The NTSB has released 2015 aviation accident statistics for aircraft involved in Part 121 and Part 135 operations as well as general aviation aircraft. And, according to the statistics, both the rate of general aviation accidents and fatal accidents have continued to decline, despite an increase in the total flight hours versus the past 2 years. NTSB stats also show that as with 2014, there were also no US airline related fatalities in 2015. According to the stats, 2015 saw 1,209 total general aviation accidents, including 229 fatal accidents, spread over 20,576,000 total flight hours. Those numbers represent a steady decline over the 20 year period detailed by the NTSB in their released stats. By comparison, 1996 saw 1,908 total general aviation accidents, with 361 fatal accidents. <br/>
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The global airline industry is set for another strong collective profit this year, but there are indications that its financial improvement could be slowing. Airlines are expected to collectively achieve a US$39.4b profit for 2016, IATA said Thursday. This would be the second year in succession that the industry's return on invested capital exceeded the cost of capital. These results are not evenly spread, however. The profits are largely attributable to US airlines, and this trend is likely to continue, IATA chief economist Brian Pearce said. In comparison, the industry in Latin America and Africa remains weaker, primarily because of foreign exchange rate shifts and problems with economies in these regions. The latest airline profit cycle is now showing signs of peaking, Pearce said. <br/>
Speed and innovation will be essential to securing the future of a healthy global air transport industry as the world grows more uncertain and more difficult to predict, the new IATA chief said. Themes of his tenure are already emerging, with de Juniac stressing his determination to help airlines adapt to a changing world. He also talked about the continuity he intends to bring, following themes and initiatives by his predecessor, Tony Tyler, such as partnership, but also “fighting the good fight” on costs and charges imposed on airlines. Tyler, he noted, described aviation as a force for good. “I have a similar belief, but a different way of expressing it,” the former Air France-KLM Group chairman said. “To me, aviation is the business of freedom…the world is a better place for the freedom we provide and it is a privilege to be part of it.” <br/>
US aviation authorities Thursday took the strongest formal action yet to combat potential cyberthreats to planes in the air as well as on the ground. The FAA’s top technical advisory group adopted language seeking to ensure that cybersecurity protections will be incorporated into all future industrywide standards. The move by RTCA Inc.’s program-management committee stops short of mandating detailed engineering requirements or safeguards. Those are reserved for FAA-created committees of experts focused on drafting specific standards for individual industry segments. But by officially elevating cyber issues to such a high priority for the first time, the decision means manufacturers, carriers, maintenance facilities and even airports eventually will be obligated to include cybersecurity factors in routine activities. <br/>
The long-running battle over billions of dollars in state subsidies to Airbus Group and Boeing intensified Thursday when the World Trade Organisation ruled that European govts had failed to end unfair funding to Airbus. The ruling moves the US one step closer to being able to impose more than US$5b in annual tariffs against goods and services from the EU as soon as next year. The WTO said that the EU and some of its member states “failed to comply” with an earlier ruling to remove the subsidies or void their effect to Airbus. EU compliance efforts fell short, the WTO said. The trade body in a future ruling is expected to find that the US, similarly, didn’t sufficiently address concerns about subsidies benefiting Boeing. It could lead to the EU being allowed to impose similar sanctions on US exporters. <br/>
Brazilian airlines remain cautious over the outlook for year-end air travel in the country, as fallout from a recession, the weak job market and still-high inflation are offsetting signs that demand might have bottomed out, industry leaders said Thursday. According to Abear, the group that represents airlines in Brazil, domestic flight demand dropped 6.6% while the number of seats available dropped 6.2% in the year through July. While those falls are a fraction of the declines since earlier in the year, it might be too early to talk about a recovery, Abear president Eduardo Sanovicz said. Tourism agencies say eroding household income is taking a toll on demand. Clients at CVC Brasil SA, Brazil's No. 1 tourism operator, are inquiring about prices but have been slow to buy tickets - a sign they are waiting until the last minute to purchase them. <br/>
IATA urged Brazil Thursday not to list Ireland as a tax haven, a decision that would increase taxes on aircraft leases for Brazilian carriers struggling to regain profitability. In an effort to dissuade Brazilian companies from moving to tax havens, Brazil's govt announced a week ago it would add Ireland, Austria, Curaçao and Saint Martin to its list of countries denominated as such, as of Oct 1. Brazilian law requires companies registered in listed tax havens to pay a 25% tax rate on their contracts. IATA said Brazil was already a very expensive place for carriers to do business and the tax ruling would undermine efforts to compete with rivals in nearby Chile and Argentina. "It will cause havoc and have a catastrophic impact on the ability of Brazilian airlines to become financially sound," IATA VP Peter Cerda said. <br/>
IATA has filed a request for antitrust immunity with the US DoT to allow airlines to discuss options to maintain connectivity to Venezuela. The request comes as a result of the Venezuelan govt’s continued refusal to release airline funds. IATA says the total amount of blocked funds is now US$3.8b. "The economic situation in Venezuela is grave. And it will be made worse if airlines cannot maintain connectivity as the blocked-funds issue drags on,” IATA DG, Alexandre de Juniac, said. “We are now asking the US govt to approve anti-trust immunity for discussions among airlines focused on maintaining connectivity.” Since 2003, Venezuela has operated currency controls that prevent foreign airlines from repatriating funds without govt approval. <br/>