Faced with the prospect of a new regulation governing aircraft engine emissions in the US, aerospace manufacturers said they are already committed to reducing the industry’s environmental impact through the ICAO. Benchmarks the industry agreed to earlier this year demonstrate that commitment, said the Aerospace Industries Association. The US EPA issued a final determination that greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft engines contribute to the pollution that causes climate change and endangers public health. The agency’s “contribution” and “endangerment” findings under the Clean Air Act trigger a federal rulemaking process to set standards for aircraft engine GHG emissions. Aircraft remain the single-largest GHG-emitting transportation source not yet subject to federal regulation, according to the EPA. <br/>
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Boeing said Wednesday that it might stop production of the 747, ending nearly a half-century of building the plane that became the aircraft of choice for the US president and other heads of state. The prospect of ending 747 production after years of weak sales would close a chapter of Boeing’s history that began when the humped jetliner won its first orders from Pan American World Airways 5 decades ago. Boeing has delivered more than 1,500 of the jets since 1970, when the company introduced the plane. Aviation historians credit the plane with making global air travel more affordable for most people. The huge number of seats, sometimes nearly 600 on some airlines, spread the costs across the large group of paying passengers. Boeing now plans to make just 6 of the planes a year, starting in September. <br/>
A new measure signed into law this month will require airlines to refund baggage fees when bags are delayed. With the new law, “passengers won’t have to spend a ton of time tracking down a refund when the airline doesn’t deliver,” according to US senator John Thune, chairman of the Senate Commerce committee. The measure in a FAA re-authorisation extension bill signed into law this month directs the US Transportation secretary to issue regulations on the matter within a year. The new regulations would require an airline to “promptly provide to a passenger an automated refund for any ancillary fees paid by the passenger for checked baggage” if the bag is not delivered within 12 hours of arrival of a domestic flight, or within 15 hours of arrival of an international flight. <br/>
The US govt says talks over allegations the 3 major Gulf carriers are violating the US’ open skies policy have not finished. The clarification comes after media reports, quoting a US State Department spokesperson, said the US govt would not be taking any action. The State Department refuted the reports late Tuesday, saying its “discussions with carriers are ongoing”. The US State Department said it met with Emirati officials July 18 and Qatari officials July 25 after US airlines alleged Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways were unfairly state subsidised. The Gulf carriers have denied the claims. “The US govt takes seriously the concerns raised by some of our airlines. We have decided to address these concerns through informal, technical discussions that are ongoing,” the State Department said. <br/>
Ministers have given the go-ahead for a GBP344m expansion of London City airport. The plans include an extended terminal, more space for planes to taxi to and from the runway, and new aircraft stands that will allow bigger, more modern planes to use the airport. The project will create about 1,600 new jobs at the airport and another 500 during the construction phase, according to London City. The chancellor, Philip Hammond, the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, and the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, gave the formal green light to the plan. It will allow more flights to and from the airport at peak times, and the extended terminal will accommodate more passengers. The airport currently serves about 4m passengers a year. Hammond said it was a vote of confidence in the resilience of the UK economy. <br/>