Source: Chair of the House Committee on Transportation The following are opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, from Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA) during today’s hearing titled, “Three Years After Lion Air 610: FAA Implementation of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act.” Videos of DeFazio and Larsen’s opening statements are here and here. More information on the hearing can be found here. Chair DeFazio: Thank you, Chair Larsen, for calling today’s hearing on the FAA’s implementation of the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, an important set of reforms that we enacted last year in response to two air disasters that [...]

Source: IFALPA IFALPA welcomed the declaration made today by the Ministers participating in the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) High Level Conference on COVID (HLCC) to address the global crisis in aviation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. With Airports Council International (ACI), the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations (ICCAIA), and the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (IFATCA), IFALPA issued a statement welcoming Ministers’ commitment to taking effective measures to safely restore international connectivity and support the revival of the global economy. The statement also highlighted the need to implement risk-based, pragmatic approaches such as mutual recognition of vaccines [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has added a ‘quote and book’ function to IATA Net Rates. This enables airlines to offer freight forwarders dynamic pricing for booking their shipments. IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), is the first carrier to integrate this new functionality. “The pandemic has accelerated the appetite for digitalization across the air cargo industry. IATA Net Rates new ‘quote and book’ function simplifies and accelerates the rate distribution and booking process between airlines and freight forwarders, saving valuable time by eliminating manual, labor-intensive processes. We are pleased to expand our Net Rates partnership with IAG Cargo to support their efficient cargo rates distribution and booking capabilities, across the different airlines [...]

Source: UNWTO The summit is the largest annual gathering of tourism ministers and will take place on Tuesday 2nd November during WTM London – the leading global event for the travel industry. Ministers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts are invited to take part. For more than 10 years, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and WTM London have partnered to host a high-level summit, focusing on key challenges and opportunities facing the sector. The 2021 Summit will also be presenting an opportunity for leaders to discuss ways to build back better and invest in a sustainable future for the travel and tourism industry. The UNWTO, WTTC & WTM Ministers' Summit 2021 will provide a practical platform for tourism leaders of the public [...]

Source: US DOT The average U.S. domestic air fare increased in the second quarter of 2021 to $300, up 12.6% from the first quarter 2021 inflation-adjusted fare of $266. The second quarter 2021 fare increased as passenger travel increased significantly.   Adjusted for inflation (constant 2021 dollars) the average 2Q 2021 air fare was: Up 10.4% from second quarter 2020 ($272) Up 18.2% from the lowest inflation adjusted fare of $254 in the third quarter of 2020 Down 24.7% from second quarter 2016 ($398)   Air fares increased as passenger demand increased. U.S. airlines reported 62.5 million originating passengers in the second quarter 2021, up from 33.4 million passengers in 1Q 2021, but down from 11.5 million passengers a year [...]

Source: US DOT   The 24 U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 407,965 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in August 2021, a 1.3% increase from July 2021 (402,561). August’s total number of FTEs was up 5,404 from July but still down 40,295 FTEs, or 10.8%, from the March 2020 (457,260) onset of the pandemic. The August FTE total was also down 9.2% from the most recent corresponding pre-pandemic month, August 2019 (449,461). August 2021 had the lowest FTE total for the month of August since 2015 (397,007). The employment rise between July and August resulted largely from the four network airlines, which added 4,704 FTEs. This increase was led by Delta Air Lines, which added 2,342 FTEs for a month-over-month increase of 3.3%. [...]

Source: European Commission Today, the Commission adopted a report on the EU Digital COVID Certificate  and its implementation across the EU. The report shows that the EU certificate has been a crucial element in Europe's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 591 million certificates generated. The certificate, which covers COVID-19 vaccination, test and recovery, facilitates safe travel for citizens, and it has also been key to support Europe's hard-hit tourism industry. The EU Digital COVID Certificate is a success worldwide: it has set a global standard and is currently the only system already in operation at international level. 43 countries across four continents are plugged into the system, and more will follow over the coming weeks and months. [...]

Source: European Commission The European Union and the State of Qatar today signed a comprehensive air transport agreement, upgrading rules and standards for flights between Qatar and the EU. The agreement sets a new global benchmark by committing both sides to fair competition, and by including social and environmental protection. The signing means new opportunities for consumers, airlines and airports in Qatar and the EU. Qatar is an increasingly important aviation partner for the EU. It was the 15th largest extra-EU market in 2019 with 6.3 million passengers travelling between the EU and Qatar. Ensuring open and fair competition for air services between both is therefore crucial, also for routes between the EU and Asia. Adina Vălean, Commissioner for mobility [...]

Source: Chair of the House Committee on Transportation Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) released the following statement: “Senior leaders throughout Boeing are responsible for the culture of concealment that ultimately led to the 737 MAX crashes and the death of 346 innocent people—Mark Forkner’s indictment should not be the end of the accountability for this colossal and tragic failure,” Chair DeFazio said. “The FAA must work urgently to implement the bipartisan legislation we designed to prevent this type of systemic failure from ever happening again.”

Source: US DOT U.S. airlines carried 66 million passengers in August 2021 (preliminary) according to data filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) by 20 airlines that carry more than 90% of passengers. That is an increase of 162% scheduled service passengers from August 2020 (25.2 million) but remains 20.8% below the number of passengers carried in the most recent corresponding pre-pandemic month, August 2019 (83.4 million).   Preliminary August 2021 passenger numbers (20 carriers reporting): Total: 66 million passengers, up 162% from August 2020 (25.2M), down 20.8% from August 2019 (83.4M) Domestic: 59.7 million passengers, up 151% from August 2020 (23.8M), down 17.5% from August 2019 (72.4M) International: 6.3 million passengers, up 358% from August 2020 (1.4M), down [...]