January 2025


www.nitravelnews.com


UPDATES | 13


Aer Lingus Activates AirTags in Effort to


Locate Lost Luggage AER LINGUS has announced the activation of Apple’s Find My Share Item Location feature, a move that promises to enhance the airline’s ability to assist customers in tracking lost or delayed luggage. This new capability allows passengers using AirTag or other Find My network accessories to share their location with Aer Lingus’ customer service team,


thereby expediting the


easyJet Partners With the Search & Rescue Dog Association Ireland North


EASYJET has partnered with Northern Ireland emergency search and rescue dog charity, SARDA IN, to allow their highly- trained dogs to travel in the cabin on selected easyJet flights departing from the UK.


Travelling in the cabin can reduce the stress and potential risks associated with their transportation, ensuring these specially trained dogs can be deployed quicker and more efficiently to disaster zones and critical incidents. With flights to over 120 destinations


across Europe and North Africa from 21 UK airports, easyJet’s new partnership with the Search & Rescue Dog Association Ireland North (SARDA IN) will make it easier for these vital working animals to support life-saving missions. This will allow them to respond swiftly to any international crises, ensuring


faster mobilisation of their USAR dog teams to deliver critical aid where it’s needed most. SARDA IN has provided specialist search and rescue services to disasters worldwide for more than 40 years.


The emergency organisation’s search and rescue dogs are deployed by various bodies, including the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, Mountain Rescue Teams, and the Gardai.


Trained in various specialist disciplines, these highly-trained dogs can locate high-risk and vulnerable missing people in diverse environments, such as mountains, open countryside, forests, urban areas, watercourses and disaster areas, both in the UK, Ireland and abroad. Ali Gayward, easyJet UK Country Manager, said:“easyJet is incredibly proud


to be able to support Search & Rescue Dog Association Ireland North. As the largest airline in the UK and in Northern Ireland, it is a great privilege for us to be able to offer our network of over 560 routes from 21 UK airports, to help their teams deploy quickly to wherever they are needed most for their life-saving missions.” Raph O’Connor, SARDA IN Training Officer, said:


As a volunteer-based organisation and registered charity, SARDA IN deeply values the critical support provided by easyJet. Their offer of free flights enables our dedicated handlers and highly trained USAR dogs to be rapidly deployed to international disaster zones. This invaluable assistance will ensure that we can reach those in urgent need without delay, allowing us to focus on saving lives, knowing that travel logistics are no longer a barrier.”


recovery process. The feature has been rolled out across Aer Lingus and its parent company IAG’s other airlines, including British Airways and Iberia. Annalisa Gigante, head of innovation for the group, noted in an interview with Bloomberg that this advancement allows for real-time tracking,


enabling the


airline to reunite passengers with their luggage more swiftly. Other major airlines, such as Delta and Lufthansa, are also implementing similar tracking technologies. Passengers looking to utilise the


Share Item Location feature can easily create a link through the Find My app on their Apple devices. This link can be incorporated into a delayed baggage report, facilitating communication with the airline’s customer service team. Importantly, Aer Lingus assures customers that privacy and security are paramount; location sharing will automatically stop once the bag is returned, can be manually halted at any time, and will expire after seven days.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72