An expedited screening program called PreCheck was supposed to be the answer to maddeningly long security lines at the airport. But 4 years after its launch, the TSA is far short of enrolling enough travellers to make a difference, spelling trouble for summer travel season. Fliers can expect massive security lines across the country, with airlines already warning passengers to arrive at least 2 hours early or risk missing their flight. The TSA cut its airport screener staff by 10% in the past 3 years, anticipating PreCheck would speed up the process. When not enough fliers enrolled, the agency tried to make up for that shortfall by randomly placing passengers into the express lanes. But it recently scaled back that effort for fear dangerous passengers were being let through. <br/>
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Boeing and Airbus forecast Latin America's commercial fleet to at least double in the next 2 decades as economic growth accelerates in the region. Airbus projected Latin American airlines will need 2,540 new planes by 2034, worth US$330b. It predicted a doubling of the number of airliners in operation. Air traffic during that time will grow 4.7% annually in the region, the company predicted, slightly higher than its forecast for 4.6% growth worldwide. Boeing forecast that Latin American airlines will need 3,050 new planes worth $350b over the next 2 decades. Sixty percent of Latin America's existing commercial fleet will be replaced in the next 20 years, with the overall fleet size tripling during that time. "In the long term, the economies of Latin America will grow faster than those in the rest of the world," said Boeing. <br/>
French air traffic controllers plan to strike for at least 36 hours, starting from Wednesday evening, A4E said. A4E said this will be the 43rd strike day in France since 2009, resulting in the cancellation of hundreds of flights and creating disruption and extensive delays across the continent. The French Railway system also plans to strike the same day. The last French ATC strike, from March 20-22, caused more than 1,000 cancellations among A4E members and caused 500,000 delay minutes across all airlines operating in European airspace during the strike period. “It is unacceptable that airlines and their customers can be repeatedly punished by these unjustified strikes,” MD Thomas Reynaert said. He added A4E is working on an immediate action plan to minimise strike effects on both local traffic and overflights. <br/>
Brussels airport is trying out a make-shift check-in area that could allow a limited restart of passenger flights in the coming days after the attacks last week. A temporary structure has been put up to bypass the departure area that was heavily damaged when 2 bombs exploded there last Tuesday. "What we have today is a test to see whether all our procedures are in order," a spokeswoman for Brussels Airport said. If all requirements were met, the airport could reopen Wednesday at the earliest, but only at a maximum capacity of 20%. The tests include checking security and fire procedures as well as operational items such as baggage handling and the signs in the terminal. The coordinator for Brussels Airport, BSC, said initially only a few flights for Brussels Airlines would be allowed to depart. <br/>
Kenya has scrapped plans for a new terminal building at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta airport due to financial pressures and excess capacity caused by recent upgrades to existing facilities. President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the US$650m terminal project for the airport in Dec 2013. China's Anhui Construction and China National Aero-Technology had been selected to build the terminal, which was expected to handle 20m passengers a year. "The decision to terminate the project by the Authority has been occasioned by the prevailing operational, economic and financial dynamics which have been on a downward trend over the last 3 years," the Kenya Airports Authority said. The first phase of the new terminal had originally been due to be completed this year, although construction has not yet started. <br/>
Immigration and customs staff at international airports will resume a postponed strike action Wednesday in a bid to break a 2-year deadlock on pay and entitlement negotiations. The industrial action campaign, initially scheduled for the Easter weekend, was postponed by the Community and Public Sector Union after terror attacks in Brussels and the urging by prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. The protected industrial action is set to last until April 7 with staff walking off the job during morning and evening peak times. The CPSU has warned travellers the strike action will likely result in delays for those travelling on international flights. According to the CPSU, strict national security exemptions will remain in place at international airports during the strike action. <br/>