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Quest Means Business

737 Max Cleared To Fly; United Airlines: Guaranteeing A COVID Free Flight; Quest's Headlines Of The Day; Conserving The Arapaima For Sustainable Living In The Amazon; Airport COVID Testing: New Passport To Travel. Aired 3-4p ET.

Aired November 18, 2020 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:00:17]

RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: We are in the final hour of trading on Wall Street and the gains that we saw in the early

part of the day have evaporated on worsening fears of the pandemic, for instance, New York schools to close once again from tomorrow. That beat off

the optimism that had been concerning the virus earlier on and that's the way we go with 60 minutes left.

The race to find a vaccine is nearing an end, the race to distribute it, that is only just beginning.

And as COVID rages, Donald Trump is holding up the Joe Biden transition. You're going to hear from the head of the Operation Warp Speed, who tells

me he has lost respect for politicians.

And two crashes and the 737 MAX has now been cleared to fly by American regulators. The CEO of Ethiopian Airways says, his airline will be the last

to fly it again.

Live from New York, I'm Richard Quest. It is Wednesday, it's November the 18th. And of course, after being away for a month, we are back again, and I

mean business.

Good evening. Tonight, there's so much news concerning a vaccine and most, if not all of it is positive. The attention and focus shifts, though, from

developing the vaccine to distributing it, with Pfizer being the latest to say that the efficacy rate of its new vaccine is up to 95 percent

effective. The latest data showing 95 percent effective, which was the same as Moderna told us last week.

As a result, Pfizer is saying it will ask the United States and the European Union to allow the emergency use of the vaccine. That application

is expected to be put in within days.

It is the moment that Operation Warp Speed had been waiting for. You'll remember, Warp Speed is the organization put together by the U.S.

government to put together the development, distribution, liaison, you name it, everything concerning the vaccine for use in the U.S. and billions of

dollars' worth of money have also been poured into it.

The head of Operation Warp Speed joined me a short while ago and we put together this idea of now that there has been the development of a vaccine,

it is all about how to distribute it and that will be no easy task.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MONCEF SLAOUI, CHIEF ADVISER, OPERATION WARP SPEED: We have two vaccines that are now ready to be approved, and they will be reviewed shortly by the

F.D.A. and we have already a few million doses and we'll have up to 20 million doses to distribute. We worked on how to distribute them.

So, it is running frankly, regardless, there are no decisions that are if you wish, gating the process. Maybe another administration, if there is

another administration will want to steer a little bit more left or a little bit more right. But in effect, the train is running, we're making

vaccines, they are very effective, there will be even more vaccines. So that's what we focus on, frankly.

And at this stage, we don't need critical decisions.

QUEST: To manufacture and distribute, refrigerate and all of these things. Just give our viewers the feeling for how difficult this will be on a

national scale involving 300 million people.

SLAOUI: We have -- the companies have invested into thousands of minus 80 degree refrigerator for one of them, minus 20 degrees, rooms, use rooms for

others. We have selected warehouses that are bigger than two or three football fields, again, with refrigeration, with automation, able to

dispatch and distribute millions of doses on a weekly basis.

The transportation is secured in between the companies and the warehouses.

QUEST: You're manufacturing them in large numbers, getting them to the people, administering them. There are some who are saying that the

Emergency Use Authorization, you should have had longer data.

Tell me why you believe the EUA on two months of data is justified.

SLAOUI: Yes. So I think first of all, you need to know that the F.D.A. has done an analysis. It has shown that more than 95 percent of all adverse

events associated with o vaccines happen within the first 40 days after completing immunization.

So on that basis, the F.D.A. said we need a minimum of 60 days, that is more than 40 because the overwhelming majority of potential adverse events

will have been documented, number one.

[15:05:18]

SLAOUI: Number two, on a smaller number of people that have participated to the Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies, we have six to seven months of follow

up now for these first vaccines, the RNA vaccines.

Number three, we are putting together with the F.D.A. and the C.D.C., a very, very thorough, active pharmacovigilance surveillance system to follow

the safety of vaccinees once we start immunizing the population.

And fourthly, we have -- here is what we know -- what we know, is one to 2,000 people die every day; 180,000 people or 160,000 are infected every

day. If a vaccine is 95 percent effective, there is no way on Earth, in my view, from an ethical perspective we should wait four more months to allow

for 120,000 people to die if you have a thousand people dying per day in order to exclude a conceptual risk of maybe one person in a hundred

thousand or in 50,000 having an adverse event.

And by the way, we will know immediately, thanks to the pharmacovigilance that's put in place. So I think the therapeutic benefit, the population

benefit of immunizing with something where we understand 95 percent of the risk, compared to the risk we know of the pandemic, in my view is

compelling.

QUEST: Over the last nine months, you must have felt the political heat.

SLAOUI: Yes, 100 percent there. There are days where I told myself, "Why on Earth have you done this?" However, the needs and the desire to help and

support my experience and expertise, of course, overshadows any one of those frustrations.

It did also teach me frankly, I will never go into the politics. And secondly, I think my level of respect has decreased for politicians,

because I think the short term objective is more important than the values I would say. That has been a big disappointment to me.

You know, I've been attacked in ways that, frankly, were a big surprise to me. I didn't expect it. I let everything go of what I was doing --

everything -- and I came to help and what I got was slaps in the face. And this is incredible.

It's because it's associated with this administration, and I'll just say, I'm not actually -- I'm not supportive of this administration. But I'm

doing this for humanity because it has nothing to do with any administration.

So yes, it was a learning and some days were very tough, very tough. But I'm so happy we have two vaccines that are 95 percent effective. This is

what would change the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: So there you have the current situation. Two vaccines, each claiming seemingly acceptable claim of 95 percent efficacy, Pfizer and

Moderna. If that is the case, then the race to develop is over, and now it comes to a question of distribution.

Twenty million ready by the end of the year is not that many when you look at the hundreds of millions in the U.S. and the billions worldwide. So the

new race: distribution.

To distribute them around the world and convince the public to take it, Pfizer and Moderna, neck and neck when it comes to efficacy. Both 95

percent. Moderna has the edge on distribution, the vaccine can be stored at minus 20 degree temperatures much easier to accommodate than minus 70

degree refrigeration for Pfizer.

Cost possibly another factor. Pfizer's is around is $20.00 a dose, $37.00 for Moderna's vaccine. It's worth pointing out both sides of course,

they're doing it a cost. They're not aiming to make any money out of this, at least not for the bottom line.

We spoke exclusively to the chief executive of BioNTech, that's the German company who developed the Pfizer vaccine. They are also working -- they are

working hard to do solve the distribution problems and create a vaccine that can be distributed and therefore administered at room temperature.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UGUR SAHIN, CEO, BIONTECH: We might get an authorization or conditional approval already in 2020, which might help us to start distribution of the

first vaccine batches already in 2020.

Our goal is to supply several hundred million of doses in the first four to five months in 2021. This will already have an impact beginning impact on

the control of COVID-19.

[15:10:23]

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you confident that these vaccines are now or the existence of these vaccines,

signal the beginning of the end of the pandemic?

SAHIN: I am confident that if everything goes well, and if we have a better organized vaccine supply, and that we could have a normal winter

2021. Yes, normal summer and winter 2021.

PLEITGEN: The data that you released today showed very good efficacy in in older people, because they are obviously some of the most vulnerable. Can

you just walk us through how important that is?

SAHIN: And now we see that we have an overall efficacy of 95 percent. And in elderly people, we have more than 94 percent. So that means there is no

difference. There is no difference between the age, different ages, and there's no difference between the ethnicities, which makes, of course,

pandemic supply and control very, very, very efficient.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: Fred Pleitgen is with me. We are focusing a great deal tonight on vaccines, because from all sides, there is great hope. But it is now a

logistical problem, as we heard from Operation Warp Speed, your interview, and you've been looking at how the airlines themselves are going to

actually manage to do it.

PLEITGEN: And you're absolutely right, Richard. And of course, the thing about the Pfizer vaccine, especially that right now, it has to be stored

and of course transported as well at minus 70 Celsius and minus 100 Fahrenheit. That, of course, is something that's an issue.

Now one of the things that the BioNTech CEO also told me is that they are already working on a formula for that vaccine that could allow it to be

stored and shipped at almost room temperature in the future.

He says maybe the second half of 2021, but until that, the logistics companies, they have a lot of work ahead of them, and one of the things

that is keeping vaccines cold in the entire time that they are transported.

We were at the biggest pharma hub in all of Europe. It's at Lufthansa Cargo at Frankfurt Airport. And here's how they plan to solve it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN (voice over): While the world's passenger airlines face an uncertain future because of COVID-19, freight airlines like Lufthansa Cargo

are gearing up for a huge operation to try to help end the pandemic.

PLEITGEN (on camera): In the coming months and years, airlines like Lufthansa Cargo face the daunting challenge of having to transport billions

of doses of vaccine around the world.

As a rule of thumb they say, the colder a vaccine needs to be stored, the more difficult it is to ship it.

PLEITGEN (voice over): Several vaccine makers believe they'll be able to apply for an Emergency Use Authorization for their candidate soon. But

Pfizer's vaccine, for instance, needs to be stored at around minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 70 degrees Celsius, requiring complicated

cooling.

Lufthansa says, its pharma logistics hubs are equipped to handle ultra-cold medical cargo, using special containers like these, packed with dry ice.

Still, keeping them cold enough isn't easy, the head of the pharma hub says.

KARIN KRESTAN, HEAD OF LH-CARGO HUB: The temperature, minus 70 degrees is really a challenge, because we have to use dry ice in the bunker, we for

sure need dry ice within the compartments. So, we need more dry ice, we have another dry ice concentration on board the aircraft. So, these are all

things that we have to consider.

PLEITGEN (voice over): Another issue -- the dry ice emits a lot of CO2 gas. That can be dangerous for a flight crew inside the plane. So each

cargo flight can only carry a limited amount of containers holding dry ice.

The challenges are immense, but the airline says it's been building capacities and consulting with vaccine makers. They think it's ready to

start delivering vials as soon as a candidate gets regulatory approval.

PETER GERBER, CEO, LUFTHANSA CARGO: Of course, this is a special situation, but given what we have done during the last month, with all

these masks, with all the flexibility, with all the things we had to produce and to perform on a very, very short notice, our team, I believe,

is ready for this challenge.

PLEITGEN (voice over): A massive logistical challenge as the world not only waits for a vaccine to be certified, but also to be delivered fast and

in large amounts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: So there you have it, Richard. The airlines are obviously going to require a lot of expertise as we can see a lot of dry ice. But also, of

course, a lot of planes as well. And one of the interesting things about Lufthansa Cargo is actually, they are in the middle of renewing their fleet

right now. They're going to go to an all 777 fleet, but they're actually keeping some of their NB-11s in the fleet longer because they know they're

going to need a lot of planes to be transporting a lot of vaccine in the not too distant future -- Richard.

QUEST: Fred Pleitgen, thank you for pointing out about the number of planes because even Fred, with Lufthansa's huge capacity, that still of

course won't be enough, which is why every airline is getting into this business, too.

Emirates based in Dubai, one of the largest cargo carriers in the world -- that's also passenger airline -- is making plans to build a distribution

hub specifically for the vaccines ahead of Emirates' Sir Tim Clark spoke to John Defterios and explained that the airline like others is ready.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TIM CLARK, CEO, EMIRATES: We saw an opportunity to create a hub both in this airport and the Dubai World Central, and that's what we did. So

fortunately, we're now in a position that with our fleet of aircraft, including all the freighters that we can now create a hub for all these

vaccines, and then distribute them to Africa, South America, West Asia, India, Pakistan, and further east.

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN BUSINESS EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: So this is global logistics on a scale you probably have never seen before. Are you well-

positioned as a carrier and as a hub in Dubai, to deliver on that?

CLARK: I think we are better positioned as a carrier. I think we are better positioned as a hub to deal with the scale of things. A lot of other

airports and countries and airlines can deal with them on smaller, smaller scale, and no doubt they will.

But in terms of a logistical center of distribution, under the conditions that these vaccines have to be stored and of course distributed. I'm not

sure there are many that really equal as in this part of the world, certainly sitting, as you rightly say, between the East and the West, major

population centers.

DEFTERIOS: Do you think that the vaccines that we're seeing coming out of the West with Moderna and Pfizer can prove to be the silver bullets because

the expectations are so high and the test results are so solid?

CLARK: I can see no other way out of this pandemic and they have to be the silver bullet. We've got track and trace, we've got lockdowns, we've got

all sorts of protocols socially distancing, et cetera, et cetera.

But still, in the West, in America, in Europe, it is rampant. Even under nine months of all sorts of protocols to try and mitigate the risk of

infection.

DEFTERIOS: So let's talk it through what's realistic in terms of global distribution, you have the hub here, set and ready to go. We are looking at

the second half of 2021, or the second quarter of 2021 on a global scale.

CLARK: No, I think if they do come out, and we have got the logistics of the supply chain sorted, of course, in Europe and America, they can be road

transport, there can be the integrators, FedEx, UPS can fly them around and do all of that.

But once you're talking about this transoceanic and remote continents from the actual production source of the pharmaceutical side of things, you'll

need to get all of this sorted out. And it is that that in tandem with the scaling up of production, in tandem with the scaling up of the supply

chain, whether it be ground or air will take time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: Sir Tim Clark there talking to John Defterios on the question of Emirates scaling up.

The markets now -- the markets spent most of the session, the New York markets anyway, in a buoyant mood. They were higher, optimistically because

of what they believed was the better prognosis.

The market is down now and the best reason we can think or we see is there are worries now about the pandemic biting further into the economy. A good

example of that, this afternoon, the Chancellor of Schools in New York has announced the closure of New York schools, all children will now stay at

home from tomorrow because New York's positivity rate has gone over three percent.

The European markets, they were boosted by vaccine trials, so those major markets in Europe were all higher. London, Paris, and Frankfurt, they all

showed goods -- they gained -- with the exception of the Swiss market, but let's not talk about that too much. It's just off a fraction, not worth

mentioning.

As we continue, firstly, the presidential transition, I should say, Joe Biden is taking over, but he is not getting any help or assistance from the

outgoing administration and that is starting to hurt things. We'll talk about that.

And the first flight that guarantees everyone is COVID negative. It was United from New York to London. I was on board. You'll also hear from

United's Chief Executive, Scott Kirby.

It's QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. It's good to be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:22:25]

QUEST: Welcome back to QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. Tonight is a start of a new week together.

So it's 11 days since Joe Biden won the election. But still, the White House is giving no ground in getting members of the administration to

cooperate with the President-elect and his incoming administration.

Bipartisan views now seem to agree this is causing major problems. First of all, to the vaccine rollout, giving the Vice President or the President-

elect and his team information necessary to make a proper rollout of the vaccine; to national security, getting the latest thinking even though Joe

Biden is well versed, he is still not being given access to the latest Intelligence and the functioning of democracy.

Well, the rules say if you're lost, the other person takes over and that's not happening at the moment.

Bill Daley knows all about the corridors of power and how to wield it. He is the Vice Chair of Public Affairs at Wells Fargo, former White House

Chief of Staff under President Obama.

Good to have you, sir. Thank you for being with us.

We've heard how dangerous and damaging it is. But the head of Operation Warp Speed said when it comes to the vaccine, you know, the plans are

already in place. The train is leaving the station, and so I'm wondering whether Democrats are making too much on the vaccine question of no

assistance from the current administration.

BILL DALEY, VICE CHAIR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, WELLS FARGO: I don't think the President-elect or his team are focused just on the vaccine. It's about the

broader question, are we and are we doing the right things? And is there leadership from the top to convince Americans that we must act differently

than we have?

I think the vaccine, no doubt about it, the companies are moving quickly. The F.D.A. is approving. And there is a process for the dissemination of

that in our country and worldwide.

And so I think, from what I know, and I'm not obviously bad about it, I think that piece of this -- but there's a much broader thing. There's

obviously the accessibility of these vaccines that people believe that the process was followed. And those things come from the leaders in the country

in speaking about the process, about the independence of the agencies that will review these.

Obviously, there is great skepticism in this country right now with the split politically, and there has been an issue raised about many people

wondering whether the process was followed.

[15:25:09]

DALEY: I think it has been, I think, F.D.A. and those who approved, so I think it's a broader thing to be honest with you, Richard that Biden --

President-elect Biden's team is concerned about and that is whether or not -- not just the vaccine, but other things that must be done, because it is

going to take a while for the vaccine to be disseminated and to have its I impact.

QUEST: How long do you think -- it's sort of how long can you play chicken really -- but, how long do you think before serious harm is done? As we get

ever closer to January the 20th? I mean, commonsense, sort of tells me, well, I don't know why, but at some point, the administration is going to

have to cooperate with the Biden transition.

DALEY: I think they will. I think it will be very difficult after the Electoral College electors meat and vote and therefore, basically certify

President-elect Biden's position. However, it isn't just the minimum cooperation that people need. President Obama, President Bush, and

President Clinton in those three transitions that I know very well -- very much about. They really went beyond just okay, here's the minimum we have

to do in their cooperation with the incoming President.

And that's the sort of engagement that I fear is going to be lacking. Yes, at some point, this administration will be able to say, okay, we're

cooperating, but it is every day that goes by, it really does have an impact.

I'll give you one quick example. Almost all of the senior leaders that President -- of staff and even Cabinet people obviously -- has to go

through security clearances, those have not begun yet, and they can be long processes.

So there's a lot that has to be done. And I hope, when and if the President administration comes to the belief that a new administration is coming

January 20th, they will give the level of cooperation that the previous ones have.

QUEST: Finally, Mr. Secretary, I know that if asked one always serves, but would you be seeking to serve in this next administration? I'm sure you've

been asked.

DALEY: Yes, I been there and done that. I've known President-elect Biden for 35 years. Great friend, good guy, a really good guy and I wish him the

best. But I don't think that's in the cards nor do I care to put it in the cards to be frank with you -- Richard.

QUEST: Well, then we are the beneficiaries because it means you'll be able to help us over the next four years understanding what's going on. Former

Commerce Secretary Bill Daley and White House Chief of Staff, good to have you on the program. Thank you, sir.

Now, that was one major development. The U.S. regulators, the main regulator, said that the MAX -- 737 MAX -- is safe to fly again. It doesn't

mean that the plane will be in the air next week or maybe even next month. But it does mean that it's heading towards the runway.

After the break, we'll have that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:30:00]

QUEST: Hello, I'm Richard Quest. There's more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS coming your way in just a moment.

When the FAA says that the 737 Max is cleared to fly Ethiopia's chief executive says not just yet. And United starts the first test flight where

everyone's guaranteed to be COVID-free or negative-COVID on board.

You'll hear from the United CEO in just a moment or three.

All of that, of course, will follow the news headlines because this is CNN. And on this network, the news always comes first.

Storm (inaudible) Central America is now coping with even more devastation. Iota slammed into Nicaragua on Tuesday as a category four hurricane not far

from where another powerful storm hit only two weeks ago.

Authorities say nearly all of Nicaragua's Caribbean coast is without electricity and the threat of heavy rain continues.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's in the Middle East. He met on Wednesday with Bahrain's foreign minister, Abdullatif Al Zayani and

Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

As part of the visit, Pompeo's expected to make an unprecedented stop at an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. That would be a break with previous

U.S. policy.

Iran's foreign minister says Iran is ready to discuss how the U.S. under Joe Biden can re-enter the nuclear treaty known as the Joint Comprehensive

Plan Of Action, JCPOA.

The foreign minister, Javad Zarif, says Biden would need to fulfill U.S. commitments under the deal and lift sanctions. The Trump Administration

unilaterally abandoned the deal in 2018.

German police have used water cannon to break up protests against government coronavirus restrictions. Several thousand demonstrators

gathered in Berlin's government district near parliament. Lawmakers were debating a bill that would clarify government powers to enforce

restrictions.

And Thailand's parliament's voted in favor of amending the constitution but did not back reform of the monarchy. The vote follows a chaotic night of

protests in which 55 people were injured.

The protestors have been holding demonstrations for five months now demanding reform of the country's military-backed government.

Boeing 737 Max is one step closer to being back in the air with the FAA announcing that it was lifting the grounding restriction that it put in

more than a year ago.

It was grounded in 2018, the 737 Max, after two fatal crashes, the first was Lion Air in Indonesia -- 2019, I beg your pardon, misspoke there. 2019

it was grounded.

First Indonesian crash then in Ethiopia. In total, 346 people in total were killed.

The FAA chief has promised to fly the Max himself and indeed Steve Dixon did so in late September taking to the cockpit and flying it and trying it

out, the new MCAS and the changes which had been made.

Hurdles remain. The FAA order applies only to the United States, the European Agency still has to review as does others elsewhere in the world.

Those on the ground need to be inspected to make sure maintenance has been done and prepared for going back in the air. That'll be time-consuming.

Pilots need to be retrained and a variety of lawsuits still exist.

CNN's Pete Muntean is our aviation correspondent.

[15:35:00]

He joins me, Pete Muntean's with me now.

So realistically from today, Pete, when do you think the first plane, the first of the U.S. fleet, will be back in the air?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, the airlines are already laying out their procedures and policies on this, Richard.

The first will likely be American Airlines. They will start one round trip flight on the 737 Max starting on December -- sorry, December 29th. It

flies from LaGuardia to Miami and back then more flights ratchet up in January. That will be the first.

United Airlines says it will begin flying its Max fleet starting the first quarter of 2020.

Southwest Airlines has the most Maxes here domestically and it says that it will not begin flying those airplanes until the second quarter of 2021. A

bit of a slower approach.

The CEO of Southwest, Gary Kelly, says in a memo to the board of directors at that company that he wants to fly on the airplane first before there are

any paying passengers who board a 737 Max.

QUEST: The reality is -- and as a pilot yourself, Pete, that the changes that they made to the Max were all eminently foreseeable and should have

been foreseen.

Everything -- this isn't -- I was reading the report from the FAA to get it back in the air.

Nothing that they changed was really revolutionary and in previous eras it would have been foreseen.

MUNTEAN: We have known the problems essentially from the get-go, Richard, after the first accident in 2018, the second in 2019.

This all zeros in on the automated flight control system that we have been talking about for months. That is what erroneously sensed that the

airplane was nearing an aerodynamic stall, overpowering the pilots for a deadly descent thousands of feet long.

The fixes will be made to that system, patches to the software, and then pilots will need to be trained to, not only to disengage that system but

also on all of the changes that is have been put forth here.

It's so interesting, the vote of confidence from the FAA administrator. He's says now after these fixes he believes that the scenarios that led to

those two accidents killing more than 300 people cannot possibly happen again.

QUEST: Pete, let's just talk about regulatory issues. The FAA has done a brilliant job of deflecting the fact that the agency failed in its own

review process as that plane was being developed and then manufactured.

They've done a stunning job in managing to seem -- to sort of say, look, we see and we saw nothing.

MUNTEAN: And not many heads rolled at the FAA, Richard. But there's plenty of blame to go around here.

In an early report by a congressional oversight commit they said that Boeing tried to obfuscate the changes to the flight control maneuvering

system keeping it secret from the FAA inspectors. And essentially trying to get it classified as a change to an existing system.

So you can't just entirely blame the FAA, you also have to blame Boeing as well. And there are many people involved in the certification process of

an airplane.

Something's that's going to come up again here in congress as they advance bills to try and completely overhaul that process from the bottom up.

QUEST: Thank you. Pete Muntean there.

We're going to leave the last word on our coverage of this to the CEO of Ethiopian, Ethiopian Airways -- Ethiopian Airlines.

Their flight, 302, 157 people were killed.

Tewolde, I met in Addis Ababa, I met when I was on my recent assignments. And Tewolde, the CEO, made it clear where Ethiopia stands on putting the

Max back in the air.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TEWOLDE GEBREMARIAM, CEO, ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES (On Camera): Since we have that tragic accident, we don't want to be the first airline, we will be the

last airline to make sure that our pilots have the confidence, our technicians, engineers have the confidence and our passengers have the

confidence.

The second one is the compensation issue with Boeing we have not yet finalized.

QUEST (Voice Over): Really?

GEBREMARIAM (On Camera): Yes.

QUEST (Voice Over): You haven't got the --

GEBREMARIAM (On Camera): We have not finalized it, we are still discussing.

QUEST (Voice Over): Wow. So no 737 maxes just yet?

GEBREMARIAM (On Camera): I would not say no, but not yet. Not yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: That was the CEO of Ethiopian who I met in Addis just a week or more ago. And we'll hear from him later in the week ourselves.

When we come back, a big fish in the Amazon. No, not the sales place, the real Amazon.

The big fish that is now back. I'll explain in our CALL TO EARTH.

[15:40:00]

QUEST (On Camera): CALL TO EARTH, CNN's special look at the environment and climate change and what all of us are doing to try and make things a

little bit better, be it big or small. Improvements that we're all making.

Sharing stories of people answering the call.

Now this week, it's all about the food we eat. And how one biologist and Rolex awards laureate has changed lives in the Amazon.

And he's done it by saving and helping grow a particularly large fish.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST (Voice Over): Snaking through the waters of Amazon are river giants. Creatures three meters in size weighing up to 200 kilograms.

The arapaima is one of the world's largest freshwater fish and for generations it has been a major source of food in these parts.

However, as populations have grown and modernized, the species has fallen victim to overfishing becoming nearly extinct in certain areas.

Arapaima fishing is now illegal in Brazil unless it's done sustainably as part of community based conservation programs.

Joao Campos-Silva along with NGOs and partner organizations helped put those programs in place.

The fisheries biologist has been working for more than a decade to help protect the fish. For him it boils down to empowering the local

communities and leaders to take action.

For example, guarding protected areas from illegal fishers, closing river connected lakes to fisherman hunting and introducing the careful management

of fishing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOAO CAMPOS-SILVA, FISHERIES BIOLOGIST (On Camera): This is very interesting because actually this model is quite simple. It's very simple

actually.

CAMPOS-SILVA (Voice Over): For a long time people were excluded from the conservation perspective but actually they play a very important role to

sustain and to maintain the forest.

CAMPOS-SILVA (On Camera): We're talking about a paradigm shift. Conservationship should mean a better life for locals.

[15:45:00]

QUEST (Voice Over): In the last ten years, he says it's all helped the numbers rise four fold while protecting other wildlife in the Amazon.

QUEST: (On Camera): Are we talking about a success?

CAMPOS-SILVA (On Camera): In this case, conservation started to make sense. Now local people say we need to protect the environment, we need to

protect species because more biodiversity means a better life.

QUEST (Voice Over): Campos-Silva says benefits go beyond only conservation. Increased income from sustainable fishing is invested into

infrastructure and health care.

Women are also able to earn incomes through bigger roles in arapaima management.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPOS-SILVA (Voice Over): So this is a truly (inaudible) change that has been promoting a huge social transformation in the Amazonian.

QUEST (Voice Over): The arapaima saved from extinction and in turn protecting livelihoods and communities across the Amazon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: What a call to earth and what a big fish.

We will continue, of course, to monitor and hear from you the sort of measures, the things you are doing and that others are doing, to help

protect the environment.

Please let us know what it is as part of our initiative. You can, of course, let us know. The hashtag is #CallToEarth and together we can make

things a little bit better.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: A while ago (inaudible) markets have taken a bit of a tumble. They were down just 50, 60 points at the start when you and I began. And now,

of course, they've fallen quite further.

Look, we're off nearly 245 points, nearly one percent on the Dow.

The Dow is the worst of them all. It is the big board that's bearing the brunt. And if you look at the Dow 30, you can see where they're all

falling.

Boeing is falling towards the back of the late trading. It had opened up more than six percent but now that's eased off quite a bit, as you can see

down now 2.5 percent.

It just shows the sort of fettle mood of the markets at the moment.

Norwegian Air is seeking bankruptcy protection having failed to get Norwegian government support recently after the government said no.

Now it's announced it's going for the equivalent of Chapter 11 protection under the examinership process in Ireland where it has assets. It says it

will reduce debt, resize its fleet and secure new capital.

[15:50:00]

The long list of airlines that have been crushed by the pandemic -- this is just a sample.

They have either restructured, declared bankruptcy or in the case of some like Flybe have been taken over or just gone out of business.

Airlines are doing everything they can to keep flying. And that means trying to find new ways to convince regulators that it is safe to fly

provided you've had a pre-COVID test or a pre-flight COVID test.

United Airlines on Monday became the latest airline to try it out. A test flight from Newark to London.

As you may be well aware, I was on board.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST (On Camera): I have to say it is an unusual experience being on a plane where you know every passenger has had a COVID test.

QUEST (Voice Over): Airport COVID testing, the new passport to travel.

QUEST (On Camera): You have to think of this not about what's happening now with one flight to London but imagine that this is the way it's going

to be for multiple flights across the ocean as testing becomes more accepted for various governments.

Then you're going to have five, ten, who knows how many flights with passengers doing the COVID test.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST (Voice Over): Now that was a piece of cake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

So what if, as it will happen, somebody tests positive?

AARON MCMILLAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, POLICY & SUPPORT, UNITED AIRLINES: If someone tests positive, they'll be removed and taken to a

private location where the CDC will be contacted and will notify the appropriate health organizations to help support that customer.

We'll take steps so they won't fly that day, obviously, for their safety and the safety of everyone else on the flight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Calling all remaining passengers for London Heathrow flight (inaudible).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST (On Camera): And so, for the flight that that guarantees everyone on board is COVID negative.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Hello.

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Welcome on board.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST (On Camera): Before takeoff, we're told the plane has been sanitized, everything's been made clean.

And there are wipes on every seat, a couple of them and we're told that are extra masks available if you need them.

So, we are on our way to London. And I have since learned that one of the passengers meant to be on board did test positive for coronavirus.

United already had a plan in place, the person has been isolated and being taken care of. Meaning that the rest of the flight can produce with

greater confidence and security.

United and the rest of the industry thinks this is the way forward.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: Before I got on the plane, United's chief executive Scott Kirby told me how this was crucial to airlines being able to fly internationally

again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT KIRBY, CEO, UNITED AIRLINES (On Camera): Well, what we're hoping is that much like Hawaii has now opened up to passengers flying in if they

test negative. If we can take some of these barriers down around the world.

We're going to eventually have vaccines, great news in the last two weeks on vaccine, but between now and then, it's important to start reopening our

economies.

And we're hoping that a negative test can give confidence to governments around the world to let people can in and avoid the quarantine

requirements.

Because, as you know, if there's a two-week people simply aren't going to travel in these international markets.

QUEST (On Camera): Right. But pre-testing is already in place in many countries. Dubai, for example, you've got to have 48 hours or 72 hours.

And it is very complicated, it's extremely complicated, having done it for the three weeks.

KIRBY (Voice Over): Yes.

QUEST (On Camera): How does this help by doing it at the airport?

KIRBY (On Camera): So that's one of the -- things we're trying to do to make it easy for customers. And to have a seamless process, a process that

we can get approved by the governments.

We've been doing it really well out in San Francisco for Hawaii, as an example.

KIRBY (Voice Over): But to do the same thing for international markets where the customer doesn't have to figure out what's the right test and did

this one work and getting it shipped. And instead can come to the airport to take the test, they can have

confidence that they've passed the approved test at the destination that they're ultimately going to.

QUEST (On Camera): Are you planning, is this -- because essentially what you'd have to do here, this test has to be accepted by the British

government --

KIRBY (Voice Over): Right.

QUEST: -- which has been one of the slowest, my words not yours, to actually introduce any form of testing that would reduce a 14-day

quarantine requirement. Would you expect to roll it out further if successful?

KIRBY (On Camera): Yes. We're doing this really to help demonstrate not just to the U.S. and U.K. government but to governments around the world,

that this approach can work. That we can make the logistics work.

[15:55:00]

That we can find a test that they can have confidence in. And that'll help check the boxes for the regulators who are playing (ph) -- appropriately

putting safety and health first.

And if we demonstrate that we can make this work ahead of time, it makes it a lot easier for them to then approve a test like this and a process like

this that's (inaudible) customers cross the border without a quarantine.

QUEST (Voice Over): For you, a vaccine's the holy grail. Is that --

KIRBY (Voice Over): Yes.

QUEST (Voice Over): Is that the -- it can't come fast enough?

KIRBY (Voice Over): That absolutely is the holy grail. We concluded that back in April that that was likely what was going to take.

KIRBY (On Camera): It's great news from Pfizer and Moderna to hear how effective those vaccines are and particularly the efficacy rates over 90

percent. I don't think anyone expected it to be that high.

So this confirms that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. But the tunnel's a long way off.

If you add those two, they're going to produce enough vaccines to vaccine a billion people by the end of the next year. That's a long way to go before

we get the whole world vaccinated.

So we're not out of this yet. And that's why it's important to have testing to start opening borders until we're through to the other side.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: CEO Scott Kirby. We'll hear more from him and the aviation industry later on in the week.

We will take a profitable moment after you have enjoyed this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: Tonight's "Profitable Moment."

Our program began and spent much time talking about the new vaccines, Moderna's and Pfizer's, and the difficulties of distributions but the

significance.

And we end, of course, tonight talking to Scott Kirby at United Airlines making the point that the vaccine is the holy grail.

And yet, during the same day you see the Dow Jones industrials falling largely on the back of worries about what's happening with the pandemic.

For instance, New York schools are to close again as of tomorrow because the positivity rate is over three percent.

Which is why I close tonight by pulling all these strands together.

It doesn't matter whether it's children in schools, businesses and shops, airlines trying to fly, the work that has been done and you have heard

about tonight on the vaccine is of crucial importance.

And that's why billions of dollars were spent, much of it at risk with many vaccines in the offering, some of which won't succeed but please God most

will.

And that's why we leave things in a better position than we have been until so far.

And that's QUEST MEANS BUSINESS for tonight. I'm Richard Quest in New York.

And whatever you're up to in the hours ahead -- nearly forgot the bell, there it is. (Inaudible) to be back, I'll see you tomorrow.

END