Source: US DOT The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today released U.S. airlines’ May 2023 fuel cost and consumption numbers indicating U.S. scheduled service airlines used 1.566 billion gallons of fuel, 5.5% more fuel than in April 2023 (1.484 billion gallons) and 1.1% less than in pre-pandemic May 2019. The cost per gallon of fuel in May 2023 ($2.44) was down 22 cents (8.1%) from April 2023 ($2.66) and up $0.33 (15.6%) from May 2019. Total May 2023 fuel expenditure ($3.82B) was down 3.1% from April 2023 ($3.94B) and up 14.3% from pre-pandemic May 2019. Year-over-year changes in fuel consumption and cost for May 2023 include 8.3% increase in domestic fuel consumption, 32.1% decrease in domestic fuel [...]

Source: ALPA In a new filing today regarding SkyWest’s applicationto roll back the clock and skirt the aviation safety rules that have led to a 99.8 percent reduction in airline passenger fatalities in the United States, the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) called on the Department of Transportation (DOT) to close the Part 135 loophole that is currently being exploited by the airline JSX. “Federal aviation and DOT regulations facilitate competition by defining the playing field and how competitors are permitted to compete. Loopholes, and abuse of loopholes, undermine those rules . . . The United States has the safest air system in the world precisely because carriers compete under Part 121 scheduled service,” ALPA attested. ALPA’s filing today is [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) successfully hosted the 13th edition of Wings of Change Americas (WOCA 2023), bringing this keynote aviation conference to Mexico for the first time. “Fostering aviation in support of socioeconomic recovery” was the conference theme, which brought together more than 400 delegates to Mexico City on 27-28 June 2023. Participants engaged in dialogue between the airline industry, governments, the tourism sector, and other stakeholders in the air travel value chain, discussing the various aspects of harnessing the potential of aviation in driving economic resurgence and social progress across Latin America and the Caribbean. Key highlights and takeaways include: Collaboration for Success: One resounding message was the importance of collaboration among stakeholders. Governments, airlines, [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released May 2023 traffic data showing continued strong growth in air travel demand. Total traffic in May 2023 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 39.1% compared to May 2022. Globally, traffic is now at 96.1% of May 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels. Domestic traffic for May rose 36.4% compared to the year-ago period. Total May 2023 domestic traffic was 5.3% above the May 2019 level. This is the second month in a row domestic traffic has exceeded pre-pandemic levels. International traffic climbed 40.9% versus May 2022 with all markets recording strong growth, led once again by carriers in the Asia-Pacific region. International RPKs reached 90.8% of May 2019 levels, with Middle East [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will publish an annual Track Zero report using IATA's Net Zero Tracking Methodology to report industry-level progress towards aviation's commitment to Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Net Zero Tracking Methodology and related reporting process were developed with industry experts. IATA will aggregate and report annually inputs from IATA member airlines on an industry basis. After thorough validation, aggregate industry data from the previous calendar year will be reported annually in the fourth quarter of each year. The first report with airline-contributed data is planned for publication in Q4 2024. Non-IATA member airlines are also encouraged to contribute data and participate in the reporting. "Transparency is a critical element of aviation's [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for May 2023 global air cargo markets showing weak market conditions. Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs), fell 5.2% compared to May 2022 (-6.0% for international operations). Capacity, as measured by available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs), rose 14.5% compared to May 2022, primarily driven by belly capacity which increases as demand in the passenger business recovers. Capacity is now 5.9% above May 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels. Key factors influencing demand include: The global manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) indicates an annual contraction of 1.4% in new export orders and a decrease of 5.2% year-on-year in production PMI. This suggests a cooling in global manufacturing demand. Global goods trade decreased by 0.8% [...]

Source: ACI World he Airports Council International (ACI) World Annual General Assembly (WAGA) agrees key resolutions on cleaner energy transition and on cyber threats, reflecting the priorities for airports in building a sustainable and resilient aviation ecosystem. The 33rd WAGA took place at the ACI EUROPE / ACI WORLD Annual General Assembly, Conference and Exhibition that attracted over 800 delegates to Barcelona, Spain. The Resolutions were presented by the ACI World Governing Board made up of leading airport CEOs from around the world. Promoting SAF and supporting ESG practices Recognizing the need for collective action to deliver the long-term goal of net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, the Resolution “Leading through cleaner energy transition and robust ESG practices,” calls on the International Civil Aviation [...]

Source: US DOT The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of April 2023 for on-time performance, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. The ATCR is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by airlines. DOT remains committed to ensuring airline passengers are treated fairly and flights operate as scheduled.For the first four months of 2023, cancellations have stayed below 2% and are far lower than the 2.7% cancellation rate last year and in pre-pandemic 2019. The Department is currently investigating several domestic airlines to ensure that they are not engaging in unrealistic scheduling of flights. DOT uses the data [...]

Source: FAA A first-of-its-kind joint effort to manage flights across multiple countries by predicting where an aircraft will be and at what time has proven successful.  The Federal Aviation Administration's six-day live flight demonstration included four unique scenarios and flights between the U.S., Japan, Singapore and Thailand.   Using Trajectory Based Operations (TBO), countries shared the aircraft's trajectory, and air traffic experts from each country sequenced the flights' routes to achieve the optimal flight path across multiple regions. Controllers factored in conditions such as weather, air traffic and airspace closures.   TBO uses precise aircraft trajectory data (latitude, longitude, altitude and time) to show where the aircraft expects to be on its route from takeoff to touchdown. Aircraft fly precise flight paths [...]