Orient Aviation's COVID-19 briefs: Japan Airlines introducing middle seat social distancing on selected domestic flights

April 29th 2020

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• oneworld member, Japan Airlines (JAL), will introduce social distancing measures, such as blocking the middle seat on its 737-800 services, on domestic flights to June 30. Read More » The airline also has cancelled another 6,468 flights between May 1 and May 17 due to COVID-19’s impact.

• JAL published its monthly traffic statistics this week which showed total international passengers on its flights fell 73.8%, to 207,320, in March from 791,682 12 months earlier. The largest decline was on JAL's China services, which carried 6,532 passengers in March, or 95% below a year ago.

• The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned of an "immediate and severe air cargo capacity crunch" that could delay the shipment of vital supplies needed to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, including pharmaceutical goods. The airline lobby group's latest cargo figures, published last evening, showed available cargo tonne kilometres (ACTK) tumbled 22.7% in March, compared with the prior corresponding period. Demand, or cargo tonne kilometres ([CTK), was down 15.2% for the month.

• The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) announced this week it had again extended a temporary ban on international passenger flights, this time until May 31. The CAAT said in a website statement the restriction, due to expire tomorrow, was to maintain the country’s continuity of prevention and control measures against the coronavirus.

• Malaysia-based Malindo Air resumed domestic flights this week from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching in eastern Malaysia with 737s, as well from Kuala Lumpur Subang Airport to six destinations in Peninsular Malaysia flying ATR 72 turboprops. All passengers will be required to wear face masks to permit travel, Malindo said on its website.

• South Pacific carrier, Air Calédonie, has reaffirmed plans to resume flying from Monday, May 4. The airline, which operates domestic services in New Caledonia, this week said bookings were available on its website with sales points and freight counters due to reopen on April 30.