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 [...]

Source: CANSO Arguably two of the biggest names in the aviation industry are lined up to speak at the CANSO Global Leadership Summit, sponsored by Indra, on 7 April. Juan Carlos Salazar, General Secretary of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will both join CANSO Director General Simon Hocquard to discuss the ways in which our industry navigates its way back into the post-COVID-19 world. In particular, Mr Salazar will discuss September’s ICAO Assembly and how that will address the biggest challenges facing the aviation industry today and in the future, while Willie will talk about what airlines need as they recover their businesses. Also on the agenda, representatives [...]

Source: FAA The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration has named Billy Nolen to serve as acting FAA Administrator after FAA Administrator Steve Dickson departs at the end of March. Deputy Administrator Bradley Mims will also take on an expanded role during this interim period, focusing on the FAA's workforce and the nation's airports. Nolen is an experienced aviation safety professional and former airline captain. He has been the FAA's Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety since January, where he has led a team of more than 7,600 employees who oversee all aspects of aviation safety. "Billy Nolen has extensive expertise in aviation and a deep understanding of the vital role the FAA plays in ensuring the safety of the traveling [...]

Source: ALTA The Latin American & Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) greets the resolution approved during the 24th General Assembly of the Latin-American Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC), which calls its 22 States members to consider the creation of regional policies that promote programs for the development of the production and the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). The resolution includes a proposal of measures to achieve it: promote programs of SAF production (for example assurances of loans or subventions of capital), support the research and development of the supply chain in the production of SAF to reduce the costs and create an adequate regulatory framework to accelerate investments. “With enthusiasm we celebrate the resolution approved by LACAC States member, as it [...]

Source: UNWTO International tourism continued its recovery in January 2022, with a much better performance compared to the weak start to 2021. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine adds pressure to existing economic uncertainties, coupled with many Covid-related travel restrictions still in place. Overall confidence could be affected and hamper the recovery of tourism. Based on the latest available data, global international tourist arrivals more than doubled (+130%) in January 2022 compared to 2021 - the 18 million more visitors recorded worldwide in the first month of this year equals the total increase for the whole of 2021. While these figures confirm the positive trend already underway last year, the pace of recovery in January was impacted by the emergences of the Omicron [...]