Source: US DOT The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today announced that it will award $14.8 million from the Small Community Air Service Development Program to help 20 communities in 16 states develop solutions to their local air service needs. These federal grants assist small communities across the country with maintaining and building air service options. "Air service to small communities is crucial to regional economies, which is why we are proud that these grants will help improve air service in 20 smaller communities across 16 states," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Since the inception of the program, DOT has invested in more than 460 community-led projects. Grants are used to provide financial incentives for service, conduct studies on the possibilities [...]

Source: ICAO ICAO has successfully concluded a round of consultations with States towards advancing an ICAO Global Framework for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Lower Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF) and other Aviation Cleaner Energies for adoption at the upcoming Third Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3). Opening on 25 September 2023, the two-day consultation event, known as the Pre-CAAF/3 Outcomes Consultation, brought over 600 participants, delegations from 95 States and 19 International Organizations to ICAO Headquarters in Montreal, where they focused on potential outcomes of CAAF/3, which will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 20 to 24 November 2023. "ICAO’s highest priority is implementing the long-term global aspirational goal (LTAG) for international aviation of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, [...]

Source: US DOT Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced that United Airlines will implement industry-leading actions that go above and beyond Federal requirements to improve the air travel experience for passengers who use wheelchairs. This action is part of an agreement with USDOT that follows a lengthy investigation by the Department into a disability complaint filed against United by Engracia Figueroa. Disability complaints received by the Department against airlines, such as the one by Ms. Figueroa, highlight the significant challenges that people who use wheelchairs face during air travel to, from, and within the United States. USDOT has made it a priority to improve the air travel experience for those who use wheelchairs. "Everyone ought to be able [...]

Source: ALTA Leisure trips and search for experiences rebound The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) reports that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has shown a significant recovery in international tourist arrivals to countries in the region following the pandemic. In 2022, 91.9 million international tourists visited LAC, representing 78% of 2019 levels. As for this year, from January to July, a total of 65 million tourists were recorded, 8% below 2019. The subregion with the strongest recovery (Jan-Jul 23) was Central America, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 2%. The Caribbean was 5% below and South America 13% below. Colombia, Dominican Republic and Aruba show the best performance The countries experiencing the strongest recovery vs. 2019 are Colombia, [...]

Source: ACI World The most authoritative source and industry reference for airport traffic trends and rankings now available The Latin America-Caribbean region is forecasted to be the first region to surpass its 2019 level. In 2023, the region is estimated to reach 707 million passengers, or 102.9% of the 2019 level Airports Council International (ACI) World has today published its latest quarterly air travel outlook revealing global passenger traffic expected to recover in early 2024 as it reaches 9.4 billion passengers. Highlights from ACI World's 14th Advisory Bulletin on the impact of COVID-19 on the airport business—and the path to recovery include: Global passenger volume in 2023 is expected to reach 8.6 billion passengers, which is 94.2% of the 2019 [...]