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    Jubail Mangrove Park’s Sustainability Efforts Attract Record Numbers of Visitors

    Jubail Mangrove Park has become one of the most sought-after destinations for nature lovers. The park has achieved a remarkable accomplishment by drawing in over 150,000 visitors from October 2022 to March 2023.This achievement is a testament to the park’s commitment to sustainability and its dedication to providing visitors with engaging activities that help them forge a deeper connection with nature.
    In line with Abu Dhabi’s ambitious goal of planting 100 million mangrove trees which was announced by Her Excellency, Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment during COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, Jubail Island has launched a project to plant 1 million mangrove trees, where more than 500,000 trees have been planted to date. This initiative is a testament to the island’s dedication to preserving this unique ecosystem and contributes to the UAE’s significant objective. By expanding the mangrove forest, Jubail Island aims to create a healthier environment for wildlife and support local communities.
    Jubail Mangrove Park is committed to sustainability and engages visitors in edutainment and interactive mangrove tree planting experiences. Through such activities, visitors gain insight into the pivotal role that mangroves play in mitigating climate change and promoting biodiversity.
    Numerous high-level dignitaries who are actively contributing to preserving the environment and promoting sustainable development on a global scale, have been attracted to the Jubail Mangrove Park, the first self-contained educational, nature and leisure destination of its kind in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Their involvement, in addition to Jubail Island’s several partnerships with high-end entities including Etihad Airways, Emirates NBD, ADGM, Marriott International and IFZA, attest to the significance of achieving a greener future for generations to come.
    The tree planting initiative has also attracted the participation of numerous schools and universities, providing an engaging and educational experience for students. Jubail Mangrove Park recognizes the crucial role of education in promoting environmental consciousness and offers students a platform to learn, explore, and engage meaningfully with nature.ADVERTISEMENTSituated on Jubail Island in Abu Dhabi, the park is a unique natural treasure that provides an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Visitors can immerse themselves in the serene atmosphere and abundant natural wonders that the park has to offer. It’s a perfect retreat for those seeking a natural haven and has become a popular choice among both tourists and residents alike.
    Visitors to the park have a plethora of activities to choose from, ranging from guided walks to yoga and meditation classes, all of which provide a unique opportunity to connect with nature while nurturing the mind and body. For those seeking a thrilling adventure, kayaking tours are available to observe the unique biodiversity of the region. Additionally, spinning classes on the park’s tranquil terrace provide an excellent way to stay fit while enjoying the stunning scenery.
    As one of the leading eco-tourism destinations in the region, the park acknowledges the importance of promoting sustainable tourism practices to protecting the environment while providing visitors a unique and unforgettable experience.
    For more information about Jubail Mangrove Park, visit the park’s website at: www.jubailisland.ae/jubail-mangrove-park/

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    IATA Expands Turbulence Aware Platform​

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    IATA Expands Turbulence Aware Platform​

    Turbulence Aware was launched in 2018 to help airlines mitigate the impact of turbulence which is a leading cause of passenger and crew injuries and higher fuel costs each year. The platform pools anonymized turbulence data from thousands of flights operated by participating airlines. The real-time, accurate information enables pilots and dispatchers to choose optimal flight paths, avoiding turbulence and flying at optimum levels to maximize fuel efficiency and thereby reduce CO2 carbon emissions.
    The challenge of managing turbulence is expected to grow as climate change continues to impact weather patterns. This has implications for both safety and efficiency of flight. Turbulence Aware is a significant improvement in turbulence reporting and avoiding excess fuel consumption.“Accurate and timely data empowers crews to improve safety by avoiding turbulence. The more contributors we have, the more everyone benefits. The addition of ANA and WestJet enhances our coverage especially in Asia Pacific and North America,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
    At present, 20 airlines participate in the IATA Turbulence Aware Platform with more than 1,900 aircraft providing data daily. In 2022, a total of 31 million reports were generated.
    ANA will start providing data from nine aircraft as of 1 July 2023, with the aim of increasing this to 125 aircraft in the next three years.WestJet is already capturing data from 24 aircraft and will expand this to 60 aircraft in the coming three years. To gather additional feedback from airlines and engage with OEMs and other solution providers, IATA is organizing a Turbulence Aware User Forum, taking place at the WestJet Campus in Calgary, Canada on June 19-20, 2023.

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    SAF Production Set for Growth but Needs Policy Support to Diversify Sources

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    SAF Production Set for Growth but Needs Policy Support to Diversify Sources

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced its expectation for overall renewable fuel production to reach an estimated capacity of at least 69 billion liters (55 million tonnes) by 2028.
    Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) will comprise a portion of this growing output which is being achieved through new renewable fuel refineries and the expansion of existing facilities. Importantly, the expected production has a wide geographic footprint covering North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. 
    “The expected production increase is extremely encouraging. Seeing this, we need governments to act to ensure that SAF gets its fair production share. That means, in the first instance, production incentives, to support aviation’s energy transition. And we need continued approval for more diversification of methods and feedstocks available for SAF production. With these two measures successfully in place, we can be confident that the expected 2028 production levels will be realistically aligned with our recently published roadmaps to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. That is important as we are counting on SAF to provide about 62% of the carbon mitigation needed in 2050,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. 
    Trends supporting this optimistic outlook are already visible. In 2022, SAF production tripled to some 300 million liters (240,000 tonnes) and project announcements for potential SAF producers are rapidly growing. IATA counts over 130 relevant renewable fuel projects announced by more than 85 producers across 30 countries. Each of these projects has either announced the intent or commitment to produce SAF within their wider product slate of renewable fuels. Typically, there is a 3 –5-year lag between a project announcement and its commercialization date. This implies that further renewable fuel capacity out until 2030 could still be announced over the following years.
    If renewable energy production reaches 69 billion liters by 2028 as estimated, the trajectory to 100 billion liters (80 million tonnes) by 2030 would be on track. If just 30% of that produced SAF, the industry could achieve 30 billion liters (24 million tonnes) of SAF production by 2030.  ADVERTISEMENT“Achieving the necessary SAF percentage output from these new and expanding facilities is not a given. But with governments the world-over agreeing at ICAO to a long-term aspirational goal (LTAG) of net zero by 2050, they now share accountability for aviation’s decarbonization. That means establishing a policy framework to ensure that aviation gets the needed share of renewable energy production in SAF,” said Walsh.
    Policy Support & Government Investment The case for diversification, within current sustainability criteria, is clear. At present, it is expected that 85% of future SAF volume over the next five years will be derived from just one of nine certified pathways, being Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), which is dependent on limited availability of feedstock such as waste fat, oil and grease feedstocks (FOGs, recognized by industry as second-generation feedstock).
    IATA identifies three main avenues to achieve SAF diversification:
    Scale already certified SAF pathways, such as Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) & Fischer-Tropsch (FT)Accelerated R&D for SAF production pathways that are currently in development Scale up of feedstock/feedstock conversion technology
    Accelerating these avenues to commercialized levels will require policy leadership from governments. To start, there is an impending need for the harmonization of core SAF policies (pdf) as a means of reducing administrative, logistical and geographic barriers to entry for new market entrants, including producers, feedstock providers, and offtakers. 
    More fundamentally, the challenge is finding the capital needed to fund the development of new technology and production facilities. Governments must look at the broader sustainability picture with these investments. SAF can be produced from surplus forestry and agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, food waste and wet wastes (third generation feedstocks). Producing SAF from these can create long-term return on investment opportunities for governments, with the potential of financing the clean-up of the environment, supporting developing economies and delivering a future-proofed intersection of energy transition and energy security.
    Passenger Support A recent IATA survey revealed significant public support for SAF. Some 85% of travelers agreed that governments should provide incentives for airlines to use SAF.
    “People have experienced governments’ role in the transition to green energy for electricity. They now expect it for SAF. The G7 leaders are among the latest to reiterate their understanding that SAF is critical for sustainable aviation. Now they must support their declarations with effective policies. To promote SAF production, there are many tried and tested tools including tax credits, grants, or even direct investments in emerging technologies and solutions. The market is there. Airlines want to purchase SAF. Anything to meaningfully incentivize SAF production will be a step forward,” added Walsh. 

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    Norwegian meets strong demand for holiday travels in May

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    Daily Getaways Returns with Travel Deals, Offers from Top Brands

    The U.S. Travel Association today unveiled a weeklong preview of its popular Daily Getaways program. Officially launching for sales on June 12, Daily Getaways will feature exclusive offers from major travel brands—offering discounts up to 50% off loyalty points, theme park tickets, vacation packages and hotel stays.
    Survey data shows travelers are increasingly looking for ways to save on travel. According to a Morning Consult survey, a greater share of travelers (34%) are using points and rewards to book travel than last year (28%). With deals in Daily Getaways carrying at least a year-long expiration and many programs offering points that never expire (with an active account), travelers can secure a travel deal now to use beyond this summer.
    Available DealsSince its inception in 2010, Daily Getaways has offered travelers access to deals from top travel brands in a one-stop, once-a-year marketplace, with deep discounts on points from top loyalty programs being among the fastest sellers.
    The following is a breakdown of how travelers can view and buy the deals:
    Deals Preview: Starting June 5, U.S. Travel begins previewing the Daily Getaways deals online, allowing travelers to sign up for reminders when the deals go live.Daily Deals: A limited number of offers will be available for online purchase in the United States and Canada each weekday beginning Monday, June 12 until July 14, or until supplies last.Deals Platform: To preview and later purchase the deals, consumers can visit DailyGetaways.com. Travelers can also sign up for daily alerts to be reminded of deals that interest them before limited quantities sell out.Travelers can look forward to Daily Getaways travel opportunities from these and additional travel brands:ADVERTISEMENTAccorBest Western Hotels & ResortsCaesars EntertainmentChoice HotelsIHG Hotels & ResortsHiltonHyatt Hotels & ResortsMarriott InternationalMGM Resorts InternationalOmni Hotels & ResortsSeaWorld Parks & EntertainmentUniversal Destinations & ExperiencesThe Venetian Resort Las VegasWyndham Hotels & ResortsVisit DailyGetaways.com for more information or follow @DailyGetaways on Twitter.

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    BELMOND APPOINTS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

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    BELMOND APPOINTS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

    Belmond announces that Dan Ruff, who has been Chief Operating Officer of the brand since 2018, has been appointed as new CEO, effective 1st July 2023He succeeds Roeland Vos, who has been at the helm of the company for the past eight years. Roeland Vos will continue his role as Chairman of the board of Belmond Ltd and as such will be available to provide support to the organisation on specific projects or advisory topics.
    “I’m very pleased to hand over the reins of the company to Dan. I have known him for a very long time. He will provide continuity in the journey for excellence that Belmond is on whilst pushing boundaries. I am convinced that he will succeed in taking the team and the brand to the next level.” Roeland Vos commented.
    A proven leader with 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Dan has led Belmond’s strategic focus on operational, commercial and property excellence over the past five years, guiding the teams through the challenges of the pandemic from which Belmond has emerged stronger than ever.
    Prior to joining Belmond, Dan held senior roles at Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Wyndham Hotel Group across operations, asset management, and mergers & acquisitions, and served on the Supervisory Board ofDesign Hotels AG. He began his career at Credit Suisse First Boston in the investment banking division.
    “I’m truly honoured to become CEO of this extraordinary company, with its passionate and genuine people, and legendary properties. Together, we will continue to strive to offer incomparable travel experiences to our guests, and become the world’s most desirable luxury travel brand.” Dan Ruff commented.ADVERTISEMENTDan Ruff will be reporting directly to Stéphane Rinderknech, Chairman and CEO of LVMH Hospitality Excellence. He will continue to be based in London where he lives with his family. Originally from New York, he graduated from the College Scholar program at Cornell University.

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    CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS POTENTIAL OF HEALTH AND WELLBEING TOURISM

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    Accelya and American Airlines look to boost NDC adoption with breakthrough ticket exchange solution

    Accelya, a leading global provider of software and technology solutions to the travel industry, today announced it will now enable American Airlines to make unused EDIFACT tickets exchangeable through New Distribution Capability-based connections.The pioneering initiative responds to a commonly reported challenge from travel management companies (TMCs), many of which are still dependent on Global Distribution Systems (GDS) that use the legacy EDIFACT messaging standard for information exchange.
    Until now, the inability to exchange unused GDS EDIFACT tickets has been a key barrier for TMCs wanting to leverage the benefits of NDC-based distribution. In turn, the lack of this functionality has complicated NDC adoption across the industry.
    Following rigorous testing, Accelya’s solution was able to obtain access to tickets issued via EDIFACT through the GDS using the airline’s API, as well as submit the extracted fare information to its shopping provider in order to obtain a price for the exchange.
    The new functionality can be implemented for any other NDC-enabled carrier, as long as they are able to provide access to GDS-issued legacy tickets from their host system. This will allow travel sellers to conveniently exchange unused EDIFACT tickets and will in turn help airlines accelerate their transition to NDC.
    “After discussions with the TMC community and our partners at American Airlines, we very quickly picked up the mantle and worked tirelessly to bring this new capability to the market,” said Tye Radcliffe, SVP of Product Strategy over the Order Group at Accelya. “Having worked closely with American Airlines since the very start of their NDC journey, it was clear that their innovative spirit aligned well with our pioneering spirit – making them a natural partner to help us move the whole industry further, faster.”ADVERTISEMENT“At American Airlines, we are focused on providing customers a modern retailing experience regardless of where they shop, whether it is directly with us or through a travel retailer,” added Scott Laurence, Senior Vice President of Partnership Strategy and International at American Airlines. “Thanks to our partnership with Accelya, we were able to address a key pain point for our customers and travel retailers as they transition to NDC.”

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    Virgin Atlantic launches one off samba special featuring Anton Du Beke and AJ Pritchard

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    Emirates to Host 80th IATA AGM in Dubai​

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Emirates will host the 80th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 2-4 June 2024.  “We look forward to gathering the aviation industry in Dubai for the 80th IATA AGM in 2024. Dubai is a dynamic city and a major aviation hub connecting the world. The UAE’s positive approach to aviation has built a strong airline with a strong hub airport. Together, these make an enormously powerful and positive contribution to the society and economy of the UAE. Holding the AGM in Dubai will be a showcase of what can be achieved by aviation with supportive government policies and decisions,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. 
    “Emirates is delighted to host the 80th IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit. We look forward to welcoming all our aviation industry colleagues to Dubai in 2024,” said Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline.
    The decision to host the 80th IATA AGM was made by the 79th AGM in Istanbul. 
    This will be the first time the UAE and Dubai will host the global gathering of aviation’s top leaders.

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    IATA Urges States to Provide Timely, Thorough and Public Accident Reports More

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    IATA Urges States to Provide Timely, Thorough and Public Accident Reports

    The International Air Transport Association called on governments to live up to longstanding international treaty obligations to publish timely and thorough aviation accident reports. Safety is aviation’s highest priority.Failure to publish prompt and complete accident investigation reports deprives operators, equipment manufacturers, regulators, infrastructure providers and other concerned stakeholders of critical information that could make flying even safer.
    “The accident investigation process is one of our most important learning tools when building global safety standards. But to learn from an accident, we need reports that are complete, accessible and timely,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
    The requirements of the Convention of International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) Annex 13 are clear. States in charge of an accident investigation must:
    Submit a preliminary report to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) within 30 days of the accidentPublish the final report, that is publicly available, as soon as possible and within 12 months of the accident.Publish interim statements annually should a final report not be possible within 12 months.Only 96 of the 214 accident investigations during the period 2018-2022 conform with the requirements of the Chicago Convention. Just 31 reports were published in less than one year of the accident with the majority (58) taking between 1–3 years. In addition to the fact that final reports regularly take more than a year, interim statements often provide little more than what was presented in the preliminary report.
    “Over the past five years, fewer than half of the required accident reports meet the standards for thoroughness and timeliness. This is an inexcusable violation of requirements stated clearly in the Chicago Convention. As an industry we must raise our voice to governments in defense of the accident investigation process enshrined in Annex 13. And we count on ICAO to remind states that the publication of a complete accident report is not optional, it is an obligation under Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention,” said Walsh.ADVERTISEMENT

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    Aviation Consumer Protection Regulation Should Address Shared Responsibilities

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