American and British spies have since 2005 been working on intercepting phone calls and data transfers made from aircraft, France's Le Monde newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing documents from former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden. According to the report, also carried by the investigative website The Intercept, Air France was targeted early on in the projects undertaken by the US National Security Agency (NSA) and its British counterpart, GCHQ, after the airline conducted a test of phone communication based on the second-generation GSM standard in 2007. That test was done before the ability to use phones aboard aircraft became widespread. GCHQ declined to comment and the NSA had no immediate comment, but Le Monde reported it as saying that its intelligence activities were lawful. Air France said that the report was "erroneous", and noted that it still does not allow voice communication aboard its planes. However, dozens of other airlines do already allow passengers to use their phones during flights. "What do the President of Pakistan, a cigar smuggler, an arms dealer, a counterterrorism target, and a combatting proliferation target have in common? They all used their everyday GSM phone during a flight," the reports cited one NSA document from 2010 as saying. In a separate internal document from a year earlier, the NSA reported that 100,000 people had already used their mobile phones in flight as of February 2009, a doubling in the space of two months. According to Le Monde, the NSA attributed the increase to "more planes equipped with in-flight GSM capability, less fear that a plane will crash due to making/receiving a call, not as expensive as people thought".<br/>
general
Despite the nearly $27m price tag, airlines aren’t fighting a federal proposal to improve the safety of overhead equipment panels in Boeing 737 aircraft. The FAA proposed the regulation Oct. 13 because of reports that passengers were hit in the face and head by the panels of equipment that typically hold reading lights and oxygen masks below the carry-on bins. Another concern was that the fallen panels could hinder evacuation during an emergency. The NTSB investigated several survivable accidents from 2008 through 2011 in which the panels separated from the planes, “likely increasing the number of reported occupant injuries, particularly to the head and face,” according to Chairman Christopher Hart. To remedy the problem, the FAA is proposing that airlines install new support cords for the panels within five years. The only suggestion that American Airlines and Japan Airlines offered by the Nov. 28 deadline was comment was to extend the repair deadline to seven years, so that repairs could coincide with major maintenance overhauls and avoid taking planes out of service twice. United called the proposal “clear, easily understood and with an acceptable compliance time line.”<br/>
The government plans to allow airlines to organise their own training programs for captains to address the shortage of pilots in the country amid the rise of budget airlines, a transport ministry source said Wednesday. It would be the first major change to the training system since it was put in place in 1958. Under the current system, captains are trained under a uniformed framework designated by the state. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism envisions revising regulations under the aviation law and commencing the acceptance of applications from airlines as early as next spring, the source said. As the state would need to verify the airlines’ training programs, it would likely take two to three years to implement the new system, according to the source. The current training framework would also be maintained. Airlines will be required to report to authorities on their training every year to ensure safety, the source said. Under the current system, it usually takes about 10 to 15 years to be certified as a captain by the transport ministry, as candidates must obtain the “airline transport pilot rating” first by taking mandatory courses and flight training for a certain period of time, as well as in-house training based on state regulations to further test their knowledge and skills. The new system will not specify a time period for obtaining licenses if candidates train in operational procedures and pilot handling skills within companies, according to the source, allowing for captains to be trained more quickly. It will also allow airlines to take a more flexible approach in training captains so any weaknesses can be overcome by focusing on specific areas.<br/>
Global passenger traffic demand in October rose 5.8%, a slight slowing of growth from September, IATA said. Capacity was up 6.3% on the same month in 2015, with load factor slipping 0.4 percentage points to 80.1%. Demand growth in revenue passenger km terms was strongest in Asia Pacific with a 9.2% increase, the Middle East saw a 6.5% lift, with Europe third at 5.3%. IATA DG Alexandre de Juniac said the growth “was consistent with long-term trends but represented a deterioration compared to September. “While the negative traffic impact from terror attacks and political instability in parts of the world has receded, the long downward trend in yield… has levelled off," he added. Total passenger market shares by region in RPK terms are: Asia-Pacific 31.5%, Europe 26.7%, North America 24.7%, the Middle East 9.4%, Latin America 5.4%, and Africa 2.2%.<br/>
Demand for global air freight rose 8.2% in October compared with 2015, the fastest growth in 18 months IATA said in its monthly report. Capacity in available freight tonne km increased by 3.6% over the same period. IATA says demand picked up due to a shift to air cargo following the collapse of the Hanjin Shipping Company in August, and as a result of weak market conditions earlier in the year. “Global air freight markets look set to end 2016 on a high note. It remains to be seen how long this growth trend will endure… but there are some encouraging signs”, IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said. Geographically, Europe posted the strongest gains in October with demand up 13.4%. The Middle East had a 9.2% boost in volume, with Asia-Pacific seeing a 7.8% increase. North America in contrast managed only a 3.7% increase in the period.<br/>
Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BER) has announced it has completed 80% of the milestones in planning and construction of the airport terminal; however, the much-delayed airport project has yet to commit to an opening date. Construction work on the new airport began in 2006. BER was originally scheduled to open in October 2011, but that was delayed to May 2012 and then to 2017 following major construction problems and technical issues, especially concerning fire protection installations. “We will only state a date for the opening of BER after a reliable basis has been achieved. This requires, among others, approval for the sixth and last amendment to planning permission,” acting mayor of Berlin and chairman of the airport operator board Michael Müller said. Berlin Brandenburg CEO Karsten Mühlenfeld said that so far it was possible to complete the crucial mechanical aspects of the smoke extraction system, thanks to approval for the fifth amendment. “Construction work in Main Pier North and Main Pier South are still pending, expert audit approvals are being performed. At the same time, technical initial operation is also being performed in these parts of the building. Currently the focus is on Main Pier North. Functions and integration tests are now being implemented here.” In addition, the construction and function testing, as well as proof of concept, must be completed for Main Pier North. Furthermore, the airport operator will also have to decide in advance just how the terminal can be used during necessary trial operations. Now we have to resolve the other remaining challenges, such as completion of construction and the startup of technical systems, as well as the trial operation, as quickly as possible, but above all reliably and safely,” Müller said.<br/>
Transport minister Anthony Cheung Bing-leung has vowed that there will be no further increases in the airport construction fees – in effect since August – for financing the HK$141b third runway project. The fees, ranging from HK$70 to HK$180 for travellers, will be charged until 2024, when the project is scheduled to be completed, providing HK$26b of the funds needed. “During the period, no further adjustments will be imposed,” Cheung said during a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday. The transport chief made the pledge as legislator Abraham Shek Lai-him, from the real estate sector, asked if the Airport Authority could increase the fees as well as the landing charges imposed on airlines as it pleased in the future to fund the project. “This will greatly affect Hong Kong’s economic development,” Shek said. The landing fees – calculated using a formula based on aircraft weight – will be raised by up to 27% spread over three years from September 1. The authority has chosen to self-fund the entire project via three means without government subsidies, namely having the government forego its dividends until 2024, charging the airport construction fee and other levies on airlines, and borrowing from the market to the tune of about HK$69b.<br/>