Airlines

Air India issues advisory for passengers from China, 5 other countries

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Air India on Thursday issued a new travel advisory for all passengers departing from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand in light of the rapid Covid increase in various nations.

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According to the advisory, travellers from these nations will now be required to take a required RTPCR test within 72 hours of their flight and upload their reports to the Air Suvidha portal starting on January 1st, 2023.

#ImportantAnnouncement
Effective 1st Jan 2023, all passengers travelling from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand to India have to undergo a mandatory RTPCR test within 72 hours of the journey, and upload its report on the Air Suvidha portal. #AirIndia pic.twitter.com/HIPELHMTM3
— Air India (@airindiain) December 29, 2022
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This requirement is in addition to the random 2% testing of all international passengers on all arriving international planes upon their arrival in India, regardless of port of departure. This is being done in light of how COVID19 is now affecting the world, particularly in the aforementioned countries.

In response to an increase in coronavirus cases in various nations, the government has issued an alert, strengthened Covid standards, and advised states and Union territories to be ready for everything.

According to data from the Union Health Ministry published on Thursday, India saw 268 new coronavirus infections, while the number of active cases increased to 3,552.

Airlines

Federal Court Imposes $100M Fine on Qantas for “Ghost Flights” Scandal

In a major ruling, the Federal Court has confirmed a hefty A$100 million penalty against Qantas for its involvement in the “ghost flights” scandal. As reported by FlightGlobal.

The court found that Qantas misled consumers by offering and selling tickets for flights that the airline had already decided to cancel. Adding to the controversy, Qantas failed to promptly notify ticket holders about these cancellations.

The penalty follows Qantas’ admission of violating the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The airline agreed with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the penalty amount, aiming to deter Qantas and other businesses from similar breaches in the future.

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The ACCC emphasized that this substantial fine sends a clear message: misleading customers will lead to serious consequences, regardless of a company’s size. In addition to the penalty, Qantas has committed to paying approximately A$20 million to affected passengers who unknowingly purchased tickets for canceled flights.

This compensation comes on top of any refunds or alternative flight arrangements already provided. ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb praised the penalty, underscoring the importance of robust compliance programs red energy qantas in large corporations like Qantas.

She pointed out that Qantas has since made changes to its operating and scheduling procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.