Source: US Department of Transportation The U.S. Department of Transportation today released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of October 2022 for on-time performance, consumer complaints, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. There was a 12.0% decrease in air travel service complaints from September to October; however, complaints are more than 370% above pre-pandemic levels in October 2019. 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. During the summer, the Department rolled out a new airline customer service dashboard to help travelers determine what [...]

Source: A4A The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has notified U.S. airlines through an ATC advisory that the FAA is experiencing a technology issue related to the Notice of Air Missions (NOTAM) system, which provides airlines with real time safety information for flight planning. This technology issue is causing significant operational delays across the National Airspace System. A4A is working with the FAA and awaiting further information regarding when these issues will be resolved. For real time updates related to any potential delays or cancellations caused by the FAA’s system disruptions, travelers should download their airline’s app, visit the carrier’s website and ensure their contact information is accurate on travel records.

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the air travel recovery continued through November 2022. Total traffic in November 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 41.3% compared to November 2021. Globally, traffic is now at 75.3% of November 2019 levels. International traffic rose 85.2% versus November 2021. The Asia-Pacific continued to report the strongest year-over-year results with all regions showing improvement compared to the prior year. November 2022 international RPKs reached 73.7% of November 2019 levels. Domestic traffic for November 2022 was up 3.4% compared to November 2021 with travel restrictions in China continuing to dampen the global result. Total November 2022 domestic traffic was at 77.7% of the November 2019 level. “Traffic results in November reinforce [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for November 2022 global air cargo markets showing that demand softened as economic headwinds persist. Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), fell 13.7% compared to November 2021 (-14.2% for international operations). Capacity (measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers, ACTK) was 1.9% below November 2021. This was the second year-on-year contraction following the first last month (in October) since April 2022. International cargo capacity decreased 0.1% compared to November 2021. Compared to pre-COVID-19 levels (November 2019), there was a smaller contraction in overall demand (-10.1%), while capacity was down 8.8%. Several factors in the operating environment should be noted: Global new export orders, a leading indicator of cargo demand, were stable [...]

Source: ACI-LAC Airports Council International (ACI) World today calls on governments globally to take a coordinated and risk-based approach when managing inbound travellers from China, following the implementation of travel restrictions by several countries. This follows recent statements published by ACI Asia-Pacific and ACI EUROPE on the matter. ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira comments: “We can’t repeat past mistakes. We are working with ICAO and other international organizations to protect connectivity—which is vital to fully restoring travel, trade, and tourism that provide economic and social benefits to communities worldwide. “As such, we welcome the Government of China’s plan to lift COVID-19 quarantine requirements for international arrivals. As the last major economy in the world to re-open its borders, the decision [...]

Source: ALTA Facilitating connectivity within the Caribbean is the main objective of interCaribbean Airways, a regional airline based in the Turks and Caicos that today joins the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) as a new member. Founded in 1991 as InterIsland Airways, the airline today reaches 27 destinations, with flights spanning from the Turks and Caicos Islands, Antigua, British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Guyana, Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and St. Maarten. Domestic flights are operated in the Turks and Caicos Islands. “As interCaribbean, at ALTA we seek to contribute to having a Caribbean that is increasingly and better connected. For this reason, we are [...]

Source: IATA “Several countries are introducing COVID-19 testing and other measures for travellers from China, even though the virus is already circulating widely within their borders. It is extremely disappointing to see this knee-jerk reinstatement of measures that have proven ineffective over the last three years. Research undertaken around the arrival of the Omicron variant concluded that putting barriers in the way of travel made no difference to the peak spread of infections. At most, restrictions delayed that peak by a few days. If a new variant emerges in any part of the world, the same situation would be expected. That’s why governments should listen to the advice of experts, including the WHO, that advise against travel restrictions. We have [...]

Source: CANSO Earlier in December, CANSO became a member of the Radio Technical Committee for Aeronautics (RTCA). Founded in 1935, RTCA has provided the foundation for many modern technical advances in aviation. A private, not-for-profit corporation, RTCA works closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), industry experts from the US and around the world to develop comprehensive, industry-vetted, and endorsed recommendations on technical performance standards and the operating environment for utilizing standards. These standards can be used as means of compliance with FAA regulations and other aviation regulatory authorities. RTCA’s historic role in aviation has been to provide the forum and consensus industry voice for government and industry cooperation on concepts of operations for the air traffic control system, along with [...]