Prathama Line

China Bawa Kabar Buruk, ‘Kiamat’ Kontainer Bisa Makin Gawat!

Tommy Patrio Sorongan, CNBC Indonesia

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Kelangkaan kontainer yang berimbas pada rantai pasokan global sepertinya akan semakin jadi. Pasalnya, negara eksportir terbesar dunia, China, hingga hari ini masih memberlakukan kebijakan karantina Covid-19 yang sangat ketat.

Mengutip laporan Bloomberg yang dimuat Strait Times, China baru saja memberlakukan aturan baru karantina wajib selama tujuh minggu untuk pelaut China yang kembali. Selain itu, negeri pimpinan Presiden Xi Jinping itu juga melarang perubahan awak untuk pelaut asing.

Hal ini menjadi keluhan pengusaha ekspedisi. Pasalnya itu sangat menyulitkan pergantian kru dan juga perjalanan kapal keluar masuk negara yang menyebabkan kontainer tertahan.

“Pembatasan China menyebabkan efek langsung,” kata Sekretaris Jenderal Kamar Perkapalan Internasional, Guy Platten, yang mewakili pemilik kapal dan operator.

“Setiap pembatasan operasi kapal memiliki dampak akumulatif pada rantai pasokan dan menyebabkan gangguan nyata.”

Krisis ini tak hanya dikeluhkan pengusaha ekspedisi namun juga berimbas kepada sektor lainnya. Hal ini dikarenakan keterlambatan dan juga penambahan biaya yang kebanyakan dibebankan kepada konsumen.

“Kami memiliki kapal yang mengalami demurrage (biaya keterlambatan) … kami memiliki contoh di mana kami harus menyimpang, baik sebelum kami menelepon China atau sesudahnya,” kata Ms Eman Abdalla, direktur operasi dan rantai pasokan global di Cargill.

“Ada beberapa kasus di mana penundaan terjadi dalam hitungan jam, tetapi ada juga kasus di mana penundaan bisa berlangsung hingga berhari-hari.”

Euronav, salah satu pemilik supertanker minyak terbesar di dunia, telah menghabiskan sekitar US$ 6 juta atau Rp 84 miliar untuk menangani gangguan terkait krisis pergantian awak. Termasuk untuk transit dan karantina serta tanggungan biaya perjalanan lainnya.

“Di masa lalu, cukup menyenangkan melakukan rotasi kru ketika kami berada di China,” kata CEO Euronav Hugo De Stoop. “Dan sekarang, pada dasarnya, itu tidak mungkin.”

Sebelumnya ‘kiamat’ kontainer terjadi karena distribusinya yang kurang merata. Pasalnya banyak negara yang mulai menggenjot produksinya namun di sisi lain ada juga beberapa negara yang belum bisa melakukan ekspor akibat langkah-langkah penguncian Covid-19.

Krisis ini kemudian diperparah dengan meningkatnya permintaan global. Terutama di negara-negara barat menjelang libur natal.

CMA CGM the second firm to sign up for A350 freighters

By Damian Brett

Source: Airbus

CMA CGM has become the second company to sign up for Airbus’ new A350 freighter as the French logistics group continues its expansion in the air cargo market.

The shipping giant, which launched its CMA CGM Air Cargo business earlier this year, has signed a memorandum of understanding covering the purchase of four of the type.

The commitment, which Airbus expects to be finalised in the “coming weeks”, comes days after Air Lease placed the first provisional order for seven of the type  during the Dubai air show.

CMA CGM said that it would also apply to launch an airline – its current four aircraft are operated by Air Belgium – and it has filed an application for an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) with the French Civil Aviation Authority.

The new aircraft, which will join the Group’s fleet in spring 2022 will be registered in France and will be based at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. 

“The creation of a French freight airline also requires the initial recruitment of around 50 pilots who will join the CMA CGM Group during the coming weeks, and the implementation of a structure dedicated to the Group’s airfreight operations,” the shipping group said.

In a press release, Airbus also detailed more of the freighter model’s capabilities.

The company said that more than 70% of the airframe is made of advanced materials resulting in a 30 tonne lighter take-off weight, generating an at least 20% lower fuel burn over its current closest competitor.

“With a 109 tonne payload capability (plus three tonnes/11% more volume than its competition), the A350F serves all cargo markets (Express, general cargo, special cargo…) and is in the large freighter category the only new generation freighter aircraft ready for the enhanced 2027 ICAO CO ₂ emissions standards.”

Earlier this month, Air Lease became the first company to sign up for the new freighter model.

CMA CGM already operates five A330-200Fs and in September announced plans to add a pair of Boeing 777 freighters.

Airbus chief commercial officer Christian Scherer says: ”We are proud to welcome CMA CGM Air Cargo in the group of operators for the A350F and we are equally pleased to support the company’s future strategic development.

 “Having an early endorsement by such an international cargo powerhouse as the CMA CGM Group is very gratifying.”

CMA CGM is not the only shipping line to be investing in the air cargo industry as they look to offer complete supply chain solutions.

Earlier this month, AP Moller Maersk announced that Star Air, its in-house aircraft operator, will purchase two new B777 Freighters to be delivered by Boeing in 2024 and leased three B767-300 Freighters which will be operational next year through Cargo Aircraft Management, the leasing arm of ATSG.

Ground Handling Priorities Post Pandemic: Tackling Labor Shortages, Safety, Modernization

Prague – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is focusing on standards, digitalization and addressing the skilled labor shortage to build resilience and ensure long-term sustainability post pandemic for ground handling activities.

“There will be challenges as ground handling operations ramp up to meet growing demand as the aviation industry’s recovery from COVID-19 progresses. Overcoming labor shortages, ensuring safety with strict adherence to global standards and digitalization and modernization will be critical to achieving a scalable restart,” said Monika Mejstrikova, IATA’s Director of Ground Operations, speaking at the 33rd IATA Ground Handling Conference (IGHC), which opened in Prague today.

Labor

Ground handling providers are facing severe skills shortages and challenges in retaining and recruiting staff.

“Many skilled employees have left the industry and are not coming back. And recruiting, training and accrediting new staff can take up to six months. So, it is critical that we retain current staff and find more efficient ways of onboarding new personnel,” said Mejstrikova, who also outlined a number of priority solutions.

•To retain skilled staff, governments should include ground handlers in wage subsidy programs

•To speed up training processes, the use of competency-based training, assessments and online training formats should be increased, and training requirements harmonized

•To increase the efficiency of staff utilization, a training passport should be developed that would mutually recognize skills across ground handlers, airlines and/or airports

Safety

Global standards are the foundation for safe operations. Two key tools for ground handlers are the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) and the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO).

IGOM:  IATA called for the ground handling industry to accelerate the global adoption of IGOM to ensure worldwide operational consistency and safety. To support this, IATA has launched the IGOM portal. A user-friendly online platform where airlines and ground handlers can share the results of their gap analysis between company procedures and IGOM, offering a global benchmark for harmonization and driving efficiency.

ISAGO:  IATA urged governments to recognize ISAGO in their regulatory frameworks for oversight. This will deliver significant benefits, including greater harmonization, Safety Management System (SMS) implementation by the ground handlers, and reduction of duplicate audits that providers are facing.

“The aim is for global adoption of IGOM and ISAGO. The IATA online portal will give a boost to this effort,” said Mejstrikova.

Digitalization and Modernization

Digitalization can drive process improvements that will be critical to improving both sustainability and productivity. A key driver of digitalization/modernization is the CEDAR initiative (Connected Ecological Digital Autonomous Ramp) which focuses on:

•             Digitalization of aircraft turn around

•             Modernization of ground support equipment and processes

•             Enhanced stand design

“Harnessing data to improve safety and efficiency is crucial for the ground handling industry. CEDAR is the blueprint to address this. The overall aim is to be able to make data-based operational decisions that will cut costs, improve performance and contribute to the industry’s net zero commitment,” said Mejstrikova.

Cargo handlers feel the peak season strain

By Damian Brett

Cargo sheds across Europe and North America are struggling to keep up with this year’s peak season demand, causing delays for the pick up and drop off of cargo.

In Europe, handlers at major cargo hubs Frankfurt Main, London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol are all feeling the strain.

Air Cargo News reported at the end of last month that there was congestion at Europe’s busiest cargo hub Frankfurt and the issue has yet to ease.

New import rules requiring each individual house air waybill to be pre-registered and high demand are the main reasons behind the congestion at the German hub.

In October cargo volumes at Frankfurt were up by more than 11% compared with pre-covid (2019) levels for the month.

German forwarder Senator International said: “The ground handling situation remains critical. The changed process handling in the import customs procedure continues to cause noticeable delays. For all shipments via FRA, this factor should definitely be factored in.”

Another forwarder, Flexport, added: “No notable improvement at FRA for import cargo. Building in extra lead time into FRA or using other German hubs is important.”

UK Freight forwarder Metro Shipping reported particular issues at Heathrow, Frankfurt, Brussels, Liege and Amsterdam, although it said problems were widespread.

As well as strong air cargo demand, issues in ocean shipping were causing modal shift and adding to demand levels, the forwarder added.

“London Heathrow is facing significant delays, as the cargo area is unable to cope and waiting times for vehicle collections and deliveries can be anything from five to ten hours, with the ever-present risk that the driver will ultimately be turned away,” the company said.

“We are experiencing drivers running out of their legal hours of driving and having to replace with new shift drivers before they have even collected or delivered their air freight cargo whilst sitting statically outside the airline warehouses at the airports.”

Making the situation even tougher for handlers is the constantly shifting airline schedules that make it hard to pre-plan resource.

“Overall the market is not as good as it should be, with issues all over the place at the major US, European and Asian hubs and the likelihood is it will get worse, particularly when the handlers are short-staffed in many facilities, due to COVID operating restrictions and the ability to ensure that resource can be deployed for the surge in demand,” Metro said.

On the situation at Schiphol, Flexport said: “AMS ground handling terminals are feeling the strain, mainly for export cargo. Handlers are recruiting additional personnel, opening additional warehouses where there is capacity.

“Additional entries and exits to terminals are being added with the aim to free up space for more trucks to pick up or drop off cargo.”

The company also outlined the issues being faced in North America: “LAX/ORD/JFK ground handlers continue to face backlogs and are using off-airport facilities to manage the flood of inbound cargo, which has a trickle-down effect on the export side.

“Many have shortened their free time for storage, and have implemented new, earlier close outs for exports to accommodate longer throughput times and screening requirements.”

Passengers Want to Use Biometrics to Speed up Processes and Eliminate Queuing Post Pandemic

15 November 2021

Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the results of its 2021 Global Passenger Survey (GPS), which delivered two main conclusions:

•             Passengers want to use biometric identification if it expedites travel processes.

•             Passengers want to spend less time queuing. 

“Passengers have spoken and want technology to work harder, so they spend less time ‘being processed’ or standing in queues. And they are willing to use biometric data if it delivers this result. Before traffic ramps-up, we have a window of opportunity to ensure a smooth return to travel post pandemic and deliver long-term efficiency improvements for passengers, airlines, airports and governments,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security.

Biometric Identification

•             73% of passengers are willing to share their biometric data to improve airport processes (up from 46% in 2019).

•             88% will share immigration information prior to departure for expedited processing.

Just over a third of passengers (36%) have experienced the use of biometric data when traveling. Of these, 86% were satisfied with the experience.

Data protection remains a key issue with 56% indicating concern about data breaches. And passengers want clarity on who their data is being shared with (52%) and how it is used/processed (51%).

Queuing

•             55% of passengers identified queuing at boarding as a top area for improvement.

•             41% of passengers identified queuing at security screening as a top priority for improvement.

•             38% of passenger identified queuing time at border control / immigration as a top area for improvement.  

With additional document checks for COVID-19, processing time at airports is taking longer. Pre-COVID-19, the average passengers spent 1.5 hours in travel processes (check-in, security, border control, customs, and baggage claim). Current data indicates that airport processing times have ballooned to 3 hours during peak time with travel volumes at only about 30% of pre-COVID-19 levels. The greatest increases are at check-in and border control (emigration and immigration) where travel health credentials are being checked mainly as paper documents.

This exceeds the time that passengers want to spend on processes at the airport. The survey found that:

•             85% of passengers want to spend less than 45 mins on processes at the airport if they are traveling with only hand luggage.

•             90% of passengers want to spend less than one hour on processes at the airport when traveling with a checked bag.

Solutions

IATA, working with industry stakeholders, has two mature programs which can support a successful ramping-up of aviation post-pandemic and provide travelers with the expedited experience they are demanding.

•             IATA Travel Pass is a solution to manage the complex myriad of travel health credentials that governments require.  The app offers a safe and secure way for travelers to check the requirements for their journey, receive test results and scan their vaccine certificates, verify that these meet the destination and transit requirements and share these effortlessly with health officials and airlines prior to departure and using e-gates. This will reduce queuing and congestion for document checks—to the benefit of travelers, airlines, airports and governments.

•             One ID is an initiative that is helping transition industry towards a day when passengers can move from curb to gate using a single biometric travel token such as a face, fingerprint or iris scan. Airlines are strongly behind the initiative. The priority now is ensuring there is regulation in place to support the vision of a paperless travel experience. One ID will not only make processes more efficient for passengers, but also allow governments to utilize valuable resources more effectively.

“We cannot just revert to how things were in 2019 and expect our customers to be satisfied. Pre-pandemic we were preparing to take self-service to the next level with One ID. The crisis makes its twin-promises of efficiency and cost-savings even more urgent. And we absolutely need technologies like IATA Travel Pass to re-enable self-service or the recovery will be overwhelmed by paper document checks. The GPS results are yet another proof point that change is needed,” said Careen.

AirBridgeCargo gains CAAC approval for transport of large lithium batteries

10 / 11 / 2021

By Damian Brett

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has obtained approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for commercial transportation of lithium batteries over 35 kgs.

The company said it had become the first airline to receive SP A99 approval in China, which comes after two years of preliminary works, testing, and collaboration with stakeholders.

The first commercial shipment of 113 kg was launched on October 20 from Shanghai Pudong Airport to Frankfurt.

Tom Ouyang, ABC regional special cargo manager – Asia & Pacific, said: “This is an important event for the LB industry in China and we are honoured to be the first airline to get CAAC approval.

“The export of the first SP A99 lithium battery shipment is a remarkable milestone in the air logistics industry in China.

“Our appreciation to the great efforts done by the authorities, the customer, and our teams, for making it happen. With the successful experience, we are encouraged to support more and more customers on the transportation of this special cargo in future.”

The airline said that the use – and size – of lithium batteries was on the rise.

“With China being the home for major lithium batteries’ manufacturers, there have been disruptions in effective logistics and most customers tended for seafreight.

“The CAAC approval will enable ABC to leverage the growing demand for transportation of SP A99, offering logistic solutions to its existing customers and gaining new ones.”

Conversions in demand as all-cargo flights continue to soar

22 / 10 / 2021

By Damian Brett

Demand for freighter conversions is expected to remain strong over the coming years as the number of freighter flights surges compared with pre-pandemic levels.

The latest figures from consultant IBA show that in September there were 132,000 freighter flights compared with 95,000 during the same month in 2019.

IBA added that at least 110,000 freighter flights have taken place each month since May 2020.

Phil Seymour, President of IBA, said: “The Coronavirus pandemic has shaken up the freighter market like never before, driving a sustained growth in demand which we believe will result in around 1,000 conversions over the next 10 years.

“Despite the next wave of wide-body converted freighters such as the Boeing 777-300ERSF and Airbus A330-300P2F starting to come on stream, demand for legacy aircraft such as the Boeing 767-300ERSF remains strong.”

IBA said that in the main narrowbody segment, the Boeing 737-800 now dominates with 36 aircraft converted so far in 2021, up from 27 in 2020, with a further aircraft committed to conversion in future.

The Boeing 757-200 continues to be the “pre-eminent candidate for conversion” in the large narrowbody segment with eight aircraft converted so far in 2021, 10 in 2020, and an additional 30 are due to be converted in the future.

“However, conversions of the Airbus A321-200 are now growing with three so far in 2021, three in 2020, and with a further 19 set to be converted in the future,” IBA added.

Looking at conversion costs, IBA data shows the B757-300 averages at $5.2m compared with $6.1m for the Airbus A321-200. The average conversion cost for the B767-300ER is $15.8m in comparison to $18.4m for the A330-300. The conversion of a B737-800 is $4.3-$6m.

IBA estimated the cost of B777-300ER conversions offered by IAI to be around $34m to $37m.

“As the feedstock of Boeing 757s dries up, the prices of A321 aircraft will reduce and more of this type will be committed for conversions,” the consultant said. “The typical value range of the A321PCF currently stands between $21.5m and $24m.

“The Airbus A330 family is currently the most popular widebody aircraft in the market in terms of purchases for freighter conversions. Feedstock pricing in the A330 cluster is rapidly reducing, with 2009-build Rolls-Royce powered A330-300s, priced at $25m before Covid-19, now available for around $15m.

The typical value and lease rate range for converted Airbus A330-200P2F and Airbus A330-300P2F is between $27m and $38m.

The trading range for a B737-800SF is between $18m and $19.5m but newer aircraft might attract values of just over $20m.

Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach to fine companies over container backlog

Published: Oct. 25, 2021 at 9:52 p.m. ET

By Associated Press

Move intended to relieve logjam of cargo ships waiting to unload

A truck drives past cargo containers stacked at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s busiest container port, on Oct. 15 in San Pedro, Calif.

LOS ANGELES — In an effort to ease congestion at the nation’s busiest port complex, officials said Monday that they will start fining shipping companies whose cargo containers linger for too long at marine terminals.

The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach said in a statement that arriving containers scheduled to be moved by trucks will be allowed to stay for nine days before fines start accruing. Containers set to move by rail can stay at the ports for three days.

After that, ocean carriers will be charged $100 per container, increasing in $100 increments per container per day, the statement said.

The new rules will go into effect Nov. 1.

“The terminals are running out of space, and this will make room for the containers sitting on those ships at anchor,” Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero said in the statement.

It’s the latest step aimed at relieving the logjam of cargo ships that has interrupted the global supply chain. The backlog prompted the Biden administration to allow the port complex to operate 24 hours a day to try to get goods unloaded and out to consumers.

About 40% of all shipping containers entering the U.S. come through the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.

 Tesla’s valuation tops $1 trillion after Hertz’s plan to buy 100,000 Tesla EVs

Shares of Tesla Inc. shot up to another record Monday and a market value past $1 trillion, after Hertz Global Holdings Inc. announced plans to order 100,000 Tesla electric vehicles, as part of its goal to offer the largest EV rental fleet in North America.

Facebook earnings top $9 billion, but Apple change puts sales in the hot seat

Barron’s: Tesla Is the First U.S. Auto Maker With a $1 Trillion Market Cap

Barron’s: The Dow Ignored Big Risks to Reach a Record. Here Are Next Week’s Worries.

Tesla stock surges toward a record after Hertz reportedly ordered 100,000 Tesla EVs

Empty shipping containers pile up in LA while China has shortage

Tori Richards

The Port of Los Angeles with containers, ships and trucks is shown on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 13, 2021. President Joe Biden announced a deal to expand operations at the Port of Los Angeles in hopes of ending the logjam of ships waiting to unload. The supply chain squeeze has caused climbing prices and delays in delivery that are threatening the U.S. economy and holiday shopping. (Dean Musgrove/The Orange County Register via AP) Dean Musgrove/AP

Los Angeles ports are buried under 40-foot shipping containers, but across the sea, Chinese businesses are begging for them.

As the ubiquitous steel boxes clog the ports, local streets, and seemingly any unused lot around the coast, both California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia have jumped into action alleviating red tape that had curtailed storage options.

Late Friday, Garcia waived an ordinance that prohibited stacking containers more than two high. Now the limit is four — or five with special approval. Also last week, Newsom ordered the state to search for government or privately owned parcels to lease for additional storage.

RECORD 100 SHIPS WAITING OFFSHORE AT LA PORTS

“A year ago, you would just do a transaction, bring an empty in and get a load out on the same chassis,” said a trucker named Brian. “Now [ports] are not accepting any empties because they are not going back on the ships. We’re told the ships cannot make money on the empties.”

Meanwhile, in China, bicycle maker Derrick Tian spent weeks searching for a container to export his products to United States stores in time for Black Friday and Christmas. His small business has been crippled by COVID-19 lockdowns, and now he fears that a long list of orders will be jeopardized by a container shortage.

“The biggest problem is to get your goods out of China,” Tian told the South China Morning Post.

The lack of containers in China creates another problem: skyrocketing shipping costs that are eventually passed on to the consumer.

Walmart containers are stacked in a lot near Los Angeles harbor Tori Richards

“We have a full-blown container crisis on our hands,” admitted freight transporter Hillebrand on its website. The company said China was the first to recover from COVID-19 and started shipping in large numbers before America had recovered. Another problem is the lack of financial incentive for shipping companies to return the containers. Carriers get 66 cents per nautical mile from Shanghai to Los Angeles but only 10 cents for a return trip, Hillebrand said.

So while China ramps up its production of new containers to meet the demand, even more of these metal boxes are headed toward Los Angeles from the South.

Up to 2,000 empties from cities such as Charleston, Savannah, and Houston are en route to Southern California, American Shipper is reporting. It’s unclear when the cargo will arrive or where the containers will find a home.

On Friday, the Washington Examiner found areas around the Los Angeles port filled with containers, spilling out into neighborhoods. Police have issued more than 400 citations in the past few weeks for illegally parking the boxes — some left on the ground and others still on chassis unhooked from the trucks. It’s cheaper just to abandon the load rather than pay storage fees, truckers say.

Cargo containers abandoned on a chassis sit along a busy Los Angeles street. Tori Richards

On one commercial street, containers spilled out of the yard and were parked two deep next to a curb. The street dead-ends 100 feet away and the entire area was filled with containers.

“It’s never been this bad, just during the past year,” said Joe Healey, who works at a nearby seafood supply company.

For trucker Brian, the solution is simple.

“Why not take two ships back full of empties and you would have 40,000 containers going back?” he said. “Do we want to squeeze out mom and pop businesses on both sides of the ocean or do we want to send the containers back to China?”

States Must Deliver on Commitments to Restore Global Connectivity

                22 October 2021              

Montreal – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments to use the commitments reached at the ICAO High Level Conference on COVID-19 (HLCC) to make real progress towards restoring global air connectivity.

States attending the ICAO HLCC declared their commitment to 14 measures which, if acted upon, would enable airlines to meet the demands of consumers worldwide for a revival of air travel. In particular, two commitments need the most urgent action by governments. These are:

•We commit to taking effective measures to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 and other communicable diseases by international air travel, in particular through the implementation of the ICAO CART guidelines, and encourage the harmonization of Member States’ multilayer risk management strategies to safely restore international connectivity and support the revival of the global economy as a critical step towards achieving our goal to enhance the social, environmental and economic sustainability of aviation, ensuring the interoperability and mutual recognition of, and accessibility to, digital applications, secure transmission and validation of pandemic-related testing, vaccination and recovery certification that protects privacy and personal data.’

•We commit to promoting, to the greatest extent possible, a harmonized and inclusive approach to facilitate safe international air travel, including alleviating or exempting testing and/or quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated or recovered passengers, taking into account the different circumstances of individual States and their national policies, in keeping with WHO’s policy and technical considerations for implementing a risk-based approach to international travel in the context of COVID-191 , and providing exceptions for non-vaccinated passengers. This will enable us to work towards strengthening the confidence of the travelling public and safely rebuilding international civil aviation.’

“Government-imposed restrictions continue to stop a revival of international travel. It remains 70% down on pre-crisis levels. The ICAO HLCC commitments show that governments understand what is needed to re-start global connectivity. The task now is implementation. Some governments have already started. The imminent opening of the US market to vaccinated travelers will be a big step forward. But we cannot let the output of this meeting remain as words on paper. The airline industry, 88 million livelihoods, 3.5% of global GDP and billions of travelers are counting on governments to deliver on the risk-managed reopening of international travel to which they have committed,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

CART 3

Earlier this month, ICAO published recommendations that will assist the realization of the HLCC declaration. Known as CART 3 (the Council Aviation Recovery Task Force), the outputs build on previous recommendations from CART as well as the Take-off guidance and Cross-border Manuals.

Key new or updated recommendations to ICAO member states encompass:

•Implementation and recognition of testing, recovery and vaccinations certificates (including digital formats)

•A harmonized multi-layer risk management approach among states to facilitate international travel

•Entry of fully vaccinated and recovered passengers including consideration of alleviating or exempting such individuals from testing and/or quarantine measures

•Access for air crew to vaccination as quickly as possible as recommended by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE)

CART 3

is a roadmap toward a risk-based, data-driven approach to managing COVID-19. Its recommendations are the building blocks for states to achieve the ambition of the HLCC declaration. After a year-and-a-half of experience with COVID-19 we have the knowledge, data and experience to safely facilitate international travel without border restrictions. All the evidence and recommendations point towards restoring the freedom to travel for those vaccinated. And it is also clear that we have the capability to manage those without access to vaccination using testing,” said Walsh.

IATA Travel Pass

The industry is advanced in its preparation to efficiently manage travel health credentials with the IATA Travel Pass. It is a solution that responds to the HLCC’s recognition that a system will be needed to digitally manage pandemic-related testing, vaccination and recovery certification that protects privacy and personal data.

“Airlines cannot afford a restart that is compromised by paper-based processes for checking travel health credentials. Testing is complete and several airlines are already starting implementation of IATA Travel Pass across their networks. It’s also a ready-made solution for governments to be prepared to efficiently manage their documentation processes as demand ramps-up,” said Walsh.