Airlines waived change fees and warned of possible flight disruptions as Tropical Storm Harvey took aim at the Gulf Coast of Texas. The storm was forecast to make landfall as a hurricane, likely late Friday or early Saturday. Meteorologists warned heavy flooding was possible across the region, with problems possibly lasting into next week. A number of US airlines – including the nation’s four biggest – had enacted flexible rebooking policies for fliers ticketed to fly to the region. The policies vary by airline, but – generally – they permit eligible customers to make one change to their itineraries without paying change fees that can cost $200 or more per passenger. The policies also typically allow fliers to move their flights without paying a fare difference, though there’s usually a finite travel window to do so. For passengers wishing to move their flights to dates outside beyond those booking windows, most carriers will allow customers to apply the full value of their remaining ticket toward a newly booked one.<br/>
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India is considering setting up remote air traffic control towers to cut costs and overcome labour shortages, government sources said, as PM Narendra Modi looks to open dozens of regional airports to boost air travel. Remote monitoring allows traditional concrete control towers to be replaced with dozens of high resolution, infra-red cameras around runways that feed live images to screens in buildings far from the airport. The technology, used in countries including Australia, Canada, Ireland and Sweden, enables flights at multiple airports to be monitored from one location, reducing the need for air traffic controllers and physical towers at every airport. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has initiated a study on remote monitoring of flights, with a recommendation expected in September, one of the sources said. A decision to proceed could be a boost to companies like Sweden’s Saab and Canada-based Searidge Technologies that are in talks with the airport regulator to bring the technology to India. “India is one of the biggest opportunities in terms of the business potential,” said Varun Singh, marketing director at Saab India, adding that it has held several discussions with the airport regulator. Searidge, which has set up remote digital towers in Hungary, Albania and Azerbaijan, said it has also presented its technology to the airport regulator.<br/>
Pratt and Whitney has told India it will provide replacement engines for grounded A320neo aircraft operated by IndiGo and GoAir airlines by the end of September, a civil aviation ministry official said Thursday. Eight IndiGo planes and two GoAir jets are grounded because the carriers cannot get replacement engines from Pratt and Whitney. The official, asking not to be named, said the government has told the engine maker to prioritize its deliveries to India's biggest airline, IndiGo, and GoAir.<br/>
The European Aviation Safety Agency ordered operators of Airbus SE A350 airliners to revise fuel-system software to reduce the risk of overheating that could lead to a fire. A flaw in the hydraulic-fluid cooling system, located in the fuel tanks, may cause the temperature of the liquid to rise quickly, the EASA said in an emergency airworthiness directive that took effect Thursday. That could lead to overheated fluid igniting the fuel-air mix in the tank if its fire-extinguishing system isn’t working. Airbus has delivered 100 of the A350, its latest twin-aisle jet, and booked total orders of 848, making the model one of the company’s most important aircraft. While customers have praised its fuel efficiency and economics, deliveries have been delayed as supplier Zodiac Aerospace hasn’t been able to provide some interiors on time. The bestselling A350-900 variant has a list price of US$311.2m, making it Airbus’s third-most expensive model. <br/>