Source: US FAA Continuing its work to improve aviation safety, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) tasked a panel of fatigue experts to identify new ways to address air traffic controller fatigue. The three-member panel will examine how the latest science on sleep needs and fatigue considerations could be applied to controller work requirements and scheduling. The panel will identify potential ways the FAA could better address controller fatigue. As part of its work, it will review previous controller-fatigue research. The panel will begin its work in early January and provide a final report to the FAA about six weeks later. Mark Rosekind, a safety and sleep/fatigue professional and former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member, will chair the panel. Other [...]

Source: IFALPA The Executive Board of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) is pleased to announce that Céline Canu has accepted the role of Managing Director. Beginning in January 2024, Céline will lead the activities of the Secretariat Staff from IFALPA’s Headquarters in Montreal, Canada. IFALPA President, Cpt Amornvaj “Ben” Mansumitchai expressed his support: “I am delighted to welcome Céline Canu as the Managing Director of IFALPA. Having known her for many years, I am certain that her experience within the global aviation community, together with her vision and exceptional people skills, will play a pivotal role in working collaboratively with both the executive board and staff to achieve the Federation’s goals. She is the right person [...]

Source: EASA The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have agreed on a set of criteria to allow the industry to accept alternate development assurance standards for software and airborne electronic hardware certification. This will open the door to innovation in aviation through the acceptance of design standards for software and hardware applied in other industries, such as the automotive sector. The novelty is outlined in a published paper and is the outcome of a joint EASA/FAA Task Force established in June 2019. The aim of the Task Force was to identify ways to develop means to assess available standards or publicly available methodologies without compromising the high safety standard of aviation, through the definition of [...]

Source: TSA Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport among first 27 participating airports In collaboration with the State of Arizona and Samsung, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is now accepting, for limited testing and evaluation purposes, Arizona-issued mobile driver's licenses and identification (ID) cards in Samsung Wallet on Samsung mobile devices at select TSA airport security checkpoints. Passengers will be able to use this new feature at checkpoints for identity verification at 27 participating airports. "With the addition of Samsung, TSA now accepts, from participating states, mobile driver's licenses and ID cards in multiple digital Wallets on devices from multiple manufacturers," said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. "Our Samsung partnership spotlights our commitment to expanding options for eligible passengers to use mobile [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has rolled out the next generation travel documentation and verification system which supports contactless travel and enhances the passenger experience. To achieve this, Timatic has undergone a complete redesign, setting a new benchmark in travel compliance solutions. Building on the success of its predecessor, Timatic AutoCheck offers a streamlined and interactive experience enabling travelers, airlines and travel professionals to easily access accurate and clearly worded immigration information. The entire document checking process has been automated with tailored instructions for each passenger. With passenger traffic set to double by 2040, the optimization and enhancement of airport processes will need to continue. Verifying passengers’ travel documentation is one of the more time-consuming tasks which will benefit from further [...]

Source: Airlines for America Airlines for America (A4A) issued the following statement after the Department of Treasury’s release of guidance clarifying that an updated version of the “Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation” (GREET) model will be one of the acceptable methods for measuring lifecycle emissions to claim credit for the sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) Blenders Tax Credit: “Today’s announcement is welcome news for the aviation sector, as it will help to accelerate the production and availability of SAF and stimulate new investment. The availability of multiple methods, including the GREET model, to measure lifecycle emissions is consistent with the Inflation Reduction Act legislation and ensures that credible and up-to-date lifecycle emissions measurements of a wide range [...]