more flights were added.

“With Victoria continuing to do a fantastic job containing the virus we’re hopeful that restrictions will continue to ease, and we’ll be able to open our Melbourne Club lounge soon,’’ she added.

The lounges are subject to the airline’s “Fly Well” program and measures such as capping the number of passengers to comply with state-based restrictions on indoor gatherings.

A hosted all-day snacking station will also replace “self-serve”’ buffets and drink stations, where these are not allowed.

The news came as Virgin Australia said it would bring forward the reintroduction of four-times-weekly Melbourne-Hobart and Melbourne-Launceston services after the Tasmanian government eased border restrictions.

But the carrier warned it was seeing pent-up demand for the Christmas and summer holiday period and advised travelers to book early.

“Victorians have done a great job in helping to restore confidence in their tourism and travel industry,’’ a Virgin spokesman said.

“The border announcement by the Tasmanian Government is welcome news and will allow us to bring more of our people back to work and customers the opportunity to reunite with friends and family this Christmas.”

Regional Express (Rex) is looking at kicking off with nine return jet services a day between Sydney and Melbourne at a price similar to Jetstar’s but service that is better than Virgin Australia’s.

The airline also revealed longer-term aspirations to expand its operations to all Australian capital cities should the launch of the Boeing 737 services go well.

Rex executive chairman Lim Kim Hai told a CAPA Centre for Aviation virtual summit on Wednesday that the airline’s product, which has not yet been publicly revealed, would offer 95 percent of the features offered by full-service competitors.

“It may not have the full bells and whistles, but it will be practically everything that a full-service carrier would be offering,’’ he said.

READ: Boeing 737 to be approved next week says Reuters.

Lim confirmed that this would include a business class and lounges.

Rex has lounges in three capital cities which Lim said the airline would keep those facilities and could improve them.

He said pricing would be “around the Jetstar level” to target price-sensitive, discretionary travelers.

“However, our product offering will probably be superior to Virgin,’’ he said. “We wouldn’t be as ritzy as Qantas but all the basic elements would be there.

“So I would say Jetstar prices with twice the value of Jetstar, which means that even (in) the corporate market, the SME’s will find it very attractive.”

Rex intends to start Boeing 737 jet services in early March with three former Virgin Australia aircraft flying between Sydney and Melbourne. It plans to grow its presence to start flying to Brisbane from Easter.

The first of six 737-800s touched down in Sydney on November 5 and will be used for training ahead of proving flight for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in December.

Lim said the airline intended to  “wait a couple of months” after the initial launch and start increasing the fleet gradually and constantly if things were tracking well.

“As we bring in more aircraft we will go to all the capital cities and major cities in Australia,” he said.

“By the end of March we will be operating five (aircraft), and by July onwards, if the environment is favorable, we’ll constantly adding aircraft in at the rate of one every month or one every six weeks.”

When CAPA chairman emeritus Peter Harbison noted the expansion was “pretty aggressive”, Lim said: “Well, Australia is a big country and there’s a lot of domestic flying going on.”

Lim said he did not expect problems getting landing and take-off slots at Sydney Airport because of the impact of COVID and the reduced take-up by existing carriers.

He predicted about 35 percent of slots would not be taken up and Rex would need just 10 percent.

“So that is a huge buffer of slots,’’ he said.

The Rex CEO said he expected a federal government direction to the competition watchdog to prevent anti-competitive behavior among airlines and a review of the slot scheme would help foster competition.

Asked about synergies with the airline’s existing regional network, the executive chairman said he expected the passenger feed to be between 15 and 20 percent.

“So there is synergy in terms of the passenger numbers traveling on the same airline from regional to domestic but it’s not that that is going to make the difference,’’ he said.

“I think what’s going to make the difference is experience and savoir-faire of running a good airline.”

A move by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad to transform into a mid-size carrier has been accompanied by an exodus of executives and job fears from pilots.

The move to shrink its operations will see the Gulf carrier concentrate on its fleet of widebody aircraft with what it describes as a “leaner, flatter and scalable structure” aimed at supporting organic growth as air travel resumes.

This may include retiring its 10 Airbus A380 superjumbos but it has pledged to continue its focus on safety, security and service, including its “Etihad Wellness” health and hygiene program.

READ: Virgin share transfer receives court approval

“As a responsible business, we can no longer continue to incrementally adapt to a marketplace that we believe has changed for the foreseeable future,’’ Etihad group chief executive Tony Douglas said in a statement announcing significant management changes.

“That is why we are taking definitive and decisive action to adjust our business and position ourselves proudly as a mid-sized carrier.

“The first stage of this is an operational model change that will see us restructure our senior leadership team and our organisation to allow us to continue delivering on our mandate, ensuring long-term sustainability, and contributing to the growth and prominence of Abu Dhabi.”

Reuters reported that the airline warned pilots of immediate compulsory layoffs in a letter seen by the news agency.

“The hard reality is that, despite all hopes, our industry is simply not recovering quick enough and we will continue to be a much smaller airline for some time,” pilots were told in an email distributed on Monday,’’ the letter said.

“Based on all these factors, it has become clear that we have no choice but to further reduce our workforce.”

The move to flatten its management structure will see the airline consolidate and transfer roles as executives leave.

The departure of chief commercial officer Robin Kamark will see the business units within his department separated and transferred under the leadership of chief operating officer Mohammad Al Bulooki,  chief financial officer Adam Boukadida and Terry Daly, who will assume the role of executive director guest experience, brand & marketing. Daly’s responsibilities will include the airline’s loyalty program.

A busy Al Bulooki will assume responsibility for network planning, sales, revenue management, cargo & logistics, commercial strategy planning, and alliances, in addition to his existing portfolio.

Also leaving is senior vice president sales and distribution Duncan Bureau, His portfolio will be taken on by  Martin Drew alongside his current responsibilities as managing director for cargo & logistics.

The departure of chief transformation officer Akram Alami will see the procurement and supply chain department and the transformation office move under the leadership of Boukadida, who also assumes responsibility for analytics.

Chief human resources and organizational development officer Ibrahim Nassir gains responsibility for asset management.

Mutaz Saleh will be leaving his position as chief risk and compliance officer and his responsibilities will be split between general counsel Henning zur Hausen and Boukadida.

Chief digital officer Frank Meyer, chief engineering officer Abdul Khaliq Saeed, and chief investments officer Andrew Macfarlane continue in their positions.

The sale of Virgin Australia is expected to be completed next week after the Federal Court gave the green light for the transfer of the airline’s shares to Bain Capital.

A short order posted November 10 by Federal Court judge John Middleton granted an application by administrators Deloitte to complete the transfer, despite objections by two shareholders.

Bain’s takeover of Virgin will see a change in chief executive from incumbent Paul Scurrah to former Jetstar boss Jayne Hrdlicka as the airline continues to restructure and reduce costs.

It has been adding routes and frequencies as domestic border restrictions ease and predicted recently that it would be flying 45 Boeing 737s by December with the aim of eventually boosting its fleet to 75.

Recent additions include expanded options to destinations such Ballina-Byron, Hamilton Island and Adelaide and increased frequencies between Brisbane and Adelaide.

See Virgin’s network here.

The airline is also offering passengers increased flexibility with the ability to change bookings up until January 31, 2021, alongside a range of health and wellbeing reassurances for customers who may be uncertain about traveling during this time.

Virgin ditched its regional aircraft as part of a fleet rationalization but has subsequently applied to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to work with Brisbane’s Alliance Airlines to serve regional destinations.

Hopes are also fading that Bain will retain its Western-Australia-based Virgin Australia regional Airlines (VARA) as a fully-functioning unit for fly-in, fly-out and scheduled passenger operations.

READ: Virgin Australia Regional Airlines operations under a cloud.

The Alliance authorization would enable airlines to work more closely and give passengers more flexibility when booking regional travel on both carriers.

It would allow the carriers to utilise a combined fleet as well as coordinate and determine pricing, capacity and scheduling on 40 regional routes around Australia.

Alliance recently received the first of 14 Embraer E190s it has ordered as it defies the COVID-19 trend and expands its fleet, moving beyond the Fokker workhorses that have underpinned its success.

But Virgin faces increased competition on the lucrative “golden triangle” as Regional Express uses former Virgin planes to start Boeing 737 services.

Airlines and aviation workers have joined forces to call for urgent government action to prevent a COVID-19 employment catastrophe in the industry.

The joint call by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) comes after recent estimates put the number of aviation jobs at risk worldwide at 4.8 million as travel demand in August 2020 remained 75 percent below 2019 levels.

READ: IATA warns of catastrophic job losses for 2021.

The Air Transport Action Group blames COVID-related border restrictions and quarantine measures for effectively closing down the aviation industry.

While there is renewed hope of a vaccine becoming available next year, the prospect remains uncertain and will take time to flow through even if correct.

IATA and the ITF reiterated calls to provide continued support to the aviation industry and for the safe re-opening of borders without quarantine by implementing a global system of COVID testing.

They also want a roadmap for the long-term recovery of the industry, including investment in workforce retraining and upskilling as well as in green technologies such as sustainable aviation fuels.

IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac said the global aviation industry was in a state of “prolonged crisis”, warning that almost 80 percent of wage replacement schemes would run out by the end of the year.

Without urgent intervention from governments, he said, airlines would witness the biggest jobs crisis the industry has ever seen.

“Aviation faces an unprecedented employment catastrophe,’’ de Juniac said.

“Airlines have cut costs to the bone, but have just 8.5 months of cash left under current conditions.

“Tens of thousands of jobs have already been lost, and unless governments provide more financial relief, these are likely to increase to the hundreds of thousands.

“Aviation plays an essential role in connecting nations and carrying essential cargo, and it is in governments’ own interests to offer further financial aid to keep the industry viable.

“But more importantly, governments need to work together to safely re-open borders. That means putting in place a global scheme for testing passengers for COVID-19. With that in place, quarantine can be removed and passengers can have the confidence to fly again”

ITF general secretary Stephen Cotton said the catastrophic jobs crisis could be avoided “ with a clear coordinated strategy built on relief, recovery and reform”.

“The world’s aviation workers are calling on governments to act now, deliver the financial support that will protect their jobs and to commit to working with trade unions and employers to support the industry’s long-term recovery,’’ Cotton said.

“The aviation workforce is a skilled workforce that has been, and will continue to be, vital to nations’ COVID response and recovery.

“If governments fail to act and support aviation, not only will they hurt the industry, the impacts will be hard felt by society at large.”

Melbourne’s second airport will get some Christmas cheer with Jetstar flying to Avalon for the first time in almost nine months from December 18.

Better still, the low-cost carrier is offering fares on the twice-daily service from $71 one-way.

READ: COVID vaccine news sends airlines soaring

The return follows the New South Wales government’s announcement last week that borders will open to Victoria.

This will be the first time Jetstar has operated between the two destinations since March 31 and represents around 40 percent of flights on the route compared to the same time last year.

“We’re excited to bring back low fares to Avalon, helping to reconnect family and friends and give more people the opportunity for a holiday after what has been a tough period for many,’’ said Jetstar chief executive Gareth Evans.

“We’ve seen huge demand for flights between Victoria and New South Wales since last week’s announcement, so we expect travelers will be quick to take advantage of our low fares out of Avalon.

“As well as providing a direct link to Sydney, the resumption of services will help boost tourism back into Victoria, with Avalon being the gateway to the state’s famous Great Ocean Road.”

The airline said it would continue to monitor the easing of restrictions between Victoria and other states and will add more flights from Avalon where there is demand.

It said customers with existing bookings between Avalon and Sydney prior to December 18, as well as customers with existing bookings to Gold Coast and Adelaide in December (where the borders have not opened to Victoria), will be contacted in the coming days with a range of alternative options.

The Qantas Group has been pushing hard to get domestic borders re-opened and has been particularly critical of the Queensland government’s decision not to open up to the Greater Sydney region.

The group has announced nine new routes since border restrictions began easing in September, including three from Canberra.

They are: Canberra-Sunshine Coast, Canberra-Cairns, Canberra-Hobart, Perth-Hobart, Sydney-Merimbula, Brisbane-Tamworth, Brisbane-Port Macquarie, Sydney-Launceston and Canberra-Gold Coast.