NEWSFLASH – OCTOBER 2018

Download Newsflash – OCTOBER

E-Gates and E-Visas to be Piloted

South Africa plans to pilot e-gates at airports and e-Visas in a bid to stimulate tourism in the country. The Department of Home affairs will begin piloting e-Gates at OR Tambo, Cape Town and King Shaka International Airports by 2019 allowing returning South African citizens as well as certain categories of trusted travelers to be processed electronically rather than having to interact with an immigration officer. Home Affairs has also announced pilots related to e-visa and long-term multiple-entry visas.

RCB –JNB Flight Frequencies Increased

CemAir is boosting its connectivity between Richards Bay and Johannesburg from the 1st of October the airline will add four flights between the two cities.

Venice to Introduce New Tourist Fines

Tourists in Venice could be fined for sitting in undesignated areas, pausing on bridges or attaching ‘love locks’ to monuments as part of new measures being discussed to deal with overcrowding. The aim is to create more of a deterrent to people who think they can come to the city of Venice and do what they want not respecting the city, urban decorum and public safety. Other proposals include bans on picnics unless they are in public parks, no excessive noise at night or between Venice’s siesta time of 13h00-15h00, no feeding of birds, no riding or wheeling along of bikes, no busking, drawing or other art without a permit. Breaking the rules could see tourists fined anywhere between €25 and €500.

USA – Streamlines Boarding Process

United Airlines is updating boarding procedures. The better boarding process will give passengers more space at the gate, less time waiting and improved boarding information. A key enhancement is a new alert via United’s app informing users when boarding has started for their flight.

Zimbabwe – Bans Vendors to Fight Cholera

Zimbabwean authorities have reportedly issued a banning order against vendors across Harare following a fatal cholera outbreak that has claimed more than 30 lives in recent weeks. All type of vending have been banned with immediate effect in a bid to improve general sanitation within the city. Security forces have been deployed to help clear the streets of any vendors.

FLYSAFAIR Launches Express Check-In

FlySafair has launched Express Check-In a new technology that allows the airline to speed up passenger service. Express Check-In which has been rolled out at all the airports from which FlySafair operates enables the airline’s queue combers to check-in passengers travelling with only hand baggage before they reach the check-in counter. Using this technology FlySafair staff can search for the passenger’s flight ticket using their reference number, surname or date of birth and then produce their boarding pass directly from the device. Designated queue combers wear pink sashes making them easy for passengers to identify.

Mombasa Get New Flight Service

Qatar Airways has announced that it will begin operating to Mombasa. A new service operating four times a week will take off from the 11th of December. The service between Doha and Mombasa is the airline’s second to Kenya and will be serviced by the carrier’s Airbus A320s.

Cape Town – Water Restrictions Eased

The City of Cape Town has made the move to relax current water restrictions from Level 6B to Level 5 next month. The relaxed restrictions will take effect from the 1st of October. After suffering from the worst drought in recent history.

Two Plans Land with Suspected Flu Cases

A day after an Emirates plane was quarantined at New York JFK Airport two more inbound flights were held at Philadelphia International Airport due to several passengers falling ill according to Officers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were once again called after a combined 12 passengers traveling from Paris and Munich became ill. Both flights were operated by American Airlines. The CDC said all the passengers displayed flu-like symptoms. The US Customs and Border Protection said that all the affected passengers had originated from Mecca in Saudia Arabia which has had a flu outbreak. The CDC also said passengers on the Emirates flight a day earlier also tested positive for the flu. The jet carrying them had made a prior stop in Mecca before flying to New York.

 


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