While few have noticed, US airport security workers long had the option of using 5 different types of physical pat-downs at the screening line. Now those options have been eliminated and replaced with a single universal approach. This time, you will notice. The new physical touching—for those selected to have a pat-down—will be what the federal agency officially describes as a more “comprehensive” physical screening, according to a TSA spokesman. “I would say people who in the past would have gotten a pat-down that wasn’t involved will notice that the [new] pat-down is more involved,” a TSA spokesman said Friday. The shift from the previous, risk-based assessment on which pat-down procedure an officer should apply was phased in over the past 2 weeks after tests at smaller airports, he said. <br/>
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US bookings for travel to the Middle East collapsed in the wake of president Trump's travel ban, according to ForwardKeys, which monitors future travel patterns. CE Olivier Jager og ForwardKeys said: “It is interesting to note that the travel ban has not only impacted travel from the 7 affected countries to the USA, as one would expect; it has also affected travel in the opposite direction too. At this point, we do not know why exactly but we suspect that US citizens may be avoiding travel to Islamic countries, fearing that they will not be welcome or that Muslims based in the US may be avoiding travel fearing re-entry problems or both. Nevertheless, whilst we cannot be sure of the cause, the effect, a 27% collapse in bookings to the Middle East, is substantial.” <br/>
The US DoT has taken its first steps to undo actions by the administration of Barack Obama to improve consumer protections for airline travellers, putting on hold a proposal to require more disclosure of passenger fees. The process of collecting public comments for the proposal has been suspended, president Donald Trump’s DoT said in a posting dated Thursday. Transportation secretary Elaine Chao’s move was praised by Airlines for America. “We applaud secretary Chao’s leadership today and look forward to an era of smarter regulation that protects consumers from unfair practices, but does not step in when action is not warranted,” A4A said. The agency is also delaying the implementation of a separate regulation requiring airlines to disclose when they mishandle wheelchairs and motorized scooters for the disabled. <br/>
The European Parliament in Brussels has urged the EC to impose visa requirements on US citizens visiting the EU. The March 2 vote by the parliament was the latest episode in a long-running dispute; the US extends its visa waiver scheme to most of the EU’s nations, but excludes Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania. EU legislators want the entire bloc to be treated equally. The dispute has rumbled on since 2014. It is thought that the EC is reluctant to impose tit-for-tat visa restrictions on US citizens because of the negative effect it would have on US tourists visiting Europe. A4A said: “A4A continues to believe that the visa waiver program is an important tool which enables our govt to help facilitate the movement of travellers to and from the US, while maintaining the highest levels of security.” <br/>
Eight months ago, Britain voted in a referendum to leave the EU, embarking on an uncharted path and plunging the business community as a whole into a spiral of uncertainty. By the end of this month, the UK govt is expected to initiate the so-called Article 50 clause that will mark the point of no return in the complex Brexit process. EU's political leadership has made it clear that the UK will be excluded from access to its single market if it refuses to honour existing agreements covering areas such as the free movement of labour. The UK's Conservative govt is refusing to compromise, insisting that the country can thrive outside the EU by forging new trading alliances with countries worldwide. The UK aviation industry arguably face the greatest uncertainty from Brexit. <br/>
Some 9.3m travellers are expected to use the airports at Larnaca and Paphos this year, a 3.6% increase on 2016, which had in turn been a record-breaking year. Last year saw an 18% increase, translating to 1.37m passengers using the airports, an 18% rise in comparison to 2015. Aegean, Thomson Airways and EasyJet led the pack when it came to market shares while, according to airport managing company Hermes Airports, 38% of the passengers chose longer-established airlines. The two airports serve a large number and companies from 40 countries, facilitating over 140 routes to and from 115 destinations. However, Hermes Airport figures reveal that just 3 major markets cover 67% of the air traffic–the UK, Russia and Greece. Israel and Germany, meanwhile, are gaining an increasing large share. <br/>
Travel industry players heading to the world's biggest tourism trade fair in Berlin next week could face flight disruptions after ground staff at the city's 2 airports voted in favour of strikes in a pay dispute. Labour union Verdi said Friday that 98.6% of balloted workers at Schoenefeld and Tegel airports were in favour of industrial action. Verdi wants an increase in pay for ground staff to E12 an hour from about E11 as part of a 1-year collective agreement. Workers have walked out several times in recent weeks, forcing the cancellation of more than 300 flights. The employers, a group of airport ground services providers, said that their goal remains to find a solution at the negotiating table. Verdi says the employers have until Tuesday to improve their offer. The ITB fair in Berlin attracted120,000 trade visitors last year. <br/>
HNA Group, the parent of Hainan Airlines, is expected to purchase an 82.5% stake in Frankfurt-Hahn Airport in western Germany as the company steps up its international expansion. The airport’s federal state owners Rhineland Palatinate, which owns the 82.5% stake, said both sides are ready to sign the deal. The transaction amount has not been disclosed, but the deal is reportedly worth about E15m (US$15.8m). As Frankfurt’s second biggest airport, Hahn is used mainly by freight and LCC, with Ryanair and Wizz Air its two largest operators. It is Rhineland-Palatinate’s second attempt to sell the loss-making Hahn airport. In 2016, a deal with Chinese aviation and logistics group Shanghai Yiqian Trading collapsed after the bidder failed to make any payments after agreeing to a purchase price of $14m. <br/>