take the change
Good morning from Skift. It’s Monday, March 21, in New York City. Here’s what you need to know about the travel business today.
Rashad Jordan
Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast explains what uncertainty means for the travel industry right now, why Fly Jinnah is entering the Asian low-cost airline market, and why the UK is lifting all Covid travel restrictions.
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Episode notes
The UK lifted all Covid-related restrictions two years after it was first advised against non-essential international travel, according to a report by corporate travel editor Matthew Parsons.
Unvaccinated visitors to the UK will no longer have to take a Covid test before departure as well as two days after arriving in the country. The rule requiring travelers to the UK to be vaccinated for testing has already been scrapped. In addition, the passenger locator forms that visitors to the country had to fill out have been cancelled.
The UK government said the new measures, which went into effect on Friday morning, reflect its plan to “live with Covid” and the fact that most of the country’s citizens have been fully vaccinated. However, the UK has been struggling with an increase in Covid cases since the start of the month, which has left many wondering how long the government will keep measures in place.
Next, a trend that Skift is exploring in depth this year is the new uncertainty in travel, which includes businesses that will have to deal with fluctuations in travel demand for the foreseeable future. So companies will need to extract faster insights from their data to thrive, according to a report by Travel Tech senior editor Sean O’Neill.
As O’Neill wrote that companies need ways to see the future with more clarity in an increasingly volatile world, Jason Guggenheim, CEO of Boston Consulting Group, said more companies are looking for subtle shifts in travel demand. Guggenheim said technology can help companies keep pace with those shifts, citing software from his company that offers a mix of forecasts and analytics.
In addition, the Guggenheim said companies need to plan their operations much faster, providing airlines as an example. In the past, carriers may have taken up to six months in advance to plan their networks and schedule flights, but due to increased volatility, Guggenheim believes airlines need to be able to adjust their supplies faster.
We end the day in Pakistan. The South Asian country is set to welcome another airline into its airspace as low-cost Fly Jinnah prepares to launch later this year, according to Asia editor Biden Duma Bhutia.
Fly Jinnah – a joint venture between Air Arabia Group and Pakistan Business Group – Laxon aims to obtain air operator certification in June, after which it will start flying domestically. The company has already started recruiting cabin crew members in several major Pakistani cities.
The launch of Flywing, Pakistan’s fourth private airline, will increase the already fierce competition in the country’s aviation sector. One industry expert believes that having another airline will benefit consumers, but it may help put some Pakistani airlines out of business. Serene Air’s debut in 2017 contributed to the folding of Shaheen Air after 24 years in business.
