The EU decided not to reinstate restrictions on non-essential travel from the US despite new Covid-19 cases there exceeding the bloc’s threshold. The next review of the list of countries being granted unrestricted access into the EU will be in two weeks, according to a spokesperson for the Slovenian presidency, who confirmed Monday’s decision. New Covid cases in the US rose to about 270 per 100,000 inhabitants over the previous 14 days, according to data compiled by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. The EU limit is 75 new cases. The guidance from the bloc is a recommendation and any decision on who to let in, and what restrictions to impose, ultimately rests with the government of each member state. While countries have largely followed the guidelines, there have been times when individual nations have diverged from them. Airline routes between the EU and US have recovered to almost 50% of pre-pandemic levels after Brussels chose to let in fully vaccinated Americans in June. <br/>
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The CEOs of Southwest, American Airlines and Delta say they are not requiring unvaccinated employees to receive the shot, breaking with United Airlines' mandate that workers get vaccinated by October 25 or face getting fired. In an internal memo, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said the airline will "continue to strongly encourage" that workers get vaccinated, but the airline's stance has not shifted. "Obviously, I am very concerned about the latest Delta variant, and the effect on the health and Safety of our Employees and our operation, but nothing has changed," Kelly said. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said Tuesday that 75% of its workforce has already been vaccinated even without a companywide mandate. In May, Delta became the first major carrier to require that all new hires be vaccinated. United Airlines made a similar announcement in June. "I think there's some additional steps and measures we can take to get the vaccine rates even higher, but what we're seeing is every day is those numbers continue to grow," Bastian said. Both announcements follow a New York Times podcast interview with American Airlines CEO Doug Parker, who said the airline is giving workers who get vaccinated by the end of this month one extra day of vacation in 2022. "We certainly encourage it everywhere we can, encourage it for our customers and our employees, but we're not putting mandates in place," said Parker. American Airlines said there was "no update at this time" to its vaccination policy. "We are strongly encouraging our team members to get vaccinated, and we are offering an incentive for those who do."<br/>
More than 300 flights were canceled at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Monday after severe weather prompted a ground stop and an evacuation of the airport’s control tower. The National Weather Service had been tracking severe storms in Illinois throughout Monday afternoon and into the night. Around 7:17 p.m. local time, the Weather Service said a tornado had been confirmed on the ground in Arlington, Ill., about 100 miles southwest of Chicago. About an hour later, the Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for areas north and northwest of Chicago, including O’Hare Airport. Winds up to 60 m.p.h., penny-size hail and a tornado were possible with storms moving in the area, the Weather Service said. “We are currently monitoring strengthening rotation over O’Hare Airport,” the Weather Service said on Twitter, moments after the severe thunderstorm warning was issued. The threat of a possible tornado led to the evacuation of the O'Hare air traffic control tower, the FAA said.<br/>
US President Joe Biden’s administration is quietly discussing a target date of 2050 for weaning aircrafts off fossil fuels as part of the White House’s broader push to fight climate change, sources familiar with the matter said. The White House in recent days has stepped up efforts aimed at transforming the US economy, including promotion of climate-directed infrastructure spending and bringing auto companies on board for its push for more electric vehicle use. The Biden administration is contemplating incentives to support private-sector production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as it searches for ways to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in the hard-to-electrify aviation industry. The administration is looking at a 2050 target for airlines to fly on 100% jet fuel from renewable sources, said two sources, who spoke anonymously to be candid about the discussions. The discussions are still in the early stages with few details available, the sources said. The United States and Europe are trying to find ways to encourage production and adoption of SAF, which is two to five times more expensive than standard jet fuel. The administration confirmed that SAF is on its radar but did not comment on or confirm the 2050 target.<br/>
Accidents on US airlines have become increasingly rare except for one category of in-flight mishap that has remained stubbornly prevalent: turbulence that leads to serious injuries. More than 65% of severe injuries -- or 28 of 43 -- logged by US accident investigators from 2017 through 2020 on airliners resulted from planes encountering bumpy skies, triggered by atmospheric conditions that could be worsening due to climate change. US accident investigators on Tuesday said much more should be done to protect people, particularly flight attendants. The problem has been exacerbated by insufficient weather reporting, antiquated data technology and outdated federal guidance to airlines, the NTSB said. “Turbulence is the most common airline accident type today and it’s high time we reduce turbulence-related injuries,” NTSB acting Chairman Bruce Landsberg said. The sweeping NTSB findings ranged from seeking better ways to secure children 2 years old and younger, who don’t need to be belted in, and calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to order flight attendants to be seated and strapped in for longer periods, where they’re almost never injured. “Almost all passenger injuries happen to the unbelted,” Landsberg said. “So, stay buckled in, except when out of your seat, and especially when the seat belt sign is on.”<br/>
US airlines are asking regulators to wake up to a shortage of smelling salts, also called ammonia inhalants. Yes, the US airline industry is facing what it describes as a critical shortage of inhalants – items airlines are required to carry aboard aircraft. One reason for the short supply: drug-related provisions in the CARES Act, the same law that granted US airlines billions of pandemic-relief dollars. In a 10 August letter to the US DoT, trade group Airlines for America is asking the regulator to let carriers fly without the required number of inhalants, which are used to help arouse people who have fainted. “Without the requested relief, carriers will periodically and with little notice face the decision to ground aircraft,” says the letter. US regulations require aircraft, depending on number of passengers, be stocked with up to four first aid kits, each with 10 ammonia inhalants. “We request that [Federal Aviation Administration] issue a long-term exemption for use during periods of temporary supply shortages, beyond operator control," says A4A. At least one inhalant supplier has several months worth of product in stock, but suppliers report being unable to order more.<br/>
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has allowed chartered flights from Phuket to land at Suvarnabhumi Airport to facilitate departure from the province for tourists visiting under the sandbox programme. The CAAT explanation on Monday came after news of foreign tourists in Phuket having to travel by buses to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Samut Prakan province to catch a flight home, raising questions whether the CAAT had prohibited the flights from Phuket to Suvarnabhumi. “On July 18, the CAAT barred domestic passenger flights to and from provinces classified as 'dark red' due to the Covid-19 situation, which includes Samut Prakan,” said the authority. “However, exceptions have been made for tourists under the Phuket sandbox programme who wish to leave the province. Chartered flights from Phuket can still land at Suvarnabhumi Airport to transport foreign passengers. However, so far no airline has applied to operate such flights from Phuket, probably due to low number of passengers, which could make the flight less cost effective.” The CAAT added that flights from Phuket to U-Tapao Airport in Rayong province are still available and could be an alternative for tourists under the sandbox programme.<br/>
A Boeing 737 MAX test plane took to the skies in China on Wednesday as the US manufacturer looks to end a nearly two-and-a-half-year regulatory grounding of the model in the key travel market. Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed a 737 MAX 7 test plane taking off from Shanghai's Pudong International Airport at 9:24 a.m. (0124 GMT), with no destination listed. It was flying in a southeasterly direction. The 737 MAX test plane left Seattle last week and arrived in Shanghai on Aug. 7 after refuelling stops in Honolulu and Guam. Reuters reported last week it was due for its first test flight in China on Aug. 11 if all went well. Boeing did not respond immediately to a request for comment. About 30 airlines and 175 countries have allowed the 737 MAX to return to service following a nearly two-year safety ban after crashes five months apart killed 346 people, plunging Boeing into a financial crisis since compounded by the coronavirus pandemic. Boeing's 737 MAX remains grounded in China, where trade tensions between Washington and Beijing have cut off sales for years, though Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said last month he still expected the 737 MAX to win approval before year-end. China's aviation regulator previously issued three requirements for the 737 MAX's return to service: certified design changes, sufficient pilot training, and definitive findings from the crash investigations.<br/>
Boeing easily beat rival Airbus in orders for new planes last month, but Chicago-based Boeing trailed its European rival in delivering planes to airline customers. Boeing said Tuesday that it took orders for 31 planes in July while 17 others were canceled, resulting in a net gain of 14. That compared with two orders for Airbus. It was Boeing’s sixth straight month of positive net orders after seeing cancellations exceed orders for most of 2020. Boeing has reported 270 net orders so far in 2021. Brazil’s Gol ordered nine 737 Max jets last month and Dallas-based Southwest Airlines ordered six. Boeing delivered 28 planes in July, including nine 737 Max jets sent to Irish airline Ryanair. That fell short of Airbus, which delivered 47 planes last month. For the year, Boeing has delivered 184 planes — more than all of 2020 — despite another halt in shipping its 787 jet because of production flaws in the fuselage and nose. Last month, the company said it will cut production of 787s.<br/>
Aviation lobby groups have welcomed the US Senate’s confirmation of Jennifer Homendy as the next and 15th chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The Senate approved the nomination on 9 August. Homendy succeeds Robert Sumwalt, who retired in June after a board tenure of 15 years, and four years as its chair. She joined the board in August 2018, and was reconfirmed to a five-year term a year later. “Ms. Homendy is a tireless advocate for safety, whose expertise and experience make her an excellent choice to lead this crucial transportation safety agency,” pilot union Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) says. “We look forward to continuing our aviation safety partnership with the NTSB and to working with chair Homendy in her new role to further our mutual goal of achieving the highest standards of aviation safety.” <br/>