Source: US Department of Transportation The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that it is publishing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would improve the accessibility of lavatories for people with disabilities traveling on new single-aisle aircraft. "Far too often, travelers with disabilities don't have the opportunity to fly to their destinations because they can't access the lavatories on most airplanes," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "This rule would make airplane lavatories more accessible for passengers with disabilities, and bring us one step closer to the day when air travel is possible for everyone." Currently, there is no federal requirement that lavatories on single-aisle aircraft be accessible to individuals with disabilities. The inability to use the lavatory on [...]

Sources: ACI-LAC and ALTA As part of the celebration of Aviation Day in Ecuador, organized by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, ACI-LAC, ALTA, and ARLAE, the airline industry signed a joint statement reaffirming its commitment to fight against illegal wildlife trafficking. Additionally, it called on the National Government to redouble its efforts to enforce the law and for greater public order control to prevent these crimes, which cause an invaluable loss to the country’s biodiversity. Airline and airport representatives pledged to continue working proactively with government agencies and conservation organizations to adopt protocols and procedures to control and prevent this illegal trade. The airline industry also reiterated its commitment to comply with the Buckingham Palace and Buenos Aires declarations against illegal wildlife [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the increasing momentum towards re-opening of borders and relaxation of travel restrictions, as COVID-19 moves into the endemic phase. An IATA survey of travel restrictions for the world’s top 50 air travel markets (comprising 88% of international demand in 2019 as measured by revenue passenger kilometers) revealed the growing access available to vaccinated travelers: 25 markets representing 38% of 2019 international demand are open to vaccinated travelers without quarantine measures or testing requirements—up from 18 markets (28% of 2019 international demand) in mid-February. 38 markets representing 65% of 2019 international demand are open to vaccinated travelers with no quarantine requirements—up from 28 markets (50% of 2019 international demand) in mid-February. Repeated [...]

Source: ICAO Data collection and the promotion of the sustainable development benefits provided by aviation professions, particularly for women, are the focus of a new agreement signed by ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Guy Ryder. Under the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), ICAO and the ILO will work to leverage off their complementary efforts and policy coherence within their respective mandates for global aviation and labour, with the ultimate objective being more effective support to States now seeking to achieve the UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Effective immediately, the MoU will assure improved ICAO/ILO progress on gender equality and sustainable development through a wide variety of joint activities, encompassing research, technical [...]

Source: US Department of Transportation Omicron concerns drive steepest drop from most recent pre-pandemic corresponding month since April 2021   U.S. airlines carried 46.3 million scheduled service passengers in January 2022 (preliminary), 33.2% more than in January 2021 and 34.0% fewer than in pre-pandemic January 2020, according to data filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) by 23 airlines that carry more than 90% of passengers. Domestic passengers (41.2 million) made up 89% of total enplanements, and international passengers (5.1 million) accounted for 11% of total enplanements. Systemwide Passengers January 2022 passengers:  46.3M Change from January 2021:  33.2% (11.5M) Change from pre-pandemic January 2020:  -34.0% (-23.8M) Change from April 2020 low:   144.9% (43.3M) Table 1: Systemwide Percent Change in [...]

Source: IATA Key points: Industry-wide cargo ton kilometers (CTKs) had softened in the three months to January 2022. CTKs rose 7.2% year-on-year, but this is weaker than the previous three months period (16.0%) and seasonally adjusted CTKs fell by 0.7% quarter-on-quarter. Drivers of air cargo are currently mixed. While trade and economic activity continue to expand, business and consumer confidence have eased. The inventory-restocking cycle still has ground to cover, but the conflict in Eastern Europe threatens CTKs growth. Air cargo capacity remains on a slow but steady upwards trend, mainly driven by the return of belly capacity. Even though load factors have eased somewhat in H2 2021, air cargo rates have increased to new heights View full report 

Source: House Committee on Transportation Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Sam Graves (R-MO), Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Aviation Garret Graves (R-LA), and 25 of their colleagues on the Aviation Subcommittee requested the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provide bimonthly updates on the agency’s ongoing 5G efforts and progress. In the letter, the members wrote: “It is critical that the concerns of all parties involved be taken seriously and the sharing of critical safety data be prioritized. Additionally, early and open lines of communication with all involved parties must be strengthened in order to [...]

Source: ICAO The ICAO Council made progress last week on adopting new Amendments to several safety-related Annexes of the Chicago Convention in relation to new international standards for electronic pilot licenses, flight operations, and continuing airworthiness responsibilities. In most cases the new standards will become applicable on 3 November 2022. Amendment 178 to Annex 1 – Personnel Licensing of the Chicago Convention introduces new provisions for the use of electronic pilot licenses, which are increasingly being used by ICAO Member States. It sets out a new common format to provide for simplified license verification by other States. By assisting in the wider adoption of e-licenses, the amendment will also reduce the number of printed licenses in circulation and realize cost reduction and [...]

Source: TSA The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recognized its top performers and most effective teams during the TSA Honorary Awards celebration, which was held virtually this year. “The TSA workforce continues to represent the very best of resilience and innovation in protecting our nation’s transportation systems. It is a privilege once again to recognize those who stepped forward and made significant contributions in meaningful ways in support of the agency,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “I am proud to congratulate them for their outstanding work on behalf of TSA.” “Blogger Bob” Award In memory of Curtis “Bob” Burns, who was dedicated to building a social media presence for TSA as “Blogger Bob,” this award recognizes an employee or team who [...]

Source: IATA ACI EUROPE (Airports Council International) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for all remaining COVID restrictions applying to intra-EU and Schengen area travel to be dropped, including all testing requirements, the need to present proof of vaccination, or complete a Passenger Locator Form (PLF). This includes dropping mask-wearing for travel within or between States where it is no longer required in other indoor environments. COVID-19, and specifically the Omicron variant, is now pervasive throughout all of Europe, and population immunity is at such levels that the risk of hospitalization or death has dramatically reduced, especially for vaccinated people. States are adopting surveillance strategies to ensure public health, in the same way as they do for other [...]