CORPORATE TRAVEL
BOARDING PASS
Qantas resuming overseas flights in October 2021
Qantas and Jetstar are now planning to restart regular international passenger flights to most destinations from 31 October 2021 – a four month extension from the previous estimate of July , which had been in place since mid-2020 .
The date change aligns with the expected timeframe for Australia ’ s COVID-19 vaccine rollout to be effectively complete . Capacity will be lower than pre-COVID levels , with frequencies and aircraft type deployed on each route in line with the projected recovery of international flying . International capacity is not expected to fully recover until 2024 .
Qantas is assessing the use of digital health pass apps to help support the resumption of COVID-safe international travel . The CommonPass and IATA Travel Pass smartphone apps are being trialled on the airline ’ s international repatriation flights . S
Will your executive need a vaccine passport ?
As international business travel makes a very slow return , there are some things you need to consider organising for your executive in preparation . One of those things might be a “ vaccine passport ” or “ e-vaccination certification of compliance for border crossing regulations ” to enable seamless border crossing . The World Health Organization is looking into how technology can work with member states towards an e-vaccination certificate . Of course , with this development comes the need for a respected body such as WHO to ensure the vaccine passport is used ethically across the board .
The World Economic Forum and the Common Trust Network has been working on the concept and to avoid any unnecessary replication efforts . In order to do , so WEF has been working with “ The Commons Project ” to create the “ Common Trust Framework ”. This framework outlines “ a set of registries of trusted data sources , a registry of labs accredited to run tests and a
registry of up-to-date border crossing regulations .” The Common Trust Network will also provide an up-todate database of all border entry rules .
WEF explains : “ If your border control rules say that you need to take a test of a certain nature within 72 hours prior to arrival , the tool will confirm whether the traveller has taken that corresponding test in a trusted laboratory , and the test was indeed performed less than three days prior to landing .” S
Singapore ’ s Changi Airport makes plans to be better than ever
With a travel bubble between Australia and Singapore on the horizon , your executive could be visiting Changi Airport before you know it . Luckily for Australian business travellers , one of the world ’ s best airports is upping its game even further . The airport is offering a range of attractions to keep visitors engaged while the journey back to “ normal life ” continues . Some of these offerings include glamping for families at Jewel , the nature-themed entertainment complex open to the public , as well as a host of holiday offerings from canopy park tours that involve topiary walks and bouncing on a sky net , to seasonal dining menus
But for business travellers in particular , areas of the nearby Singapore Expo site are being transformed into 840 guest and meetings rooms to create a facility for housing business travellers as part of a bubble initiative . Changi Airport is a hub of business for Singapore and it ’ s felt the effects of COVID-19 badly .
“ If you think about the role of Singapore as a regional hub and the whole idea of connectivity and logistics facilitation , then Changi is quite critical ,” said Selena Ling , head of treasury research and strategy at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp . S
Issue 1 2021 | Chief of Staff 49