Airlines, hotels and cruise operators serving Latin America and the Caribbean are facing growing concern over travel to countries potentially affected by the Zika virus after the WHO warned of its likely spread to most of the Americas. The outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus comes as a record percentage of Americans plan a vacation in coming months and a near-record proportion of them look to travel abroad with a strong US dollar making overseas destinations more affordable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that people should "consider postponing travel to areas w/ ongoing Zika transmission." United Airlines said it was allowing customers who had reserved tickets for travel to Zika-impacted regions to postpone their trips or obtain refunds with no penalty. <br/>
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Boeing has scheduled the first flight of the 737 MAX for Jan 29, though it cautions the date is subject to change. The first re-engined Boeing narrowbody to take to the skies will be a 737 MAX 8, which is in the middle in terms of size of the 3 MAX variants the manufacturer will produce. Powered exclusively by CFM International LEAP-1B engines, the MAX 8 is designed to seat about 162 passengers in a typical 2-class configuration. The first 737 MAX 8 rolled out of Boeing’s Renton, Washington factory in December. The first 737 MAX flight is scheduled to take off from Renton and land at Boeing Field in Seattle. Boeing launched the 737 MAX program in 2011 to compete with the Airbus A320neo, which is entering service this month with Lufthansa. <br/>
Two Democratic members of the US Congress and several public advocacy groups came together to express their strong opposition to privatising US ATC, though it is unclear whether the coalition—particularly the two Congressional Democrats—would oppose every potential plan to separate ATC from FAA. Rep Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland) and Del Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-Washington DC), who are both on the US House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, joined with a coalition calling itself Americans Against Air Traffic Privatisation to oppose what they said is a plan by T&I Committee chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania) to privatise ATC. Shuster has yet to put forward an FAA reauthorisation legislative proposal that is expected to include a plan to structurally reform US ATC. <br/>
There are too few fully qualified controllers at more than a dozen of the nation’s busiest air traffic facilities stretching from Atlanta to Anchorage, according to report released Tuesday by a govt watchdog. The 13 airport towers, approach control facilities and en route centres have fewer fully trained controllers than the minimum number established by the FAA specifically for each facility, DoT’s inspector general said. The FAA considers the facilities fully staffed because controllers still in training are used to fill the gaps. But the report says there is great variation among trainee skill levels and readiness to work on their own. The report also questions the validity of the minimum staffing levels the FAA has assigned to the facilities, finding fault with the agency’s methodology. <br/>
Oslo Airport has started supplying Air BP Biojet via its regular fuel hydrant system, naming KLM, Lufthansa Group, and SAS as launch customers. “This is the first time aviation biofuel is being delivered through the normal supply mechanism, thus reducing logistics costs significantly. We want to demonstrate that airports can readily access biofuel with relative ease, utilising existing physical infrastructure,” Air BP CE David Gilmour said. The biofuel, which is produced from camelina oil, is available for airlines to buy at Oslo and is supplied from the main fuel farm, via common storage and distribution facilities, without the need for segregated infrastructure. Previously, it had to be provided by fuel truck. Air BP will provide a minimum of 1.25m litters of drop-in jet biofuel. <br/>