Airlines Archives - Relocation Africa

The Department of Home Affairs has published a new directive focusing on travel restrictions during South Africa’s coronavirus lockdown.

The directive amends the country’s earlier lockdown regulations to allow for international travel in specific circumstances – including the return of a South African national or permanent resident to his or her place of employment, study or residence, outside of the country.

The directive states that these citizens must do so at their own cost and flights are subject to capacity.

It also notes that the citizen must, at least five working days in advance of the intended date of travel, provide the Department of Home Affairs with the following documentation:

A copy of his or her valid South African passport;
A letter of confirmation of admissibility or the validity of the visa or permit, issued by the relevant diplomatic or consular mission or authority of the receiving country;
Where transiting through another country, proof of permission to transit through such country;
Proof of the means of travel and the intended date of departure.

The directive further states that South African citizen or a permanent resident who, for any reason, has been outside the republic during the period of the national state of disaster must for purposes of admission be subjected to such prescribed screening or examination procedure.

Other changes

The directive also introduces a number other Home Affairs changes including:

Home Affairs offices will now allow for the late registration of birth and solemnisation and registration of marriages;
The owner or person in charge of a vehicle being used for transport outside of South Africa must provide a full manifest;
Extension of validity for asylum seeker permits;
Provision for people in South Africa on an expired visa.

You can read the full directive here.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Qantas Airways will run marathon ghost flights from New York and London to Sydney carrying just a few staff to see how the human body holds up before commercial services start.

Qantas said Thursday it will simulate the world’s longest direct flights with Boeing Dreamliners as soon as October. The payload of 40 passengers and crew, most of them employees, will undergo a host of medical checks and assessments.

The Australian airline wants to start direct flights connecting Sydney to New York and London as soon as 2022. Chief executive officer Alan Joyce describes the services as aviation’s final frontier.

The services, which take about 20 hours, aren’t yet a sure thing. Qantas still hasn’t decided on a Boeing or Airbus plane that can fly the route fully laden and without a break. And it’s not clear how passengers will tolerate living in the cabin for the best part of a day and night.

“The things we learn on these flights will be invaluable,” Joyce said on a call Thursday.

Joyce has previously said he plans to choose either Boeing’s 777-8X or Airbus’s ultra-long-range A350-900ULR and -1000ULR for the flights. Competition for the contract gives Qantas more leverage over price.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television on Thursday, Joyce said the delay to Boeing’s 777X program hasn’t excluded the U.S. manufacturer from the deal. He said Boeing had offered Qantas a “transitional” solution to accommodate for any delay. He didn’t elaborate.

“This is still a very competitive race,” he said.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: Vismay Bhadra [1], [2].

Tag Archive for: Airlines

Qantas Is Testing the Viability of a 20-hour Non-Stop Flight