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 [...]

Source: US DOT U.S. Airline Employees Headcount (Full-time and Part-time Employees) U.S. airline industry (passenger and cargo airlines combined) employment increased to 777,510 workers in September 2022, 8,404 (1.09%) more workers than in August 2022 (769,106) and 34,410 (4.63%) more than in pre-pandemic September 2019 (743,100). U.S. scheduled-service passenger airlines employed 493,998 workers (full- and part-time) in September or 64% of the industry-wide total. Passenger airlines added 4,594 employees in September for a seventeenth consecutive month of job growth dating back to May 2021. Delta led scheduled passenger carriers, adding 1,311 employees; United added 1,047; and Southwest Airlines added 658. U.S. cargo airlines employed 279,562 workers in September, 36% of the industry total. Cargo carriers gained 4,596 employees in September.  FedEx, the leading [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged the Asia-Pacific region to prepare for the anticipated surge in traffic and provide policy support for the industry's decarbonization efforts, as the region moves forward from COVID-19. "The last three years have been extremely challenging for the airline industry. Asian airlines, in particular, were hit hard, accounting for about a third of the industry's losses between 2020 and this year. With the region finally emerging from COVID-19, governments have a key role to play in accelerating the recovery, and supporting the industry's sustainable growth," said Conrad Clifford, IATA's Senior Vice President and Deputy Director General. Clifford was speaking at the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines' (AAPA) Assembly of Presidents in Bangkok. [...]

Source: ICAO Participating in a round table of Heads of State, Prime Ministers and Chiefs of International Organizations during COP 27, ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano advocated for the realization of the ICAO Assembly’s decision to reach net zero emissions from air transport by 2050. “Achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 will require substantial and sustained investment and financing over the coming decades. We must furthermore assure reliable and affordable support and capacity-building for the many developing countries and States with particular needs, who will be depending on it to help play their part,” Mr. Sciacchitano said. “An important part of my message to you here today is that the work to begin addressing these objectives for our sector has [...]

Source: ALTA In September 2022, 28.6 million passengers were carried in the region, 1.2% more than in the same month of 2019 In September 2022, the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region reached for the first time the same number of passengers carried in 2019 and even exceeded it by 1.2%, making it the first region in the world to achieve this milestone. Specifically, 28.6 million passengers were carried in LAC in September. North America, as the second fastest recovering region, reached 96% vs. September 2019, Africa and the Middle East 93% and Southeast Asia 75% of its 2019 levels. In terms of RPK (revenue passenger kilometer), the region also continues to lead the recovery, however, it did not reach [...]

Source: IAWA  The International Aviation Womens Association (IAWA), a worldwide organization for women who hold leadership positions across the entire spectrum of the aviation and aerospace industry, is holding their 34th annual conference this week, November 9 – 11, 2022 at the Epic Sana Lisbon hotel in Portugal. This year’s conference theme is A Way Forward - Aviation Through a Sustainability Lens. It will explore what is coming in the world of aviation and sustainability, and how IAWA members can help champion A Way Forward. The Conference sessions include panels with leading industry experts discussing topics such as Aerospace Sustainable Growth, Geopolitical and Government Policy Impacts on Aviation, Exploring the New Aviation Frontier of Urban Air Mobility, and the State of the [...]