By the holiday season, flying will have changed dramatically for Americans returning to the United States from abroad. They will be asked to show proof that they are vaccinated, to commit to two coronavirus tests if they are not and to participate in a new contact tracing system. For Americans traveling within the United States, however, none of this applies. As airlines prepare for what’s expected to be the biggest travel rush of the past two years, domestic travel — aside from a mask mandate and some restrictions on alcohol — will be largely the same as it was before the pandemic: packed cabins and no testing or proof of vaccination required. Whether this is a symptom of denial or a sign of progress depends on who you ask. Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, recently telegraphed her position when she proposed a bill that would require passengers on domestic flights to be fully vaccinated, to have recently tested negative or to have a certificate of recovery from the virus. “We know that air travel during the 2020 holiday season contributed to last winter’s devastating COVID-19 surge,” Feinstein said. “We simply cannot allow that to happen again.” Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, President Biden’s top medical adviser, has said that he personally supports the idea of requiring proof of vaccination for domestic air travel, a policy that Canada will begin implementing on Oct. 30. The White House has said that it is focused on other strategies for encouraging broad vaccination.<br/>
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The US Transportation Department Office of Inspector General said Tuesday it will audit the FAA’s efforts to ensure adequate air traffic control staffing. The inspector general’s office noted that since March 2020, FAA has been forced at times to partially shut towers and radar control facilities because of COVID-19 cases and faces veteran controllers leaving for various reasons, including retirements. The audit will assess “FAA’s efforts to ensure that critical air traffic control facilities have an adequate number of controllers.” It will also “identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on FAA’s controller training program.” The FAA says US airspace is the busiest and most complex in the world. The FAA employs about 13,800 air traffic controllers in more than 300 US facilities. In 2018, the FAA said that over the prior five years it had hired over 7,800 new air traffic controllers. In 2020, the FAA faced numerous COVID-19 cases among controllers that forced the temporary closures of air traffic control towers, including at Chicago Midway and Las Vegas airports, which resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson noted in a speech earlier that in 2020 the FAA “created sterile teams of air traffic controllers and implemented cleaning and disinfecting protocols to keep people safe and the system going.<br/>
The United States will relax coronavirus restrictions at its land borders with Canada and Mexico for vaccinated travelers next month, allowing for the resumption of non-essential travel like tourism. The changes, announced by members of New York’s congressional delegation, come after the White House previously announced its intention to begin allowing airline passengers from a broad swath of countries – including Canada, Mexico, and Europe – to enter the country with proof of vaccination and a coronavirus test in early November. The changes are expected to invigorate international travel before the holiday season, and Tuesday’s announcement addresses complaints by those living in border communities that the U.S. was imposing different rules for those traveling by air than for those driving to see friends and family. “This reopening will be welcome news to countless businesses, medical providers, families, and loved ones that depend on travel across the northern border,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, said. The new policy will end restrictions on non-essential travel that were first implemented in March 2020, though Americans were not restricted from returning home. The new standard will also apply to cross-border ferry travel. Other details of how the program will work must still be finalized, according to senior administration officials who requested anonymity to preview the changes to the Department of Homeland Security policy.<br/>
Over 700 residents were ordered to abandon their homes on Tuesday on the Spanish island of La Palma as red-hot lava advanced towards their neighbourhood. As the river of molten magma descended from the Cumbre Vieja volcano in the northeast of the Canary Island, authorities ordered between 700 and 800 inhabitants of La Laguna to leave home with their belongings and pets, according to the Canary Islands Volcanic Emergency Plan (Pevolca). "We want to pick up documents and other things because our whole life is in that house and we cannot collect over 30 years in five minutes," said Enrique, 50, a Spanish home-owner. Authorities gave homeowners until 1800 GMT to collect their things. "We have been obliged to evacuate a new area. The lava is advancing slowly. People should have time to take their documents, their personal items and anything of value," said Miguel Angel Morcuende, technical director of Pevolca. There were 64 seismic movements on Tuesday, the strongest measuring 4.1, the Spanish National Geological Institute said. La Palma airport remained open but 11 flights were cancelled on Tuesday and others were delayed, airport operator AENA said.<br/>
Domestic flights in India will fly at full capacity from Oct. 18, India’s civil aviation ministry said on Tuesday, as it lifted one of the major restrictions on the industry since the onset of the pandemic 18 months ago. The government’s move ahead of the Indian festive season comes as a boon to the struggling domestic carriers, including IndiGo and SpiceJet, which were starting to see some improvements in passenger traffic due to a drop in COVID-19 infections in most states. In August, regulatory data showed that passenger growth jumped 136.6% as the government started to ease COVID-related travel restrictions. “The airlines/airport operators shall, however, ensure that the guidelines to contain the spread of COVID are strictly adhered to and COVID appropriate behaviour is strictly enforced,” the ministry said in an order. Airlines including IndiGo, SpiceJet and Vistara - a joint venture of Tata Group and Singapore Airlines - were allowed to resume partial operations in May 2020 with limited capacity after a two-month halt on operations to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Since partial resumption, air travel has faced limitations such as ticket pricing restrictions, protective suits and face shields for flight attendants and passengers as well as curbs on serving food on planes.<br/>
Boeing said Tuesday that its roughly 125,000 US employees have to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination or have an approved religious or medical exemption by Dec. 8 under President Joe Biden’s executive order for federal contractor. The aircraft manufacturer, which makes both commercial and military planes, is the latest federal contractor to inform its staff that it will comply with the mandate. The exemptions would “be based on a disability or sincerely held religious belief,” Boeing said in a statement. “Boeing will continue to carefully monitor guidance from public health agencies, and requirements from federal, state and local governments to inform our COVID-19 policies.” The Chicago-based company has aircraft production facilities in Washington state and South Carolina and major operations throughout the US, including in California, Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama.<br/>
Boeing on Tuesday reported net aircraft sales for the eighth consecutive month, but deliveries of its Dreamliner planes remain suspended as they undergo quality checks. The aircraft manufacturer posted sales of 27 aircraft, including 16 737 Max planes and six 777 freighters in September as well as cancellations of five planes. Boeing said it delivered 35 jets last month. Those included 26 737 Maxes. Net orders for the year though September are 349.<br/>
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and other industry groups on Tuesday committed to “net zero” carbon emissions by 2050, as the sector's flagship private jet show kicked off in Las Vegas. Business aviation has joined airlines and airports in strengthening its plans to tackle climate change. Earlier, the industry had pledged to halve emissions from 2005 levels by 2050. Aviation accounts for roughly 3% of global CO2 emissions, and a surge in private travel is putting the business aviation industry under greater pressure to cut emissions. Aviation brokers and other industry executives at the show told Reuters that buyers are looking for more efficient models and asking about offsetting, but none are putting off purchases of corporate aircraft or private travel due to the environment. While business aviation emits a fraction of pollution compared with commercial, private travel has come under widening scrutiny because it generates more emissions per passenger than scheduled airline traffic. "The world is demanding sustainability," NBAA CE Ed Bolen said. A week ago, a group representing global airlines set the same target at its annual general meeting in Boston. Planemakers are adding more recycled material on planes, seeking ways to lighten aircraft to burn less fuel and working on a new generation of electric aircraft.<br/>