Brisbane, Australia-based International Aerospace Law & Policy Group and Chicago-based law firm PMJ PLLC Saturday filed a class action lawsuit against Boeing on behalf of more than 400 pilots from a major international airline claiming compensatory damages from the grounding of the 737 Max fleet. The pilots fly for an airline that also employs a 737 Max pilot known only as Pilot X, who wishes to remain unidentified for fear of reprisal. Pilot X filed a lawsuit individually late last month, claiming present and future losses stemming from the “psychological impact” of the 2 crashes that ultimately led to the aircraft's grounding. The IALPG said the claimants haven’t yet tallied a figure for damages, but the law firm estimates losses in the millions of dollars. <br/>
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The prospect of “standing seats” in economy class has moved another inch closer to reality, with the third incarnation of the now-infamous Skyrider being showcased to airline bosses. Italian design firm Avio Interiors used the Paris Air Show to show off its Skyrider 3.0, promising “ultra-high density” seating to carriers looking to squeeze as many passengers as possible into its planes. The concept would make it possible for aircraft to have 20% more seats, with “low maintenance costs”; so a typical Boeing 737 could have 227 seats instead of 189. The latest version of the seats did not win over all its testers. Andreas Speath, an aviation journalist based in Germany, where the seats were first unveiled in April, said the seats were a “no-go for over 10 minutes". Another described the furniture as a “torture chamber”. <br/>
A union representing more than 11,000 airline food workers in 28 cities across the US says its members have authorised a strike. The workers are seeking better wages and improved healthcare as the “airline industry booms.” UNITE HERE, which represents 300,000 hospitality workers in North America, reported that the vote to authorise the strike was the largest ever within the airline catering industry. Workers involved are employed by LSG Sky Chefs and Gate Gourmet, and serve major airlines such as American, Delta and United, among others. The union says this vote to authorise the strike comes after talks for a new contract with Sky Chefs and Gate Gourmet broke down. UNITE claims that most employees make less than US$15 per hour and struggle to pay the high healthcare premiums. <br/>
According to a global consumer survey commissioned by engineering simulation company, Ansys, 70% of consumers feel ready to fly in autonomous aircraft in their lifetime. Aerospace manufacturers are under pressure to deliver the next era of air travel, but proving that autonomous aircraft are safe and reliable is critical to securing public acceptance. “Autonomous aircraft are likely to enter service over the next decade, targeting both intra-city and inter-city travel, primarily used in air freight and air taxi business models. Further automation in large commercial jets will be gradual, first starting with single pilot operations, followed by fully autonomous operations,” said a senior research analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “Undoubtedly, automation will continue to transform air transport, as it has done over the past few decades." <br/>
US Customs and Border Protection will cancel some Global Entry program interviews through the end of the fiscal year as CBP officers are diverted to respond to a surge in migrant arrivals at the southwestern US border. “CBP continues to respond to the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis on our southwest border. In response to this effort, CBP is temporarily reducing staff at Global Entry Enrollment Centers nationwide and reassigning them to support frontline traveller processing at ports of entry during the busy summer months,” a CBP spokeswoman said. The Airports Council International-North America said it is "very concerned that the disruption of Global Entry due to the diversion of CBP officers...will detract from future program enrolments, resulting in increased wait times for international travellers arriving in the US”. <br/>
Vienna International Airport saw a record number of passengers in the first 5 months of 2019 and anticipates further growth as traffic increases, particularly in the LCC market. Passenger numbers grew 25% year-over-year to 11.7m. The main drivers continue to be LCCs as well as new long-haul services. In 2018, LCC passenger growth at the airport was fuelled by the opening of 3 new bases by LaudaMotion, Level, and Wizz Air. In the long-haul sector at VIE, China Southern Airlines launched 3X-weekly Guangzhou-Urumqi-Vienna Boeing 787-8 services June 18. Earlier this year, ANA launched daily Vienna-Tokyo Haneda services; Air Canada began daily Vienna-Toronto service; and Austrian Airlines started a new Vienna-Montreal route. In 2018, 27m passengers travelled to and from VIE. <br/>
Indonesia is close to extending VAT relief to imported leased aircraft as a measure aimed at lowering airline's operating costs. Provision of the tax relief will likely be done through the revision of a 2015 govt order, and be made public sometime this week, Suahasil Nazara, head of the country's Fiscal Policy Agency, said Friday. He adds discussions to extend the relief have been going on "for a while," and coincided with the recent changes to the domestic airfare price floor and ceiling. He also stressed that the relief will help carriers to reduce their cost base. Since 2016 the govt has provided VAT relief to airlines importing owned aircraft and aircraft components. The plan came 1 day after the transport ministry indicated that a policy to further reduce domestic airfares is being worked on by Jakarta. <br/>