Organisations & Operators,

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for holistic reforms to manage the long-term need for a stable talent base for the ground handling sector.
Thousands of ground handling staff left the aviation industry during the pandemic. Now as aviation ramps up, the severe shortage of skilled ground handlers is shedding light on the need for reform to stabilise the talent pool.
In the immediate term, the most pressing issue is the bottleneck for security clearances as the airline industry prepares for the peak northern summer season. Longer-term, IATA urges the ground handling sector to;
Adopt a stronger talent acquisition strategy
Streamline onboarding processes, and
Develop a more compelling retention proposition
“The peak northern summer travel season is fast-approaching, and passengers are already experiencing the effects of bottlenecks in getting security clearances for staff at the airport. Additional resources are needed to accelerate the processing times for employment security clearances which can be as much as 6 months in some markets. The shortages we are experiencing today are a symptom of the longer-term challenges to achieve a stable talent base in ground handling,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for the Operations, Safety and Security.
At the IATA Ground Handling Conference, IATA proposed a comprehensive approach to recruitment, onboarding, and retention:ADVERTISEMENTRecruitment
Attracting fresh talent is critical. This is made more challenging by perceptions created in the pandemic with the critical retrenchment of large numbers of staff, including those in ground handling.
IATA recommends:
An awareness campaign to highlight the attractiveness and importance of ground operations in global logistics and transport operations.
Adoption of 25by25 campaign to help address the gender imbalance across the industry.
Apprenticeships in partnership with trade schools to revitalise candidate pipelines.
Career path mapping to demonstrate long-term prospects for people entering the sector.
More efficient onboarding processesTraining and security clearance for new staff can take more than six months. More efficient and expedited onboarding will allow the sector to adapt quickly to demand changes, including those which are seasonal. IATA recommends:
A greater focus on competency-based training; moving to more online training and assessments will improve speed, flexibility and efficiency of onboarding.
Mutual recognition by authorities of security training and employee background records will expedite onboarding and reduce redundant processes.
Retention programsGreater standardisation will improve performance, provide employment flexibility and broader career options. The IATA white paper recommends:
Implementation of IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) to standardise ground operations. Along with significant operational benefits and more efficient onboarding, this would provide additional flexibility and opportunities for staff in terms of relocation, reassignment and recruitment.
Training passports that mutually recognise skills and training across ground handlers, airlines and/or airports.
Adoption of new technologies and automated processes to create diverse job opportunities and career paths to attract a new generation talent
“An industry-wide approach to lay the foundations for more efficient talent recruitment, onboarding and retention will pay big benefits in terms of efficiency for all concerned. The cornerstone is the standardisation that can be achieved with the adoption of the IGOM. Its global implementation will have a huge and positive impact in all aspects of ground handling, including talent management. The potential is to shift working in the sector from having a job to developing a career,” said Careen.

Older
Emirates SkyCargo expands capacity with delivery of new freighter More

American Express Global Business Travel has announced that it will begin trading as a public company on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol “GBTG” on May 31, 2022.
Paul Abbott, Amex GBT’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Today marks a significant milestone in the business travel industry recovery and for Amex GBT. With strategic initiatives over the last few years, including complementary accretive acquisitions, product and technology enhancements and lasting cost reductions, we have confidence that we are very well positioned to win a larger portion of the $1.4 trillion business travel market. As a publicly traded company, we will have the flexibility to further accelerate our growth strategy.
“Trading as a public company follows years of work to strengthen our market leadership position. While listing our company is an achievement, it also marks the beginning of a new phase of growth paired with a focus on delivering long-term shareholder value as the world’s largest publicly traded B2B travel platform.”
Amex GBT has become a publicly traded company following the completion of its previously announced business combination with Apollo Strategic Growth Capital (NYSE: APSG, APSG.U, APSG WS) (“APSG”), which was approved by APSG shareholders on May 25, 2022, and closed on May 27, 2022. Concurrently with the closing of the business combination, the Company received proceeds from cash in trust and PIPE investments, including sizable investments by strategic investors Zoom and Sabre, and new investors Apollo, Ares and HG Vora. These investors join American Express Company, Certares and Expedia Group, which remain invested in the Company. The Class A common stock and warrants of the newly combined company, Global Business Travel Group, Inc., will trade on the NYSE under the new ticker symbols “GBTG” and “GBTG WS”, respectively, beginning on May 31, 2022.

Older
Track upgrades to bring more reliable journeys for Yorkshire’s rail passengers More

ABTA is encouraging Members to remind customers to take steps to keep themselves safe on holiday, by sharing its health, safety and security advice and resources with customers ahead of their trips abroad and while in destination.
The Association has a range of materials to help Members provide important health, safety and security information to customers. The materials include an updated leaflet which provides essential information and advice on steps people can take prior to travel and whilst away to stay safe. The leaflet can be embedded within emails, hosted on Members’ websites and in their customer apps, and is easy to read on any device including mobile phones or tablets.
Health and safety topics covered include swimming, balcony use, activities such as riding quad bikes and mopeds and advice for young holidaymakers.
ABTA’s work on health, safety and security is an important and highly valued service for Members. As well as providing information that Members can share with customers, ABTA also provides advice and expertise to Members, the wider industry and destinations, through working in partnership and publishing materials to support in this area, such as its Health and Safety technical guide which can be found at www.abta.com/member-zone/operational-support/health-safety.
ABTA has been liaising with destinations and Members regarding health, safety and security measures in the run up to travel reopening but says it is also important customers take steps to keep themselves safe when abroad.ADVERTISEMENTAngela Hills, Head of Destinations at ABTA – The Travel Association said: “Holidays are a time for fun and relaxation, but customers also need to take care of themselves and look out for each other. 
“For many people, this year will be the first time they have been abroad for almost three years – so we’re encouraging our Members to remind customers of the steps people can take to stay safe when travelling including around swimming, using balconies and booking excursions.
“Travel agents and tour operators are well placed to offer friendly reminders about what people can do to keep safe – whether that’s in pre-departure information or in hotels on arrival, there are lots of opportunities to get the message across and we have resources to help Members do that.”

Older
Saudi Arabia jumps 10 places in global tourism ranking More

The Ministry of Economy (MoE) and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), the largest global cooperative organization, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop the structure of the UAE’s project aimed at strengthening the national cooperative sector. The partnership forms part of the Ministry’s strategy to improve the performance of the country’s cooperative sector and increase its contribution to the national economy. The MoU was signed by H.E. Abdullah Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, and Balasubramanian Iyer, Regional Director of the Alliance, on behalf of the ICA.
H.E. Al Saleh said that the partnership will help raise the work environment in the country’s cooperative sector to new levels. He explained that under the framework of the MoU, joint actions will be taken along with the ICA to contribute to the development of flexible and proactive legislation that will further empower the cooperative model and regulate its governance. This in turn will enhance the readiness of the UAE’s cooperative work environment and increase its contribution to the growth of the country’s non-oil GDP. In addition, H.E. pointed out that this MoU serves the Ministry of Economy’s objectives and integrated strategy to achieve qualitative development in the cooperative sector to enable it to play a direct role in the diversification and competitiveness of the national economy.
H.E added: “The cooperative sector plays a pivotal role in achieving the UAE’s sustainable economic and social development goals and is an important asset to the competitiveness and diversity of the national economy. In line with the wise leadership’s vision for the future and the principles and Projects of the 50, the UAE Government has adopted a new vision for this vital sector aimed at improving its performance in accordance with international best practices and enhancing its role in the country’s new economic model. The country has achieved regional leadership in developing the cooperative model and establishing a favorable environment and policies that drive its growth.”
H.E. Al Saleh further noted that the UAE is one of the first countries in the region to allow the regulation and trading of cooperative shares in its financial markets, a move that enhances the leadership and competitiveness of the UAE cooperatives regionally and globally. It enables the activation and deepening of its role in providing economic sectors in the country and supporting its shareholders. “We continue our efforts today to complete the cooperative sector development strategy in order to enable the sector to take its rightful role as one of the drivers of diversity, sustainability, innovation, high productivity, and transition towards a future economy in the UAE,” he added.
Meanwhile, Balasubramanian Iyer said: “Through this agreement, we aspire to provide the UAE’s cooperative sector with the highest international practices, following the footprints of leading examples from countries all over the world. Our strategy is to promote the development of the current cooperative system in the UAE, raise awareness, and encourage the participation of youth and women, and build capacities. This strategy is set to increase the contribution of cooperatives in supporting the country’s economy as it is an important focus area in achieving the objectives of the UAE Centennial 2071 and supports the country’s efforts to establish a diversified economic model.”ADVERTISEMENTThe Ministry of Economy aspires to set a first-of-its-kind comprehensive strategy to develop the cooperative sector in the UAE in the upcoming stage. This strategy includes training for the entities that supervise the cooperative sector and acquainting them with the latest international practices and methods. It is also set to launch a joint committee with the membership of cooperatives, as well as federal and local entities that supervise the sector, to oversee the implementation of the strategy, in collaboration with the Ministry. It is also set to promote joint efforts by the Ministry and its partners to promote the national cooperative sector. The development strategy is divided into three stages.
Stage I
Stage one includes the development of the UAE’s cooperative sector and assessing the current state of the sector. This will be conducted by establishing teams from the Ministry of Economy and the ICA to collaborate in developing the jurisdictional system of cooperatives as well as promoting the research and development activities. This stage will further include training workshops that are open to everyone as these focus on introducing the significance of the sector, its role in supporting the national economy, and exploring ways to establish more cooperatives in the UAE.
Stage II
The second stage is set to conduct comprehensive studies on the development of the cooperative sector, promote opportunities, identify challenges, and the means to diversify priority sectors in which the cooperatives practice their activities in collaboration with partners. Also, the second stage will oversee the development of an effective strategy to increase the sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP to five per cent by the year 2031.
Stage III
The third phase will focus on qualifying the people working in the cooperative sector, raising their awareness on the best practices followed globally. It will also focus on developing the human capacities of the local entities and departments in the UAE concerning policies, law enforcement, and monitoring the performance of cooperatives. This will be achieved through conducting training programs, launching initiatives, and business incubators to accelerate the growth of the next generation of cooperative entrepreneurs. Also, there will be developed training and academic curricula for students. These curricula aim to consolidate cooperative thinking that addresses cooperative principles and launch campaigns and awareness programs across the UAE to raise awareness about the cooperatives and their importance, in cooperation with the concerned local and federal government entities and the private sector. The partnership will last for 18 months.
By the end of 2020, the number of cooperative societies in their various forms in the UAE reached nearly 42, including 20 consumer societies, 13 for fishermen, 7 societies in other fields, two cooperative unions, and 200 outlets and branches all over the country. The total value of the cooperative sector amounted to AED 3.1 billion, and its net profit amounted to more than AED 1 billion at the end of the same year, while the number of shareholders in cooperatives amounted to about 97,000 contributing members until the end of 2020.
The International Cooperatives Alliance, which was established in 1895, is one of the oldest non-governmental organizations, and is the largest global cooperative organization that includes cooperative organizations from 112 countries. The International Cooperative Alliance operates in various economic sectors, most notably agriculture, banking, consumer services, fisheries, health services, housing, insurance, industry, and service industry. The Alliance aims to unite and represent cooperatives on an international scale, which are estimated to be nearly 3 million in numbers across the world. It also provides the necessary services for cooperatives and their members who exceed one billion. The Alliance also works with governments and global and regional organizations to offer legislative environments that support establishment and development cooperatives.

Older
Carnival joins Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for zero carbon Shipping

Newer
Spirit Airlines directors urge stockholders to reject JetBlue offer More

Trip.com Group has released its 2021 annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, highlighting stronger, more resilient sustainability practices across the business over the past year.
The ESG report also outlines Trip.com Group’s roadmap for success in 2022, with a focus on greater opportunities to put sustainability into action, creating a more sustainable future for the global travel ecosystem.
During the last year, the Group has joined the UN Global Compact, aligning its strategies and operations with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
A founding partner of sustainable travel coalition, Travalyst, Trip.com Group works with leading travel peers to develop sustainable travel initiatives to bring industry-wide change. The Group has also continued to champion the fight against the illegal wildlife trade.
This is in addition to pursuing its ‘3Rs’ strategy of reducing waste, reusing and recycling resources, as well as adopting green operations across the business.ADVERTISEMENTJane Sun, Trip.com Group CEO, said: “Our commitment to sustainability, social issues and creating a stronger, more resilient business made several important strides over the course of the last year.
“As a crucial part of our Group mission, our newly-created ESG Committee plays a vital role in enabling the business to embrace innovative and effective corporate governance practices.
“We are proud of the progress we have made in integrating these practices into our daily business operations to date.
“We now look forward to continuing to build upon these achievements throughout 2022, and help to shape a more sustainable future for our society.”
Other key 2021 ESG achievements for the Group include:
● Donating 680 oxygen concentrators, worth more than $330,000 to India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia to support the fight against COVID-19
● Donating more than 3,000 attraction passes and room nights through the ‘Pay It Forward’ campaign in Singapore, providing leisure and holiday opportunities to people from disadvantaged backgrounds
● Investing almost $150 million empowering 100 vacation villages in rural destinations with the building of eight of ten planned country retreats as part of its Rural Revitalisation Plan
● Providing more than 2,800 professional development classes to staff through the Trip Growth Academy.
Within the work environment, the Trip.com Group also reports significant ESG successes and enhancements to its operations, including:
● The roll out of a flexible hybrid work model enabling employees the choice of working remotely and supporting employee wellness
● Maintaining an equal workplace which is home to a 50% female workforce, 43% of which hold mid-level management positions and 30% at executive level.
● Awarded the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Award for providing a Gender-inclusive Workplace by UN Women China.
Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel groups around the globe, and has over 20 years’ expertise in enhancing the experience of leisure and business travellers in China and around the world.
Read Trip.com Group’s 2021 ESG report in full here.

Older
Fly now, pay later with new Qantas and Zip partnership

Newer
American Airlines and Microsoft partnership aims to smooth travel experience More

dnata has announced significant expansion of its operations in Erbil, Iraq. The company opened a new, advanced cool chain facility and a bus maintenance facility for its state-of-the-art bussing fleets at Erbil International Airport (EBL), which together represent a total investment of US$ 3.5 million.
dnata has also announced that it would invest an additional US$ 14 million and add a 16,000 m² cargo warehouse to its infrastructure in Iraq. The three new facilities will create up to 100 local jobs with dnata. 
dnata’s new cool chain facility is capable of processing 10,000 tons of perishables annually. It enables dnata’s cargo team to offer an uncompromised chilled and frozen storage and cool chain product to its airline customers at EBL, catering to product categories including fresh fruit, meat and pharmaceuticals. The facility was designed and built with flexibility and unique product handling requirements in mind, taking advantage of the latest cold storage technologies.
The new bus maintenance facility was designed to maintain the fleet of eight passenger apron buses and over 10 transportation buses operated at EBL. It will ensure continuous improvements in the safe and productive maintenance of the airport’s bus fleet, supporting smooth transport operations across the airport for passengers, crew and staff.
dnata’s new cargo warehouse, which is expected to open in 2023, will further significantly enhance the company’s cargo offering in Iraq.  It will be capable of processing 100,000 tonnes of cargo, with a special focus on pharma and other cool chain commodities, annually. The facility will be equipped with the latest technologies, including environmentally sustainable features such as water harvesting, low energy lighting and an all-electric forklift fleet.ADVERTISEMENTFurthermore, dnata has recently announced that it successfully implemented its advanced ‘OneCargo’ system, digitising processes and maximising efficiencies across its cargo operations in Iraq. OneCargo automates key business and operational functions, including safety and quality monitoring, reporting and ULD management, with an integrated, cloud-based platform. AI-driven tools and analytics provide enhanced visibility on sales and business performance, allowing customers to match real-time demand with available capacity for maximum profitability. In addition, OneCargo eliminates all redundancies and manual check sheets, substantially improving operational efficiency.
dnata currently provides passenger, ground and cargo services to over 25 airlines in Erbil. In 2021, the company assisted over 1.2 million passengers and handled 8,200 flights and 20,000 tonnes of cargo in Iraq.
Tom Alwyn-Jones, Managing Director of dnata Erbil, said: “Our latest investment in three new facilities will help us further expand and improve our operations in Erbil as demand for reliable and safe cargo services is on the rise across the region. I thank my colleagues for their hard work and our partners for their support and trust in our services. We continue to go the extra mile to consistently deliver superior quality and be the best in everything we do.”
In recent years dnata has also made strategic investments in new cargo facilities in London and Manchester (UK), Karachi and Lahore (Pakistan), and additional cargo capacity and infrastructure in Brussels (Belgium), Sydney (Australia) and Toronto (Canada). In addition, the company has recently announced that it would invest over €200 million in its operations in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and operate one of the world’s largest and most advanced cargo facility, dnata Cargo City Amsterdam, at Schiphol Airport.
dnata is nominated as World’s Leading Air Travel Service Provider 2021 by World Travel Awards.
As one of the world’s leading air services providers, dnata provides quality and reliable ground handling, cargo, catering and retail services at over 120 airports in 19 countries.

Older
UNWTO launches digital futures programme for SMEs More

Global travel platform Agoda has announced its partnership with Visa, the world leader in digital payments, to offer interest-free credit card installments across its booking platform. Agoda will be the first global Online Travel Agency (OTA) to offer this payment option with Visa in the Asia Pacific region.
These installments can now be exclusively enjoyed by HSBC Bank Malaysia credit card holders. In the coming years, Visa and Agoda will progressively roll out this offering regionwide to locations like Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines, each with respective issuing banks.
“As the world transitions from a pandemic to an endemic state, there is great demand for digital-first experiences to accommodate for changing consumer behaviours and purchasing patterns. At Agoda, we are always looking for innovative ways to help people gain more accessibility – using technology to simplify the search, booking and payment processes. We are happy to be working with a global leader like Visa to empower travellers who might have previously found it inconvenient to pay for their booking in one lump sum, to spread their purchases over multiple payments – allowing for greater flexibility and peace of mind.”, said Thi-Mai-Linh Bui, CFO, Agoda.
To enjoy this benefit, Visa card holders will simply need to enter their credit card details at the point of checkout. An instalment option will appear for eligible card holders. Following which, travellers can select their preferred instalment period via Agoda’s mobile app and website, with no additional charges or fees.
“The buy now, pay later trend is here to stay, so add instalments to the list of consumer expectations for speed, safety and convenience, even when they’re booking their holidays,” said Conor Lynch, Head of Consumer Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa. “We’re excited for Agoda to join the growing list of businesses in Asia Pacific giving their customers the ability to pay in instalments. It’s particularly great to see instalment payments taking off in the travel industry at the same time people are getting their ‘revenge travel’ plans underway.’ADVERTISEMENT

Older
Radisson debuts in Ghana with Number One Oxford Street

Newer
Four Seasons Hotel Doha launches new plant-based menu More