Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

The International Air Transport Association has expressed firm opposition to proposed requirements by the UK and Spain for a 14-day quarantine period for travelers entering their countries, arguing that such restrictions would sabotage any effort to restart international traffic after this year’s second quarter. Speaking Wednesday during a weekly conference call on the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the air transport industry, IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac cited statistics showing that 69 percent of all potential international passengers would not return to travel under the threat of quarantine, while 84 percent ranked it as one of their top concerns.

 


In a televised speech on May 10, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson mentioned plans to require all passengers arriving in the country to be fully quarantined at a nominated address. A guidance document published the next day said that&nbsp;further details of the requirements would follow and that they would include a “shortlist” of exemptions for groups of travelers. As of May 13, the government had yet to provide any details, fueling widespread concern not only in the air transport sector but also from major companies in other industries who said that the requirements would prove completely impractical and detrimental to the economy.

 


“We cannot restart under such conditions,” reacted De Juniac. “Our top priority is to restart this industry safely. We are proposing a series of measures to give governments the confidence to reopen their borders. It’s a risk-based, layered approach to biosecurity that needs to be coordinated globally. The arrival countries need to be confident of the procedures in place at the departing airport, and travelers will need the reassurance of common measures.”

 


The proposals include temperature checks “and other measures” at departure to prevent symptomatic passengers from flying, a “robust” government-managed system of health declarations, and “rigorous” contract tracing, added De Juniac.

 


IATA reiterated its belief that long-haul travel will return more slowly than domestic, noting that international revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) won’t likely return to 2019 levels until 2024—two years later than domestic RPKs.&nbsp;In fact, IATA doesn’t believe average stage lengths will return to 2019 levels until after 2025, underscoring the point that such traffic-stifling measures such as quarantines will serve to only slow the recovery further.

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

IATA Condemns UK, Spanish Quarantine Proposals

Nearly 70 percent of all potential international passengers would refuse to return to travel in the presence of quarantines, according to IATA.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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Airline plans to gradually replace its Embraer E-Jet fleet

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

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News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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