The Week In Travel

This week Germany announced a scheme to help reduce pressure on airports by bringing in temporary foreign workers to offset staff shortages. Like many other European countries, Germany is facing high demand for travel while lacking the adequate staff to cope with the busy summer months. The number of people working in airport services dropped 15% from 2019 to 2022. As many as 5,000 people will be brought in from Turkey on ‘short-work’ contracts.

A study published by the information technology company, SITA, has proven that there is a pent-up demand for travel caused by the low-travel years of the pandemic. 2022 Passenger IT Insights also shows that passengers are using digital technology more than they ever have in the past. The study finds that passengers intend to fly more from 2023 onwards than they did prior to the pandemic, anticipating averages of 2.93 flights per passenger per year for business, and 3.90 for leisure.

Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines, this week announced that it would be giving triple-pay to pilots for most of July. The decision reflects a current shortage of pilots in the US, with some airlines saying it has forced them to change routes. July is also a very busy month for US airlines, with the 4th of July holiday, as well as peak summer travel.

Bahrain Airport’s new £1.1 Billion terminal officially launched this week, after six years of construction. It features 104 counters to process arrivals, 24 self-check-in kiosks, and 44 immigration counters. Additionally, it has a total of 22 E-gates and 24 departure gates.

And finally, Air New Zealand this week announced that it is planning to install the first ever economy bunk beds on some of its aeroplanes. Economy travellers will be able to book four-hour sessions in the ‘Skynest’. Six pods will be installed across eight Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and they will be available only for ultra-long-haul flights.