Source: IATA   The International Air Transport Association (IATA) highlighted three priorities for ground handling at the IATA Ground Handling Conference (IGHC) which opened in Reykjavík today hosted by Icelandair: 1. Improving safety through reducing operational risk  2. Implementing global standards 3. Embedding sustainability – people, planet, and prosperity – in all activities. “Ground handling forms the backbone of aviation. It is critical to ensuring the safe and efficient transport of millions of travelers each year. With travel demand for the upcoming peak Northern summer season predicted to surge by 12% over last year, the ground handling sector will need to be ready. Our priorities are clear: improving safety, implementation of global standards and embedding sustainability in all activities," said [...]

Source: ACI-LAC Airports Council International for Latin America and the Caribbean welcomes the news of the investment and installation of a new ILS CAT IIIb instrument landing system at Carrasco International Airport in Uruguay. ACI-LAC congratulates the Uruguayan government for the initiative as it represents a significant step towards greater connectivity and operational efficiency for the country. Dr. Rafael Echevarne, General Director of ACI-LAC, highlights: “The investment to be made by Aeropuertos Uruguay, part of the Corporación América Airports group, reflects the company's firm commitment to Uruguay's airport development. The investment in airport infrastructure will not only improve the airport's operational efficiency, but also boost Uruguay's economic growth and competitiveness in the international arena.” The ILS CAT IIIb instrument landing [...]

By Jose Ricardo Botelho, CEO of ALTA Welcome to a new edition of Flying Over Latin America and the Caribbean. Today we take flight with Niels Olsen, Ecuador's dynamic Minister of Tourism, who shares with us the vision that will further enhance the development of two essential industries for the socioeconomic wellbeing of Ecuador: aviation and tourism. Ecuador rises as a promising destination. This diverse nation is taking key steps to reach new heights, allowing more people from more places to experience its natural and cultural beauties. With the clear vision of a government that understands the vital importance of putting aviation on the state agenda, the articulated and collaborative work is moving the country toward a brighter and more [...]

Source: US DOT The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today released U.S. airlines’ March 2024 fuel cost and consumption numbers indicating U.S. scheduled service airlines used 1.602 billion gallons of fuel, 15.1% more fuel than in February 2024 (1.392 billion gallons) and 4.9% more than in pre-pandemic March 2019. The cost per gallon of fuel in March 2024 ($2.77) was down 6 cents (2.2%) from February 2024 ($2.83) and up $0.74 (36.7%) from March 2019. Total March 2024 fuel expenditure ($4.43B) was up 12.5% from February 2024 ($3.94B) and up 43.5% from pre-pandemic March 2019. Year-over-year changes in fuel consumption and cost for March 2024 include a 0.6% increase in domestic fuel consumption, a 4.6% decrease in [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for urgent action to deepen the understanding on the formation and climate impact of aviation contrails to develop effective mitigation measures. The newly released IATA report Aviation Contrails Climate Effect: Tackling Uncertainties & Enabling Solutions (pdf) calls for a strengthening of collaboration between research and technological innovation, coupled with policy frameworks to address aviation’s non-CO2 emissions through more atmospheric data. The report highlights the complexity of contrail science, noting gaps in the understanding of how contrails form, or when they could persist, and how they impact the climate. The lack of high-resolution, real-time data on atmospheric conditions (particularly humidity and temperature at cruising altitudes) hinders precise contrail forecasting. “The industry and [...]