Source: European Commission Today, the EU Digital COVID Certificate has reached another important milestone with the go-live of the technical system at EU level, which allows to verify certificates in a secure and privacy-friendly way. The EU certificate was proposed by the Commission to resume safe travelling this summer. It will be free of charge, secure and accessible to all. Available in digital format or on paper, it will be a proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, tested negative, or recovered from an infection. Following the political agreement between the European Parliament and Council on the Regulation governing the certificate on 20 May, today, the technical backbone of the EU systems goes live. Set up in only [...]

Source: EASA The European Union Aviation Safety Agency  published a proposal to update the regulatory framework applicable to all-weather operations (AWOs) and flight crew training to allow the application of latest technological advancements. This proposal would increase the number of medium-sized aerodromes which are accessible for flight operations. The concept of all-weather operations refers to the ability of aircraft to take off and land in an airport under low visibility conditions. In such circumstances, technological support can ensure safe operations in situations that would otherwise pose safety challenges. While large aerodromes are, for the most part, already equipped for such operations, medium-size or regional airports had typically so far been unable to afford the investment required. “This Opinion is innovative in [...]

Source: ICAO At the ICAO/Interpol Passenger Data Exchange Forum, held virtually from 27-28 May in conjunction with this year’s ICAO TRIP Symposium, ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu highlighted the vital importance of ramping up the global implementation of ICAO’s new Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) standards given their pivotal importance to UN-system counter terrorism and crime prevention efforts. The Forum offered the attending States insights into how the effective implementation of Passenger Data Exchange Systems and data analysis can improve border control tools to tackle terrorism and serious crime, and provided information on the related types of support available to them. The event also covered ICAO and Interpol’s cooperation through the United Nations Countering Terrorist [...]

Source: ICAO ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu joined the Right Honourable J. Adair Turner, Chairperson of the United Kingdom’s Energy Transitions Commission, in co-chairing this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) ‘Shaping the Future of Mobility’ Stewardship Board Meeting. The meeting was co-hosted by H.E. Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure of Germany and Dr Young Tae Kim, Secretary-General of the International Transport Forum. The Board Meeting included the participation and contributions of the Minister of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility of Italy, H.E. Mr Enrico Giovannini; the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, H.E. Mr Kazuyoshi Akaba; the Minister for the Environment of the Netherlands, H.E. Ms Stientje van Veldhoven; the Minister for Transport [...]

Source: US DOT  The Biden-Harris Administration today submitted to Congress the President’s Budget for fiscal year 2022. As the Administration continues to make progress defeating the pandemic and getting our economy back on track, the Budget makes historic investments that will help the country build back better.    The Budget prioritizes the Secretary’s key principles: ensuring safety; fostering economic strength and  good-paying American jobs; creating equitable access to opportunity; tackling the climate crisis and making our infrastructure more resilient; and transforming our nation’s infrastructure.     “This budget reflects our Administration’s priorities, and responds to our country’s needs,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “It will start giving America the tools to get back to work, modernize our infrastructure, combat the climate crisis, and build equity into our transportation system so everyone can get [...]

Source: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA) and Norse Atlantic Airways (Norse) have agreed to a pre-hire agreement for U.S.-based Flight Attendant jobs at the new low-cost, long-haul start up airline. Norse expects to create a minimum of 700 Flight Attendant jobs in the U.S. and agreed to union neutrality with joint application for certification by the National Mediation Board once the Flight Attendants demonstrate majority interest in representation with AFA. The full contract, subject to ratification after certification of the union, includes industry-leading starting pay and job protections, healthcare, and a 401k among other key benefits. “This is what respect for workers and our unions looks like,” stated AFA President Sara Nelson. “We are proud [...]

Source: ICAO The ICAO Council expressed its strong concern today at the apparent forced diversion of Ryanair Flight FR4978, a commercial passenger aircraft flying in Belarus airspace on Sunday, 23 May 2021. At a special meeting convened, the ICAO Governing Body underlined the importance of establishing the facts of what happened, and of understanding whether there had been any breach by any ICAO Member State of international aviation law, including the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) and its Annexes. Recalling Article 55 (e) of the Chicago Convention, the Council decided to undertake a fact-finding investigation of this event, and in this connection requested the ICAO Secretariat to prepare an interim report to the Council for a subsequent meeting [...]

Source: ICAO Participating yesterday in the opening ceremonies of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Regional Office for the Middle East, ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu drew attention to the fundamental synergies between aviation and tourism, and to how ICAO and UNWTO cooperation has delivered socio-economic benefits to countries all over the world. “As we consider the priorities of governments with respect to sustainability and innovation in aviation and tourism, we must also recognize the strong interdependence between these two sectors and holistically appreciate why regulators and authorities are so invested in enabling new technologies, fuels and operations today,” she emphasized. Aviation connectivity among nations has established a critical foundation for tourism markets and value chains, with well over [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Tourism Economics released a long-term view for post-COVID-19 passenger demand recovery which demonstrates that people remain eager to travel in the short and long-term. To ensure that aviation can sustainably deliver its social and economic benefits as it meets this long-term demand, it is critical that governments step-up their support for more efficient operations and foster an effective energy transition. Forecast highlights include  In 2021 global passenger numbers are expected to recover to 52% of pre-COVID-19 levels (2019). In 2022 global passenger numbers are expected to recover to 88% of pre-COVID-19 levels. In 2023 global passenger numbers are expected to surpass pre-COVID-19 levels (105%). By 2030 global passenger numbers are expected [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned of potential airport chaos unless governments move quickly to adopt digital processes to manage travel health credentials (COVID-19 testing and vaccine certificates) and other COVID-19 measures. The impacts will be severe: Pre-COVID-19, passengers, on average, spent about 1.5 hours in travel processes for every journey (check-in, security, border control, customs, and baggage claim). Current data indicates that airport processing times have ballooned to 3.0 hours during peak time with travel volumes at only about 30% of pre-COVID-19 levels. The greatest increases are at check-in and border control (emigration and immigration) where travel health credentials are being checked mainly as paper documents. Modelling suggests that, without process improvements, the time spent in [...]