Week in Review

In response to a pilots’ strike, Dayton Daily News reports Scandinavian Airlines cancelled another 504 flights across the Nordic region on Wednesday, affecting nearly 47,000 passengers. The airline also cancelled 546 flights on Tuesday.

After ten years at the organization, Michael W. McCormick is leaving his role as executive director & COO at GBTA. Industry veteran Scott Solombrino will assume the position and take the lead at GBTA.

Innovative technologies, data security, and diversity & inclusion were the hot topics of GBTA Conference 2019 – Toronto. Nancy Tudorache provides a recap of GBTA’s 15^th annual conference in Toronto with a record attendance of over 900 registrants and a sold-out Expo floor with more than 80 exhibitors.

According to Fox News, car-sharing apps in the U.S. are allowing customers to rent cars free of taxes, causing a rift between rental car companies, airport authorities and local governments who want the apps to pay the same taxes and fees as traditional rental companies.

Passengers using Dublin Airport taxis can now use cashless payment options like credit cards or digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay), ATM Marketplace reports. An agreement with eComm Merchant Solutions will enable the Taxi Alliance of Ireland to equip the cabs with in-car payment terminals.

According to Silicon Republic, electric car rental service UFO Drive is now available in Dublin. Passengers can choose from vehicles like the Tesla Model S, Jaguar I-Pace, and the Nissan Leaf. The service is also available Luxembourg, Brussels, Hamburg, and Cologne.

WINiT by GBTA is now accepting nominations for the inaugural WINiT Awards, being held November 7 at the Grand Hyatt in New York, New York. The WINiT Awards recognize the women, men and companies who together, are driving positive change for the career mobility of women in travel-related industries.

Emirates has reintroduced My Emirates Pass, enabling passengers across India to enjoy special benefits at over 500 leisure and retail outlets in the UAE, Business Traveller notes.

Malta International Airport installed modern flight information display screens throughout its terminals, TravelDailyNews International reports. The screens communicate flight status, departure gate allocation, and other important information to passengers.

According to Forbes, airlines around the world made $28.1 billion in baggage fees and $92.9 billion in ancillary revenue in 2018. This revenue is only expected to grow, as airlines may soon offer new products and services at the time of ticket purchases.

Southwest Airlines is preparing for the return of its grounded Boeing 737 Max 8s, USA TODAY reports. CEO Gary Kelly expects its fleet and operations to return to normal by the third quarter or beginning of the fourth quarter.