Source: TSA The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has seen an increase in travel this year and anticipates airport security checkpoints nationwide will be very busy this holiday travel season. The season kicks off with Thanksgiving travel, which begins Friday, Nov. 18 and concludes Sunday, Nov. 27. "We expect to be busier this year than last year at this time, and probably very close to pre-pandemic levels," said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. "We are prepared to handle the projected increase in travel volumes next week. However, going forward, making the TSA pay levels equal to other federal agencies is critical to our ability in 2023 to recruit, train, equip and retain a highly skilled and professional workforce on the frontlines of transportation security. It [...]

Source: ALPA Earlier this year, C-band 5G mobile wireless companies activated transmitters that utilize spectrum in close proximity to the spectrum used by radar altimeters on aircraft. Since that time, airlines have been upgrading radar altimeters to improve their ability to tolerate interference. The FAA is strongly urging airlines to complete the updates by July 2023, so that aviation safety can be assured when mobile wireless goes to full power at that time. Aircraft that have not been upgraded will have severe operational restrictions placed on them. Additionally, the FAA has recommended slight changes to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) C-Band rules to ensure that the mobile wireless industry’s use of 5G is compatible with the upgraded radar altimeters. This [...]

Source: EASA The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have launched a joint cooperation initiative to rethink aviation connectivity, publishing a White Paper proposal for the modernisation and harmonisation of the aviation data communication landscape by 2035. Airbus and Boeing, as aviation stakeholders, contributed to the study, providing insight and information which allowed EASA and the FAA to elaborate the vision presented in the white paper. Aviation connectivity supports the various air-ground data exchanges that are essential to support safe, sustainable air traffic management (ATM) and efficient air operations.  It does not include the provision of broadband services to passengers. The exchanges are currently supported by a set of technologies that rely to a large extent [...]