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Today Air New Zealand has announced there are additional requirements for domestic travel along with updates on flexibility and their fast bag service. For travel from mid-December 2021, all customers aged 12 years and over will be asked to present proof of either full vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test before checking in to their domestic flights - providing customers with an extra layer of protection. Key points to note on the Air New Zealand vaccine policy: The initial period of this Air New Zealand vaccine pass policy will be 14 December 2021 - 31 March 2022. All vaccines and tests approved by the New Zealand Government will be accepted. Customers who are not fully vaccinated will be able to provide evidence of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours before departure – from either free community testing or their GP. A digital solution will make it as easy as possible. Customers can show proof of vaccination (or exemption) by uploading their QR code from the Government’s My Vaccine Pass. This can be done at check-in via our website, mobile app or at the kiosk. If customers don’t check in online before arriving at the airport, they can present their printed My Vaccine Pass at the airport or kiosk. Customers who have a negative test result taken within 72 hours before departure can present either the free community text message result or doctor’s letter at a check-in counter. Downloading the Air New Zealand mobile app will make the connection of your booking details and vaccination status seamless. Customer flexibility: The following flexibility applies for customers ticketed with domestic travel within New Zealand, for travel between 14 December 2021 and 31 March 2022, for tickets issued on or before 9 November 2021.Customers who are unable to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test before their flight or who no longer wish to travel whilst this temporary policy is in place, are able to hold their ticket in credit. Updates to Fast Bag service: Effective from today, eligible customers who meet the Fast Bag requirements, and request a Fast Bag at the check-in kiosk will have a Fast Bag designator automatically printed on their tag, for them to attach and drop at bag drop themselves. We hope this provides peace of mind and clarity around the steps our industry are taking to allow a safe and free summer. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

China is reimposing new lockdowns amid rising COVID-19 infections as the country recorded more than 100 cases across 11 provinces over the last week. Infections have been reported in nearly a third of the country’s provinces and regions, with all medium- and high-risk regions concentrated in Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Guizhou, and Beijing. Authorities have banned travel agencies from organising cross-provincial tours in these regions and heightened entry restrictions, requiring travellers from any areas with confirmed cases to present negative tests and undergo 14 days of health monitoring.

Effective November 8, foreign national air travelers to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to fly to the United States.

Canada unveils international travel vaccine passport — starting Nov. 30, you won’t be able to fly without it

South Africa will move to adjusted alert level one from Friday 1 October 2021. All COVID-19 health and safety protocols must be followed, including observance of guidelines for social distancing, sanitation, hygiene and use of appropriate personal protective equipment, like face masks. The following measures will be implemented: A curfew will be in place between midnight and 04h00 am. Should your travel to/from an airport fall outside of curfew hours, you will need to produce your ticket or travel itinerary to show your reason for travel. Gatherings are permitted however only a maximum of 750 people indoors and 2000 people outdoors will be allowed. Where a venue does not permit these numbers with appropriate social distancing, only 50% of the capacity of the venue will be permitted. Non-essential establishments such as restaurants, taverns, bars and fitness centers may open however will need to close by 23h00 pm in light of curfew. The sale of alcohol at retail outlets for off-site consumption is now permitted as per normal. The sale of alcohol for on-site consumption is permitted as per licensing conditions and up to 23h00pm. All international travellers arriving in South Africa must produce a negative PCR test, to be presented on arrival and not older than 72 hours from the date of departure from the country of origin.

Emirates will restart flights to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) from December 10, responding to the easing of international travel restrictions and an upsurge in passenger demand for winter sun. The airline will resume services to its second London gateway with a daily flight operated by a B777 aircraft, across First, Business and Economy class. By the end of December, the airline will offer 84 weekly flights to the UK, making it easier for UK customers to access Emirates' growing global network of over 120 destinations - close to 90 percent of Emirates' pre-pandemic network, and for international travellers to visit the UK.

Border restrictions on nonessential travel have been extended again, this time through Oct. 21, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said Monday. The restrictions were first implemented in March 2020 and have since been extended on a monthly basis.

The United States to ease travel restrictions on all fully vaccinated foreign visitors starting in November, the White House said Monday, relaxing a patchwork of bans that had begun to cause fury in Europe and replacing them with more uniform requirements for inbound international air passengers.

Saudia will return to Manchester Airport in December for the first time in 21 months as it relaunches its direct service to Jeddah. The first flight is set to depart on Wednesday, December 15th from the recently reopened Terminal Two, which has been expanded and modernized as part of a £1 billion transformation program.

South Africa will move to adjusted alert level two from Monday 13 September 2021. The following measures will be implemented: A curfew will be in place between 11h00 pm and 04h00 am. All gatherings are permitted however only a minimum of 250 people indoors and 500 people outdoors will be allowed. Where a venue does not permit these numbers, only 50% of the capacity of the venue will be permitted. Non-essential establishments such as restaurants, taverns, bars and fitness centers may open however will need to close by 22h00 pm in light of curfew. The sale of alcohol at retail outlets for off-site consumption is only permitted Monday to Friday, between 10h00 am and 18h00 pm. The sale of alcohol for on-site consumption is permitted as per licensing conditions and up to 22h00pm. All international travellers arriving in South Africa must produce a negative PCR test, to be presented on arrival and not older than 72 hours from the date of departure from the country of origin. A person entering the Republic must be subjected to screening on arrival at the point of entry, including the completion of a traveller health questionnaire. A person who, during screening, is found to have had exposure to COVID-19 or is presenting with any signs and symptoms of COVID-19, must be subjected to a medical examination which may include testing and isolation. A person who is not in possession of a valid negative COVID-19 PCR rest will be subject to antigen testing at the point of entry and may be subject to quarantine at an approved facility at his or her own cost. South Africans are permitted to travel freely internationally as mentioned during the ministerial brief on 30 September 2020, however will be required to check the entry requirements of the country they wish to travel to. With the emergence of COVID-19 variants, some countries have decided to restrict entry from South Africa for a period of time. Some entry restrictions and border closures remain in effect globally. Any returning South African citizens and residents will be subject to entry regulations and protocols and may be required to enter quarantine.

Saudi Arabia removed the UAE, Argentina, and South Africa from its entry-banned country list and re-allowed citizens to travel to the three countries starting September 8, state TV reported on Tuesday. The Ministry of Interior said the decision was based on the Kingdom's evaluation of the current Covid-19 situation, state media reported. The Saudi ministry has, however, stressed the importance of adhering to all the precautionary measures, according to a Saudi Press Agency report.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has announced that it is prepared for a boost in travel to and from Abu Dhabi following the government’s announcement to remove the quarantine requirement for all vaccinated travellers arriving from abroad. Fully vaccinated travellers with vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation can arrive from all international destinations without the need to quarantine. All travellers will require a PCR test within 48 hours of departure, a test on arrival and retesting on select days depending on the country they have travelled from. Unvaccinated travellers, however, should follow the rules according to the destination they are arriving from.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has confirmed a further extension to its reopening plans with the Phuket Sandbox 7+7 programme. The new system will provide fully-vaccinated international travellers with even more options to visit multiple Thai destinations bringing back the opportunity to enjoy multicentre, island-hopping itineraries, without the need to quarantine.The decision, however, comes against a backdrop of Thailand being added to the red list in the UK.

The striking and familiar livery of SAA will once again be visible in the skies as the airline resumes operations on Thursday, the 23rd of September 2021. Flights will open for ticket sales on Thursday, 26 th of August 2021 with Voyager bookings and Travel Credit Voucher redemption available from Monday, 6th of September 2021. The first phase of rebuilding SAA’s network will see the launch of flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town, Accra, Kinshasa, Harare, Lusaka and Maputo with more destinations to be added as market conditions allow.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that the EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate (DCC) and UK NHS Covid-19 Pass can now be uploaded into IATA Travel Pass. Both act as verified proof of vaccination for travel. Travelers holding an EU DCC or UK NHS Covid Pass can now access accurate Covid-19 travel information for their journey, create an electronic version of their passport and import their vaccination certificate in one place.

Emirates will restart flights to Newcastle Airport (NCL) from October 15th, responding to the easing of international entry protocols and an upsurge in passenger demand. The airline will resume services to the north-eastern hub with four weekly flights, all operated by B777 aircraft, across two classes.

Air Astana has unveiled plans to resume direct flights from Nur-Sultan, capital of Kazakhstan, to London Heathrow. The service will return on September 18th, initially with two frequencies per week on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Flights will be operated by the latest Airbus A321LR aircraft, with the flight time being seven hours and 15 minutes outbound to London and six hours and 30 minutes on the return to Nur-Sultan

Oman Air is increasing weekly flight frequencies from Muscat to Salalah in response to demand for travel during the Khareef season. An average of 41 weekly flights will be offered in each direction during August, up from 18 last month. Both Muscat-to-Salalah and Salalah-to-Muscat reached a total of 41 weekly flights and 7,820 weekly seats each way, for a grand total of 82 weekly flights and 15,640 weekly seats.

Ryanair has unveiled plans to add 11 new routes to its schedule this winter - perfect for those who missed out on a summer getaway. The schedule now includes over 2,000 weekly flights to over 400 destinations. Departures include new trips from Birmingham to Bucharest, Vilnius, Milan Bergamo and Turin, as well as flights from Bournemouth to Budapest and Wrocław.

Emirates is responding to a spike in travel demand across its network through the scaling up of its operations. The decision follows a recent announcements that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would be added to the amber list in the UK. At the same time, the UAE has eased entry protocols for 12 countries, including South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nigeria and Afghanistan.