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 [...]

Source: Port Authority of of New York and New Jersey Approved Capital Budget Includes Substantial Funding to Advance Major Projects, Including JFK Airport Redevelopment, Replacement Projects for AirTrain Newark and Midtown Bus Terminal Agency Continues Record Security Funding to Stay Ahead of Evolving Threat Landscape, Including Cybersecurity Approved Budget Includes Automatic Inflation-Based Adjustments to Bridge and Tunnel Tolls, AirTrain Fares Following a month-long public comment period, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Board of Commissioners today approved the agency’s $9.3 billion 2024 budget, which consists of $3.9 billion in operating expenses, $3.6 billion in capital expenses, and $1.8 billion for debt service and deferred expenses. The approved budget reinvigorates the agency’s commitment to modern, secure facilities as [...]

Source: ALTA For the first time, Brazil and Chile exceeded their 2019 international traffic levels The number of passengers carried in October in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) grew 4.1% compared to October 2022 and 1.4% vs. October 2019. Specifically, 35.5 million passengers flew in the region, with an increase of 3% compared to the previous month. Domestic traffic increased 0.2% compared to 2022, while international traffic (both intra- and extra-regional) grew 10%. According to data from the Traffic Report prepared by the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), between January and October 2023, 371.8 million passengers traveled from, to and in the region, 14.3% more compared to 2022, 3.4% more than 2019. International traffic In October, [...]