Safety, Ops & Regulation

In a breakthrough use of computer vision, Airbus makes swift progress in its autonomous takeoff-and-landing project.

Report finds US regulatory agency’s certification processes are sound, but there is room for improvement.

Bombardier’s retreat shows why governments should seed technology development and let industry carry the risk of creating new products.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is looking to clarify its definition of what constitutes unfair and deceptive practices by an airline or ticket agent—a move likely to be welcomed by airlines.

Belgian air navigation service provider (ANSP) skeyes plans to gradually install remote air traffic control (ATC) towers at six airports and airfields throughout Belgium.

The office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) is raising already-approved World Trade Organization penalty tariff amounts collected from European airliners imported into the U.S. by 5% to 15%.

Reeling from the decline in visitorship and traffic from China because of the COVID-19 outbreak, governments in the region are rolling out measures to help airlines suffering from the slump.

A new regulatory report examines the FAA's aircraft certification processes.

The Chinese agency has long been vexed by the multiplicity of airlines. The industry crisis has prompted it to propose consolidation.

For airlines, virus outbreaks—and the public response to them—have rapid impacts and bring complicated responsibilities.

Building the safety case, amending the regulations and providing a business case for safe, robust and reliable operation lie ahead.

Mergers and capacity reductions among Chinese airlines may result from the COVID-19 outbreak, as the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said it will support reorganization of the industry as part of its response to the crisis.

The FAA is tightening its oversight of Southwest Airlines and plans to implement 11 recommendations made in a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) audit that concluded the agency’s surveillance of the Dallas-based carrier did not follow its regulations.

Eurocontrol, the organization in charge of air traffic management (ATM) in Europe, has set objectives to better handle weather-related problems to prepare for a peak summer season that has proved chaotic in recent years.

EASA has released the first edition of its “Artificial Intelligence Roadmap,” a document that begins to answer OEMs’ questions on how to certify an AI-based system.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Inspector General (OIG) plans to start a lawmaker-requested audit of global pilot training standards and evaluate ways the FAA can better link its certification process with international regulations.

FAA administrator Steve Dickson sounded a positive note on the Boeing 737 MAX recertification process, telling reporters the agency is “narrowing the issues” leading to an upcoming certification flight.

Sessions are expected to focus on the MCAS and manual-trim operation.

Iran’s initial formal investigative update on the Jan. 8 downing of a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 sheds little new information on the disaster and stops short of confirming what its government has admitted: anti-aircraft missiles fired at the aircraft, seemingly in error, brought it down.

The Trump administration has proposed a fiscal 2021 budget of $17.5 billion for the FAA, which includes new funding for safety oversight in response to the Boeing 737 MAX crashes, but falls below the budget enacted for the current fiscal year.

Eurocontrol—the organization in charge of air traffic management (ATM) in Europe—has conducted further tests to validate the secondary runway aiming point (SRAP), a concept aimed at increasing runway capacity.

Aviation logistics specialist Menzies Aviation, today announced that Qatar Airways Cargo have moved into their new base within Menzies Aviation’s on-airport facilities at London Heathrow Airport.

FAA is advancing a construct based on third-party UAS Service Suppliers—rather than air traffic controllers—providing flight authorization, traffic deconfliction and other services.

The country’s airlines have halted most of their operations. Three small airlines have stopped flying completely.

EASA published an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) Feb. 6 requiring a liquid-prohibited zone in Airbus A350 cockpits, following two inflight engine shutdown incidents.