Source: UK CAA This month, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority marks the celebration of its 50th anniversary. The past five decades has seen revolutionary advances in aviation, safety and travel. The Civil Aviation Authority was formed as part of the Civil Aviation Act 1971 with regulation of aviation previously being the responsibility of the Air Registration Board and the Board of Trade. Sir Stephen Hillier, Chair of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “It's been an incredible 50 years for the Civil Aviation Authority, and indeed for the whole aerospace industry. I'm proud that the organisation has been able to sustain its position at the forefront of aviation and aerospace regulation for this extraordinary half-century, promoting safety, enjoying the trust and confidence [...]

Source: ALTA The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) and Wayman Aviation Academy (WAA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at cooperating in the educational and research areas. The agreement will allow both organizations to develop and promote professional training programs and conduct joint research projects. “ALTA remains committed to supporting aviation professionals in Latin America and Caribbean to access vocational training programs. That is why we develop partnerships with different specialized players to reach more people in more places. We are pleased to sign this agreement with WAA and work together in shaping a stronger future for the region, providing new and better tools and knowledge to more professionals in our industry”, comments José Ricardo Botelho, [...]

Source: UK CAA Following the decision by the UK Government to wind-down the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise at the end of September 2021, the Secretary of State for Transport set out that he intended to appoint the CAA to carry out the technical, research and policy advisory functions which had been previously undertaken by ICCAN and where appropriate for the CAA to do so. Since this decision, we at the CAA have been working with the Government and other stakeholders to agree on our new noise advisory functions. The new functions are intended to complement and expand on the CAA’s existing noise roles, and include: to provide advice to departments across the UK Government and devolved administrations to [...]

Source: TSA The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced new standards for screening transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming airline passengers at TSA checkpoints to improve the screening experience for all passengers. “On this internationally recognized day for the transgender community, TSA is proud to announce significant initiatives as a direct result of close partnership with community stakeholders,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “Over the coming months, TSA will move swiftly to implement more secure and efficient screening processes that are gender neutral, as well as technological updates that will enhance security and make TSA PreCheck® enrollment more inclusive. These combined efforts will greatly enhance airport security and screening procedures for all.” Implementing enhanced screening technology: TSA identified an opportunity to improve the [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the 34th IATA Ground Handling Conference (IGHC) will take place in Paris, France from 31 May to 2 June 2022. Under the theme - People, Purpose and Passion - Building a sustainable future for ground operations – the event will focus on improving implementation procedures and operations, forging sustainable new agreements and empowering the workforce to deliver lasting and environmentally sound solutions. “The recovery from COVID-19 brings its challenges—including the need to address staff retention and attraction, effective training and just culture principles. The scaling-up of operations to meet demand is also an opportunity to improve efficiency, increase compliance with global standards, improve safety and environmental performance and accelerate efficiency gains with [...]

Source: ALTA The 11th Pan American Aviation Safety Summit set to take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 6 to 8 June 2022 will focus on reviewing safety trends and developing solutions that are critical to the future of the aviation industry, specifically in the Pan American region, especially in the context of the covid-19 pandemic. The collaborative actions stemming from key conversations, seminars, and Safety Committee meetings with influential industry professionals on mutual concerns and emerging issues have contributed significantly to the improvement of aviation safety in the region. Who will be there? Airlines, civil aviation authorities, aviation associations, flight schools, safety experts, operators (commercial, cargo, and corporate), airport personnel, and air traffic control representatives with executives from ALTA, [...]

Source: ACI Airport charges must serve the best interests of the travelling public and local communities Airports Council International (ACI) World has today released new research – The State of Play: Competition, Regulation, and Airport Charges Research Report – demonstrating the critical need to modernize global policy frameworks on airport charges to serve the best interests of the travelling public and local communities. The Research Report draws on comprehensive data sources to give an overview of the evolution of the industry; an assessment of current charging and regulatory frameworks; airport experiences with regulation and charging strategies; lessons learnt from COVID-19; and the potential future direction of economic oversight. Based on data analysis from InterVISTAS Consulting Inc., a strategic aviation and mobility consultancy, the [...]

Source: US Department of Transportation Department's Budget Makes Vital Investments in Making Transportation Safer, More Reliable and More Affordable The Biden-Harris Administration today submitted to Congress the President's Budget for fiscal year 2023 (FY 2023). The President's Budget details his vision to expand on the historic progress our country has made over the last year and deliver the agenda he laid out in his State of the Union address—to build a better America, cut costs for families, reduce the deficit, and grow the economy from the bottom up and middle out. With the inclusion of the additional $37 billion in guaranteed Advanced Appropriations provided under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Department's total budget for FY 2023 will be $142 billion. [...]

Source: ACI Europe With an increase in global decarbonisation targets, transportation has come under increased scrutiny, and in particular aviation. One solution that has been proposed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport is a modal shift from air to rail. This has already been encouraged both through massive investment in rail infrastructure and by bans and taxes on short-haul flights in certain countries, with potentially more to follow. However, a new study commissioned by European aviation associations and carried out by economics and finance consultancy Oxera, confirms that the extent to which rail travel can substitute for air travel is limited. The report, “Short-haul flying and sustainable connectivity", highlights the fact that the picture is far more complex than [...]

Source: TIACA In response to air cargo industry’s call for an industry-specific tool to measure and recognize their sustainability progress, The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) announces the take-off of the BlueSky program, the industry’s first sustainability assessment, validation and verification program. The BlueSky Program is a tool that the air cargo industry can use to track their sustainability progress, benchmark against peers and accelerate the industry’s transformation. The BlueSky program, to be launched in phases, is a multi-tiered platform which renews every two years. Assessment Guidelines – the first tier, is a way for companies to begin their verification and validation through awareness and self-assessment. Desktop Verification – the second tier, begins with an online assessment and verification of [...]