Currency controls in a couple of emerging markets are grounding the airline industry. IATA said Tuesday that airlines around the world could not repatriate billions of dollars in revenue from Venezuela and Nigeria due to various controls on capital accounts. As of March, international airlines’ funds that were trapped in Nigeria stood at US$575m, while Venezuela blocked a total of $3.6b. While the IMF has said that currency controls may be beneficial to countries trying to prevent foreign capital flight and stabilise their economies, the airlines’ experience shows that companies operating in these countries can suffer. Airlines join other businesses like oil producers and beverage makers in running up against capital controls in Venezuela and Nigeria, which have made it difficult to acquire raw materials or repatriate sales. <br/>
general
Security lines at O'Hare International have become dramatically shorter — at least for the time being — in the wake of TSA staff increases locally and this week's ouster of the agency's head of security. One airline official said Tuesday that waits were down to 15 minutes at O'Hare after the TSA faced heavy criticism last week for long lines at the nation's airports. Waits of more than 2 hours May 14 at O'Hare caused 450 people to miss their flights and dozens to sleep overnight at the airport. TSA has blamed lines on a staffing shortage combined with higher passenger numbers. TSA moved 100 part-time officers at Chicago airports to full-time status last week and brought in a new management team and 4 new canine units, which TSA officials say helped speed lines by sniffing passengers for explosives. <br/>
The head of security for the TSA has been removed from his position. Kelly Hoggan, who had served as TSA assistant administrator for security operations since May 2013, was replaced by his deputy, Darby LaJoye, who will serve on an acting basis, according to a memo from agency head Peter Neffenger. Long security lines at US airports this spring have caused frustration and caused thousands of passengers to miss flights. TSA has blamed the problem on a lack of security screeners and an increase in passenger volumes. Hoggan came under fire at a US House Oversight Committee hearing May 12 for receiving over US$90,000 in bonuses and awards over a 13-month period in 2013-14. About 231m passengers will fly on US airlines between June and August, up 4% from the same period last year. <br/>
Enjoy lower airfares while you can. Airlines are taking steps to push prices higher by next year. Fares have been dropping for more than a year. Taking inflation into account, the average round trip within the US in late 2015 was the lowest since 2010. Ticket prices have fallen even further this year, according to the airlines. Not only is flying from Dallas to Denver cheap, but popular international vacation destinations like Europe are more affordable. Fliers can thank the steep plunge in oil prices since mid-2014. As they saved billions of dollars on jet fuel, both domestic and international carriers added seats faster than travel demand was growing. The major airlines have announced steps to rein in the oversupply, but such changes can't happen overnight, so fares will remain affordable for the peak travel season. <br/>
Brussels Airports handled 1.2m and 1.1m passengers in March and April respectively, figures sharply down on the same months in 2015 as a result of the disruption that followed the bomb blasts at the Belgian capital's main gateway. Passenger numbers were 29% lower in March and almost 47% lower in April as a result of the temporary suspension of operations at Brussels airport following the fatal attacks March 22. In keeping with recent growth, passenger traffic had been running 7% higher over the course of the month's first 3 weeks. But flights were suspended from March 22 until April 3, and initially only around a fifth of capacity was restored. "Passenger payload increased week by week to reach about 70% in the second half of April, which shows that passenger confidence is recovering," the airport says. <br/>
Australian airline passengers are so keen to access Wi-Fi in flight that 70% would be willing to pay for unlimited internet use. A global survey by Inmarsat and market research company GfK found Australians are the second most willing to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi in the Asia-Pacific region, behind only New Zealanders at 77%. Overall, 90% of travellers in the region said on-board connectivity would influence their choice of airline. "If you have two airlines serving the same market with similar pricing and everything else is even, then being able to have connectivity will drive passengers to the one with connectivity," Inmarsat said. Australian carriers have lagged behind international counterparts in offering Wi-Fi in part over concerns about connection speeds and investing a lot of capital in a technology that could become obsolete. <br/>