UK government is set announce mandatory hotel quarantine for passenger arrivals, one whole year into this #COVID19 crisis.
During this next phase, measures (testing, screening) must *finally* be established so that UK can manage inbound/outbound passenger flow for the long term.
A year ago, I held several discussions with foreign governments, most concluded: coexistence is key. Air travel + #COVID19 can coexist if measures are in place
What UK aviation now needs 👇🏽
• Financial package to ensure there’s an aviation sector on the other side of this.
• Dedicated financial relief & support to wider aviation sector (not just airlines) that’s suffering because of the way in which #COVID19 has exploded across Britain
• Measures to stop UK exporting the new strain. 40+ countries have cut air travel ties with UK for a reason!
Aviation is a vector for #COVID19 transmission. It involves the moving of people from A to B, and on to C, D, etc.
No matter how safe cabin air is (and if everyone is masked up — it is) — the government *must* outline a long term strategy to have Air Travel + COVID19 coexist.
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Breaking: A passenger Boeing 737 is missing after losing contact with Indonesian authorities shortly after take off from Jakarta airport.
Sriwijaya Air flight #SJ182 is a 737-500 (classic narrow body airline jet) — the aircraft in question is 26 years old. More to follow.
Sriwijaya Air is Indonesia’s third largest airline, listed as a “Category 1” airline, the country’s highest safety rating
@flightradar24’s ADS-B data from #SJ182 shows the aircraft losing “more than 10,000 feet of altitude in less than 1 minute” less than 5 mins after departure
Breaking: Indonesia's transport ministry confirms a search and rescue operation is now under way after contact was lost with the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737, flight #SJ182 ⚠️
Breaking: UK will finally require ALL passengers travelling to UK to present a negative #COVID19 result (obtained 72 hrs before travel) in order to be permitted to depart to UK ✈️⚠️
Almost 1 year into the crisis, this is an easy mandate that shifts testing responsibility abroad.
While UK will continue its – no testing on arrival, no checks & no health screening for any passengers – position, the new “must test before you travel to UK” means government is finally following the long-list of countries who adopted this testing mandate multiple months ago ✈️
Over 50 countries around the world - from Kuwait to Colombia - have cut air travel ties with Britain due to ‘out of control’ #COVID19 spread
One diplomat told me tonight “UK should test to stop export, it is most infected country in the world per capita, not just prevent import”
Breaking: Saudi Arabia officially updates its NOTAMs to remove its airspace ban on Qatar, which lasted 3.5 years — a significant moment in the Middle East. #Qatar
Latest: Qatar Airways confirm the first commercial flight to overfly Saudi Arabia (for the first time in 3.5 years) will be QR1365 from Doha to Johannesburg, now en-route. #Qatar
Qatar A350 bound for South Africa becomes the country’s first commercial airline flight in 3.5 years to cross into Saudi Arabia’s airspace 👇🏽 #Gulf
Breaking: Saudi Arabia agree to open its airspace to Qatar (as well as its land and sea borders) - tonight - following the #GulfCrisis blockade that started back in 2017.
Reminder: In June 2017, Saudi, UAE, Bahrain & Egypt imposed airspace bans on Qatari jets (as part of the wider blockade) — a violation of their signed ICAO airspace treaties.
Last year, ICJ - highest court in world - ruled in favour of Qatar in Gulf airspace blockade.
This is an extremely significant moment for the entire Gulf, and for #Qatar
With Saudi reopening borders to Qatar after almost 4 years, and overflight for Qatari jets set to resume over Saudi Arabia imminently, much of the Middle East will be celebrating tonight’s announcement.
Breaking: Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 jet has crashed in Tehran, Iran shortly after take off according to Iranian state media
The aircraft involved is confirmed to be a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 (not to be confused with a 737 MAX — these are still grounded, worldwide) crashed several minutes after takeoff from Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran #PS752
Two important points to make while you’re processing the news of the UIA 737 crash
• Only Iran’s state media has stated the accident has occurred “due to tech problems” — without any investigation
• The video being widely shared (showing fireball) remains unverified
Breaking: British Airways has suspended ALL flights to Cairo, Egypt for seven days "as a precaution to allow for further assessment"
British Airways are citing “security reasons” for the immediate suspension of all Cairo, Egypt flights — unclear if it is in relation to tensions in nearby Gulf.
BA say the airline “would never operate an aircraft unless it was safe to do so” #Cairo