US and European aviation authorities are focused on cybersecurity threats that could affect a basic data-transmission system widely used by airlines around the world. Such concerns about the decades-old system, called Acars and primarily used for air-traffic purposes and to provide information about the status of various aircraft components during flights, have surfaced in the past few months on both sides of the Atlantic. The issue has been raised in US govt contracting documents, as well as in comments by industry officials and high-level European safety regulators. The information sent by the Acars network from planes to the ground isn’t considered safety critical, nor does the system handle any data that could immediately imperil safe operation of flights. <br/>
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A leading aviation analyst says the impact of low oil prices is bad in one way for airlines. Executive chairman of the CAPA, Peter Harbison, said low fuel prices were dominating the way airlines were thinking and working. They were allowing airlines to keep older, less efficient aircraft in service. Fuel prices have tumbled from more than US$100 a barrel in 2014 to sub-$60 levels for the past 18 months Harbison said that airline operating costs had been reduced on average by 10 to 15%. Airlines needed to constantly reduce costs to maintain profitability but when there was such a visible fall in variable costs this was more difficult. "Suddenly you start making a $1b profit and it's hard to convince people that you need to cut," he said. IATA's latest financial monitor says profitability has peaked. <br/>
Airline passengers who try to carry Samsung Note 7 smartphones on flights will have them confiscated and may face fines under an emergency US order that significantly expands restrictions on the devices linked to almost 100 incidents of overheating and fires. The devices won’t be allowed aboard passenger or cargo aircraft even if they’ve been shut off, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the FAA announced Friday. Flight restrictions will be extended to each of the 1.9m Note 7s sold in the US starting at noon New York time Saturday. US Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said: “We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident in flight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk.” <br/>
A new report finds August was a frustrating month for people flying in the US, with complaints about airline service jumping 14% compared to July. The US DoT said 2,250 complaints about airline service were filed in August, but it's not clear exactly what was bothering travellers. One factor could have been a computer outage at Delta Air Lines in early August which lead to the cancellation of about 2,000 flights. Overall, 77.6% of the flights in the US were on-time in August, one of the busiest months of the year for air travel. The on-time arrival rate was slightly better than July and the industry did slightly better handling checked bags. The 3 airlines with the best on-time arrival rates were, Hawaiian, Alaska, and Skywest, which were all on schedule more than 81% of the time. <br/>
The swell of voices demanding an urgent decision on Heathrow’s third runway has been intensified by the Labour party, a cross-party group of politicians and Britain’s biggest trade union, as the pressure grows on Theresa May to approve the airport’s expansion. Labour sources said the party would back a third runway, despite the reluctance of Jeremy Corbyn and the opposition of shadow chancellor John McDonnell, whose constituency borders the airport. Shadow transport secretary, Andy McDonald, said the “imperative was overwhelming” for more capacity and that “there would have to be overwhelming evidence that the Airport Commission’s report and conclusions were fundamentally flawed for parliament to depart from it”. A Labour source said McDonald’s words were intended to back Heathrow’s expansion. <br/>