The US regional airline industry is “shrinking” because of a pilot shortage that is reducing air service to smaller markets throughout the US, Republic Airways Holdings president and CEO Bryan Bedford said.
Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo Worldwide filed suit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia Sept. 25, seeking a preliminary injunction against Teamsters (IBT) Local 1224 to stop what the two carriers are calling “an illegal and intentional work slowdown and service interruptions … to gain advantage in pilot contract negotiations [now] underway.”
Following the Trump administration’s Sept. 24 issuance of the third iteration of its foreign travel ban to the US, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is advising US carriers that CBP is not anticipating any operational impact as a result of the directive, an Airlines for America (A4A) spokesperson told ATW.
As a strike by more than half its 1,300 pilots moved into the second week, Colombian flag carrier Avianca has activated what the airline calls an operational mitigation plan.
LCC Norwegian has received full approval from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for its UK subsidiary, Norwegian UK (NUK), to start transatlantic operations.
The FAA could be reauthorized through an extension of its current authority through March 31, according to language in a potential bill brewing in the US House of Representatives.
Members of the US Congress from Connecticut have cautioned senior Trump administration officials that any action against Canada or Bombardier regarding alleged CSeries subsidies could have negative consequences on US aerospace workers, particularly at Pratt & Whitney.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is loosening control over inflight smartphone use, setting up a process in which Chinese airlines can apply to CAAC to allow passengers the option of using mobile phones during flights to access Wi-Fi services.
Virgin Australia has begun using a “pop-up” baggage check-in service developed jointly by Australian aviation tech company OACIS (Off Airport Check-in Solutions) and Madrid-based travel industry IT developer Amadeus.
The test of SITA’s biometric boarding gate technology on JetBlue Airways flights at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) had “a close to 100% match-rate,” the Geneva-based air transport IT company said Sept. 19.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will launch a new website in October to incorporate a branding transition from Global Online Enrollment System (GOES) to the Trusted Traveler Programs System, the agency said Sept. 18.
Switzerland’s Geneva Airport is planning to introduce renewable jet fuel for aircraft operations, targeting at least 1% of annual jet fuel consumption from late 2018.
The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), which represents the interests of US aerospace manufacturers in Washington DC, has named Eric Fanning its new president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2018.
UK carrier British Airways has partnered with renewable fuels company Velocys, after an earlier waste-to-fuel initiative—named GreenSky—with Washington-based Solena Fuels fell through.
Dutch national carrier KLM said potential flight delays and passenger inconvenience “have been minimized” after only a “few dozen” cabin crew joined a Sept. 15 strike called by the VNC union in a dispute over salary increases.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has reached an agreement with the two unions representing its Norwegian flight deck personnel, staving off the threat of imminent industrial action.
IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac believes consolidation is needed among European LCCs and, separately, is keen to attract more LCC members.
The European Parliament has voted to limit airlines’ exemption from paying for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from intercontinental flights until 2020, pending the introduction of a new global program to offset the emissions from air transport.
After contract negotiations broke down Sept 9, pilots for Fort Lauderdale-based Ultra LCC Spirit Airlines voted unanimously Sept. 13 to authorize a strike if further mediation efforts are unproductive.
