Organisations & Operators,

“Hundreds of electric taxis visit Helsinki Airport every day, and the number is growing. We are pleased that, in cooperation with Plugit Finland, we will be able to offer taxis operating at the airport their own charging area in a central location. We believe that the new charging station will be well received,” says Jukka Isomäki, Finavia’s Head of Parking and Landside Traffic at Helsinki Airport.
The total power output of the charging area for electric taxis to be built at Helsinki Airport is considerable, about 4 megawatts. The charging area uses Plugit’s high-power charging system.
“With an implementation of this scale, we absolutely wanted to have a Finnish charging system and operating software. By investing in public charging stations for commercial transport, we are doing our part to help commercial transport transfer quickly to electric vehicles,” says Tuomas Mäkelä, who is responsible for Plugit’s charging business for commercial transport.
The power planning of the charging area means the station can later be extended to support the charging of up to 100 electric taxis simultaneously.

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will publish an annual Track Zero report using IATA’s Net Zero Tracking Methodology to report industry-level progress towards aviation’s commitment to Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The Net Zero Tracking Methodology and related reporting process were developed with industry experts. IATA will aggregate and report annually inputs from IATA member airlines on an industry basis. After thorough validation, aggregate industry data from the previous calendar year will be reported annually in the fourth quarter of each year. The first report with airline-contributed data is planned for publication in Q4 2024. Non-IATA member airlines are also encouraged to contribute data and participate in the reporting.
“Transparency is a critical element of aviation’s decarbonization. We will report our progress annually to ensure standardized, accurate and comprehensive reporting of aviation’s journey to net zero. Industry-level data in the Track Zero report will help airlines, governments, and investors with tools to improve decision-making to accelerate progress,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist.
Individual airlines may use the aggregate data of the Track Zero report to benchmark their own progress towards decarbonization. They may also choose to report their progress on decarbonization to key stakeholders including governments, investors and customers, using IATA’s Net Zero Tracking Methodology.
“Decarbonization is an industry challenge, not a competitive issue. Nonetheless, the report and the methodology behind it can enable benchmarking that could intensify decarbonization efforts by spreading the success of best practices and sparking innovation,” said Owens Thomsen.ADVERTISEMENTKey features of the Net Zero Tracking Methodology include:
Standardization: The methodology establishes a transparent framework for accurate reporting that can be used industry-wide by identifying the relevant emissions scope, sources, and processes for emissions tracking and measurement.
Accuracy: The methodology includes best practices for data collection and validation with minimal administrative burden.
Comprehensiveness:  The methodology accommodates reporting of all manner of decarbonization activities on a lifecycle basis, including usage of conventional and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), carbon offsets/carbon capture, and future power sources (hybrid-electric, electric, and hydrogen-powered aircraft).
The decision to publish a Track Zero report follows the release by IATA of five roadmaps detailing critical actions for aviation to achieve net zero CO2 by 2050. They address aircraft technology, energy infrastructure, operations, finance, and policy. Together, they show a clear direction and will evolve with the insights of the Track Zero report, practical experience and emerging technologies to help aviation set interim milestones on the way to net zero.

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Picture: L/R: and Ms Noredah Othman, CEO, Sabah Tourism Board, Malaysia and Dr. Gerald Perez, Vice President, Guam Visitors Bureau, USA.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association(PATA) is pleased to announce the re-appointment of Ms Noredah Othman, CEO, Sabah Tourism Board, Malaysia and the election of Dr. Gerald Perez, Vice President, Guam Visitors Bureau, USA to the PATA Executive Board for a two-year term beginning June 27, 2023.
On the announcement, PATA Chair Peter Semone said, “I would like to first thank Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, Minister of Tourism, Republic of Maldives for his time and contribution on the Executive Board over the past two years. His support and experience were a great asset to us during a critical time for our industry coming out of the pandemic. I would also like to welcome back Ms Noredah Othman and welcome Dr. Gerald Perez to the Executive Board. Their proven track record and background will make them a great asset to PATA and our members.”
With 30 years’ experience in Sabah Tourism, Ms Noredah Othman is the longest-serving officer with Sabah Tourism Board. She is responsible for marketing and promotion of the destination.
Ms. Noredah Othman has held various positions since October 1990 and served as Deputy General Manager (Support Services) from 2016. Prior to that, she was the Senior Marketing Manager for the UK, Europe, Australia and the USA markets from 2011 to 2015. She was the Marketing Manager for the UK, Europe and Australia from 2005-2010.
Ms. Othman, a mother of three children, completed her education in Singapore, started her career as tourist assistant with the Sabah Tourism Promotion Corporation (STPC), the forerunner of STB, in 1990. Between 1991 and 2005, she held the position of assistant public affairs officer and later as communications manager. Ms. Othman was awarded the PATA Foundation’s scholarship for Executive Development for Tourism (EDIT) Programme in 2015.ADVERTISEMENTDr. Gerry Perez is a dedicated and accomplished individual who has made significant contributions to various fields, particularly in tourism and public service. Born and raised on Guam, he graduated from Fr. Duenas Memorial School and went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Forestry and a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Management with honors from the University of Idaho. He also holds a PhD in Tourism Development and Public Policy from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
In his private business endeavours, Dr. Perez has demonstrated exceptional leadership and success. He retired in 2003 as a Travel Retail Executive, where he oversaw over 500 employees during his 23-year tenure. He is also the proprietor of Micromed Suppliers and has served as the General Manager of the Guam Visitors Bureau. Gerry’s outstanding business acumen led to his induction into the Guam Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame in 2017, and he represented the White House Business Conference as a delegate in 1994.
With an unwavering commitment to promoting tourism, Dr. Perez has been actively involved in various organizations and conferences. He currently serves as the Vice President of the Guam Visitors Bureau and is a founding member of the Micronesia Cruise Association. As a renowned speaker, he has shared his expertise at international forums such as the Beijing International Forum on Chinese Overseas Travel and the SKAL Asia Tourism Congress. Gerry’s dedication to the tourism industry is further demonstrated through his memberships in the Guam Tourism Foundation and the Executive Board of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Gerry has been actively engaged in civic and government roles. He has served as the Chairman of the GovGuam Retirement Fund Board of Trustees and the Vice-Chairman of the University of Guam Board of Regents. Gerry has also held positions in organizations such as KGTF Public Television, the Bureau of Budget and Management Research, Guam Economic Development Authority, and the Department of Agriculture, where he worked as a Wildlife Biologist.
Ms. Othman and Dr. Perez will join the other Executive Board members including Peter Semone, Chair, PATA; Benjamin Liao, Vice Chair, PATA and Chairman, Forte Hotel Group, Chinese Taipei, Singapore; Suman Pandey, Secretary/Treasurer PATA and President, Explore Himalaya Travel and Adventure, Nepal; Tunku Iskandar, Group President, Mitra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd, Malaysia; SanJeet, Managing Director, DDP Publications Private Ltd., India; Luzi Matzig, Chairman, Asian Trails Ltd., Thailand, and Dr. Fanny Vong, President – Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM), Macao, China, as well as non-voting members, Soon-Hwa Wong, CEO, AsiaChina Pte., Ltd., Singapore and Mayur (Mac) Patel, Head of Asia, OAG, Singapore.
The new Executive Board members were ratified at the PATA Annual General Meeting held online on June 27, 2023.

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Richmond International Airport (RIC) has earned the Most Efficient Airport in North America* award from the Air Transport Research Society (ATRS). The honor took place July 2, 2023, at the organization’s 26th World Conference in Kobe, Japan. This is RIC’s first win from ATRS, recognized as one of the most reputable aviation research societies in the world.
“We are thrilled to win this award and we could not have done it without our fantastic team,” said Perry J. Miller, A.A.E., I.A.P, President and CEO of RIC. “We’ve been an economic engine for our region for almost a century – generating about $2.1 billion in economic impact per year – and it’s because everyone here is committed to delivering an extraordinary travel experience. We want the world to know what RIC and the Greater Richmond region has to offer.”
The award is granted based on performance indicators like productivity and operating/management efficiency, airport charge comparisons, and more. In 2021, the airport began facility updates to welcome international travel, which included a now complete Concourse A expansion, preparing for additional ramp space, and customs upgrades to meet global travel protocols. Last year, RIC was named the Best Little Big Airport in the world by Business Focus Magazine. And this year, RIC has increased its direct service options by 36%.
“RIC has had a direct impact on local business vitality, resident happiness, and increased tourism spending,” says Frank Thornton, Chairman of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors. “And you can see that they’re not content to rest on their laurels; they’re deliberately taking steps to improve. For instance, the addition of new and affordable nonstop options to popular destinations like San Francisco and New Orleans has moved the needle for RIC – and for us as a region.”
“If you have the same flight pattern, you’ll keep arriving at the same destination,” says Miller. “We are laying new groundwork to grow as an airport of choice, one that leads the way in the future of our industry. This means a lot of exciting projects in the works, like making flights available to Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, and Japan, and building a hands-on facility where the future generation of workers can learn about the aviation industry. If you think we’ve done great things so far, you’ll be thrilled to see what’s on the horizon.”ADVERTISEMENT*under 5 million passengers per year

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Europe’s leading airline easyjet and the UK’s fastest growing tour operator easyJet holidays, have today announced they will launch 15 new routes for next summer from Birmingham, with thousands of package holidays on sale today to the range of brand new destinations.Holidaymakers from Birmingham looking for a relaxing beach holiday, or exciting city escape, now have thousands of packages to choose from with easyJet holidays and can make the most of brand new routes to Barcelona, Tenerife, Antalya, Berlin, Jersey, Malaga, Sharm El Sheikh, Rhodes, Alicante, Dalaman, Corfu, Heraklion, Larnaca, Tunisia and Kos.
easyJet holidays customers have exclusive early access to the flying schedule, enabling them to book packages from today. What’s more, packages include flights, hotel, 23kg luggage and transfers on beach holidays, all covered by its Ultimate Flexibility, offering freedom to change a booking, a refund guarantee, and best price guarantee. Flights across the new routes will be on sale on easyJet.com in the coming months.
The network expansion comes just a month after easyJet confirmed that that it will open a new three-aircraft base at Birmingham Airport in spring 2024.
easyJet already serves 13 key domestic connections and international routes from Birmingham to popular beach and city destinationsincluding Amsterdam, Geneva, Milan, Naples, Lisbon, Faro and Palma de Mallorca. The opening of the base with the addition of three aircraft at the airport has enabled the airline to further expand its Birmingham network with 15 new routes that will prove popular with leisure and business travellers flying from the UK’s second largest city.
Paul Bixby, Commercial Director at easyJet holidays, said:ADVERTISEMENT“We’re delighted to be putting thousands of package holidays on sale from Birmingham today. We’re absolutely committed to ensuring our brilliant holidays at unbeatable prices are available to holidaymakers across the UK, so we’re pleased that those from the West Midlands can now fly from their doorstep.
“We’re offering a huge range of holidays on the 15 brand new routes. Whether customers are seeking relaxation by the pool, or a cultural city escape, we’re got a fantastic range of Europe’s most loved destinations, with hundreds of hotels to choose from.”
Ali Gayward, UK Country Manager at easyJet, said:
“We are delighted to announce our network expansion for our new base in Birmingham, which will create around 100 direct jobs for pilots and crew and over 1,200 more indirect jobs.
“Investing in a ninth base in Birmingham further strengthens easyJet’s network by positioning it as the carrier of choice to serve UK consumers and capture the continued demand for travel, further growing its share of the UK leisure market for both the airline and easyJet holidays.”
Tom Screen, Aviation Director for Birmingham Airport (BHX), said:
“As we look forward to easyJet basing three of its aircraft here from March 2024, we are thrilled to see the launch of easyJet holidays to BHX customers.
“In addition to an attractive roster of destinations, including beach resorts like Faro, Palma and Malaga and cities like Berlin and Paris, easyJet holidays customers get exclusive early access to new flight schedules.
“With packages including flights, 23kg of luggage and transfers, easyJet staying true to its name – by making things easy for customers.”
Customers from Birmingham have a huge range of package holidays to choose from, (www.easyjet.com/en/holidays tel: 0330 365 5005):
> Antalya: seven nights at the 4* Eftalia Splash Resort on an All Inclusive basis for £601 per person including 23kg of luggage per person, transfers and flights from Birmingham on 6 May 2024.
> Sharm El Sheikh: seven nights at the 5* Aurora Oriental Resort on an All Inclusive basis for £561 per person including 23kg of luggage per person, transfers and flights from Birmingham on 1 June 2024.
> Tenerife: seven nights at the 4* Landmar Costa Los Gigantes on an All Inclusive basis for £787 per person including 23kg of luggage per person, transfers and flights from Birmingham on 16 September 2024.
> Berlin: three nights at the 4* Hotel Riu Plaza Berlin on a Bed & Breakfast basis for £366 per person including 23kg of luggage per person and flights from Birmingham on 3 May 2024.
> Paris: three nights at the 4* Dream Castle Paris on a Bed & Breakfast basis for £332 per person including 23kg of luggage per person and flights from Birmingham on 24 April 2024.

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CLYMB™ Abu Dhabi has announced the return of the Junior Flying Club, offering little ones the chance to make the most out of their summer experience with a record-breaking adventure every Saturday at 1:30 PM, starting this week and running until August 20.
Kids up to 14 years can learn how to fly like a pro for an unforgettable adrenaline kick inside the world’s largest indoor skydiving chamber. Every guest will be directed under the supervision of personalized instructors and in a secure environment according to their respective groups.
The Junior Flying Club at CLYMB™ Abu Dhabi provides young adventurers with a fun flying experience, encompassing a total of 20 flights. Each session comprises five flights, during which dedicated instructors offer a comprehensive briefing and debriefing ahead of the session. As part of the package, kids can rent flight gear and receive personalized skill and progression monitoring from the instructors, along with a tailored development plan.

All passes purchased are valid for 3 months from the date of purchase and little ones can avail up to a 35% discount on the Junior Flying Club once registered. CLYMB Abu Dhabi’s unique offering aims to inspire young minds and encourage them to pursue their dreams of reaching to new heights in a controlled and supervised environment.ADVERTISEMENTFor more information visit: https://www.clymbabudhabi.com/en/tickets/junior-flying-club
Yas Island and its world-class theme parks, experiences and attractions were recognised with seven awards in the globally renowned World Travel Awards in 2022. In addition to scooping the accolade of World’s Leading Theme Park Destination 2022, Yas Island received the flagship Middle East’s Leading Tourism Development award for the fourth consecutive year, testament to the global reputation Yas Island has as a leisure and entertainment hub.

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TUI UK has appointed the nation’s favourite duo, Ant & Dec to bring holiday inspired fun and smiles to Brits. The Geordie pair will share their mischievous plans as they define their new roles as TUI’s ‘Happiness Ambassadors’. 
Launching on the 28th June, the social media campaign will focus on how TUI create ‘happy’ every day. In a cheeky and entertaining way, Ant & Dec brainstorm their new job title, creating the perfect holiday pitch, and dial up the holiday inspo with TUI’s retail agents and cabin crew. 
The social content focuses on the moments customers experience before they step foot overseas; from the planning and booking and just before they jet off, at the airport. Ant & Dec have a lot of fun creating extra happy moments every step of the journey in a surprising and memorable style. 

The campaign, a creative co-production between Ant and Dec’s Mitre Studios and Leo Burnett London, is set to run across TUI’s and Ant and Dec’s social channels from 28thJune for six months. Be sure to follow @antanddec and @tuiuk to find out what they’ve been up to from today. ADVERTISEMENT
Andrew Flintham Managing Director at TUI UK commented: “Ant and Dec are the perfect pair to showcase what our Makers of Happy do every day; delivering the best possible experiences for our customers. The partnership has come at an exciting time for TUI as our customers cannot wait to create amazing holiday memories. It’s brilliant to be working with Ant and Dec as they really are the happiest people on TV and are already sharing some great ideas on how we can bring even more fun to the holiday experience.” 

Ant says: “We have worked successfully with TUI in the past on Saturday Night Takeaway so we were delighted to be invited to become their Happiness Ambassadors and create some fun content around their staff and customers as they plan holidays this year. 

Dec adds: “We have loved working collaboratively with everyone at TUI and getting to know the team even better. We hope what we’ve created brings a smile to people’s faces and spreads a little happiness from the start to the finish of this year’s holidays.”

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The competition, launched around two categories – high school students and undergraduates – attracted applicants from leading educational institutions from across the country. In making their decision, the expert jury looked at the feasibility of the ideas presented by the teams through their social media campaigns as well as on their potential to contribute to the fulfillment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Celebrating young tourism talent
In the end, eight teams made it to the final, representing the Srednja stručna škola (Team AANSS Tourist), JU Turističko-ugostiteljska škola Tuzla (Team Champions), Mješovita srednja škola Travnik (Team RoseBrandis), JU Mješovita srednja škola “Bosanski Petrovac (Team StazeSrece), JU Centar srednjih škola (Team Tribuni), Faculty of Economics Pale (Team Tusists Economy), Visoka škola za turizam i menadžment Konjic (Team VS-TIM) and University of Business Studies (Team We Grow with Nature).
The winning solutions from Team RoseBrandis from Mješovita srednja škola Travnik and Team Vs-Tim from Visoka škola za turizam i menadžment Konjic included social media campaigns to support rural development on the Via Dinarica in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Students also created synergies between the different teams by becoming film producers and created a video on traditional folk costumes in Rural areas.
The 2023 UNWTO Students’ League: Bosnia and Herzegovina has been organized by UNWTO, under the framework of UNDP BiH “Building Relations for intercultural Dialogue (BRIDGE) Project” which counts on the financial support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). The initiative is implemented and co-financed by the United Nations Development Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNDP BiH) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH.ADVERTISEMENTFor this first national edition, the jury panel was made up of national and international experts from UNWTO, UNDP, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Ministry of Trade and Tourism of Republika Srpska, Verne Tourism Experts and SISMOTUR.
Youth empowerment for tourism’s future
According to the participants, the Students League offered a unique chance to gain practical experience within the tourism sector while also benefitting from networking and mentorship opportunities.
“This project is a wonderful experience for young people who will be the bearers of tourism in the future, because they study tourism, ecology, economics, which are closely related to the sector,” said Team We Grow with Nature from the University of Business Studies.
“By participating in this project, we learned a lot and discovered various hidden treasures both in our and in other countries. The project helped us get introduced to Instagram and how we can use it in business. Most importantly, we had fun and enjoyed participating in this project,” addedTeam RoseBrandis, from Mješovita srednja škola Travnik
The UNWTO Students League Bosnia & Herzegovina has benefited the support of leading international partners, including representatives from the UNWTO Best Tourism ViIlages Programme –  Cumeada and Krupa Na Vrbasu,  Visit Blidinje, Greenways Association, Verne Tourism Experts, Sismotur, Outdoor Bosnia and the City of Trebinje.

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