When the US government advises its citizens from travelling abroad, it often has a chilling effect on that country’s tourism industry. Now America may be entering a freeze of its own, as the fallout from its new visa and immigration policy has globetrotters anxious about travelling to and from the US. That’s what some travel agents across the nation are starting to report, according to the American Society of Travel Agents, which is gathering information from its members to measure the impact of the restrictions. Though it’s been less than two weeks since President Donald Trump tightened some visa requirements and temporarily banned visitors from seven Middle Eastern and African countries, travel agents are already reporting that clients are rethinking trips to the US, according to association President Zane Kerby. The administration is appealing restraining orders that suspended its ban. Many would-be travellers are concerned Trump will win the appeal and eventually expand the scope of his restrictions to include their countries. Some immigrants and visa-holders living in the US are scrapping trips on fears they won’t be allowed to return back home. And a growing number of Americans are concerned about taking vacations abroad, saying they may receive a hostile reception from people upset about US policy, Kerby said.<br/>
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President Donald Trump's executive directive to restrict or postpone new government regulations for 60 days has hampered the ability of the FAA to issue safety orders about aircraft. The instructions, known as "airworthiness directives," are issued frequently, and formalise mandated inspections or modifications to correct unsafe conditions on US aircraft. The stalled directives do not mean that airlines and aircraft operators are unaware of serious safety problems. The directives are typically the last step in the safety regulatory process. The aircraft operators first receive manufacturer bulletins about the problems, but in some instances wait for final FAA notices to act, according to two industry officials. The lack of directives from the FAA are a sign of the unintended consequences of the Trump administration's rapid efforts to halt or roll back what it sees as burdensome regulations on business, says one of the officials. Incoming appointees to the DoT and FAA have tried not to get in the way of safety directives, say the officials, but the executive order has meant an extra layer of bureaucracy for them. The FAA said in a statement that it has "worked to ensure no airworthiness directives are being held." The White House communications office did not respond to a request for comment. The agency has issued a total of 53 airworthiness directives in the last 60 days, but it hasn't issued any finalized directives in the more than two weeks the Trump administration has been in office.<br/>
A snowstorm that blanketed Seattle and western Washington state into Monday morning prompted widespread school closures, flight cancellations and power outages for more than 100,000 electrical utility customers, officials said. The storm that started Sunday night caused a messy morning commute for Seattle residents, and a winter storm warning remained in effect Monday for the greater Seattle area. Forecasters said as much as 30 inches of snow could fall in the Cascade Mountains. The storm hit Seattle after one storm after another has slammed Portland, Oregon. Forecasts for a major snowstorm for Portland turned out false as temperatures remained above freezing. But heavy rain fell in Portland and pushed rivers toward flood stage. At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport dozens of flights were cancelled at Seattle-Tacoma because of snow and ice. Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Bobbie Egan said the carrier had trouble getting some employees to the airport and that passengers faced delays because workers had to deice jets. "It's taking 30-45 minutes to deice a single plane, which is a significant issue to get planes out," Egan said. "It's a messy scene and we apologize for that, but it's a severe event."<br/>
Even as the oil price climbs, jet fuel keeps getting cheaper for Europe’s airlines. But consumers and not investors are the beneficiaries. Unlike their US peers, European airlines typically hedge their fuel costs 12 months to 18 months ahead of time. The budget carriers, led by Ryanair, are particularly active—the result of their sharper focus on costs and stronger balance sheets, which allow better terms with banks. A year into the oil-price recovery, they should now be reaping the benefits. Ryanair, whose cut-price business model was inspired by Southwest, said Monday its fuel costs would fall by about E65m during the year through March 2018, even on top of E160m in savings during the current fiscal year. That is based on 87% of its expected fuel costs being hedged at an average price equivalent to about $50 a barrel; Brent crude currently fetches $57 a barrel. The problem is that these benefits are being given away—and more—to consumers in an environment of feverish competition. <br/>
China's C919 passenger jet expects to make its maiden flight within the first half of this year as it has completed almost all major tests, state media reported Monday, in a boost for Beijing's ambitions to compete with global aircraft makers. The People's Daily newspaper said the plane had started preparation for its much-delayed first flight and had nearly finished the installation of onboard systems. The C919's maiden flight has been delayed at least twice since 2014 due to production issues. China first gave the world a glimpse of the plane in November 2015 at a roll-out ceremony in Shanghai. The narrow-body aircraft, which will be able to carry 156-168 passengers and aims to compete with the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, is a key symbol of China's ambitions to establish itself as a global supplier of aircraft. "We tested the whole aircraft, its key components and connecting parts," the Xinhua news agency quoted Li Qiang, an expert at planemaker Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China's (COMAC) [CMAFC.UL] design and research Center, as saying. China Eastern Airlines is the launch customer for the plane. COMAC previously said that it had received 570 orders for the C919 passenger jet from 23 customers.<br/>