Three weeks after being struck by suicide bombers, Brussels Airport was forced to close again on Tuesday due to industrial action by Belgian air traffic controllers. The airport, one of Europe's busiest, had reopened on April 3 with limited capacity. Other Belgian airports had taken on many connections but at least some of these, including nearby Charleroi, were affected by the controllers' action, which is part of a months-long dispute over employment conditions. "Currently no air traffic control is possible at Brussels Airport," the airport said. "This means that there are no inbound or outbound flights." Transport authorities said police had closed roads around the airport, which has been the only means of access for passengers arriving or departing as the train station has remained closed since the attacks. Belgocontrol, the agency which handles Belgian airspace, said it was seeking a solution. Union leaders asked staff to call in sick on Tuesday due to disagreements over a proposed dispute settlement, including a rise in the minimum retirement age. Brussels Airlines, the main Belgian carrier whose flights have accounted for the bulk of those operating from Brussels this month, said on its website: "As from 17:00 local time Brussels, flight disruptions are to be expected. "At this moment the situation is very unclear, we continuously monitor the situation and will inform you about any flight cancellation as soon as we have more news. Our first priority is to limit the impact on our flight operations and to get our guests as quickly as possible to their destination."<br/>
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The Lebanese government has agreed funding for new safety equipment for Beirut airport, where security gaps have caused concern among senior officials in a city that has suffered bomb attacks by Islamic State. "The cabinet agreed to secure the funds necessary for airport security apparatus," Information Minister Ramzi Greige said in a statement after a cabinet meeting. Public Works and Transport Minister Ghazi Zeaiter last month said the airport needed at least US$24m to upgrade its security, including a new perimeter wall and baggage inspection equipment. Beirut's security concerns have grown more acute since the outbreak of war in Syria gave rise to the militant jihadist group and increased pressure on Lebanon's own sectarian fault lines. Islamic State and other groups have carried out several bombings in Lebanon in recent years, including a suicide attack in south Beirut, where the airport is located, that killed 43 people in November. On Tuesday, an explosion in the southern city of Sidon targeted and killed a Palestinian official, evidence of the many different security threats Lebanon faces.<br/>
"Indians want to spend money. They're one of the world's biggest spenders today." That's the explanation Neerja Bhatia, VP of India Etihad, offers for why India is now the world's fastest-growing aviation sector. "If you look at the past, an average middle-class family would take one domestic holiday a year," he said. "Today the trend has changed." International carriers want in on the action. In 2013, India's Jet Airways partnered with the UAE's Etihad Airways. With Jet having the widest domestic network in India, there were suddenly dozens more routes, and tens of thousands of seats, connecting India to the Abu Dhabi hub. Together, the partnership holds 21% of India's aviation market, meaning about one in five fliers in India board either Jet or Etihad.<br/>India's airspace hasn't always been so lively or attractive. The government had a monopoly on national air carriers and strict aviation policies blocked foreign ventures. That all changed with de-regulation in 1994. Air India, the country's national carrier, has been carrying the India flag around the world for decades. But its future is uncertain, with today's runways more competitive than ever. Low-cost carriers now rule Indian skies, with the likes of Indigo and Spicejet accounting for two thirds of the domestic market. While most other airlines are removing frills, however, Vistara, a new full-service carrier, is adding them in. Vistara offers a three-class cabin on short-haul domestic routes: economy, premium economy and business.<br/>
Boeing has opened talks to sell airliners to Iran in what would be one of the highest-profile deals between a US company and Tehran since the West lifted nuclear sanctions on the country in January. Iran — eager to re-establish ties with Western companies after the deal to limit its nuclear program — quickly signed several landmark agreements with European companies to signal it had re-entered the international market. Agreements with US companies have been slower to materialise, though, increasing the importance of a possible deal with a company like Boeing that is a flagship of US technology and manufacturing around the globe. Boeing said Monday it had begun preliminary discussions in Tehran with Iranian airlines about the potential sale of its planes and aircraft services. Its representatives “discussed the capabilities of its commercial passenger airplanes and aftermarket services with Iranian airlines approved by the US government,” said a Boeing spokesman, who added that no formal deals on aircraft or services were made during the meetings.<br/>
A coalition of environmental groups sued federal regulators Tuesday over long-sought pollution standards for airliners and cargo planes. The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Washington. The groups allege the Environmental Protection Agency has unreasonably delayed for years using the Clean Air Act to enforce limits on heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft. A UN panel in February proposed an average 4 percent reduction in fuel consumption during the cruise phase of flight starting in 2028 when compared with planes delivered in 2015. However, planes burn the most fuel during takeoffs and landings, while cruising at high altitudes is already the most fuel-efficient phase of flight. Environmentalists have criticised that proposed reduction as too modest to significantly curb climate change, and are pushing the EPA to enact more stringent standards for domestic aircraft. Aviation accounts for about 5% of global carbon emissions, with US-owned airliners emitting about 30% of all aircraft pollution worldwide. While carbon emissions from land-based sources are largely in decline, pollution from airplanes is projected to triple by 2050 without stricter limits. “Airplanes’ skyrocketing climate pollution requires urgent action, not more foot dragging from the Obama administration,” said Vera Pardee, a lawyer for the Center for Biological Diversity. “The EPA has dawdled for almost a decade, even as airplane emissions are on track to spiral out of control. We can’t afford more denial and delay in tackling this high-flying threat to our climate.”<br/>
Three Chinese travellers have earned the dubious distinction of being the first to land on the China Air Transport Association's new blacklist, aimed at cracking down on "uncivilized" air passengers. The list was introduced on February 1, with authorities saying unruly travelers not only disrupt aviation operations and threaten public safety but also hurt the country's image. The first three to grace the list were identified only by their surnames -- Qiao, Deng, and Gao -- according to the China National Tourism Administration. Their offenses? Qiao reportedly insisted on ignoring a flight attendant's orders and used a tablet while the plane was landing. In addition to being kept on the list for one year, he or she was fined 200 renminbi (about $30). Deng allegedly hurled a carton of milk at airport officials and the X-ray security scanner at check-in and was detained for 10 days and will be on the list for two years. Gao, accused of attacking an airport official over a delay, was fined 200 renminbi and will remain on the blacklist for one year. The blacklist was introduced with the support of five major Chinese airlines, which handle more than 80% of China's air traffic, according to state news agency Xinhua. The names of those on the list will also be shared with related civil aviation and tourism agencies.<br/>