Israel reopened its borders to foreign tourists on Sunday after a fall in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> infections but said it would take time for visitors to start arriving and to revive the tourism industry.

Under an easing of coronavirus restrictions, the government went ahead with a plan to start letting in small groups of tourists from countries using vaccines it has approved.

Foreign airlines are also resuming flights they suspended when Palestinian militants began rocket attacks on Israel this month. A ceasefire has now halted the fighting, helping the government meet Sunday's target date for starting the plan.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israeli-strike-puts-sole-gaza-covid-lab-out-of-action-ministry-385816">Israeli strike puts sole Gaza Covid lab out of action: Ministry</a>

But registration for the Tourism Ministry's plan opened only last week, so the number of visitors will initially be limited.

"It is unlikely that the first groups will arrive before the beginning of June," a Tourism Ministry spokeswoman said.

Tourism in 2019 hit a record high of 4.55 million visitors, contributing 23 billion shekels ($7.1 billion) to Israel's economy, mainly via small and mid-sized businesses.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fauci-expects-covid-19-vaccines-for-kids-in-late-2021-sees-need-for-booster-shot-386496">Fauci expects COVID-19 vaccines for kids in late 2021, sees need for booster shot</a>

Under a pilot programme due to continue until June 15, Israel gave the green light to visits by 20 groups of between 5 and 30 tourists from countries including the United States, Britain and Germany.

Another 20 groups were chosen to be on standby if any of the first 20 tour operators did not meet Israel's conditions.

Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen said the ministry was working to allow more tourists to enter to "rehabilitate the tourism industry and bring hundreds of thousands of people back into the workforce".

Israeli authorities believe that initially limiting tourism to small groups is the best way to monitor and contain the spread of COVID-19, especially new variants. The plan is to boost the number of groups in June and allow individual tourists to start visiting in July.

Visitors will need to show negative PCR tests before flying and to undergo further tests on arrival.

Israel has fully vaccinated about 55 per cent of its population and COVID-19 cases have dropped sharply.

El Al Israel Airlines Chairman David Brodet said separately on Sunday that he would step down. The government approved a $210 million bailout package for El Al this month that was conditional on steep spending cuts and the airline's owners injecting more cash.

Israel reopened its borders to foreign tourists on Sunday after a fall in COVID-19 infections but said it would take time for visitors to start arriving and to revive the tourism industry.

Israel reopened its borders to foreign tourists on Sunday after a fall in COVID-19 infections but said it would take time for visitors to start arriving and to revive the tourism industry. Under an easing of coronavirus restrictions, the government went ahead with a plan to start letting in small groups of tourists from countries using vaccines it has approved. Foreign airlines are also resuming flights they suspended when Palestinian militants began rocket attacks on Israel this month. A ceasefire has now halted the fighting, helping the government meet Sunday's target date for starting the plan. Also Read | Israeli strike puts sole Gaza Covid lab out of action: Ministry But registration for the Tourism Ministry's plan opened only last week, so the number of visitors will initially be limited. "It is unlikely that the first groups will arrive before the beginning of June," a Tourism Ministry spokeswoman said. Tourism in 2019 hit a record high of 4.55 million visitors, contributing 23 billion shekels ($7.1 billion) to Israel's economy, mainly via small and mid-sized businesses. Also Read | Fauci expects COVID-19 vaccines for kids in late 2021, sees need for booster shot Under a pilot programme due to continue until June 15, Israel gave the green light to visits by 20 groups of between 5 and 30 tourists from countries including the United States, Britain and Germany. Another 20 groups were chosen to be on standby if any of the first 20 tour operators did not meet Israel's conditions. Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen said the ministry was working to allow more tourists to enter to "rehabilitate the tourism industry and bring hundreds of thousands of people back into the workforce". Israeli authorities believe that initially limiting tourism to small groups is the best way to monitor and contain the spread of COVID-19, especially new variants. The plan is to boost the number of groups in June and allow individual tourists to start visiting in July. Visitors will need to show negative PCR tests before flying and to undergo further tests on arrival. Israel has fully vaccinated about 55 per cent of its population and COVID-19 cases have dropped sharply. El Al Israel Airlines Chairman David Brodet said separately on Sunday that he would step down. The government approved a $210 million bailout package for El Al this month that was conditional on steep spending cuts and the airline's owners injecting more cash.

Israel reopens borders to small groups of foreign tourists

Singapore and Australia are discussing the possibility of an air travel bubble that would allow residents to travel between the two countries without the need for quarantine, the city-state`s foreign ministry said on Sunday.

Singapore is discussing with Australia the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates and resumption of travel with priority for students and business travellers, the ministry said in a statement.

The Australian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Singapore, an Asian transportation hub, is keen to revive its travel and tourism industry. After bringing its COVID-19 infections under control, it has been unilaterally easing quarantine requirements for travellers from Australia and a handful of other countries, such as New Zealand and China.

A planned Singapore-Hong Kong air-travel bubble, which had been set to begin last November, has stalled after Hong Kong saw a resurgence of COVID-19 infections.

Singapore and Australia are discussing the possibility of an air travel bubble that would allow residents to travel between the two countries without the need for quarantine, the city-state`s foreign ministry said on Sunday.

Singapore and Australia are discussing the possibility of an air travel bubble that would allow residents to travel between the two countries without the need for quarantine, the city-state`s foreign ministry said on Sunday. Singapore is discussing with Australia the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates and resumption of travel with priority for students and business travellers, the ministry said in a statement. The Australian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Singapore, an Asian transportation hub, is keen to revive its travel and tourism industry. After bringing its COVID-19 infections under control, it has been unilaterally easing quarantine requirements for travellers from Australia and a handful of other countries, such as New Zealand and China. A planned Singapore-Hong Kong air-travel bubble, which had been set to begin last November, has stalled after Hong Kong saw a resurgence of COVID-19 infections.

Singapore says discussing possible air travel bubble with Australia

A day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans to stay home for Thanksgiving, more than 1 million people in the United States got on planes, marking the second day that more than 1 million people have flown since March. Nearly 3 million additional people have flown in the days since.

The high number of travelers speaks to a sense of pandemic fatigue that many people are experiencing. For some, the desire to see family is worth the risk of potentially getting the coronavirus while traveling.

But it’s important to remember that the current number of people flying, while increasing, pales in comparison to the number who still find the idea of getting on a plane frightening. In the 11-day period around Thanksgiving last year, a record 26 million people flew. This year, fewer than half that number are likely to travel.

How safe is flying? Numerous studies on that question have been published in the months since the pandemic brought travel to a halt in March. Many of them suggest that the risk of contracting the coronavirus while flying is very low.

Infectious disease, health care and aerospace engineering experts say that the studies — by the Defense Department, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and others — are accurate, in part, but they all have limitations.

One much-publicized study on flying, conducted by the Defense Department, found that “overall exposure risk from aerosolized pathogens, like coronavirus, is very low” and concluded that a person would have to be sitting next to an infectious passenger for at least 54 hours to get an infectious dose of the virus through the air. But the “54-hour” number has since been removed from the report at the request of the authors, who worried it was being misinterpreted.

Although there has been no evidence of plane flights causing many superspreader events, there have been cases of transmission. In September, a man flying from Dubai to New Zealand tested negative for the virus, but was, in fact, infected and passed it on to other passengers. The flight had 86 passengers and seven of them tested positive for the virus when they arrived in New Zealand, despite having worn masks and gloves. The seven passengers had been sitting within four rows of each other and the virus’s genetic sequence in six of seven of the positive passengers was identical.

In October, Irish officials, in a report in Eurosurveillance, a journal published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said that 13 of 49 passengers on a 7 1/2-hour flight to Ireland tested positive for the virus, and another 46 who came in contact with the passengers in Ireland became infected.

How can you make sense of the science? What are the risk points? Here’s what we know.

<h2>What do the numbers tell us?</h2>

Or, more accurately, what don’t they tell us? We know that the coronavirus has been transported by people traveling from one place to another on planes, but we don’t know exactly how many people have contracted the virus on a plane, epidemiologists and aviation experts said. In order to know how many people caught the virus on a single flight, everyone on the flight would have to be tested as soon as they got off.

“The people who are positive as soon as they got off a plane were probably positive during their flight,” said David Freedman, an infectious disease doctor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

All the passengers would then need to be tested several times over a few weeks while they were isolated to ensure they didn’t get the virus after landing.

<h2>Everyone agrees airplane air is well-filtered.</h2>

Experts from various fields agree that the air on a plane cabin is filtered very well and the chances of getting the coronavirus while on a plane in flight are low. That’s because most planes have what are known as high-efficiency particulate air filters. HEPA is a designation describing filters that can trap 99.97% of particles that are at least 0.3 microns in size.

“Hospital-grade filtration occurs, and there are standards associated with that,” said Michael Popescu, a principal aerospace aircraft systems engineer, adding that the fiberglass sheets that make up the filters on planes have diameters between half a micron and 2 microns.

Air is pushed through the filter, and particles are trapped inside. Smaller particles are slowed down and kept from passing through the filter when they meet with molecules of gas, increasing the chances of their being trapped. Viruses like the coronavirus are smaller than the filters, but they tend to cluster on the larger droplets of moisture that get trapped.

Most planes recycle 25% to 30% of cabin air. The air being recycled passes through the HEPA filter, which traps virus particles. The other 70% to 75% of air is evacuated overboard every couple of minutes, meaning there is new air in the cabin every two to five minutes, depending on the size of the plane.

“The air circulation on a plane is better than in an office building, better than your apartment because the air is changed more times per hour — most planes change several times per hour, plus it’s filtered, which isn’t the case in your office or apartment,” Freedman said.

<h2>But filtration is not enough.</h2>

Ventilation is just one piece of the puzzle, said Saskia Popescu, an infection prevention epidemiologist in Arizona. (She is married to Michael Popescu.) Distancing and masking are also important to mitigate risk, and are the other key components for keeping the coronavirus from spreading, whether on planes or elsewhere.

Earlier in the year, when it first became known that social distancing could mitigate chances of getting the coronavirus, many airlines began leaving middle seats open to create more space between passengers. In recent months, however, many airlines have reversed their policies and begun seating people in all seats and saying that they are mandating mask-wearing policies, which will keep passengers safe.

Researchers said that airlines should be enforcing both social distancing policies — like leaving middle seats open — and mask wearing. Having fewer people on a plane means that there’s less of a risk of people coming into contact with someone who has the virus, said Qingyan Chen, a professor at Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering. “Having fewer people on the plane is key,” he said. “Fewer passengers means fewer patients, and by keeping the middle seat open airlines might remove 40% of the risk.”

A study done by scientists at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said that “when a plane exceeds 60% load factors (percent of seats occupied), it is no longer possible to rely on physical distancing alone to mitigate the risk of virus transmission.”

Freedman and Chen emphasized that people should not be flying with homemade masks, bandannas or neck gaiters.

“For the purposes of flying, people should be wearing proper surgical/medical grade masks — the ones you can buy in boxes of 50 at a time,” Freedman said, adding that it would be wise for airlines to make it standard practice to hand out surgical masks to travelers.

<h2>And flying isn’t just sitting on a plane.</h2>

Many studies focus on the in-air cabin experience, not the parts of traveling that involve interaction with other people, often in proximity. The Harvard study focused on the three phases of air travel: boarding, cruising and deplaning.

“Each of these segments involves unique activities, such as storing and retrieving luggage, using seat trays while eating, using entertainment systems, standing in the aisle and using the lavatory,” the study’s authors wrote.

When a plane is on the ground, its air supply can come from a number of places. That air is then mixed and distributed to the cabin. One source is from the airplane auxiliary power unit, or APU, with the plane’s engine in operation. That process uses fuel and can cause noise and emissions at the airport. Air supply can also come from an airport ground source like the jet-bridge that’s known as preconditioned air, or PCA. That means air is not being circulated at the usual rate. Researchers suggest that airlines should use air from the APU for improved filtration.

“This is important since, during that time, people are exerting themselves resulting in increased respiratory levels for a brief period, raising the potential for infectious aerosols to be exhaled into the cabin,” the Harvard study notes.

Researchers also suggest that people bring smaller and fewer bags onboard, which would cut down on their exertion and reduce encounters with other travelers also putting things in the overhead bins.

Over the summer, Michael Schultz, an engineer at Dresden University’s Institute of Logistics and Aviation in Germany, and Jörg Fuchte, a senior specialist at the German aerospace company Diehl Aviation, found that the amount and type of hand luggage people brought onto the plane as carry-ons affected how long everyone was standing in line and the number of close contacts. They concluded that by reducing hand luggage, the number of close contacts encountered would be reduced by two-thirds.

The deplaning process tends to be smoother than boarding, since people naturally move in order of rows, so travelers don’t have as much to worry about. The jetway, however, can be an area of risk if too many people are allowed on without appropriate distancing, several experts said. Travelers should remain distanced from others during this process, they said, and the plane’s ventilation systems should remain on.

“The deplaning process can be enhanced by having passengers remain in their seats until directed to leave by a crew member,” the Harvard researchers suggest.

<h2>Eating and using the bathroom pose risks</h2>

Like in the cabin, air in a plane’s bathrooms is continually changed. Toilets on planes use a vacuum system to move waste to the holding tank from the toilet, so when you flush, air is pulled in through the vacuum.

“Airplane bathrooms are particularly dangerous for two reasons,” said Chen. First, he said, is the fact that you may touch surfaces that an infected passenger has just touched. “The second thing is that human waste like stool and urine contains COVID-19, and when you flush the toilet it will cause some particles to escape,” he went on. “The smaller particles carry over and could enter the air. If I have COVID-19 and use the toilet and flush and someone else comes in immediately after, that’s a risk. So far we have no evidence of people getting sick like that, but according to our models we found that this is possible.” (Over the summer this became known as “toilet plume.”)

For those reasons, experts suggest waiting 30 seconds or longer before going into a bathroom that someone else has just exited and using a tissue or paper towel so you aren’t touching surfaces like doorknobs and faucets with bare hands.

Chen also suggests that airlines stagger eating times so everyone isn’t unmasked at the same time.

“Airlines serve food to everyone at the same time, and it’s very bad because it means everyone is taking off their masks at the same time and all the particles are in the air then,” he said.

<h2>Your actions off the plane matter too.</h2>

Chen also pointed to the fact that people likely have more to worry about before getting on the plane, when they are in the terminal, going through security or sitting in airport restaurants and bars.

Others agreed. “In hospitals, people think patient interaction is highest risk, so they take a break unmasked or do charting unmasked or when they’re chatting with colleagues they take off a mask, and that’s similar to how people perceive risk in airports,” Saskia Popescu said.

“People think the plane is the riskiest, so they’ll get food and a drink at a restaurant or bar in the airport with their mask off, but that’s risky.” 
&nbsp;

A day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans to stay home for Thanksgiving, more than 1 million people in the United States got on planes, marking the second day that more than 1 million people have flown since March.

A day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans to stay home for Thanksgiving, more than 1 million people in the United States got on planes, marking the second day that more than 1 million people have flown since March. Nearly 3 million additional people have flown in the days since. The high number of travelers speaks to a sense of pandemic fatigue that many people are experiencing. For some, the desire to see family is worth the risk of potentially getting the coronavirus while traveling. But it’s important to remember that the current number of people flying, while increasing, pales in comparison to the number who still find the idea of getting on a plane frightening. In the 11-day period around Thanksgiving last year, a record 26 million people flew. This year, fewer than half that number are likely to travel. How safe is flying? Numerous studies on that question have been published in the months since the pandemic brought travel to a halt in March. Many of them suggest that the risk of contracting the coronavirus while flying is very low. Infectious disease, health care and aerospace engineering experts say that the studies — by the Defense Department, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and others — are accurate, in part, but they all have limitations. One much-publicized study on flying, conducted by the Defense Department, found that “overall exposure risk from aerosolized pathogens, like coronavirus, is very low” and concluded that a person would have to be sitting next to an infectious passenger for at least 54 hours to get an infectious dose of the virus through the air. But the “54-hour” number has since been removed from the report at the request of the authors, who worried it was being misinterpreted. Although there has been no evidence of plane flights causing many superspreader events, there have been cases of transmission. In September, a man flying from Dubai to New Zealand tested negative for the virus, but was, in fact, infected and passed it on to other passengers. The flight had 86 passengers and seven of them tested positive for the virus when they arrived in New Zealand, despite having worn masks and gloves. The seven passengers had been sitting within four rows of each other and the virus’s genetic sequence in six of seven of the positive passengers was identical. In October, Irish officials, in a report in Eurosurveillance, a journal published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said that 13 of 49 passengers on a 7 1/2-hour flight to Ireland tested positive for the virus, and another 46 who came in contact with the passengers in Ireland became infected. How can you make sense of the science? What are the risk points? Here’s what we know. What do the numbers tell us? Or, more accurately, what don’t they tell us? We know that the coronavirus has been transported by people traveling from one place to another on planes, but we don’t know exactly how many people have contracted the virus on a plane, epidemiologists and aviation experts said. In order to know how many people caught the virus on a single flight, everyone on the flight would have to be tested as soon as they got off. “The people who are positive as soon as they got off a plane were probably positive during their flight,” said David Freedman, an infectious disease doctor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. All the passengers would then need to be tested several times over a few weeks while they were isolated to ensure they didn’t get the virus after landing. Everyone agrees airplane air is well-filtered. Experts from various fields agree that the air on a plane cabin is filtered very well and the chances of getting the coronavirus while on a plane in flight are low. That’s because most planes have what are known as high-efficiency particulate air filters. HEPA is a designation describing filters that can trap 99.97% of particles that are at least 0.3 microns in size. “Hospital-grade filtration occurs, and there are standards associated with that,” said Michael Popescu, a principal aerospace aircraft systems engineer, adding that the fiberglass sheets that make up the filters on planes have diameters between half a micron and 2 microns. Air is pushed through the filter, and particles are trapped inside. Smaller particles are slowed down and kept from passing through the filter when they meet with molecules of gas, increasing the chances of their being trapped. Viruses like the coronavirus are smaller than the filters, but they tend to cluster on the larger droplets of moisture that get trapped. Most planes recycle 25% to 30% of cabin air. The air being recycled passes through the HEPA filter, which traps virus particles. The other 70% to 75% of air is evacuated overboard every couple of minutes, meaning there is new air in the cabin every two to five minutes, depending on the size of the plane. “The air circulation on a plane is better than in an office building, better than your apartment because the air is changed more times per hour — most planes change several times per hour, plus it’s filtered, which isn’t the case in your office or apartment,” Freedman said. But filtration is not enough. Ventilation is just one piece of the puzzle, said Saskia Popescu, an infection prevention epidemiologist in Arizona. (She is married to Michael Popescu.) Distancing and masking are also important to mitigate risk, and are the other key components for keeping the coronavirus from spreading, whether on planes or elsewhere. Earlier in the year, when it first became known that social distancing could mitigate chances of getting the coronavirus, many airlines began leaving middle seats open to create more space between passengers. In recent months, however, many airlines have reversed their policies and begun seating people in all seats and saying that they are mandating mask-wearing policies, which will keep passengers safe. Researchers said that airlines should be enforcing both social distancing policies — like leaving middle seats open — and mask wearing. Having fewer people on a plane means that there’s less of a risk of people coming into contact with someone who has the virus, said Qingyan Chen, a professor at Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering. “Having fewer people on the plane is key,” he said. “Fewer passengers means fewer patients, and by keeping the middle seat open airlines might remove 40% of the risk.” A study done by scientists at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said that “when a plane exceeds 60% load factors (percent of seats occupied), it is no longer possible to rely on physical distancing alone to mitigate the risk of virus transmission.” Freedman and Chen emphasized that people should not be flying with homemade masks, bandannas or neck gaiters. “For the purposes of flying, people should be wearing proper surgical/medical grade masks — the ones you can buy in boxes of 50 at a time,” Freedman said, adding that it would be wise for airlines to make it standard practice to hand out surgical masks to travelers. And flying isn’t just sitting on a plane. Many studies focus on the in-air cabin experience, not the parts of traveling that involve interaction with other people, often in proximity. The Harvard study focused on the three phases of air travel: boarding, cruising and deplaning. “Each of these segments involves unique activities, such as storing and retrieving luggage, using seat trays while eating, using entertainment systems, standing in the aisle and using the lavatory,” the study’s authors wrote. When a plane is on the ground, its air supply can come from a number of places. That air is then mixed and distributed to the cabin. One source is from the airplane auxiliary power unit, or APU, with the plane’s engine in operation. That process uses fuel and can cause noise and emissions at the airport. Air supply can also come from an airport ground source like the jet-bridge that’s known as preconditioned air, or PCA. That means air is not being circulated at the usual rate. Researchers suggest that airlines should use air from the APU for improved filtration. “This is important since, during that time, people are exerting themselves resulting in increased respiratory levels for a brief period, raising the potential for infectious aerosols to be exhaled into the cabin,” the Harvard study notes. Researchers also suggest that people bring smaller and fewer bags onboard, which would cut down on their exertion and reduce encounters with other travelers also putting things in the overhead bins. Over the summer, Michael Schultz, an engineer at Dresden University’s Institute of Logistics and Aviation in Germany, and Jörg Fuchte, a senior specialist at the German aerospace company Diehl Aviation, found that the amount and type of hand luggage people brought onto the plane as carry-ons affected how long everyone was standing in line and the number of close contacts. They concluded that by reducing hand luggage, the number of close contacts encountered would be reduced by two-thirds. The deplaning process tends to be smoother than boarding, since people naturally move in order of rows, so travelers don’t have as much to worry about. The jetway, however, can be an area of risk if too many people are allowed on without appropriate distancing, several experts said. Travelers should remain distanced from others during this process, they said, and the plane’s ventilation systems should remain on. “The deplaning process can be enhanced by having passengers remain in their seats until directed to leave by a crew member,” the Harvard researchers suggest. Eating and using the bathroom pose risks Like in the cabin, air in a plane’s bathrooms is continually changed. Toilets on planes use a vacuum system to move waste to the holding tank from the toilet, so when you flush, air is pulled in through the vacuum. “Airplane bathrooms are particularly dangerous for two reasons,” said Chen. First, he said, is the fact that you may touch surfaces that an infected passenger has just touched. “The second thing is that human waste like stool and urine contains COVID-19, and when you flush the toilet it will cause some particles to escape,” he went on. “The smaller particles carry over and could enter the air. If I have COVID-19 and use the toilet and flush and someone else comes in immediately after, that’s a risk. So far we have no evidence of people getting sick like that, but according to our models we found that this is possible.” (Over the summer this became known as “toilet plume.”) For those reasons, experts suggest waiting 30 seconds or longer before going into a bathroom that someone else has just exited and using a tissue or paper towel so you aren’t touching surfaces like doorknobs and faucets with bare hands. Chen also suggests that airlines stagger eating times so everyone isn’t unmasked at the same time. “Airlines serve food to everyone at the same time, and it’s very bad because it means everyone is taking off their masks at the same time and all the particles are in the air then,” he said. Your actions off the plane matter too. Chen also pointed to the fact that people likely have more to worry about before getting on the plane, when they are in the terminal, going through security or sitting in airport restaurants and bars. Others agreed. “In hospitals, people think patient interaction is highest risk, so they take a break unmasked or do charting unmasked or when they’re chatting with colleagues they take off a mask, and that’s similar to how people perceive risk in airports,” Saskia Popescu said. “People think the plane is the riskiest, so they’ll get food and a drink at a restaurant or bar in the airport with their mask off, but that’s risky.”

Is it safe to fly during the pandemic? Answers from the experts

Over 1.047 million passengers were screened in the United States on Sunday - the highest number recorded by US Transportation Security Administration since mid-March.

Even though the number of air travellers remain significantly lower (60 per cent) than from the same day last year, Sunday marked the second time in three days that the number of passengers screened went over 1 million.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sees-record-number-of-coronavirus-hospitalisations-for-12th-day-in-a-row-344837" hreflang="en">US sees record number of coronavirus hospitalisations for 12th day in a row</a>

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had urged Americans to not travel during the Thanksgiving holiday in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Since, the airline passengers number has hit 1 million only thrice - first time on October 18 with 1.031 million.

The United States in the midst of the worst coronavirus wave the country has seen.

Even before November is over, the country has seen more COVID-19 cases than any other month during the pandemic: Between November 1 and 22, over 3 million new cases of coronavirus were recorded, as per data from Johns Hopkins University.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unicef-to-ship-2-billion-doses-of-covid-19-vaccines-to-poor-countries-next-year-344855" hreflang="en">UNICEF to ship 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries next year</a>

In the ongoing month of November, US recorded the highest number of hospitalisations related to COVID-19. This has increased the stress on American healthcare, and has threatened to deprive others of care.

On Saturday alone, 83,227 people diagnosed with COVID-19 were hospitalised in the country, based on numbers by the Covid Tracking Project.

For 12th day in a row, the US has broken record for COVID-19 hospitalisations. So far, 12.2 million people in the US have contracted COVID-19, with 256,000 deaths across the country.

Over 1.047 million passengers were screened in the United States on Sunday - the highest number recorded by US Transportation Security Administration since mid-March.

Over 1.047 million passengers were screened in the United States on Sunday - the highest number recorded by US Transportation Security Administration since mid-March. Even though the number of air travellers remain significantly lower (60 per cent) than from the same day last year, Sunday marked the second time in three days that the number of passengers screened went over 1 million. Also read: US sees record number of coronavirus hospitalisations for 12th day in a row On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had urged Americans to not travel during the Thanksgiving holiday in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19. Since, the airline passengers number has hit 1 million only thrice - first time on October 18 with 1.031 million. The United States in the midst of the worst coronavirus wave the country has seen. Even before November is over, the country has seen more COVID-19 cases than any other month during the pandemic: Between November 1 and 22, over 3 million new cases of coronavirus were recorded, as per data from Johns Hopkins University. Also read: UNICEF to ship 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries next year In the ongoing month of November, US recorded the highest number of hospitalisations related to COVID-19. This has increased the stress on American healthcare, and has threatened to deprive others of care. On Saturday alone, 83,227 people diagnosed with COVID-19 were hospitalised in the country, based on numbers by the Covid Tracking Project. For 12th day in a row, the US has broken record for COVID-19 hospitalisations. So far, 12.2 million people in the US have contracted COVID-19, with 256,000 deaths across the country.

United States: Sunday saw highest number of airline passenger screenings since March

Nepal could be the new entrant to the list of countries with which India has an air bubble agreement in South Asia.&nbsp;

The ministry of external affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said India is "exploring the possibility of an air bubble arrangement with Nepal." &nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/confident-that-covid-19-vaccine-will-be-ready-in-3-4-months-indias-health-minister-344051" hreflang="en">Confident that Covid-19 vaccine will be ready in 3-4 months: India's health minister</a>

India has an air bubble agreement with 22 countries globally. Within South Asia, the country has an air bubble agreement with Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives.

Air bubbles are an arrangement which has come amidst the COVID-19 pandemic impacting global air transport. Global air travel came to a grinding halt due to the pandemic. Aimed at restarting commercial passenger services, the transport bubbles are reciprocal in nature, and airlines from both countries enjoy similar benefits. &nbsp;

Nepal could be the new entrant to the list of countries with which India has an air bubble agreement in South Asia. The ministry of external affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said India is "exploring the possibility of an air bubble arrangement with Nepal.

Nepal could be the new entrant to the list of countries with which India has an air bubble agreement in South Asia. The ministry of external affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said India is "exploring the possibility of an air bubble arrangement with Nepal." Also read| Confident that Covid-19 vaccine will be ready in 3-4 months: India's health minister India has an air bubble agreement with 22 countries globally. Within South Asia, the country has an air bubble agreement with Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives. Air bubbles are an arrangement which has come amidst the COVID-19 pandemic impacting global air transport. Global air travel came to a grinding halt due to the pandemic. Aimed at restarting commercial passenger services, the transport bubbles are reciprocal in nature, and airlines from both countries enjoy similar benefits.

India exploring for possibility on an air bubble agreement with Nepal

The Director-General of Civil Aviation on Sunday told the Supreme Court that all flight tickets booked by passengers in domestic and international airlines for travel between March 25 to May 3 this year will be ‘fully refunded’.

India: Flight tickets cancelled under Lockdown to be fully refunded

India is looking at the resumption of international flights through the 'air bubble' route. An air bubble is a travel corridor established between two nations that want to reopen their borders and re-establish connections with each other. Here is how this will work.

International flights likely through Air Bubbles

Boeing Co. is pulling the plug on its 747 jumbo jet. The 747 democratized global air travel in the 1970s but fell behind modern twin-engine passenger jets.

Boeing to end production of 747 jumbo jet

The German government agreed on a rescue package for airline carrier Lufthansa. German carrier would get $10 billion support. Watch this video to know more.

German carrier Lufthansa to get $10 billion support | WION-DW Partnership

The German government has agreed on final details of a rescue package for airline carrier Lufthansa. German carrier would get $10 billion support. Watch this video to know more.

Reports: Lufthansa to get $10 billion support

Reports: Germany agrees on Lufthansa bailout

Saudi Arabia has suspended aircraft and ship services Monday with nine countries amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Saudi Bans air and ship travel with 9 nations

Many airlines are suspending flights to China in the wake of the new coronavirus outbreak. More than 20 airlines including British Airways, American Airlines and Qatar Airways have suspended all China flights. Air travel in China declines by 40 per cent in January.

Aviation industry, one of the worst hit by Coronavirus outbreak across the world

Coronavirus scare: Air travel in China declines 40% in January

'Aviation industry could lose upto $5 Billion due to nCoV' says UN

Consequences of the Coronavirus - Air travel is restricted, international business close down

British Airways owner IAG said on Monday it had agreed to buy Spanish carrier Air Europa for 1 billion euros ($1.12 billion) in cash, bolstering its ability to compete for European travel to Latin America and the Caribbean through Madrid.

Against the backdrop of a challenging environment for airlines globally, the deal is the latest by a big European carrier looking westward to boost traffic and average fares.

Air Europa offers domestic and international flights to 69 destinations, including long-haul routes to Latin America, the United States, and the Caribbean.

"Acquiring Air Europa would add a new competitive, cost-effective airline to IAG, consolidating Madrid as a leading European hub and resulting in IAG achieving South Atlantic leadership," Willie Walsh, chief executive of IAG said.

Europe's third-largest budget carrier Norwegian Air, which has shaken up the market for travel across the Atlantic with cut-price fares, last month signed a partnership with JetBlue Airways to enable European passengers to book straight through to around 100 US&nbsp;cities.

IAG said the agreement with Air Europa was signed by its Spanish unit Iberia and added it expected the deal to close in the second half of next year.

The company, whose profits have taken a hit from pilot strikes, expects the deal to be earnings accretive in the first full year after completion and accretive to return on invested capital by the fourth year.

British Airways owner IAG said on Monday it had agreed to buy Spanish carrier Air Europa for 1 billion euros ($1.12 billion) in cash, bolstering its ability to compete for European travel to Latin America and the Caribbean through Madrid.

British Airways owner IAG said on Monday it had agreed to buy Spanish carrier Air Europa for 1 billion euros ($1.12 billion) in cash, bolstering its ability to compete for European travel to Latin America and the Caribbean through Madrid. Against the backdrop of a challenging environment for airlines globally, the deal is the latest by a big European carrier looking westward to boost traffic and average fares. Air Europa offers domestic and international flights to 69 destinations, including long-haul routes to Latin America, the United States, and the Caribbean. "Acquiring Air Europa would add a new competitive, cost-effective airline to IAG, consolidating Madrid as a leading European hub and resulting in IAG achieving South Atlantic leadership," Willie Walsh, chief executive of IAG said. Europe's third-largest budget carrier Norwegian Air, which has shaken up the market for travel across the Atlantic with cut-price fares, last month signed a partnership with JetBlue Airways to enable European passengers to book straight through to around 100 US cities. IAG said the agreement with Air Europa was signed by its Spanish unit Iberia and added it expected the deal to close in the second half of next year. The company, whose profits have taken a hit from pilot strikes, expects the deal to be earnings accretive in the first full year after completion and accretive to return on invested capital by the fourth year.

British Airways-owner looks westward with 1 billion euros Air Europa purchase

A major air tragedy was averted after a Delhi-bound flight with nearly 200 people on board made an emergency landing at Goa's airport in the early hours of Sunday. 
 
The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-indigo-spicejet-to-partially-shift-operations-to-terminal-3-from-september-5-247160">Indigo flight</a> 6E-336 had taken off from Goa when its pilot detected engine failure, following which the aircraft was forced to turnaround to Goa's Dabolim airport. 
 
"An IndiGo flight 6E 336 (CEO VT-IHC) operating from Goa to Delhi on 29 September 2019 returned to Goa airport due to technical issues in NR 1 engine.&nbsp;

As per the laid down SOPs, our pilot landed the aircraft in Goa for inspection. All the passengers were accommodated on other flights to Delhi," the airline said in a statement.

A major air tragedy was averted after a Delhi-bound flight with nearly 200 people on board made an emergency landing at Goa's airport in the early hours of Sunday.

A major air tragedy was averted after a Delhi-bound flight with nearly 200 people on board made an emergency landing at Goa's airport in the early hours of Sunday. The Indigo flight 6E-336 had taken off from Goa when its pilot detected engine failure, following which the aircraft was forced to turnaround to Goa's Dabolim airport. "An IndiGo flight 6E 336 (CEO VT-IHC) operating from Goa to Delhi on 29 September 2019 returned to Goa airport due to technical issues in NR 1 engine. As per the laid down SOPs, our pilot landed the aircraft in Goa for inspection. All the passengers were accommodated on other flights to Delhi," the airline said in a statement.

IndiGo flight on Goa-Delhi route makes emergency landing as pilot detects engine failure

Saddled with long dark winters at home, Swedes have for decades been frequent flyers seeking out sunnier climes, but a growing number are changing their ways because of air travel's impact on the climate.

"Flygskam", or flight shame, has become a buzz word referring to feeling guilt over the environmental effects of flying, contributing to a trend that has more and more Swedes, mainly young, opting to travel by train to ease their conscience.

Spearheading the movement for trains-over-planes is Sweden's own Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old climate school striker who refuses to fly, travelling by rail to the World Economic Forum in Davos and the climate summit in Katowice, Poland.&nbsp;

A growing number of public figures have vowed to #stayontheground, including Swedish television skiing commentator Bjorn Ferry who said last year he would only travel to competitions by train.

And 250 people working in the film industry signed a recent article in the country's biggest daily Dagens Nyheter calling for Swedish film producers to limit shoots abroad.

An anonymous Swedish Instagram account created in December has been shaming social media profiles and influencers for promoting trips to far-flung destinations, racking up more than 60,000 followers.

"I'm certainly affected by my surroundings and (flight shame) has affected how I view flying," Viktoria Hellstrom, a 27-year-old political science student in Stockholm, told AFP.

Last summer, she took the train to Italy, even though the friends she was meeting there went by plane, as that would have been her second flight within a few weeks.

"The only way I could justify going there was if I took the train," she said.

Train bookings up

The Scandinavian country's location far north -- it is 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles) from the northernmost town of Kiruna to France's Cote d'Azur -- as well as its robust standard of living, the popularity of charter trips and the rise of low-cost airlines have all contributed to making Swedes big flyers.

Researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg last year found that Swedes' per capita emissions from flying between 1990 and 2017 were five times the global average.

Emissions from Swedes' international air travel have soared 61 per cent since 1990, their study said.&nbsp;

Swedes' concerns rely on solid data: the Swedish Meteorological Institute said last week that the average annual temperature was rising twice as fast in the country as the global average.&nbsp;

In March, the World Wildlife Foundation published a survey indicating that nearly one in five Swedes had chosen to travel by rail rather than by air in order to minimise their environmental impact.

The trend was most noticeable among women and young people, it said.

Meanwhile, a survey published Tuesday in Sweden's leading travel magazine Vagabond said 64 per cent of those who travelled abroad less last year did so because of climate reasons.

National rail operator SJ reported a 21 per cent boost in business travel this winter, and the government has announced plans to reintroduce night trains to major European cities before the end of its mandate in 2022.

The number of domestic flight passengers was projected to be down by 3.2 per cent in 2018, the transport authority said in its latest figures from September, though the number of passengers on international flights rose four per cent.

So far the "flight shame" trend hasn't had the same traction among Sweden's neighbours, although Finland has spawned its own version of the expression, calling it "lentohapea".

Is 'flight shame' real?

Other parts of the developed world may not have a word that's quite as catchy -- making do with #flyingless or #stopflying -- but average CO2 emissions of 285 grams per air kilometre, compared with 158 for cars and 14 for trains, have given many pause.

Fausta Gabola, a French-Italian student in Paris, is no longer sure that she should take up an offer to study in Australia on a scholarship.

"It's my dream to go there," she told AFP. "I applied without thinking too much about it and now I have a dilemma. I would feel like a hypocrite if I went."

French political scientist Mathilde Szuba said any no-fly decision effectively puts distant countries out of reach.

"There is no easy substitute for flying," she told AFP. "You can't go to faraway places without taking the plane."

Back in Sweden, some experts say that changing travel patterns are not always a direct result of "flight shame".

Frida Hylander, a Swedish psychologist, said shame, and the fear of being shamed, was a powerful motivator, but she also cautioned against overstating its importance.

Other factors were at play, Hylander said, citing as an example Sweden's unusually hot summer last year which caused massive wildfires and may have sparked wider concerns about climate change.

"You should exercise caution when pointing to one single factor," Hylander said.

A new flight tax introduced in April 2018 may also have played a role, she said, as well as the bankruptcy of regional airline NextJet, which led to the closure of a number of domestic flight routes for several months.

Saddled with long dark winters at home, Swedes have for decades been frequent flyers seeking out sunnier climes, but a growing number are changing their ways because of air travel's impact on the climate.

Saddled with long dark winters at home, Swedes have for decades been frequent flyers seeking out sunnier climes, but a growing number are changing their ways because of air travel's impact on the climate. "Flygskam", or flight shame, has become a buzz word referring to feeling guilt over the environmental effects of flying, contributing to a trend that has more and more Swedes, mainly young, opting to travel by train to ease their conscience. Spearheading the movement for trains-over-planes is Sweden's own Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old climate school striker who refuses to fly, travelling by rail to the World Economic Forum in Davos and the climate summit in Katowice, Poland. A growing number of public figures have vowed to #stayontheground, including Swedish television skiing commentator Bjorn Ferry who said last year he would only travel to competitions by train. And 250 people working in the film industry signed a recent article in the country's biggest daily Dagens Nyheter calling for Swedish film producers to limit shoots abroad. An anonymous Swedish Instagram account created in December has been shaming social media profiles and influencers for promoting trips to far-flung destinations, racking up more than 60,000 followers. "I'm certainly affected by my surroundings and (flight shame) has affected how I view flying," Viktoria Hellstrom, a 27-year-old political science student in Stockholm, told AFP. Last summer, she took the train to Italy, even though the friends she was meeting there went by plane, as that would have been her second flight within a few weeks. "The only way I could justify going there was if I took the train," she said. Train bookings up The Scandinavian country's location far north -- it is 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles) from the northernmost town of Kiruna to France's Cote d'Azur -- as well as its robust standard of living, the popularity of charter trips and the rise of low-cost airlines have all contributed to making Swedes big flyers. Researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg last year found that Swedes' per capita emissions from flying between 1990 and 2017 were five times the global average. Emissions from Swedes' international air travel have soared 61 per cent since 1990, their study said. Swedes' concerns rely on solid data: the Swedish Meteorological Institute said last week that the average annual temperature was rising twice as fast in the country as the global average. In March, the World Wildlife Foundation published a survey indicating that nearly one in five Swedes had chosen to travel by rail rather than by air in order to minimise their environmental impact. The trend was most noticeable among women and young people, it said. Meanwhile, a survey published Tuesday in Sweden's leading travel magazine Vagabond said 64 per cent of those who travelled abroad less last year did so because of climate reasons. National rail operator SJ reported a 21 per cent boost in business travel this winter, and the government has announced plans to reintroduce night trains to major European cities before the end of its mandate in 2022. The number of domestic flight passengers was projected to be down by 3.2 per cent in 2018, the transport authority said in its latest figures from September, though the number of passengers on international flights rose four per cent. So far the "flight shame" trend hasn't had the same traction among Sweden's neighbours, although Finland has spawned its own version of the expression, calling it "lentohapea". Is 'flight shame' real? Other parts of the developed world may not have a word that's quite as catchy -- making do with #flyingless or #stopflying -- but average CO2 emissions of 285 grams per air kilometre, compared with 158 for cars and 14 for trains, have given many pause. Fausta Gabola, a French-Italian student in Paris, is no longer sure that she should take up an offer to study in Australia on a scholarship. "It's my dream to go there," she told AFP. "I applied without thinking too much about it and now I have a dilemma. I would feel like a hypocrite if I went." French political scientist Mathilde Szuba said any no-fly decision effectively puts distant countries out of reach. "There is no easy substitute for flying," she told AFP. "You can't go to faraway places without taking the plane." Back in Sweden, some experts say that changing travel patterns are not always a direct result of "flight shame". Frida Hylander, a Swedish psychologist, said shame, and the fear of being shamed, was a powerful motivator, but she also cautioned against overstating its importance. Other factors were at play, Hylander said, citing as an example Sweden's unusually hot summer last year which caused massive wildfires and may have sparked wider concerns about climate change. "You should exercise caution when pointing to one single factor," Hylander said. A new flight tax introduced in April 2018 may also have played a role, she said, as well as the bankruptcy of regional airline NextJet, which led to the closure of a number of domestic flight routes for several months.

'Flight shame' has Swedes rethinking air travel

High satellite bandwidth charges are likely to play a spoiler in the uptake of in-flight mobile services in India as these would make the facility costlier by 30-50 times at Rs 700-1,000 for a two-hour journey, says an industry official.&nbsp;

The chief technology officer of broadband technology firm Hughes India, K Krishna, told PTI that satellite bandwidth charges in India are 7-8 times higher compared to other parts of the world due to the condition that bandwidth can be procured from Indian Space Research Organisation only.&nbsp;

"Passengers are not going to pay 50 times higher price for Internet on a two-hour flight. It has to be extremely affordable and for that to happen open sky mechanism is very much required. You can't be restrictive that only Indian satellites need to provide capacity. Monopolistic policy won't work. The policy will become a duck if these issues are not addressed," Krishna said.&nbsp;

Hughes has applied for a licence for in-flight and maritime connectivity that will allow access to mobile services during air travel and ship voyage within Indian airspace and territorial waters.&nbsp;

He said that there is adequate satellite capacity available at very affordable cost for in-flight and maritime mobile services to work.

"Investment per plane is not small. It is in the range of $500 thousand per plane. None of the Indian airlines or shipping companies will really invest till they see a return, and return has to come from passenger paying for the service.&nbsp;

"The bandwidth will make 70-80 per cent cost of service. At present rates, current tariff will be in the range of Rs 700-1,000 which lot of people are not going to afford if they compare it with routine mobile plans," Krishna said.

He said that the global business model of in-flight mobile services works at 10 per cent passengers opting for the service.&nbsp;

"An option to increase uptake is that in-flight service charges are included in air ticket but the tickets are already in the range of Rs 4,000-5,000 and adding charges of IFC service will not be a feasible business model for airlines," Krishna said.

The mobile services in planes will be provided once it attains a height of 3,000 metres. It can be provided through both using telecom networks on the ground as well as using satellites.&nbsp;

The Hughes India CTO also said restriction imposed in the licence that an Indian service provider can provide connectivity within Indian airspace and waters would be a disadvantage for both the service provider as well as airlines and shipping firms.&nbsp;

"Indian vessels going outside Indian border should also be provided service by an Indian service provider. Otherwise, we are letting service providers from other countries exploit it. None of other country surrounding India has restriction of 12 nautical miles like we have," Krishna said.

He said that as per international norms, Indian service providers can provide service to aircraft and vessels when they are in an international or no-man zone but Indian telegraph act restricts companies to provide services within national boundaries.&nbsp;

"These are the things which the government needs to relax for healthy uptake of service," Krishna said.&nbsp;

The company expects to get a licence for the service early next month and has started discussion to start service in some of the aircraft, he said.

High satellite bandwidth charges are likely to play a spoiler in the uptake of in-flight mobile services in India as these would make the facility costlier by 30-50 times at Rs 700-1,000 for a two-hour journey, says an industry official.

High satellite bandwidth charges are likely to play a spoiler in the uptake of in-flight mobile services in India as these would make the facility costlier by 30-50 times at Rs 700-1,000 for a two-hour journey, says an industry official. The chief technology officer of broadband technology firm Hughes India, K Krishna, told PTI that satellite bandwidth charges in India are 7-8 times higher compared to other parts of the world due to the condition that bandwidth can be procured from Indian Space Research Organisation only. "Passengers are not going to pay 50 times higher price for Internet on a two-hour flight. It has to be extremely affordable and for that to happen open sky mechanism is very much required. You can't be restrictive that only Indian satellites need to provide capacity. Monopolistic policy won't work. The policy will become a duck if these issues are not addressed," Krishna said. Hughes has applied for a licence for in-flight and maritime connectivity that will allow access to mobile services during air travel and ship voyage within Indian airspace and territorial waters. He said that there is adequate satellite capacity available at very affordable cost for in-flight and maritime mobile services to work. "Investment per plane is not small. It is in the range of $500 thousand per plane. None of the Indian airlines or shipping companies will really invest till they see a return, and return has to come from passenger paying for the service. "The bandwidth will make 70-80 per cent cost of service. At present rates, current tariff will be in the range of Rs 700-1,000 which lot of people are not going to afford if they compare it with routine mobile plans," Krishna said. He said that the global business model of in-flight mobile services works at 10 per cent passengers opting for the service. "An option to increase uptake is that in-flight service charges are included in air ticket but the tickets are already in the range of Rs 4,000-5,000 and adding charges of IFC service will not be a feasible business model for airlines," Krishna said. The mobile services in planes will be provided once it attains a height of 3,000 metres. It can be provided through both using telecom networks on the ground as well as using satellites. The Hughes India CTO also said restriction imposed in the licence that an Indian service provider can provide connectivity within Indian airspace and waters would be a disadvantage for both the service provider as well as airlines and shipping firms. "Indian vessels going outside Indian border should also be provided service by an Indian service provider. Otherwise, we are letting service providers from other countries exploit it. None of other country surrounding India has restriction of 12 nautical miles like we have," Krishna said. He said that as per international norms, Indian service providers can provide service to aircraft and vessels when they are in an international or no-man zone but Indian telegraph act restricts companies to provide services within national boundaries. "These are the things which the government needs to relax for healthy uptake of service," Krishna said. The company expects to get a licence for the service early next month and has started discussion to start service in some of the aircraft, he said.

High bandwidth charges a spoiler for in-flight mobile services: Hughes India

Japan Airlines apologised on Thursday after one of its co-pilots was arrested in London for being drunk, delaying its Tokyo-bound flight, a day after another Japanese carrier reported delays blamed on a hung-over pilot.

JAL executives told reporters that the co-pilot cleared an in-house breath test but aroused the suspicion of a bus driver taking him to the plane from Heathrow airport on Sunday.

After a second breath test before takeoff showed that he had consumed "excessive alcohol", the co-pilot was arrested by British police and required to undergo a blood test which confirmed those results, the company said in a press release.

"We are certain (the in-house breath test) wasn't conducted properly," &nbsp;Muneaki Kitahara, JAL's head of communications, told a press conference.

The plane departed London after a delay of one hour and 9 minutes.&nbsp;

"The company sincerely apologises to the passengers and to all affected by the employee's actions," JAL said in the press release.

The incident comes only a day after All Nippon Airways revealed a hung-over pilot had caused multiple flight delays.

The male pilot in his 40s called in sick after a night of drinking on the remote resort island of Ishigaki in southern Okinawa prefecture, the company said.

The last-minute sickie forced the airline to delay five flights linking Okinawa island and smaller regional islands, affecting 619 passengers.

Following the two incidents, the transport ministry urged airline companies to strictly comply with rules on drinking.

Japan Airlines apologised on Thursday after one of its co-pilots was arrested in London for being drunk, delaying its Tokyo-bound flight, a day after another Japanese carrier reported delays blamed on a hung-over pilot.

Japan Airlines apologised on Thursday after one of its co-pilots was arrested in London for being drunk, delaying its Tokyo-bound flight, a day after another Japanese carrier reported delays blamed on a hung-over pilot. JAL executives told reporters that the co-pilot cleared an in-house breath test but aroused the suspicion of a bus driver taking him to the plane from Heathrow airport on Sunday. After a second breath test before takeoff showed that he had consumed "excessive alcohol", the co-pilot was arrested by British police and required to undergo a blood test which confirmed those results, the company said in a press release. "We are certain (the in-house breath test) wasn't conducted properly," Muneaki Kitahara, JAL's head of communications, told a press conference. The plane departed London after a delay of one hour and 9 minutes. "The company sincerely apologises to the passengers and to all affected by the employee's actions," JAL said in the press release. The incident comes only a day after All Nippon Airways revealed a hung-over pilot had caused multiple flight delays. The male pilot in his 40s called in sick after a night of drinking on the remote resort island of Ishigaki in southern Okinawa prefecture, the company said. The last-minute sickie forced the airline to delay five flights linking Okinawa island and smaller regional islands, affecting 619 passengers. Following the two incidents, the transport ministry urged airline companies to strictly comply with rules on drinking.

Japan airline apologises for arrested drunk pilot

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha on Saturday claimed that air travel in the country was now cheaper than travel by auto-rickshaws on per kilometre basis.&nbsp;

He was speaking at the 27th International Management Conference of the Indore Management Association (IMA).&nbsp;

&quot;In today&#39;s India, the fares of aeroplanes are lower than that of autorickshaws. Some people will say that I&#39;m talking nonsense, but this is true,&quot; Sinha said.&nbsp;

Explaining the mathematics behind his claim, Sinha said, &quot;These days, passengers spend only Rs five per kilometre on air travel from Indore to Delhi. But if you take an autorickshaw in this city, then you need to spend a relatively higher price of Rs eight to ten per kilometre.&quot;&nbsp;

The minister claimed that more people were opting for air travel because the country had the cheapest fares in the world and added that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had remarked that a man wearing slippers is also now flying.&nbsp;

Sinha said that four years ago the number of people travelling by air was 11 crore and was likely to reach 20 crore by the end of the current fiscal.&nbsp;

Sinha said the government wanted to increase the number of people using air travel by five times to 100 crore in the coming years.&nbsp;

He said the country needed to promote innovation in entrepreneurship to provide affordable services to the common man and also to help it overtake large economies such as the United States and China.&nbsp;

He also took a dig at those who criticised the recent statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who in a television interview claimed that people earning Rs 200 a day selling pakodas can be considered employed.&nbsp;

&quot;Media has been talking about &#39;pakoda economics&#39; these days. But what&#39;s wrong in this if we extend help in the entrepreneurship of some &#39;pakodawala&#39; at Hazaribagh so that, one day, he could start a fast food chain like McDonald&#39;s,&quot; he asked.&nbsp;

Calling for the use of electric vehicles in the country, Sinha said if entrepreneurs took the lead, then the country would have passenger drones, helicopter taxis and air- rickshaws powered by electricity, leading to freedom from traffic jams.&nbsp;

The minister claimed that more people were opting for air travel because the country had the cheapest fares in the world

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha on Saturday claimed that air travel in the country was now cheaper than travel by auto-rickshaws on per kilometre basis. He was speaking at the 27th International Management Conference of the Indore Management Association (IMA). "In today's India, the fares of aeroplanes are lower than that of autorickshaws. Some people will say that I'm talking nonsense, but this is true," Sinha said. Explaining the mathematics behind his claim, Sinha said, "These days, passengers spend only Rs five per kilometre on air travel from Indore to Delhi. But if you take an autorickshaw in this city, then you need to spend a relatively higher price of Rs eight to ten per kilometre." The minister claimed that more people were opting for air travel because the country had the cheapest fares in the world and added that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had remarked that a man wearing slippers is also now flying. Sinha said that four years ago the number of people travelling by air was 11 crore and was likely to reach 20 crore by the end of the current fiscal. Sinha said the government wanted to increase the number of people using air travel by five times to 100 crore in the coming years. He said the country needed to promote innovation in entrepreneurship to provide affordable services to the common man and also to help it overtake large economies such as the United States and China. He also took a dig at those who criticised the recent statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who in a television interview claimed that people earning Rs 200 a day selling pakodas can be considered employed. "Media has been talking about 'pakoda economics' these days. But what's wrong in this if we extend help in the entrepreneurship of some 'pakodawala' at Hazaribagh so that, one day, he could start a fast food chain like McDonald's," he asked. Calling for the use of electric vehicles in the country, Sinha said if entrepreneurs took the lead, then the country would have passenger drones, helicopter taxis and air- rickshaws powered by electricity, leading to freedom from traffic jams.

Air travel cheaper than travel by auto-rickshaws: Jayant Sinha

Airlines recorded zero accident deaths in commercial passenger jets last year, according to a Dutch consulting firm and an aviation safety group that tracks crashes, making 2017 the safest year on record for commercial air travel.

Dutch aviation consulting firm To70 and the Aviation Safety Network both reported Monday there were no commercial passenger jet fatalities in 2017. &quot;2017 was the safest year for aviation ever,&quot; said Adrian Young of To70.

To70 estimated that the fatal accident rate for large commercial passenger flights is 0.06 per million flights, or one fatal accident for every 16 million flights.

The Aviation Safety Network also reported there were no commercial passenger jet deaths in 2017, but 10 fatal airliner accidents resulting in 44 fatalities onboard and 35 persons on the ground, including cargo planes and commercial passenger turbo prop aircraft.

That figure includes 12 people killed on December 31 when a Nature Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft crashed minutes after takeoff into a mountainous area off the beach town of Punta Islita, Costa Rica.

In comparison, there were 16 accidents and 303 deaths in 2016 among airliners.

The deadliest incident last year occurred in January when a Turkish cargo jet smashed into a village in Kyrgyzstan as it tried to land at a nearby airport in dense fog, killing 35 on the ground and all four onboard.

The Aviation Safety Network said 2017 was &quot;the safest year ever, both by the number of fatal accidents as well as in terms of fatalities.&quot;

Over the last two decades aviation deaths around the world have been steadily falling. As recently as 2005, there were 1,015 deaths aboard commercial passenger flights worldwide, the Aviation Safety Network said.

The United States last recorded a fatal airline passenger jet crash in February 2009, when Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed short of the runway in Clarence Center, New York, killing 49 onboard and one person on the ground.

In 2016, 412 people were killed in the United States in aviation accidents - nearly all in general aviation accidents and none on commercial passenger airlines.

The last fatal passenger jet airliner accident worldwide took place in November 2016 near Medellin, Colombia and the last commercial passenger aircraft crash to kill more than 100 people occurred in October 2015 in Egypt. 
&nbsp;

Airlines recorded zero accident deaths in commercial passenger jets last year, according to a Dutch consulting firm and an aviation safety group that tracks crashes

Airlines recorded zero accident deaths in commercial passenger jets last year, according to a Dutch consulting firm and an aviation safety group that tracks crashes, making 2017 the safest year on record for commercial air travel. Dutch aviation consulting firm To70 and the Aviation Safety Network both reported Monday there were no commercial passenger jet fatalities in 2017. "2017 was the safest year for aviation ever," said Adrian Young of To70. To70 estimated that the fatal accident rate for large commercial passenger flights is 0.06 per million flights, or one fatal accident for every 16 million flights. The Aviation Safety Network also reported there were no commercial passenger jet deaths in 2017, but 10 fatal airliner accidents resulting in 44 fatalities onboard and 35 persons on the ground, including cargo planes and commercial passenger turbo prop aircraft. That figure includes 12 people killed on December 31 when a Nature Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft crashed minutes after takeoff into a mountainous area off the beach town of Punta Islita, Costa Rica. In comparison, there were 16 accidents and 303 deaths in 2016 among airliners. The deadliest incident last year occurred in January when a Turkish cargo jet smashed into a village in Kyrgyzstan as it tried to land at a nearby airport in dense fog, killing 35 on the ground and all four onboard. The Aviation Safety Network said 2017 was "the safest year ever, both by the number of fatal accidents as well as in terms of fatalities." Over the last two decades aviation deaths around the world have been steadily falling. As recently as 2005, there were 1,015 deaths aboard commercial passenger flights worldwide, the Aviation Safety Network said. The United States last recorded a fatal airline passenger jet crash in February 2009, when Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed short of the runway in Clarence Center, New York, killing 49 onboard and one person on the ground. In 2016, 412 people were killed in the United States in aviation accidents - nearly all in general aviation accidents and none on commercial passenger airlines. The last fatal passenger jet airliner accident worldwide took place in November 2016 near Medellin, Colombia and the last commercial passenger aircraft crash to kill more than 100 people occurred in October 2015 in Egypt.

2017 safest year on record for air travel

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