Source: ICAO The Government of France has signed a new Accord with ICAO to formalize its support and cooperation for the modernization of ICAO’s Paris-based European and North Atlantic (EUR/NAT) Regional Office. The agreement, which includes significant financial and project guidance and support, was undertaken in a signing ceremony attended by Ambassador Laurent Pic, France’s Representative to the ICAO Council since 2020, and ICAO Secretary General Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar. Under its conditions, France will commit over €4.5m to ICAO before the end of 2022 toward the upkeep and modernization of the ICAO Paris Office, with possible additional contributions subject to further consideration. "I am delighted to have signed an agreement on behalf of France which marks my country's proud [...]

Source: FAA Construction can start on new passenger terminals at O'Hare International Airport. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and local, state, and federal officials marked the milestone today at O'Hare after the Federal Aviation Administration completed the project's environmental review. "Chicago's transportation infrastructure is what makes this city an economic powerhouse of global importance,Now, as we prepare to break ground on O'Hare's newest terminal, Chicago and this entire region will be positioned to grow and create good-paying jobs through the benefits of first-rate infrastructure, beginning with the construction project itself." The review analyzed Chicago Department of Aviation projects including new terminals, on-airport hotels, airfield and taxiway improvements and support facilities. It also reviewed the FAA's proposal to make permanent angled [...]

Source: ACI-LAC Bolivariana de Aeropuertos (BAER S.A), the government company in charge of managing 31 airports located within Venezuelan territory, recently became a new airport member of ACI-LAC Bolivariana de Aeropuertos (BAER S.A), the government company in charge of managing 31 airports located within Venezuelan territory, recently became a new airport member of ACI-LAC, thus consolidating its commitment to improve the development and promote the growth of the country's airport structure. Leonardo Briceño Dudamel, president of Bolivariana de Aeropuertos, expressed his pleasure at becoming a member of ACI-LAC and highlighted the interest of the organization he leads in exchanging experiences with other operators and authorities in the airport sector in Latin America and the Caribbean. "We are very pleased to be [...]

Source: TSA The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has seen an increase in travel this year and anticipates airport security checkpoints nationwide will be very busy this holiday travel season. The season kicks off with Thanksgiving travel, which begins Friday, Nov. 18 and concludes Sunday, Nov. 27. "We expect to be busier this year than last year at this time, and probably very close to pre-pandemic levels," said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. "We are prepared to handle the projected increase in travel volumes next week. However, going forward, making the TSA pay levels equal to other federal agencies is critical to our ability in 2023 to recruit, train, equip and retain a highly skilled and professional workforce on the frontlines of transportation security. It [...]

Source: ALPA Earlier this year, C-band 5G mobile wireless companies activated transmitters that utilize spectrum in close proximity to the spectrum used by radar altimeters on aircraft. Since that time, airlines have been upgrading radar altimeters to improve their ability to tolerate interference. The FAA is strongly urging airlines to complete the updates by July 2023, so that aviation safety can be assured when mobile wireless goes to full power at that time. Aircraft that have not been upgraded will have severe operational restrictions placed on them. Additionally, the FAA has recommended slight changes to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) C-Band rules to ensure that the mobile wireless industry’s use of 5G is compatible with the upgraded radar altimeters. This [...]

Source: EASA The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have launched a joint cooperation initiative to rethink aviation connectivity, publishing a White Paper proposal for the modernisation and harmonisation of the aviation data communication landscape by 2035. Airbus and Boeing, as aviation stakeholders, contributed to the study, providing insight and information which allowed EASA and the FAA to elaborate the vision presented in the white paper. Aviation connectivity supports the various air-ground data exchanges that are essential to support safe, sustainable air traffic management (ATM) and efficient air operations.  It does not include the provision of broadband services to passengers. The exchanges are currently supported by a set of technologies that rely to a large extent [...]

Source: ALTA The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) and the aviation school based in Argentina and the United States, XFlight, have signed a MOU to promote educational programs aimed at boosting the professional development of Latin American aviation. Through this agreement ALTA will offer to the entire aeronautical community in the region, via ALTA's Educational Hub, XFlight's specialized course curriculum that includes 12 courses, among which stand out: private aircraft or helicopter pilot with VFR qualification, business aircraft or helicopter pilot with HVI qualification, crewmember, first class business airline pilot and flight instructor. Since its founding in 2013, XFlight has graduated more than 200 students. What started with one aircraft at the airfield in Esperanza city, Santa [...]

Source: US DOT Among fines assessed today are Aeromexico ($13.6 million in required refunds paid and a $900,000 penalty), Avianca ($76.8 million in required refunds paid and a $750,000 penalty) and TAP Portugal ($126.5 million in required refunds paid and a $1.1 million penalty) The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced historic enforcement actions against six airlines, which collectively paid more than half a billion dollars to people who were owed a refund due to a canceled or significantly changed flight. These fines are part of DOT's ongoing work to ensure Americans receive the refunds they are owed from airlines. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, DOT has received a flood of complaints from air travelers about airlines' failures [...]