South Korea toughened its aviation security law in the aftermath of the notorious nut rage incident involving a top airline executive. The transport ministry said the revised law went into effect Tuesday, more than a year after a Korean Airlines vice president's tantrum over macadamia nuts delayed a flight. Under the revised law, disturbing the captain or crew can be punished by up to five years in prison or up to 50m won ($41,461) in fine. Previously, such acts faced a fine of 5m won and no prison term. Being a nuisance to other passengers faces a 10m won fine, doubled from the past.<br/>
general
Vietnam has accused China of threatening safety of civilian flights over the disputed South China Sea by failing to properly inform its aviation authorities of recent test flights to a man-made island claimed by both Beijing and Hanoi. Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh said that although a Chinese Embassy representative did inform the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry about the flights last month, prompting a protest from Hanoi, that did not extend to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam and threatened the safety of civil aviation. The notification from the Chinese Embassy "cannot substitute China's notification to the appropriate air traffic services units of Vietnam in order to ensure the safety and regularity of flight operations," the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said in a statement late Tuesday. China Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Monday that China's three test flights to Fiery Cross Reef — one of seven South China Sea features where China had carried out extensive land reclamation — were state aviation activities and had no restrictions under international law. Hong said Beijing informed Vietnamese aviation authorities on Dec. 28 and the Foreign Ministry two days later about them. He said Vietnam had failed to see "the professional, technical and civil nature of China's inspection and test flights."<br/>
The removal of sanctions on Iran could unleash a wave of aircraft deals as the Persian Gulf country seeks to renew one of the world’s oldest plane fleets. The US and Western countries have agreed to lift an embargo on aircraft sales to Iran as part of a wider accord to end the country’s nuclear-weapons programs. Years of sanctions, some imposed in the wake of its revolution in 1979 rather than over the country’s nuclear program, have left Iran with one of the world’s oldest aircraft fleets. “Decades of sanctions have affected a carrier’s ability to source spare parts and new aircraft, resulting in an average fleet age of 22 years for Iranian airlines, twice the international average,” airline consultancy OAG Aviation Worldwide said. Iran’s transport minister, Abbas Akhoundi, on the eve of the lifting of sanctions, told a semiofficial Iranian media outlet that the country had struck a deal with Airbus Group SE to acquire 114 planes once the trade restrictions were removed. The removal of sanctions would unfreeze tens of billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenue.<br/>
Citing continuing threats to airports around the country, aviation police sergeants at Chicago's two airports are demanding they be allowed to carry guns while on duty. The Illinois Council of Police, in a letter to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, said the current policy, which prohibits all aviation police officers from carrying a gun, puts them and the public in danger. "At a time when threats to our airports and other vulnerable entities within the United States are at its greatest, we renew our request that these fine officers be given authority to carry a firearm as part of their duty gear as is the norm at all other major airports within the United States for their safety and that of the public at large," said the letter from union President Norm Frese. The letter follows a CNN investigation that revealed aviation police are not armed and are told to "run and hide" in the event of an active shooter or other threat at both O'Hare and Midway. Many of those officers are either military veterans or work in suburban police departments. A long-standing policy prohibits aviation police officers from carrying a gun even though they are certified law enforcement officers. <br/>
A record number of 39.7m travellers has passed through Sydney Airport over the past year, with visitors from Asia, the UK and the US flocking to Australia. Total passenger numbers rose 3% from 38.5m in 2014, with international markets up 4.3% to 13.7m - including an 8.6% surge in December - as airlines continue to grow their capacity in and out of the nation's largest airport. The domestic market rose 2.3% to 25.9m, according to traffic statistics released by Sydney Airport today. The strong traffic figures should boost the airport operator's full-year results, due for release next month. Sydney Airport chief executive Kerrie Mather said the exceptional December results were driven by growth in capacity from more flights or the use of larger aircraft, as well as airlines filling more seats.<br/>
Atlas Air Worldwide has agreed to acquire Southern Air Holdings for $110m in an all-cash transaction. The deal, if approved by the US Department of Transportation (DOT), would mark a major consolidation in the US air cargo industry. Purchase, New York-based Atlas is the parent company of international airfreight carriers Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo. It operates the world’s largest Boeing 747 freighter fleet. Cincinnati-based Southern Air is also affiliated with Florida West International Airways, which is part of the transaction. Atlas president and CEO William Flynn called the transaction “strategically compelling, highly complementary and immediately accretive.” Atlas said that the deal is “expected to close in the next few months.” Flynn added that Atlas is “eager to capitalize on the substantial opportunities that the transaction will provide, especially [adding] 777 and 737 aircraft operations.”<br/>
Spanish travel technology company Amadeus secured unconditional EU approval on Tuesday for its $830m bid for US peer Navitaire after EU regulators said the deal would not harm competition. Amadeus unveiled the deal in July, which will enable it to serve a bigger group of airlines. Navitaire, a subsidiary of Accenture Plc, serves over 50 of the world’s airline operators, focusing on the low-cost and hybrid segments in the airline industry. The EC said it had examined whether Amadeus could block rivals in the airline bookings market and found no potential problems. "The companies' IT solutions target different types of airlines and are complementary," the EU antitrust enforcer said.<br/>