Source: ICAO The ICAO Council concluded its discussions yesterday on the May 2021 incident in Belarus airspace involving Ryanair Flight FR4978, condemning the actions of the Government of Belarus in committing an act of unlawful interference. The latest updates to the ICAO fact-finding investigation report into the incident benefited from new information and materials following the Council’s initial consideration of the report in January 2022, as well as an interview and audio recordings from the Minsk air traffic controller assigned to the flight. Following its consideration of the completed fact-finding results, the ICAO Council acknowledged that the bomb threat against Ryanair Flight FR4978 was deliberately false and endangered its safety, and furthermore that the threat was communicated to the flight crew upon [...]

Source: ACI-LAC Cibao International Airport obtained Level 4 accreditation from Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA), the only carbon management certification standard in the airport sector, focused on recognizing the efforts made by the industry to manage and reduce emissions from activities controlled directly or indirectly by airports. Dr. Rafael Echevarne, director general of ACI-LAC, recognized the work done by the Cibao Airport authorities to manage carbon emissions more efficiently, involving other stakeholders in the work, while extending his congratulations to the airport authorities for their inclusion in the ACA program's level 3+. Engineer Félix García, presidentof the Cibao Airport Board of Directors, stated that this important achievement is part of all the efforts and investments made by the company in its commitment to [...]

Source: ACI World Global goal essential for aviation to grow sustainably while continuing to deliver socio-economic benefits Airports Council International (ACI) World, ACI Africa, ACI Asia-Pacific, ACI EUROPE, ACI Latin America-Caribbean and ACI North America are jointly urging State representatives at the upcoming High-level Meeting organized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to reach an agreement on a Long-term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) for CO2 emissions reductions, aligned with the Paris Agreement 1.5°C goal and the industry objective of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The aviation industry, Ministers, and high-level officials from States will gather at ICAO's headquarters in Montreal, Canada between 19 and 22 July for the High-level Meeting on the feasibility of a long-term aspirational goal for international [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expressed concern that a premature return to pre-pandemic slot use rules in the EU this winter risks continuing disruption to passengers. The European Commission has announced it intends to return to the longstanding 80-20 slot use rule, which requires airlines to operate at least 80% of every planned slot sequence. Global slot rules are an effective system for managing access to and the use of scarce capacity at airports. The system has stood the test of time and while airlines are keen to restart services, the failure of several key airports to accommodate demand, coupled with increasing air traffic control delays, means a premature return to the 80-20 rule could lead to [...]

Source: NAV Portugal Alexandra Reis will be the new chairman of the Board of Directors of NAV Portugal. In this social organ, Gonçalo Vale and Pedro Roque Ângelo are also part of. Alexandra Reis is the first woman to chair NAV Portugal and comes from TAP Air Portugal where she took over the financial, purchasing, digital transition and human resources areas, among others. As for Gonçalo Pais do Vale he will be the new responsible for the financial area. Statutory Auditor since 2014, he has held various audit positions at the professional services network Deloitte, working with national entities, listed multinationals in the areas of transport and civil aviation. This Board of Directors also integrates our colleague, Pedro Ângelo, in-house lawyer [...]

Source: US Department of Transportation (USDOT) In its ongoing work to protect airline passengers, USDOT moves forward with pro-consumer actions As the busy summer travel season continues, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg today announced actions taken by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to help protect airline passengers. USDOT has published the first-ever Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights and issued a notice to airlines to seat young children next to a parent. "Today's announcements are the latest steps toward ensuring an air travel system that works for everyone," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "Whether you're a parent expecting to sit together with your young children on a flight, a traveler with a disability navigating air travel, or [...]

Source: EASA Following the global logistic disruption caused by COVID-19, some Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation holders were granted exemptions, issued by their competent authorities, that allow for the transportation of cargo in the passenger cabin of large aeroplanes. Based on the issued exemptions and a review of the related documentation, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) did not object to this kind of operation to support the transportation of medical supplies and other important goods into, within, or out of EU territories as efficiently as possible. After reviewing the operational context for transport of cargo in passenger cabins, EASA concluded that the logistical challenges that arose in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis, no longer exist to the [...]

Source: US Department of Transportation The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today released U.S. airlines’ May Fuel Cost and Consumption numbers indicating U.S. scheduled service airlines used 1.41 billion gallons of fuel, (4.4%) more fuel than in April 2022 (1.35B gallons) and (10.8%) less than in pre-pandemic May 2019. The cost per gallon of fuel in May 2022 ($3.90) was up 32 cents (8.9%) from April 2022 ($3.58) and up $1.79 (84.8%) from May 2019. Total May 2022 fuel expenditure ($5.51B) was up (14.3%) from April 2022 ($4.82B) and up (64.5%) from pre-pandemic May 2019. At $3.90, the cost per gallon of fuel in May was the highest since April 2022 $3.58. Also, in May 2022, the [...]

Source: A4A Airlines for America (A4A), the association representing the leading U.S. passenger and cargo carriers, congratulates Phil Washington on his nomination by the White House to serve as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “If he is confirmed as FAA Administrator, A4A and our member airlines will look forward to working closely with Phil Washington and will continue to collaborate with the agency to ensure that commercial aviation remains the safest mode of transportation in the world especially as we emerge from the pandemic,” said A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. Prior to his current role as CEO of Denver International Airport, Washington served as the head of President Biden’s transportation transition team. Washington would bring over [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA), along with member airlines, the Association of Brazilian Airlines (ABEAR) and the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), yesterday held various meetings with parliamentary authorities in Brazil. The aim of the face-to-face session was to ensure continued close collaboration between industry and Government, paving the way for the country’s air transport sector to remain competitive as it emerges from the COVID-19 crisis. The government of Brazil was supportive of the industry during the COVID-19 crisis, allowing airlines to largely maintain both domestic and international connectivity. By contrast, in other parts of the world, airlines were forced to scale back their operations and are now struggling to bring back capacity at [...]