Source: ICAO With countries working to re-establish global travel and trade through aviation, the need to provide internationally verifiable health proofs to travelers has become an urgent global concern. The new ICAO Visible Digital Seal (VDS), originally adopted by countries for travel document verification, is now gaining expanded international acceptance as an affordable and efficient solution to this critical global challenge. “This is an urgent priority for the international community, and a number of countries are now actively engaging with ICAO on suitable formats for their national health proofs,” confirmed ICAO Secretary General Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar. “Considering the core security and information aspects involved, the new VDS is an important part of our recommendations for facilitating travel under the [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) commended the European Commission for its leadership and speed in delivering the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) and urged states to make it their global standard for digital vaccine certificates. “The DCC was delivered in record time to help facilitate the reopening of EU states to travel. In the absence of a single global standard for digital vaccine certificates, it should serve as a blueprint for other nations looking to implement digital vaccination certificates to help facilitate travel and its associated economic benefits,” said Conrad Clifford, IATA’s Deputy Director General. The EU DCC meets several key criteria which have been identified as important if a digital vaccination certificate is to be effective: [...]

Source: US FAA The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded more than $766 million in grants to build safer, more sustainable and more accessible airports across the United States. The funding from the fifth round of FY 2021 Airport Improvement Program grants will pay for projects at 279 airports in 44 states plus Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. View an interactive map with all the awards. “These grants will improve safety, sustainability and accessibility at airports across our country,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said. Thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, the projects announced today will not have to pay the usual local match given the nearly $100 million provided in the law. Today’s grants include: Increase Safety, [...]

US FAA The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded $20.4 million in grants to reduce emissions and improve air quality at airports across the country. The awards will fund zero-emission airport vehicles, including their electric charging infrastructure, and will electrify the ramp equipment used to service planes at the gate. “Transportation might be the biggest emitter of CO2, but that means we have the opportunity to be a big part of the solution,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “These grants put us on the right path to build a more sustainable aviation system.” The White House and multiple federal agencies—including the Energy Department, Agriculture Department, the FAA and NASA—plan to hold a virtual roundtable with public and private sectors [...]

Source: ALPA Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) president Capt. Joe DePete today issued the following statement on the election of Liz Shuler as the next American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) president: “As a member of the AFL-CIO Executive Council, I was proud to cast my vote in support of Liz Shuler to serve as the AFL-CIO president for the duration of Rich Trumka’s term. “Liz is a staunch advocate for workers and their families. She’s dedicated to ensuring unprecedented union growth in U.S. workplaces and committed to increasing diversity and equity in our country’s workforces—a commitment she embodies as the first woman to lead our labor federation. “As we continue mourning the loss of [...]