Fly Net Zero Updates, Contactless Travel & Data Exchange

Welcome back! We're quickly approaching the end of 2023. This will be our last edition for a few weeks but don't worry - we'll be back in early 2024. If you're lucky enough to have time off, relax and enjoy those special moments with friends and family. We'll see you up in the air in the new year! Now, let's get to it.

IATA Rolls Out New Timatic Product to Support Contactless Travel

IATA has rolled out the next generation travel documentation and verification system which supports contactless travel and enhances the passenger experience.

To achieve this, Timatic has undergone a complete redesign, setting a new benchmark in travel compliance solutions.

With passenger traffic set to double by 2040, the optimization and enhancement of airport processes will need to continue.

Verifying passengers’ travel documentation is one of the more time-consuming tasks which will benefit from further automation.

Moreover, the new features of Timatic AutoCheck will also play an essential role in supporting the industry in the move towards contactless travel.

Learn more about the completely redesigned Timatic AutoCheck.

Welcome Aboard: 18 Airlines State Their Intention to Join The IATA Schedule Data Exchange Program

The Schedule Data Exchange Program is an IATA initiative which will provide an industry-owned and controlled schedule and MCT database. It aims to reduce dependencies and provide airlines with more control, flexibility, and continuity over their schedule, capacity, and minimum-connection-time (MCT) data.

A growing number of airlines have expressed their intention to participate in the Schedule Data Exchange Program.

The Lufthansa group, encompassing Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Air Dolomiti, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss Air, SWISS, and Lufthansa CityLine, has formally conveyed their intent. Additionally, Egyptair, Ethiopian Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, SAS, and TAP Air Portugal have also officially signed their letter of intent to join the program.

With these recent additions, we now boast a total of 18 airlines that have signaled their commitment to participating in the program.

Learn more about the IATA Schedule Data Exchange Program.

News in Brief

? Fly Net Zero Media Update

? Statement on Proposed German Domestic Kerosene Tax

? On-Demand Webinars

? Statement from Willie Walsh on COP28 Outcome

Welcome to IATA's Latest Member Airlines!

Heston Airlines is headquartered in Vilnius and was founded in 2016. They operate Airbus 320 and Airbus 330 aircraft, providing short and long term charter/ACMI and ad hoc air cargo services worldwide.

Founded in May 2018, STARLUX Airlines is based in Taipei City operating international scheduled passenger and cargo services across Asia and North America. It launched its first flights to Macau, Da Nang and Penang on 23 January 2020 and since, it has added more destinations to its network, including Bangkok, Osaka, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Fukuoka, and Singapore. STARLUX operates a fleet of 21 aircraft including 13 Airbus 321neo, 4 Airbus 330-900neo and 4 Airbus 350-900.

Based in Bucharest, Hello Jets specializes in offering ACMI/charter services for airlines and partners around the world. The company was incorporated in 2021 but commenced full non-scheduled operations only as of 2023, operating a fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. It has plans to expand and start scheduled operations as of 2024.

Accelerate@IATA Startup Batch Successfully Concludes Educational Sessions with Industry Subject Matter Experts

After the official launch of Accelerate@IATA’s Segment 6 on Partnerships with Offers & Orders, our Segment 6 batch: Bounce [USA], Caasco [UK], Deal Engine [USA], Pawtrip [USA], Plan3 [IS], Point.me [USA], Fairlyne [FR] and SkyBuys [AU] participated in several educational sessions with industry subject matter experts.

The sessions aimed to familiarize our startups with the aviation industry's unique aspects and mechanisms, as well as ongoing IATA and industry initiatives related to Modern Airline Retailing.

As the initial Proof of Concepts (PoCs) have started to materialize and negotiations with airlines have commenced, Accelerate@IATA is committed to providing the technical and contextual resources to support our startups’?success.

With Segment 6 well underway, we’re excited to announce the forthcoming launch of Segment 7 on Choice of Digital Payments for the Customer in the next month. Learn more about Segment 7 and Accelerate@IATA.

Chart of the Week: Regional Financial Performance Recovering, but Still Varied

Long-term airline profitability shows that while the industry is exposed to external shocks, it typically returns to profitability relatively quickly. This reflects both the resilience of the industry and importance of air transport in the global economy and society – amongst others, aviation is a key enabler of business, trade and tourism activities.

While a return to industry (net) profitability is expected in 2023 (at USD 23.3 billion), the net profit margin remains slim at just 2.6% and regional financial performance remains mixed.

Learn more about the #WeeklyChart and regional financial performance.

Thanks for reading! Safe travels and enjoy your holidays! We'll see you in 2024.