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AIRLINE NEWS DF lobby fires volley at quarantine ‘halting effect’


UK travel retail has voiced its staunch opposition to the government’s 14-day quarantine for arrivals, which entered into force on 8 June. Under the rules, those landing on British


soil must self-isolate for the stated period to protect lives and prevent a ‘second wave’ of the coronavirus (Covid-19), as outlined by Home Secretary Priti Patel. The UK Travel Retail Forum (UKTRF) has


criticised the ‘halting effect’ it will have on reviving the UK’s travel sector. François Bourienne, Chair of the UKTRF,


told TRBusiness: “The UKTRF remains firm in its view that the newly introduced mandatory quarantine period rules will do little to combat the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK and will delay the travel sector’s ability to restart and recover from the Covid-19 outbreak. “A delay to the sector’s restart is not simply a matter of waiting another month


Source: Heathrow


– it will affect the jobs of real workers and threaten the ability of some firms to restart at all. “With many airports still operating at


close to zero percent of normal traffic, the ability of travel retailers to resume operations and begin contributing to airport cash flows as soon as possible is vitally important.”


Spot checks are being carried out at the UK border and all arrivals, including returning British citizens, must provide an address. The rules apply across the whole of the


UK, although enforcement in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland could differ. Correct at the time of writing (late June) the


quarantine rules were in full effect, although reviews are meant to take place every three weeks to ensure they are aligned with the latest scientific evidence to remain effective and necessary. Travellers from the Common Travel Area


(Ireland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands) are exempt from the rules, unless they have visited the area in the past fortnight.


RiM and Bluebox pair to offer ‘touch-free’ retail


Dublin-headquartered Retail inMotion (RiM) has partnered with Bluebox Aviation Systems to offer an enhanced touch-free retail proposition for airlines worldwide. Carriers will benefit from an integrated


end-to-end solution to create new and innovative sales channels in a post coronavirus (Covid-19) world, it is said. RiM says the combined expertise can help


airlines negotiate the expectation of high passenger service levels in an increasingly challenging environment. David Brown, Director of Business


Home delivery surge for SIA KrisShop


Customers have been flocking to take advantage of home delivery purchases in recent months, says Singapore Airlines (SIA) omnichannel retailer KrisShop. Chris Pok, CEO, KrisShop tells TRBusiness


that demand for the service was due to the coronavirus (Covid-19), subsequent flight suspensions, a significant drop in pre-order and inflight sales. “The whole pre-order and inflight element


remains a big component of our business, but we are quite encouraged by results from the home delivery and e-commerce element in general during April and May.” In April, when Singapore’s Circuit Breaker


measures took hold, KrisShop achieved a record number of online transactions buoyed by strong messages to consumers that they could still purchase without flying.


JULY 2020


The level of online transactions surpassed the previous level reached in November 2019 during KrisShop’s Double Eleven Singles’ Day promotion. “When flights restart, we will gain another


channel for selling and fulfilment,” said Pok. “The conversation with consumers will go


beyond home-delivery and start featuring pre-order and inflight sales. “The future of inflight [retail] is digital and


we are preparing for the arrival of Inflight Entertainment (IFE) shopping. “Inflight catalogues will most likely


exist in a world of IFE shopping, but it is unclear whether this will be in digital or paper form.” KrisShop is a joint venture between the


airline, SATS and 3Sixty Duty Free. [For an interview with KrisShop, see p21].


TRBUSINESS 11


Development, Bluebox added: “In partnership with RiM, we’re offering a touchless shopping experience for food, beverages and other goods on our battery- or aircraft-powered wireless IFE platform, Bluebox Wow.”


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