Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. (www.nytimes.com) עוד...

Miami’s Six Hour Immigration Line Disaster

Clearing immigration at Miami International Airport is usually not bad, but more and more instances have popped up where immigration line wait times are stretching beyond the two hour mark. (www.gatechecked.com) עוד...

Southwest Closes Four Stations Amid Ongoing Boeing Delivery Woes

The airline lost $231 million in the first quarter of 2024. (airlinegeeks.com) עוד...

US lawmakers strike deal to boost aviation safety, will not raise pilot retirement age

WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - U.S. House and Senate negotiators said early Monday they had reached a deal to boost air traffic controller staffing and boost funding to avert runway close-call incidents, but will not increase the airline pilot retirement age to 67 from 65. The U.S. House of Representatives in July voted 351-69 on a sweeping bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that would also raise the mandatory pilot retirement age to 67 but the Senate Commerce… (www.reuters.com) עוד...

New FlightAware iOS Widgets By FlightAware

FlightAware is excited to introduce our latest iOS widget update — your gateway to instantaneous ADS-B receiver metrics directly from your home screen. What is a widget? Mobile widgets offer users a convenient way to access important information and perform common tasks directly from their device's home screen, enhancing efficiency and usability in mobile interactions. FlightAware now has two new widgets to keep you up-to-date on your ADS-B positions and receiver status Positions Reported… (blog.flightaware.com) עוד...

FAA investigating near collision of two jets at Reagan National Airport

Two passenger jets came within 400 feet of each other before controllers took last-minute evasive action and immediately stopped the two planes. It’s not clear why the jets were authorized to be on the same runway at the same time. (wtop.com) עוד...

Hawaiian Airlines slowly adds freighters for Amazon business

Hawaiian has faced some delivery delays for its A330 cargo jets. (www.freightwaves.com) עוד...

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $76 Million in Grants from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Modernize Airports, From Runway Improvements to Better Facilities

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding another $76.1 million from the previously allocated $9 billion, for 45 airport-related infrastructure projects in 22 states. The projects are funded under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG) program, part of the $25 billion total included in the law for airport improvements, including front-of-house projects such as terminal expansions and baggage… (www.faa.gov) עוד...

Boeing and the Dark Age of American Manufacturing

Somewhere along the line, the plane maker lost interest in making its own planes. Can it rediscover its engineering soul? (www.theatlantic.com) עוד...

Airbus in Talks with China Over Potential Aircraft Order Ahead of Xi Jinping’s France Visit

Airbus is reportedly in discussions with China regarding a potentially significant aircraft order ahead of an upcoming visit to France by Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Xi Jinping is scheduled to make his first trip to Europe in five years next month, with trade expected to be a key topic of discussion amidst growing tensions between the EU and China. (www.airguide.info) עוד...

Finnair Suspends Route Due to GPS Interference Concerns

GPS "spoofing" continues to be a concern for airlines operating in certain regions. (airlinegeeks.com) עוד...

US FAA to mandate use of safety tool by charter airlines, manufacturers

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday said it is finalizing new rules requiring charter, commuter, air tour operators, and aircraft manufacturers to implement a key safety tool aimed at reducing accidents. The FAA is adopting a final rule mandating the use of Safety Management Systems (SMS), which are a set of policies and procedures to proactively identify and address potential operational hazards, after first proposing to do so in January 2023.… (www.reuters.com) עוד...

Pima Air and Space Museum Acquires Iconic Philippine Mars

The Pima Air and Space Museum (PASM) made public via Facebook its acquisition of the Philippine Mars. Coulson Aviation published a press release announcing that the Philippine Mars will soon find its “forever home” at the PASM in Tucson, Arizona this year. The Philippine Mars is one of only seven Martin JRM Mars flying boats produced. (vintageaviationnews.com) עוד...

Airbus Set to Increase A350 Production to 12 Units Monthly

Toulouse-based Airbus is set to boost production of its A350 aircraft to 12 units per month by 2028, a move driven solely by surging consumer demand and not by the challenges faced by its U.S. competitor Boeing, according to Airbus Chief Financial Officer Thomas Toepfer. (www.airguide.info) עוד...

JetBlue's in-flight entertainment system just got a watch party feature

JetBlue is revamping its in-flight entertainment system, complete with a new branding. It’s now called Blueprint and brings several features that should make your next flight just a teensy-bit less grueling. The biggest news here is a watch party feature that lets customers view the same TV show or film with up to five other people. (www.engadget.com) עוד...

India’s IndiGo orders 30 long-range Airbus A350 jets

The agreement follows Airbus and IndiGo’s record-breaking order at last year’s Paris Air Show, where they inked a deal for 500 aircraft from the A320neo family. (www.easterneye.biz) עוד...

Marine unit found metal shavings in F-35 fuel, plastic tool in wing

Metal shavings in contaminated fuel, incorrectly assembled parts, and a plastic scraper protruding from a wing fold were among the faults discovered in five new F-35C Joint Strike Fighters delivered to a U.S. Marine Corps fighter squadron in California in 2023, according to a memo obtained by Defense News. (www.defensenews.com) עוד...

A330 returns to the sky from storage on its journey to become a freighter

Ex China Airlines Airbus A330-302 (B-18356, sn 1272) returns to the sky as N810CM with its new owner Cargo Aircraft Management. The aircraft was pulled out of storage at Phoenix Goodyear, GYR after sitting since June 2023. Nomadic Aviation Group would ferry the aircraft to Istanbul, ISL with a fuel stop in Detroit metro, DTW on its journey to its freighter conversion. (www.youtube.com) עוד...

5 problems facing hydrogen-powered airplanes

BRUSSELS — The best way to cut greenhouse gas emissions from flying is to fly less — but that's a non-starter for the industry and millions of passengers. Instead, the sector is hunting for a tech fix that would allow airplanes to keep flying while polluting less — and one idea is to use hydrogen. But there are big questions over whether this is a workable solution. Here are five challenges facing hydrogen-powered aviation. 1. Sourcing clean hydrogen won't be easy Hydrogen can be very… (www.politico.eu) עוד...

Delta flight makes emergency return after exit slide separates from Boeing aircraft

"After the aircraft had safely landed [back at JFK] and proceeded to a gate, it was observed that the emergency slide had separated from the aircraft," a Delta spokesperson said in a statement to NPR Friday afternoon. (www.npr.org) עוד...

American Airlines Pilots Union Reports Surge in Safety Concerns

The pilots union at American Airlines has reported a concerning increase in safety and maintenance issues, which includes lax routines in aircraft inspections and shorter test flights for planes re-entering service after significant maintenance. According to the Allied Pilots Association, there have also been instances of tools and other items being improperly left in critical areas like wheel wells and around aircraft at gates. (www.airguide.info) עוד...

FAA Grants Historic Authorization for Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 Flight Tests

In a groundbreaking decision, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued its first-ever special flight authorization for the testing of a civil supersonic aircraft, the Boom XB-1. This milestone paves the way for Boom Supersonic to commence flight tests, marking a significant advancement in the development of faster-than-sound travel. (www.airguide.info) עוד...

American Adds Boeing 787 Flights From New York

The airline will operate the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on a handful of route from New York-JFK, replacing the 777. (airlinegeeks.com) עוד...

FAA will require more rest for air traffic controllers

"There are 1,000 fewer certified air traffic controllers working today than a decade ago, according to NATCA. As a result, many air traffic facilities are short-staffed, union president Rich Santa told a Senate subcommittee in November. Mandatory overtime — including six-day workweeks and 10-hour shifts — are routine, he said." (www.npr.org) עוד...

The New Boeing CEO Must Be an Airplane Geek, Not Just a Bean Counter

As Boeing prepares for a leadership change later this year, the incoming CEO faces an immense challenge: orchestrating a profound cultural shift within the company’s vast workforce of over 170,000 employees, a significant portion of whom are engineers. (www.airguide.info) עוד...