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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on governments to begin repatriating blocked airline funds following a 25% increase since June. The combined total owed currently sits at almost $2 billion, divided across 27 countries.

$1.2 billion trapped in five nations

In a statement released on Wednesday, the IATA warned about the skyrocketing amount of trapped funds as governments attempt to pad the impact of currency crises. Across the past six months, the figure has increased by almost $400 million to $2 billion, with over 60% of the blocked amount attributed to just five countries: Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, and Algeria. Read More

The Republic of Rwanda has achieved an International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Category 1 rating, according to a recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announcement.  

The Category 1 rating recognizes Rwanda’s civil aviation authority as compliant with ICAO standards and allows Rwandan air carriers to operate services to the United States, according to a statement released by the FAA.  

“Under a Category 1 rating, properly authorized Rwandan air carriers are permitted to serve the United States and enter into code-share agreements with U.S. carriers without limitation,” the FAA noted.   Read More

Air Tanzania (ATCL) hopes to return one of its grounded A220-300s to service following the expected delivery before the month-end of a spare Pratt & Whitney PW1000 engine, says Chief Executive Officer Ladislaus Matindi.

He told The Citizen newspaper the airline was promised a spare engine following a meeting with Airbus. “We are currently making logistical arrangements with Airbus on how the spare engine will reach us,” he said. The existing engines were expected to be overhauled in Frankfurt Int’l, Germany, next month. Read More

According to IATA’s 2022 Global Passenger Survey (GPS), simplification and convenience are the top concerns in travelers’ minds since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The organization found that passengers want convenience when they plan their travel and when choosing where to depart from. Proximity to the airport was passengers’ main priority when choosing where to fly from (75%). This was more important than ticket price (39%).

Travelers were satisfied with being able to pay with their preferred payment method which was available for 82% of travelers. Having access to planning and booking information in one single place was identified as being a top priority. Additionally, 18% of passengers said that they offset their carbon emissions, the main reason given by those that did not was that they were not aware of the option (36%). Read More