The operator of Pearson International says it’s taken steps to reduce the risk of runway collisions with improved signage and lighting to better guide pilots and will be mounting a fresh appeal to US air carriers to be more vigilant when operating at Canada’s busiest airport. A rash of runway incursions has spurred the Transportation Safety Board of Canada to launch a special review of operations at Pearson. Both the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and Nav Canada, the private agency responsible for providing air traffic control, say they are supporting the study. During busy periods, aircraft land on the outer runway and then taxi across the inner runway to reach the terminal buildings. But in almost 2 dozen occasions in recent years, aircraft have failed to stop as instructed on a taxiway. <br/>
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Arrests of passengers suspected of being drunk at UK airports and on flights have risen by 50% in a year. A total of 387 people were arrested between Feb 2016 and Feb 2017 - up from 255 the previous year. Meanwhile more than half of cabin crew who responded to a survey said they had witnessed disruptive drunken passenger behaviour at UK airports. The Home Office is "considering" calls for tougher rules on alcohol. Airlines UK said it should be made illegal for people to drink their own alcohol on board a plane. A total of 19,000 of the Unite union's cabin crew members were surveyed and 4,000 responded, with 1 in 5 saying they had suffered physical abuse. <br/>
After 2 weeks of chaos, Barcelona airport faces a worsening situation as security staff begin a continuous 24-hour strike. The private security workers have been staging go-slows and rolling one-hour strikes since late July and Sunday voted for a second time to reject the company’s offer, paving the way for 24-hour strike action. The workers voted by 150 to 36 to reject the offer and to go ahead with the planned industrial action. Spain’s minister for infrastructure, Inigo de la Serna, said Sunday that this was the strikers’ “last chance” and that he would send in Guardia Civil officers to ensure that the airport continued to function if they voted to walk out. Waits of up to 3 hours have led to more than 1,000 passengers missing their flights over the past 2 weeks. <br/>
Qatar, embroiled in a diplomatic stand-off with four Middle East nations that have seen severe restrictions on its access to neighbouring airspace, has waived entry visa requirements for 80 nations. The air blockade was not directly referenced in the announcement of the move to ease visa requirements, but will be seen as the Gulf state attempting to head off any reductions in passenger numbers for Qatar Airways from potential customers uncertain about whether to travel on the carrier. It will also be seen by the 4 countries that accuse Qatar of aiding Islamist extremists and undermining their govts as a further sign of defiance. Of the 80 countries, passport-holders of 33— mainly European—will be able to receive a visa valid for 180 days that allows them to spend up to 90 days in the state on a multi-entry basis. <br/>