Airlines are working together to achieve smoother flights and offset a predicted climate-driven increase in dangerous severe turbulence. Scientists have warned passengers to expect more bone-jarring encounters with rough weather due to changes in the climate. A 2017 study by the University of Reading predicted the chances of being tossed around an aircraft cabin by severe turbulence could triple in coming years. It already costs US carriers an estimated US$200m annually and the US FAA has identified it as the leading cause of injuries to passengers and crew in non-fatal accidents. Now IATA has launched a global database aimed at helping airlines avoid turbulent conditions when route planning. IATA says the availability of accurate turbulence data will enable pilots will be able to make more informed decisions. <br/>
general
Costs are a key concern for airline investors, who have fretted about pilot shortages, union disputes and oil prices over the past year. But there’s a less obvious bill that they will likely face in 2019: Higher airport fees. Over the past decade, air travel has grown much faster than the economy. Yet US airports’ spending on infrastructure fell 24% between 2013 and 2017 compared with the previous 5-year period, according to North America’s Airports Council International. Now the infrastructure needs to catch up. Airlines, as well as local govts and federal agencies, will invest US$100b in US airports over the next 5 years, ACI estimates, more than at any point on record. Hub airports will spend the most, because that’s where US airlines have focused their expansion. <br/>
Roughly 18,000 FAA employees have been furloughed as part of the partial US federal govt shutdown that began Dec 22, affecting non-essential personnel in posts ranging from airman certificate issuance to aviation rulemaking. All told, 17,791 FAA employees involved in positions that also include NextGen development, approval of exemptions for unmanned aerial systems operations, random drug-testing of the non-controller workforce, continuity of operations planning and most budgeting functions have been suspended. Not included in the shutdown are essential activities including the TSA, Customs and Border Protection and air traffic control. Those employees are not paid during a shutdown, but typically receive back back-pay from Congress when the full govt resumes operations. <br/>
Airports of Thailand estimates that 3.1m passengers will use its 6 international airports during the year-end holiday, with airlines set to operate a total of 18,300 flights. President Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said that from Dec 27 to Jan 2, total air passengers at AoT's 6 international airports are expected to increase by 11.8%. The number of flights is forecast to grow by 12.6% compared with the same time last year. An average of 453,600 passengers will travel by air each day during the period, with an average of 2,610 flights per day. The company also predicted that Suvarnabhumi airport will be the most crowded with 1.52m passengers or 217,000 passengers per day, representing growth of 15.3% year-on-year, and there will be 8,000 flights or 1,140 flights per day, showing a 15% increase. <br/>
The cabinet Tuesday approved a draft bill for the air navigation law, allowing foreign investors who win Board of Investment promotional privileges to own up to 100% of shares. Three categories -- aircraft manufacturing, aircraft parts manufacturing, and MRO -- will be allowed to enjoy 100% foreign ownership under the draft bill, said Nathporn Chatusripitak, an adviser to the prime minister's Office. The move aims to attract foreign investors to the aviation industry, which is one of 12 targeted industries the govt is promoting for its flagship Eastern Economic Corridor project. The plan aims to help Thailand become an aviation hub in Southeast Asia, Nathporn said. <br/>