Two powerful storms packing heavy snows and strong winds are expected to sweep across the western half of the US this week just in time to wreak havoc on the plans of millions of Americans travelling for Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day holiday. Starting on Monday evening, a storm will begin dumping more than a foot (30 cm) of snow as wind gusts reach 72 kph in an area from southern Wyoming to central Colorado. The same storm will then drop 15 to 30cm of snow as it moves east across Nebraska and Kansas and into Minneapolis on Tuesday before reaching the upper Great Lakes by Wednesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. A second strong storm is expected to dump heavy snow on parts of the Pacific Northwest starting Tuesday night, with blizzard-like conditions in Oregon and Northern California, the NWS said. Some 55m travelers will fly or drive at least 80 km from their homes this Thanksgiving, according to the American Automobile Association. In the western half of the country, dozens of winter storm watches and warnings were in effect, complicating the plans of many would-be travellers. Airlines and airports warned travellers to check the status of their flight and to consider rescheduling as weather may disrupt service.<br/>
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Hundreds of airline catering workers are protesting this week at some of the largest US airports to demand higher wages and better benefits during what’s expected to be a record Thanksgiving travel period. Some of those workers, who prepare and deliver meals to airlines and are represented by the Unite Here labor union, are planning to block airport roads or stage sit-ins around ticket counters and pre-security areas on Tuesday at airports including those serving New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Philadelphia. Others plan to picket and hand out pamphlets about their demands, according to the union, which represents more than 20,000 airline catering workers. Airlines for America expects a record 31.6m travellers to fly on US airlines during the 12 days around Thanksgiving, up nearly 4% from last year. The workers are employed by LSG Sky Chefs and Gate Gourmet, which big airlines subcontract to provide on-board food and beverages. The union contends that some workers don’t earn enough to keep up with the cost of living and is arguing for a nationwide wage of at least $15 an hour.<br/>
Asian airlines are cautious about the outlook for 2020 after trade disputes undermined confidence and led to economic growth below initial forecasts this year, the head of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said on Monday. Airline passenger growth in Asia has moderated this year to 4.4% in the nine months ended Sept. 30, down from 7.7% for the same period in 2018, AAPA statistics show. Asian cargo carriage fell 5.8% in the first nine months of the year amid a U.S.-China trade war. “I think we need to be a little bit cautious,” AAPA Director General Andrew Herdman said of the 2020 outlook after having met Asian airline CEs in Kuala Lumpur Friday. “If it turns out to be a bit better than expected then we will be ready to respond.” AAPA moved the meeting to Kuala Lumpur after cancelling plans for a larger gathering in Hong Kong, citing the “unpredictability” of the situation following months of often violent protests in the Chinese-controlled city.<br/>
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) handled 5.4m passengers in October, a decline of 13% year-over-year, marking the third consecutive month of double-digit declines in numbers since the escalation of anti-government protests in the region. Traffic from mainland China and Southeast Asia saw the sharpest declines. Aircraft movements fell 6.1% YOY to 34,400 takeoffs and landings, likely because of capacity cuts by numerous airlines. Cargo also dropped 5.5% YOY. HKIA continues to be a major transit hub for flagship carrier Cathay Pacific Airways. Transfer traffic increased 7%. During the 10-month period from January-October, HKIA saw declines in passengers (2.2%), aircraft movements (0.6%) and cargo (7%).<br/>