The Week In Travel

Australian national airline, Qantas, this week posted its results for the financial year, showing healthy signs of recovery - with a return to profit on the horizon for the aviation giant. The carrier had a full-year underlying pre-tax loss of $1.86bn – caused, of course, by the effect of the pandemic on the first half. However, this loss amounted to half that of the previous year and revenue sprang up 53.5% to $9.11bn. Qantas’ freight division performed particularly well, taking high yields due to a global shortage of cargo space. Over in Asia, the Japanese government has announced the planned removal of mandatory pre-departure tests for vaccinated travellers. Previously, incoming international visitors had to present proof of a negative test up to 72 hours prior to departure, but it was reported in Reuters that the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, has stated that from 7th September this will no longer be the case. The country continues to operate a daily international traveller restriction of 20,000 people, though this is also expected to be lifted in the near future.

In European news, Dublin Airport opened its second runway this week, with the inaugural flight departing for Eindhoven at midday on Wednesday. The runway, which is long enough to accommodate long-haul aircraft, was opened on schedule 15 years after being granted planning permission, and is a cornerstone of the long-term strategic expansion of the airport.

The BBC reported this week that Google has surreptitiously changed the way it calculates carbon emissions from flights. The tech giant’s calculation on flight emissions as shown on its ‘Google Flights’ search engine no longer takes into account any impacts on the atmosphere other than the amount of fuel consumed per flight. The effect of contrails, for example, are no longer considered in the calculation, and some environmentalists have expressed concern that this will lead to an underreporting of true level of carbon emissions.

And finally, after a Youtube prankster managed to panic hundreds of flyers by putting up an enormous ‘Welcome to Luton’ sign near Gatwick Airport earlier in the summer, the feat has been repeated in Australia. The words ‘Welcome to Perth’ appeared on the roof of an industrial building near Sydney Airport, leading to confusion among travellers.