Source: US Department Justice The U.S. Department of Justice, together with Attorneys General in six states and the District of Columbia, sued today in the District of Massachusetts to block an unprecedented series of agreements between American Airlines and JetBlue through which the two airlines will consolidate their operations in Boston and New York City. The civil antitrust complaint alleges that this extensive combination, which they call the “Northeast Alliance,” will not only eliminate important competition in these cities, but will also harm air travelers across the country by significantly diminishing JetBlue’s incentive to compete with American elsewhere, further consolidating an already highly concentrated industry. “Millions of consumers across America rely on air travel every day for work, to visit family, [...]

Source: US DOT Streak of Year-Over-Year Growth Extends to 15th Consecutive Month U.S. Airlines Carried 4% more cargo by weight in July 2021 (preliminary) than in July 2020.  The rise was fueled by gains of 1% in domestic cargo and 13% in international cargo, according to data filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) by 15 of the leading U.S. cargo airlines.   The preliminary data are based on data submitted by15 airlines that carry 95% of the total cargo by weight transported on U.S. airlines. Cargo data consists of freight and mail carried within the U.S. and between the U.S. and foreign points.   July 2021 (preliminary) air cargo numbers for 15 U.S. cargo carriers: Total: 1,709 thousand [...]

Source: ALPA The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) today issued the following statement on the U.S. government’s announcement that it will ease restrictions on nonessential international travel this November: “ALPA supports opening the country’s doors to international travelers with the implementation of the government’s new requirements for international travel, which will help ensure the safety and health of flight crews, passengers, and the public, and protect the aviation industry’s path to economic recovery. “Since the pandemic’s onset, ALPA has been a proponent of mandating compliance with federal health guidelines to prevent the needless loss of life and careers to COVID-19. Vaccines are a key part of a multilayered approach that is critical to the world’s recovery from this deadly [...]

Source: US FAA The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded more than $431.8 million in grants to build safer, more sustainable and more accessible airports across the United States. The funding from the final round of Fiscal Year 2021 Airport Improvement Program grants will pay for projects at 60 airports in 31 states plus Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. View an interactive map with all the awards. “To get passengers where they need to be safely and sustainably, we must make ongoing investments in our aviation system. These grants will help fulfill our commitment to build a safer, more equitable and more sustainable future,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, the projects announced today will not [...]

Source: ACI NA Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, today released the following statement from ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke welcoming the Biden administration’s announcement that fully vaccinated, non-U.S. citizens will be permitted to travel to the U.S beginning in November. “America’s airports applaud the Biden administration’s announcement that it will soon begin to allow fully vaccinated passengers to travel to the United States,” said Burke. “We are encouraged by this latest step that responds to our request for a plan to restore international travel, which is so critical in ensuring a robust economic recovery across the aviation industry. By requiring strict safety protocols [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the decision by the Biden Administration to enable vaccinated travelers to enter the US with a negative COVID-19 test result prior to travel from early November. Importantly, this supersedes the so-called 212f restrictions which prevented anyone from entering the US if they had been in 33 specific countries including the UK, Ireland, all Schengen countries, Brazil, South Africa, India, and China within the last 14 days. “Today’s announcement is a major step forward. Allowing access to the US for those vaccinated will open travel to the US for many who have been locked out for the past 18 months. This is excellent news for families and loved ones who have suffered [...]