Dave

Global Travel Taskforce sets out framework

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A framework to chart the safe return of international travel has been set out today (9 April 2021) by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

A traffic light system, which will categorise countries based on risk alongside the restrictions required for travel, will be set up to protect the public and the vaccine rollout from international Covid-19 variants.

Key factors in the assessment will include:

  • the percentage of their population that have been vaccinated
  • the rate of infection
  • the prevalence of variants of concern
  • the country’s access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing

The report, produced by the Global Travel Taskforce, shows how international leisure travel could resume from 17 May 2021 at the earliest, in an accessible and affordable way. This includes the removal of the permission to travel form – meaning passengers would no longer need to prove they have a valid reason to leave the country.

The risks posed by Covid-19 variants remain significant, and restrictions for inbound passengers, such as 10-day managed quarantine, home quarantine and stringent testing will remain in place, but will apply to people differently depending on whether the destination visited is categorised as ‘green’, ‘amber’ or ‘red’.

  • Green: arrivals will need to take a pre-departure test as well as a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on or before day 2 of their arrival back into the UK – but will not need to quarantine on return (unless they receive a positive result) or take any additional tests, halving the cost of tests on their return from holiday
  • Amber: arrivals will need to quarantine for a period of 10 days and take a pre-departure test, and a PCR test on day 2 and day 8 with the option for Test to Release on day 5 to end self-isolation early
  • Red: arrivals will be subject to restrictions currently in place for ‘red list’ countries which include a 10-day stay in a managed quarantine hotel, pre-departure testing and PCR testing on days 2 and 8

Testing remains an essential part of protecting public health as restrictions begin to ease, with all arrivals who are not exempt required to book a pre-departure, day 2 and day 8 test before travelling.

Arrivals travelling from ‘red list’ countries should book a quarantine package before departure, and arrivals from ‘amber’ and ‘green’ countries will be required to book test packages before travelling from one of the government’s approved list of providers.

Testing post-arrival remains an important tool in wider measures to manage the risk of imported cases allowing the monitoring of positive tests and ensure people isolate, as well as identifing and genomically sequencing variants of concern.

It is too early to predict which countries will be on which list over the summer, and the government continues to consider a range of factors to inform the restrictions placed on them. The government has committed to set out by early May which countries will fall into each category, as well as confirming whether international leisure travel can resume from 17 May 2021.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

International travel is vital – it boosts businesses and underpins the UK economy – but more than that, it brings people together, connects families who have been kept apart, and allows us to explore new horizons.

The framework announced today will help allow us to reopen travel safely and sustainably, ensure we protect our hard-won achievements on the vaccine roll out, and offer peace of mind to both passengers and industry as we begin to take trips abroad once again.

The UK will also play a leading role in the development of international standards around a digital travel certification system. The Department for Transport (DfT) is working across government to consider the role certification could play in facilitating outbound travel, for those countries which have systems in place. Work also continues to develop a system that would facilitate travel certification for inbound international travel.

To give passengers more certainty when travelling, a ‘green watchlist’ will be introduced to help identify countries most at risk of moving from ‘green’ to ‘amber’. The watchlist will provide greater assurance for those who wish to travel abroad.

While the watchlist will warn travellers of potential changes in advance, the government will not hesitate to act immediately should the data show that countries risk ratings have changed.

The allocation of countries will be kept under review and respond to emerging evidence, with a particular focus on variants of concern.

Restrictions will be formally reviewed on 28 June 2021 to take account of the domestic and international health picture, and to see whether current measures could be rolled back. Further formal reviews will take place at checkpoints no later than 31 July and 1 October 2021.

To ensure the UK’s borders remain safe and efficient when passenger flows increase, the government has also announced plans to digitise the passenger locator form, integrating it into the UK border system and enabling checks to take place at e-gates ‘by autumn 2021’.

To further boost consumer confidence, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will be given additional enforcement powers to act on airlines that have breached consumer rights, with a dedicated consultation on how to use additional tools to enforce consumer rights expected later this year.

Global Travel Management will continue to provide updates to customers via this website, the GTM Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages and regular email notifications.

You can download the Global Travel Taskforce report here and access the appendix to the report here.

Dave

Covid testing resources

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Almost all overseas business travel now requires the presentation of certification confirming a negative Covid-19 test. These tests are a government-mandated requirement prior to passing international borders – the absence of a test may mean boarding flights is denied.

On this page, we have provided links to three lists of Covid test resources. A searchable list from airline alliance Skyteam; a list of testing facilities located at UK and overseas airports; and the UK-based Covid testing resources provided by the UK Department for Health and Social Care.

  • Skyteam, trough a partnership with TrustAssure, has provided a searchable database of Covid-19 testing centres.
  • Global Travel Management has provided the following list of UK and overseas airports with testing facilities with links for further information, such as how to book:
Airport Covid testing
  • The UK Department of Health and Social Care has produced this list of private sector, non-NHS resources in the UK which provide negative Covid-19 tests, prior to flying. The list contains email and telephone contact details:
List of private providers of coronavirus testing
Dave

British Airways protects Tier status for Executive Club members

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British Airways has announced it will be protecting the Tier status of Executive Club members for a further year. This means that any member renewing in 2021 will enjoy their status for another year, irrespective of how many Tier Points they earn.

Eligible members will receive an additional 12 months on their Tier status expiry date which will be updated in their Executive Club accounts this week.

Niall Rooney, Head of the British Airways Executive Club, said:

As we await the Government’s decision in April and plan for the safe restart of travel as soon as possible, we want to thank our Executive Club members for their loyalty during the most difficult time in the airline’s history.

We know many of our members haven’t been able to travel, but today’s news means they can keep their benefits for longer and use them when they’re able to fly again. We hope this complements a number of measures we’ve already introduced, including our book with confidence commitment, which provides flexibility and reassurance for our customers.


No British Airways Executive Club member, including Bronze, Silver and Gold card holders will lose their Tier status in 2021.

The announcement means that qualifying members will have received two years of protection. It also means that no British Airways Executive Club member will lose their Tier status in 2021.

On top of this Tier extension, in February, British Airways announced a six-month extension to all Executive Club vouchers, due to expire before 31 December 2021. This was the third extension that was applied, following similar extensions in March 2020 and October 2020 and included Gold Upgrade Vouchers and American Express Companion Vouchers. British Airways is also adding an additional six-months validity to all new Companion Voucher or Travel Together tickets earned between June 2020 and the end of December 2021. 

Finally, British Airways continues to reduce the amount of Tier Points needed to reach each Tier by 25% for those whose Tier Point collection year ends before July 2022.

Dave

We plant trees to offset carbon dioxide

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Now more than ever, businesses are taking into consideration the relationship between travel and the environment.  Corporates want to ensure they are acting ethically and responsibly, but at the same time, commercial pressures mean travelling remains a crucial fact of business life.

Catastrophe terminology like ‘climate crisis’, ‘#flightshame’, ‘climate emergency’ and ‘global threat’ are commonplace in media reports whenever climate summits or protests take place.

This is causing a change in consumer behaviour.  Customers are now looking to do business with suppliers who take their environmental responsibility seriously. 

Business is now won not just by competing on price and product, but by demonstrating awareness and leadership in the sphere of climate responsibility. 

For this reason, small investments businesses make in order to demonstrate their climate leadership can produce returns in terms of publicity, goodwill and, of course, making a difference to the climate crisis.  

Finalist: the GTM Carbon Offset Programme has been named as a finalist in the first ever Star Sustainability Initiative

With this in mind, Global Travel Management has set up its Carbon Offset Programme, enabling corporate customers of any size to participate in a sustainable, low-cost, high-impact scheme to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere by human activities. When we burn fuels like wood, coal, natural gas, gasoline and oil, carbon dioxide is released. During this burning, carbon from the fossil fuels combine with oxygen in the air to form carbon dioxide and water vapour.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere then traps heat and makes global temperatures rise.

Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 was one of the warmest years on record. As temperature levels rise, floods, droughts, storms and crop failures intensify.

To reduce these levels, in order to restore the planet’s natural balance we must slow down our consumption, cut our emissions or draw existing carbon out of the atmosphere.

Power generation, deforestation and road transport are among the worst offenders. Drawing existing carbon out of the atmosphere is a priority. It will require massive efforts from many different sectors, with a combination of approaches.

Travel is a comparatively small contributor, however travel has high value transactions where offsetting is a relatively small percentage of the transaction value. That gives travellers a great opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the battle against unsustainably high carbon dioxide levels.


As trees grow, they absorb and store carbon dioxide emissions, then release oxygen into the air.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Ward Crowther is the chief scientific advisor to the UN’s Trillion Tree Campaign.

It is estimated that 12,000 years ago there were 6 trillion trees on Earth.

Today, there are only about, 3 trillion.

Yet, despite human activities, agriculture and urbanisation we still have 900 million hectares of tree restoration potential in the world.

Currently, tree planting is considered to be one of the most cost effective methods of offsetting carbon dioxide. Scientists know of no other current carbon drawdown solution that is quantitatively as large in terms of carbon capture.

Trees clean the air by absorbing harmful carbon dioxide; help to filter the water we drink; provide habitat to over 80% of terrestrial biodiversity; provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people; provide key ingredients in 25% of all medicines; provide fruit, nuts, berries and leaves for consumption by humans and animals; and help support the welfare of local communities.

In short, planting trees is the best, most sustainable, effective way for humans to counteract the damaging effect of carbon dioxide emissions.

Each time you travel on business, we calculate the carbon dioxide emissions from your flights.

We use a combination of calculations, based on three protocols.

  • DEFRA The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – UK. The government conversion factors for greenhouse gas reporting are for use by UK and international organisations to report on greenhouse gas emissions.
  • GHG Protocol The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard provides calculation tools, requirements and guidance for companies and other organisations preparing a corporate-level GHG emissions inventory.
  • IPCC The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change – 195 member countries.

This gives us a calculation showing the mass of greenhouse gas emission in kg.

We then show you how many trees would need to be planted in order to absorb that mass of greenhouse gas, over the course of a ten-year lifecycle.

We provide a cost per tree for sourcing, delivering and planting those trees. And we provide you with the details of the the trees you have purchased to offset your trips.

In this way, the total greenhouse gas emissions for each trip will be offset by carbon sequestration – that is, the absorption by the trees of carbon dioxide.

You can choose to offset the emissions for a single trip, or arrange to buy trips on a quarterly basis to offset all of your business travel over that period.

A typical hardwood tree will sequester (absorb) 163kg of carbon dioxide in the first ten years of its growth (source: Trees4Travel). Each tree continues to sequester carbon dioxide throughout its estimated 150-year lifecycle, creating an even more beneficial effect on atmospheric carbon.

Co-founders of Trees4Travel Nico Nicholas (top) and Elkie Nicholas

The Global Travel Management Carbon Offset Programme is provided in partnership with Trees4Travel Ltd.

Trees4Travel is a business set up by founders Nico and Elkie Nicholas who, together with their team want to do good and make a difference to the world.

The Trees4Travel team organises, manages and oversees the full project of buying, distributing and arrange the planting of saplings within carefully-managed forestry projects in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Africa.

The newly-planted saplings are watered and maintained and the Trees4Travel team visits, photographs and films them, on-site.

You can find out more about Trees4Travel here.

Contact Scott Pawley to find out how to offset your business travel carbon emissions
Trees4Travel@gtm.uk.com

If you would like to start offsetting your business travel carbon emissions, or would just like to know how much it would cost, we can walk you through the process.

Global Travel Management managing director, Scott Pawley explains;

When corporate clients talk to me about offsetting their business travel carbon emissions, there are usually two questions they want answers to. First, ‘how much is it going to cost?’ And second, once I have shown them the costs, ‘how do I start?’

The first thing we do is analyse the last full year’s flights the corporate has taken. We look into the class, departure and arrival cities, type of aircraft… everything we need in order to ascertain a measurement, within the Defra guidelines, of greenhouse gas emissions.

Once we have analysed and produced that figure, we can show it as a total mass, in kilograms of GHG – greenhouse gas.

This figure is then used to determine how many trees would need to be planted to offset that amount of carbon over a ten-year lifecycle of the trees. And we show the cost to plant that number of trees. It’s as simple as that.

When a corporate agrees to buy the trees, our partners at Trees4Travel take over. They source, acquire, ship and arrange planting of the saplings. These are taken care of by the local forest management organisation. At the end of each year, Trees4Travel then provide a running total of the numbers of trees planted for the corporate along with the mass of GHG those trees have absorbed.

Scott explained an offer he can make:

I would like to show you how little it would cost for you to offset the carbon emissions from your business travel. Drop me an email on the address below and I will analyse your business travel carbon emissions and show you how many trees you would need to buy. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

To find out how many tress you would need to plant to offset your business travel carbon emissions, start by dropping us an email here Trees4Travel@gtm.uk.com.

Scott added:

We all need to leave a legacy of for our children’s futures. What better way than to make a significant, positive impact to the environment, so that we leave the planet better than how we found it?

Dave

British Airways offers discounted, portable rapid Covid-19 test kits

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British Airways has announced customers can order discounted global antigen tests from Government-approved COVID-19 testing provider, Qured, at an exclusive price of £33.

The convenient rapid test kits are can be ordered to any UK address. Customers can take the kits, which are designed to be portable, with them abroad, in preparation for their return journey to the UK.

The test is remotely administered by a professional health advisor over a scheduled video call. The health advisor will guide the customer through taking a nose and throat swab and processing the sample. Verified results are available after twenty minutes, and the customer can download a ‘fit to fly’ certificate if the test is negative.

British Airways’ CEO Sean Doyle, said:

As we look forward and prepare for a safe return to travel, we remain focused on finding and offering the most convenient and affordable testing options for our customers.

Our teams were pleased to discover Qured, a unique new option which removes uncertainty and unnecessary expense for customers who may be concerned about sourcing a pre-departure test while away from home.

Qured’s CEO Alex Templeton, said:

Our accessible rapid testing service takes the hassle out of finding a test abroad. As a trusted healthcare provider we look forward to delivering an exceptional patient experience to British Airways’ customers and to working with them on a safe return to travel.

To find out more information on Qured, and all the other testing options and discounts available, customers can visit British Airways’ testing page on ba.com.

Rapid Covid-19 tests use a diagnostic lateral flow device to confirm the presence or absence of the virus.  Qured’s rapid tests use a nose and/or throat swab to transfer the sample onto a lateral flow cassette. The lateral flow devices Qured uses have all been independently validated by Public Health England.

What is the Qured lateral flow test process?

  • Once a test is purchased, the customer will receive the test kit via next-day delivery.
  • Customers will be sent a unique link to sign up and book their virtual clinic slot.
  • Prior to the virtual appointment the patient will receive a link to access Qured’s secure video consultation platform. They will then be asked to enter their name.
  • The customer will enter the virtual waiting room and an expert health advisor will start the call at their chosen time.
  • The customer is then guided through the test procedure and the whole process takes around 10 minutes.
  • Result is available 20 minutes after the customer has completed the test. They will then email a photo of their ID and the LFD to Qured for verification.
  • The customer is notified via text and email that their test result is available, and if negative, they can download a ‘fit to fly’ certificate to be presented at the airport or uploaded to the VeriFly app.
Dave

British Airways expands the use of VeriFLY, the digital travel health app

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British Airways has announced it intends to increase its trial of the VeriFLY digital health app across all its international flights operating into the UK.

The expansion, which comes in to effect from 15 February, is designed to help those eligible to travel to ‘navigate the changing entry requirements and facilitate a seamless journey’ by ensuring customers are ready to fly and have the appropriate documentation in place, before departing for the airport.

The use of the mobile travel health app is optional, and will not be a mandatory requirement.

The trial is part of the airline’s ongoing work to explore digital health travel wallet and document verification solutions which help customers and support the government in ensuring conformance with the UK’s entry requirements.

The news also comes as IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac reaffirmed that it was working closely with IAG, British Airways’ parent company, on its IATA Travel Pass app which is being developed to launch in the coming weeks.

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ CEO said:

We know that digital health apps and wallets will likely become commonplace when travel opens up again. We are exploring every available solution to support eligible customers and the UK government both during this period of limited travel and in preparation for a time when restrictions are eased, when we hope many more people will be able to resume flying again.

VeriFLY, which can be downloaded to a mobile device, is designed to offer peace of mind before travel by checking customers meet the entry requirements of their destination by providing digital health document verification and confirming eligibility.

Use of the VeriFLY app will be optional and customers will also continue to be able to show they meet a country’s entry requirements at check-in.

The app has been pioneered by private software company, Daon, which also works with some of the world’s leading banking and credit card companies. The software will allow people to combine travel verification documents and Covid-19 test results in one place, ensuring travellers are fully compliant with the entry requirements for their destination before leaving home.

Certified customers will be fast-tracked through the airport where specially designated desks will be available for check in.

British Airways had previously announced it would be the first UK airline to start trialling VeriFLY and customers have been invited to have the option of using it since 4 February on all flights from London to the US. Since then, the trial has been extended to offer customers on inbound flights to the UK from the US the option to use it.

American Airlines, British Airways’ joint business and oneworld partner, offers customers the opportunity to use VeriFLY when they are travelling to the US from all international destinations. British Airways is simultaneously conducting a testing trial with American Airlines and oneworld on some routes from the US to the UK. The results of the trial will be shared with Oxford University, the trial’s academic partner, and with governments on both sides of the Atlantic.

Dave

United Airlines backs Archer Aviation

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United Airlines has announced an agreement to work with air mobility company Archer to invest in emerging technologies that decarbonise air travel.

Archer’s electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are designed to use electric motors and have the potential for future use as ‘air taxis’ in urban markets.

Under the terms of the agreement, United will contribute its expertise in airspace management to assist Archer with the development of battery-powered, short-haul aircraft.

United, together with Mesa Airlines, will acquire a fleet of up to 200 Archer eVTOL aircraft that would be operated by a partner and are expected to give passengers a quick, economical and low-carbon way to get to United’s hub airports and commute in dense urban environments ‘within the next five years’.

United was an early stage investor in Fulcrum BioEnergy and recently partnered with 1PointFive, a joint venture between Oxy Low Carbon Ventures and Rusheen Capital, to jumpstart the establishment of direct air capture and sequestration technology.

United CEO Scott Kirby said,

By working with Archer, United is showing the aviation industry that now is the time to embrace cleaner, more efficient modes of transportation. With the right technology, we can curb the impact aircraft have on the planet, but we have to identify the next generation of companies who will make this a reality early and find ways to help them get off the ground.

Archer’s eVTOL design, manufacturing model and engineering expertise has the clear potential to change how people commute within major metropolitan cities all over the world.

With today’s technology, Archer’s aircraft are designed to travel distances of up to 60 miles at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour and future models will be designed to travel further and faster.

Archer’s aircraft are capable of saving individuals time on their commute – United estimates that using Archer’s eVTOL aircraft could reduce CO2 emissions by 47% per passenger on a trip between Hollywood and Los Angeles International Airport, one of the initial cities where Archer plans to launch its fleet.


Led by co-founders and co-CEOs Brett Adcock (left) and Adam Goldstein (right), Archer’s mission is to advance the benefits of sustainable air mobility at scale.

Archer plans to unveil its full scale eVTOL aircraft in 2021, begin aircraft production in 2023, and launch consumer flights in 2024. To drive this fourth transportation revolution and transform how people approach everyday life, work and adventure, Archer has built a highly accomplished team of top engineering and design talent, with a collective 200+ years of eVTOL experience.

Brett Adcock, co-CEO and co-Founder of Archer said,

We couldn’t be happier to be working with an established global player like United. This deal represents so much more than just a commercial agreement for our aircraft, but rather the start of a relationship that we believe will accelerate our timeline to market as a result of United’s strategic guidance around FAA certification, operations and maintenance.

Adam Goldstein, co-CEO and co-Founder of Archer said,

The team at United share our vision of a more sustainable future. We’re working closely with their test pilots and environmental teams to make sustainable urban air mobility a reality far sooner than people could ever imagine.

Dave

Etihad Airways is the first airline in the world with 100% of crew on board vaccinated

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Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has become the first airline in the world with all its operating pilots and cabin crew vaccinated to help curb the spread of Covid-19.

The airline’s vaccination initiative has consolidated Etihad’s position as an industry leader in its response to the pandemic and in keeping its employees and travellers safe.

Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said:

We proactively made the vaccine available to all our employees not only to help combat the effects of Covid-19 but to make travellers feel confident and reassured the next time they fly with us. We are the only airline in the world to make Covid-19 testing mandatory for every passenger and crew member before every flight and now, we’re the first airline in the world with 100% vaccinated crew on board.

I chose very early on to be vaccinated to demonstrate my own support of the national vaccination programme and to encourage everyone at Etihad who was eligible for the vaccine, to receive it as soon as possible. I would like to thank the entire Etihad family for everything they have done to help us reach this milestone – I am truly humbled.



Tony Douglas received his first dose of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine at Etihad Airways Medical Centre on 4 January.

The universal vaccination was made possible through Etihad’s ‘Protected Together’ employee vaccination initiative which was formally launched in January. Building on the UAE’s Choose to Vaccinate campaign, Protected Together is about helping staff take proactive, personal steps towards protecting themselves against Covid-19.

In collaboration with the health authorities, the airline facilitated access for its frontline staff to the UAE’s Emergency Use Programme. Etihad was one of the first employers in Abu Dhabi to secure places for their frontline staff – including pilots and cabin crew – in the capital’s vaccination programme.

Dr. Nadia Bastaki, Vice President Medical Services and CSR, Etihad Aviation Group, said:

Following the national vaccination programme, we worked tirelessly to become an approved Covid-19 vaccination clinic to support our staff, and their dependants, be able to easily access the vaccine. Since December, we have been offering in-house vaccination appointments to our employees and their loved ones to ensure we are focused on our employee’s wellbeing.

Following the UAE Government’s target to vaccinate half of the UAE population by the end of March 2021, Etihad is ahead of schedule with over 75% of its entire workforce already having received at least one dose of the vaccine. With even more activity still planned as part of the Protected Together initiative, this figure will continue to grow as more employees step forward and choose to vaccinate.

In an effort to protect residents and citizens of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad thanks the relevant authorities for their support in making the vaccine accessible to achieve nationwide immunity.

Dave

British Airways increases investment in sustainable aviation

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British Airways is to power future flights with sustainable aviation fuel produced from sustainably-sourced ethanol, as part of a new partnership with sustainable jet fuel company LanzaJet.

The partnership will see British Airways invest in LanzaJet’s first commercial-scale Freedom Pines Fuels facility in Georgia, USA and acquire cleaner burning sustainable aviation fuel from the plant. It expects the fuel to be available to power a number of its flights by the end of 2022. In addition, the partnership will involve LanzaJet implementing early stage planning and design for a potential commercial facility for British Airways in the UK.

The plant in Georgia is due to begin construction this year. It will convert sustainable ethanol – a chemical compound widely blended with petrol to reduce its carbon intensity – into sustainable aviation fuel using a patented chemical process.

The fuel produced at the plant will deliver a reduction of more than 70% in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional fossil jet fuel, equivalent to taking almost 27,000 petrol or diesel cars off the road each year.

The sustainable aviation fuel produced by LanzaJet is made via the LanzaJet™ Alcohol to Jet (AtJ) Process, which can use any source of sustainable ethanol, including, but not limited to, ethanol made from non-edible agricultural residues such as wheat straw and recycled pollution. Commercialisation of AtJ has been years in the making, starting with the partnership between LanzaTech (which launched LanzaJet in June 2020) and the U.S Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

The development and use of sustainable aviation fuels is a major focus for British Airways and forms part of the airline’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 through a series of short, medium and long-term initiatives. The airline has an existing partnership with sustainable fuels technology company Velocys, with the goal of building a facility to convert household and commercial waste into renewable sustainable jet fuel in the UK. Fuel could be produced by 2025. British Airways’ parent company, International Airlines Group, will be investing US$400 million in sustainable aviation fuel in the next 20 years.

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ CEO, said:

It is vital for our future that we continue to address climate change and we remain focused on playing our part to reduce the impact we have on the planet. For the last 100 years we have connected Britain with the world and the world with Britain, and to ensure our success for the next 100, we must do this sustainably.

Progressing the development and commercial deployment of sustainable aviation fuel is crucial to decarbonising the aviation industry and this partnership with LanzaJet shows the progress British Airways is making as we continue on our journey to net zero.

Following the successful start-up of the Georgia plant, we hope to deploy the technology and SAF production capacity in the UK. The UK has the experience and resources needed to become a global leader in the deployment of such sustainable aviation fuel production facilities, and we need Government support to drive decarbonisation and accelerate the realisation of this vision.

Jimmy Samartzis, LanzaJet CEO, said:

Our world is at a crossroads on climate change and our industry is at inflection point, prepared to accelerate the energy transition that is needed. We are delighted to welcome British Airways to the LanzaJet family. Low-cost, sustainable fuel options are critical for the future of the aviation sector and the LanzaJet process offers the most flexible feedstock solution at scale, recycling wastes and residues into SAF that allows us to keep fossil jet fuel in the ground.

British Airways has long been a champion of waste to fuels pathways especially with the UK Government. With the right support for waste-based fuels, the UK would be an ideal location for commercial scale LanzaJet plants. We look forward to continuing the dialogue with BA and the UK Government in making this a reality, and to continuing our support of bringing the Prime Minister’s Jet Zero vision to life.

British Airways has a roadmap to meet its net zero 2050 target. In the short-term, the airline is improving its operational efficiency, flying more fuel-efficient aircraft and introducing carbon offset and removal projects. The airline is also looking at technological solutions such as zero emissions hydrogen aircraft and carbon capture technology.

LanzaJet was launched in June 2020 and is a spin-off from leading biotech company LanzaTech. British Airways will be joining LanzaTech, Mitsui and Suncor Energy as investors in LanzaJet. With the addition of British Airways, LanzaJet now plans to develop a further four larger scale plants operating from 2025, producing a pipeline of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel made from sustainable feedstocks, to support and enable the global decarbonisation of the aviation sector. It is hoped that some or all of these plants will be built in the UK subject to improved Government policy support for waste-based sustainable aviation fuels.

British Airways and LanzaTech are also part of the Jet Zero Council, a partnership between government and industry to drive forward the UK Government’s net zero-emission ambitions for the aviation and aerospace sector, with a focus on sustainable aviation fuels. 

Dave

UK Government confirms mandatory hotel quarantine

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From 15 February 2021 anyone travelling to the UK from a country on the UK’s travel ban list will be required to quarantine in a government-approved facility for ten days.

The UK Government has announced the introduction of hotel-based quarantine. The notification states:

From 15 February anyone travelling to the UK from a country on the UK’s travel ban list will be required to quarantine in a government-approved facility for a period of ten days.

General Sir Gordon Messenger will play an important role in advising the government on the delivery of the programme

On the evening of 4 February, the Department of Health and Social Care issued a commercial specification to hotels near ports and airports, asking for proposals on how they can support the delivery of Managed Quarantine Facilities ahead of formal contracts being awarded.

The government has met with stakeholders from across the aviation, maritime, hotel and hospitality industries, and will now continue to finalise plans to enable implementation from 15 February.

The Government notification continued:

The Health Secretary [Matt Hancock] held discussions with his Australian counterpart on Thursday [4 February], and officials will speak with New Zealand officials to share expertise. DHSC has also held a series of roundtables with over 60 companies and industry representatives as the public and private sector work together.