Source: EUROCONTROL The EUROCONTROL Network Manager (NM) in close cooperation with air navigation service providers DSNA, ENAIRE, ENAV and Skyguide and supported by airspace users, has finished a first set of trials to dynamically reduce restrictions for flight planning to ensure more direct, more sustainable flights. By dynamically relaxing selected restrictions for more than 2,500 flights, per flight an average of 44 kg of fuel has been saved and 138 kg CO2 emissions reduced. These initial results confirm that this improved measure could contribute significantly to lowering aviation’s environmental impact. The NM’s “dynamic RAD live trials” have been designed to validate both the concept and the feasibility of dynamically managing restrictions in such a way that they could temporarily be disabled [...]

Source: AFA-CWA The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA) representing over 4,600 Flight Attendants at Spirit Airlines and 2,900 Flight Attendants at Frontier Airlines, released the following statement on the proposed merger: "AFA-CWA represents Flight Attendants at both Spirit and Frontier. We were notified of the merger moments before the announcement hit Wall Street and the media. Our first priority is to determine whether this merger will improve conditions for Flight Attendants just like the benefits the companies have described for shareholders and consumers. Our support of the merger will depend on this. "As a practical matter, our union Constitution and Bylaws provides a detailed process for this review with the AFA leadership from each airline."

Source: US Department of Transportation U.S. airline industry (passenger and cargo airlines combined) employment increased to 728,150 workers in December 2021, 20,049 (2.83%) more workers than in November 2021 (708,101) and 21,340 (2.85%) fewer than in pre-pandemic December 2019 (749,490). The December 2021 figure is the highest industry headcount since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. scheduled service passenger airlines employed 445,092 workers in December 2021 or 61% of the industry-wide total. Passenger airlines added 8,926 employees (6,312 full-time equivalent employees or FTEs) in December for an eighth consecutive month of job growth dating back to May 2021. United Airlines led scheduled passenger carriers, adding 6,491 employees. U.S. cargo airlines employed 283,051 workers in December, 39% of the industry [...]

Source: ACI ACI (Airports Council International) has published the brand new Airport Carbon Accreditation Annual Report, covering the period May 2019 to May 20211. The publication marks a welcome resumption of yearly reports showcasing the results and developments in the global carbon standard for airports, Airport Carbon Accreditation, following the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Build Back Better in action The Report points to healthy participation growth across all world regions in Years 11 (May 2019 to May 2020) and 12 (May 2020 to May 2021) of the programme, which have been merged into one single reporting period to help airports accommodate the challenging pandemic context. By the end of the reporting period, 304 airports were accredited globally, up from 274 airports in Year [...]

Source: IATA IATA latest business confidence survey of airlines CFOs and heads of cargo. Key points: IATA’s survey of airlines CFOs and Heads of Cargo, conducted in December 2021-January 2022, shows that pressure on airline profitability diminished in Q4. The improvement is expected to continue in the year ahead. However, the respondents were more cautious than in the previous survey due to the Omicron impact, soaring jet fuel prices and rising market competition that puts pressure on yields. A majority of survey participants reported improving passenger and cargo volumes in Q4 2021 versus Q4 2020. They also expect this trend to continue in the future – notably on the passenger side of the business. The survey results suggest no significant change in employment levels [...]

Source: FAA The first week of February, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued its millionth airspace authorization for drone pilots to use busy airspace safely. The Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) automates the process for drone pilots to quickly gain authorization and provides Air Traffic professionals with awareness of where drones may be operating. "This system has allowed drone pilots to gain timely access to busy airspace without sacrificing safety," said Teri L. Bristol, the chief operating officer of the FAA's Air Traffic Organization. "We are grateful to everyone who helped us reach this milestone safely." Under Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, drone operators need to secure approval from the FAA to operate in any airspace controlled by [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is partnering with Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA) in Ottawa, Canada, to launch the Professional Certificate in Air Transport Principles and Policy. The online, instructor-led program is aimed at both public policy makers and aviation professionals and will be delivered through the school’s Transportation Policy and Innovation Centre (TPIC). The objective is to provide aviation and public sector professionals with a better understanding of the complexity of both the air transport sector and the public policy-making process. With this enhanced knowledge, aviation professionals will gain important insights into government policy-making, while public sector employees will obtain greater clarity into how the aviation industry operates and how their decisions affect this important sector. [...]

Source: A4A Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, led a coalition of travel-industry groups urging U.S. health officials to remove the requirement for pre-departure testing for vaccinated passengers traveling to the United States. Download [294.94 KB] 

Source: FAA Dangerous laser strikes topped all previous records in 2021. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received 9,723 reports from pilots last year, a 41 percent increase over 2020. Shining a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety threat. Many types of high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots, many of whom are flying airplanes with hundreds of passengers. Pilots have reported 244 injuries since the FAA began recording data on laser strikes in 2010. People who shine lasers at aircraft face FAA fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser incidents. The FAA issued $120,000 in fines for laser strikes in 2021. Violators can also face criminal penalties from federal, state and local law [...]