Brussels Airport, where 16 people were killed in suicide attacks on March 22, appeared back to normal on Wednesday after strict security checks were eased following complaints about lengthy delays and missed flights. The airport opened part of the departure hall on Monday, increasing flights to about 80% of full capacity from about 20% when it restarted a month ago. However, delays were so long on Monday and Tuesday that passengers had to wait two to three hours just to enter the building. Belgium's interior ministry then approved a change to a system of just scanning the baggage of some passengers, rather than everyone, arriving at the departure hall. "It is a busy day today with a public holiday on Thursday but the queues we saw on Monday and Tuesday have disappeared," a spokeswoman for Brussels Airport said.<br/>
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With airlines worried that long security lines may discourage summer travelers, the US government said Wednesday it will add airport staff and bomb-sniffing dogs and ramp up pre-screening enrollment efforts. The TSA will add officers at airports expected to have the highest passenger volumes, said Jeh Johnson Wednesday. He added that he has asked Congress to approve additional funds to pay for officers' overtime and to meet "critical short-term needs." Security officials are on high alert for potential attacks by groups inspired by Islamic State. On March 22, suicide bombers killed 32 people in Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train. "As we look ahead to the surge in summer travel, we will continue to consider a number of other steps to ensure enhanced aviation security while also maximizing efficiency at check points," Johnson said. Airlines such as American Airlines Group Inc, the world's largest, had voiced concern that staffing levels at U.S. airports were insufficient to handle heightened security and greater passenger traffic that's expected for the peak summer tourism season.<br/>
US and European air-safety regulators announced Tuesday their latest initiatives to ramp up assessment of hazards posed by the proliferation of unmanned aircraft, highlighting different approaches on the two sides of the Atlantic. The US FAA, which has been moving unusually quickly on various fronts to respond to pent-up demand for commercial uses of small drones, announced the formation of a high-level advisory group with broad industry representation to analyse and promote ways to gradually integrate unmanned aircraft into the national airspace. Separately, the European Aviation Safety Agency established a task force to examine the risks and probable damage stemming from potential drone collisions with airliners, other types of traditional fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. The study could lead to the first official tests designed to gauge the extent of actual damage from such accidents to the windshield, engines and structures of manned vehicles. The steps come amid rising safety concerns about the topic across both continents but limited progress in coordinating detailed policy and technical efforts between the two agencies.The FAA said last month that “reports of unmanned aircraft have increased dramatically since 2014,” with the agency recording more than 1,400 reports last year of drones coming close to planes. Pilots flying into busy hubs such as New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and La Guardia Airport have reported drone sightings.<br/>
A Brazilian government led by VP Michel Temer would consider allowing foreign owners to acquire a controlling stake in local airlines, a close aide says. Wellington Moreira Franco, a chief economic adviser for Temer and a former aviation minister, said relaxing the current limits on foreign ownership would help bolster competition in an industry suffering its worst crisis in decades. "Today you have legislation that limits the participation of investors," Franco said. When asked if Temer, who is poised to replace embattled President Dilma Rousseff, would consider allowing foreign investors to have controlling stakes in Brazilian airlines, Franco said: "Yes, obviously." Brazil's Senate is expected next week to vote to put Rousseff on trial for allegedly breaking budget laws. Temer, a constitutional lawyer, would become acting president if that occurs. Rousseff issued a decree in March lifting the limit on foreign ownership of local airlines to 49% from 20%, in an effort to help Brazil's indebted carriers. But the move only allows for a controlling stake if the country of origin of the foreign investors extends reciprocity to Brazilian investors. Many countries limit foreign ownership in the aviation sector for strategic and security reasons.<br/>
China will invest 77b yuan (US$11.9b) this year in building aviation infrastructure, the official Xinhua news agency reported Wednesday, citing the country's civil aviation regulator. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said the investment, which will focus on airports, will initially lead to 11 key construction projects and 52 aviation-related upgrades to existing facilities, Xinhua reported. "The general aviation sector, especially aircraft research and manufacturing, has became a hot spot of both industrial upgrading and social concern," said Feng Zhenglin, head of the CAAC. China's cabinet separately said late on Wednesday it would support the development of the country's aviation industry, including opening up low-altitude air space, an issue that currently constrains a fledgling market for helicopters and small aircraft.<br/>
Demand for global air freight fell 2% in March on subdued growth in world trade, IATA said in its monthly update. Another reason for the drop was the impact of a US port strike that had bolstered year-earlier figures. Available capacity rose 6.9% in the month, with load factor down by 4.0 percentage points to 43.5%. "Expectations of purchasing managers gives little optimism for an early uptick. The combination of fierce competition, capacity increases and stagnant demand makes this a very difficult environment in which to generate profits," IATA DG Tony Tyler said.<br/>
Three Republican congressmen from Illinois are urging the CEO of Boeing to avoid doing business with Iran and not sell aircraft to upgrade its fleet. The lawmakers told Boeing chief Dennis Muilenburg in a letter sent Monday that commercial aviation sales to Iran would subsidise a country that continues to be a leading sponsor of terrorism. "We urge Boeing — in the strongest possible terms — not to do business with Iran until it ends its support for terror," wrote Reps. Peter Roskam, Robert Dold and Randy Hultgren. The company has offered Iranian airlines three models of new aircraft to replace the country's aging aircraft fleet.<br/>
Passengers will be able to flag an UberX or UberBlack car through a virtual queue system at each terminal and be met by drivers at the airport's free public pick up zones. The lucrative airport pickup had been the sole domain of taxi drivers but Sydney Airport said last month it was considering new arrangements including a potential dedicated pick-up zone. "In response to the huge demand for UberX at Sydney Airport, we have opened functionality in the app for driver-partners to pick up riders from the airport," the company said Thursday. Uber said it would continue to work with the airport on finalising signage and designated pick-up zones. Sydney Airport said it was open to Uber as well as other driver services.<br/>