Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expressed its deep condolences to the people of Türkiye and Syria who have been affected by the devastating earthquake in the region. IATA highlighted the important contributions from the aviation industry to the relief effort both with the immediate search-and-rescue efforts and for long-term humanitarian aid. "This tragedy has deeply moved us and the world. On behalf of IATA member airlines, we express our deep sorrow to the people of Türkiye and Syria. Our thoughts are with all those who are impacted by this horrific event. We salute the heroic efforts of the rescue workers who have saved many people and continue to search for and look after survivors. Aviation is playing [...]

Source: FAA  High-powered laser pointers can incapacitate pilots flying airplanes with hundreds of passengers. To combat the threat, Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen requested laser manufacturers add a warning label to their packaging to make consumers aware of the safety risks and federal laws when using lasers. "Lasers may seem like just a toy, office tool, or game for most, but they can incapacitate pilots putting thousands of passengers at risk every year. People need to be aware pointing a laser at an airplane is a federal crime," said Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen. Pilots reported 9,500 laser strikes to the FAA in 2022. Two hundred and seventy-eight pilots have reported an injury from a laser strike to the FAA since [...]

Source: ACI-LAC Vanderlande, a leading company in logistics-process automation, joins ACI-LAC's group of World Business Partners (WBP). They currently have experience in the warehousing, airport, and parcel sectors. Vanderlande's broad portfolio of integrated solutions (innovative systems, intelligent software, and lifecycle support) results in fast, reliable, and efficient automation. Vanderlande provides future-proof airport solutions, such as baggage handling systems and passenger-related solutions, with which they can move more than 4 billion bags per year worldwide. These systems are currently active in more than 600 airports, including 12 of the top 20 airports in the world. "Vanderlande's strategy in Latam and the Caribbean is one of profitable growth based on our airport business. With a solid base of maintenance contracts at Tocumen (Panama), [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced new guidance to assist airlines and handling agents to transport mobility aids safely and efficiently and improve the travel experience for passengers with disabilities. Providing safe, reliable and dignified transport for passengers with disabilities is a priority for airlines that was reinforced by a unanimously approved Resolution at the 75th IATA Annual General Meeting in 2019. The safe and efficient transport of mobility aids was identified as a key area for improvement by airlines, working with industry stakeholders and disability groups. “Airlines are committed to ensuring passengers with disabilities can travel with dignity, confidence and comfort. Working with representatives from the disability community, we established that new protocols to improve the transport [...]

Source: US DOT The U.S. Department of Transportation today released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of November 2022 for on-time performance, consumer complaints, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. There was a 23% increase in air travel service complaints from October to November, after complaints decreased by 12% from September to October. 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 is concerned about recent flight cancellations and flight disruptions. The Department is currently investigating four domestic airlines to ensure that they are not engaging in unrealistic scheduling of flights. Also, [...]

Source: ALTA Cargo airline DHL Aero Expreso S.A. began operations in 1996 in Panama City and has since expanded its operations with the DHL Express division in the Americas. The company is now taking another step in its expansion by joining the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA). The company continues to expand its airfreight capacity to meet the growing demand for shipments, mainly from the e-commerce sector. In recent years, demand for shipments has shown unprecedented performance from its customers in the Americas, both in the B2C and B2B segments. As a result, DHL Express, the world's leading express and logistics company that is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group, is carrying out an expansion plan in [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the recovery in air travel continued in December 2022 and for the full year. Total traffic in 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 64.4% compared to 2021. Globally, full year 2022 traffic was at 68.5% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels. December 2022 total traffic rose 39.7% compared to December 2021 and reached 76.9% of the December 2019 level. International traffic in 2022 climbed 152.7% versus 2021 and reached 62.2% of 2019 levels. December 2022 international traffic climbed 80.2% over December 2021, reaching 75.1% of the level in December 2019. Domestic traffic for 2022 rose 10.9% compared to the prior year. 2022 domestic traffic was at 79.6% of the full year 2019 [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air freight markets showing that 2022 full-year demand for air cargo took a significant step back from 2021 levels but was close to 2019 performance. Global full-year demand in 2022, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), was down 8.0% compared to 2021 (-8.2% for international operations). Compared to 2019, it was down 1.6% (both global and international). Capacity in 2022, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs), was 3.0% above 2021 (+4.5% for international operations). Compared to 2019 (pre-COVID) levels, capacity declined by 8.2% (-9.0% for international operations). December saw a softening in performance: global demand was 15.3% below 2021 levels (-15.8% for international operations). Monthly cargo demand tracked below [...]

Source: US DOT The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today released U.S. airlines’ December fuel cost and consumption numbers indicating U.S. scheduled service airlines used 1.471 billion gallons of fuel, 5.3% more fuel than in November 2022 (1.398 billion gallons) and 5.2% less than in pre-pandemic December 2019. The cost per gallon of fuel in December 2022 ($3.14) was down 18 cents (5.3%) from November 2022 ($3.32) and up $1.14 (57.0%) from December 2019. Total December 2022 fuel expenditure ($4.63B) was down 0.3% from November 2022 ($4.64B) and up 48.7% from pre-pandemic December 2019. Year-over-year increases in fuel consumption and cost for December include 3.0% in domestic fuel consumption, 51.4% in domestic fuel cost, and 47.0% in [...]