The Week In Travel

The European commissioner for transport has warned this week that the rapid return of passenger traffic has ‘only increased’ the risk of delays in Europe, as the travel industry prepares for the summer season. Speaking at the Airlines for Europe Summit in Brussels, Adina Ioana Valean told airline leaders that ‘we are not out of the woods’, with further risk of delays as a result of rising air traffic levels. She cautioned that ‘we can’t afford a repeat of the chaos of last summer’.

Staying in Europe, Finnair has introduced 105 new electric-powered ground equipment vehicles as part of its plan to achieve net-zero emissions in non-flight operations by the end of 2023. The addition of these new vehicles will mean that 45% of Finnair’s motorised ground equipment will be either electric or hybrid-powered.

Over on the subcontinent, India’s aviation sector is set to receive a huge boost as a result of a $12 billion investment. One of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, the Indian government aims to increase numbers of airports from the current 148 to 220 by 2025. The investment will be used to meet that goal, as well as and developing greenfield projects, new terminals and flying schools, and training more regulators and air traffic controllers,.

In US news, Emirates and United Airlines have entered into a codeshare agreement which will allow customers of the Dubai-based airline to connect to more than 150 US cities, as well as destinations in Canada, Mexico and Central and South America.

And finally, a traveller was able to track down a thief who stole £3,000 worth of luggage with the use of an Apple AirTag. Jameel Reid smartly slipped the tag into his bag while packing for his trip and when he landed at Atlanta International Airport and his luggage was nowhere to be found he was able to track it to downtown Atlanta. Jameel gave the police the exact location of the thief, who was not only found with the luggage, but was also wearing Jameel’s shirt, jeans, and even his socks!