general

One year since Boeing’s embattled 737 Max returned to service — following the largest grounding in aviation history — there appears to be a broad consensus in the industry that the plane is as safe as any flying today. “The question I get asked most frequently is, ‘Would you get on a Max?’ And the answer to that is yes, without question, and I would put my family on one,” aviation safety consultant and NBC News analyst John Cox, said in an interview with CNBC’s “American Greed.” Much less clear, however, is whether, in its next generation of aircraft, Boeing can avoid the cascade of errors, shortcuts and management failures that led to 346 deaths in two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 — blamed in part on the plane’s flight-control system. “I had hoped that this would be a major reckoning,” US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, said. “They would bring in someone new and they would say, ‘No, we’re going to go back to being what we were — the best aerospace engineering company in the world, and we’re not going to watch the daily stock price.’ But that didn’t happen.” After all, many of the forces within Boeing that investigators have linked to the crashes — including fierce competition with rival Airbus, as well as pressures to cut costs and speed up production — have only gotten more intense as the company tries to regain lost ground. The crisis has cost Boeing some $20b, not to mention a significant share of the crucial, single-aisle market now dominated by the Airbus A320. Even after the return of the Max, Boeing’s commercial airliner deliveries lagged Airbus in 2021. Story has more.<br/>

There were more than 5,700 reports of air rage on US airlines in 2021 compared with a typical year of about 100 to 150 cases. The surge in problem flyers is causing headaches for carriers, passengers and airline employees. “Unfortunately I’ve been able to see two of these in person and it’s very unnerving. When somebody freaks out on an airliner, there’s no 911 to call, nobody’s coming to your aid, it’s scary,” said Andrew Thomas, associate professor of marketing and international business at the University of Akron. One of the biggest flashpoints is mask compliance. Travelers using public transportation, including planes, trains and buses, were mandated by the TSA early last year to wear a mask. By December the FAA had logged more than 4,100 mask-related incidents. Alcohol is another factor, flight attendants unions have said. In May Southwest Airlines suspended alcohol sales on its flights through at least January 2022 after one of its flight attendants was assaulted. American Airlines has taken similar steps in its main cabin. “It’s been very, very difficult for flight attendants. This has been the most troubling and the most stressful time in the course of my career and I think really in the course of all of aviation,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, which represents around 50,000 flight attendants across over a dozen airlines, including United, Spirit and Frontier. In an attempt to curb the wave of violent passenger incidents the FAA launched a zero-tolerance policy. The agency can propose fines up to $37,000 per violation for passengers who engage in unruly behavior.<br/>

The US Transportation Department will announce on Monday that it is issuing a new rule to make it easier for regulators to move faster to protect airline customers from unfair and deceptive practices, sources told Reuters. The new regulation will simplify and speed hearing procedures the department uses when issuing protection rules to prohibit unfair or deceptive practices by airlines and ticket agents. The department plans future rules on airline ticket refunds and transparency of airline baggage and other fees. The department also soon will issue guidance on the definitions of “unfair” and “deceptive” for purposes of airline customer protection, the sources said. Under the new rules, the department will require airlines or others seeking hearings on proposed government regulations on unfair aviation practices to move faster, make clear hearings will only be granted if in the public interest and eliminate a requirement that hearing officers issue detailed reports. Airlines for America, an airline trade group, did not immediately comment. USDOT said last year it intended to issue a separate proposed rule to require upfront disclosure of baggage fees, change fees and cancellation fees. Under existing U.S. rules, passengers are entitled to a fee refund if bags are lost, but not when delayed. USDOT last year proposed new rules to require passenger airlines to refund fees for bags that are significantly delayed and refunds for services like onboard Wi-Fi that do not work.<br/>

China accused the US of “bullying” over its decision to suspend dozens of flights from America by Chinese airlines, underscoring lingering tensions between the world’s biggest economies. The US “wantonly suspended Chinese flights and disrupted their normal operations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday. “It is irresponsible and unreasonable.” The US on Friday issued restrictions on Air China, China Eastern , China Southern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines, resulting in the suspension of 44 flights by those carriers. For its part, China has in recent months suspended flights by the major U.S. airlines, citing Covid-19 containment efforts. The US has said that violates a treaty on flight access. China’s measures to curb virus transmission had been effective, Zhao said. He urged “the US to respect science” and to stop “restricting normal people-to-people exchanges.”<br/>

Britain will compel airlines to use 70% of takeoff and landing slots this summer to boost competition after the coronavirus crisis, angering carriers still struggling with demand far short of pre-pandemic levels. To ease the transition toward use-it-or-lose-it requirements that are closer to 2019 levels, the Department for Transport also published an extended list of get-out clauses, such as virus-related border closures, on Monday. Countries set minimum-use requirements at airports to make sure airlines don’t hoard unused capacity and keep out potential competitors. The rules were relaxed when Covid-19 caused global travel to collapse, and governments in the UK, European Union and elsewhere are now seeking a return closer to the norm. The issue has emerged as a flashpoint as the aviation industry looks to exit the crisis brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Network airlines seeking to hang on to flying rights want the relaxed rule extended. Airports want a swift return to the old rules to generate revenue -- as do low-cost carriers such as Ryanair Holdings Plc and Wizz Air Holdings Plc that are looking to expand. “The UK government decision on slots makes a mockery of their claims to be supporting the recovery of the airline industry and to be champions of the environment,” said Willie Walsh, director general of the IATA. Airlines will need to run thousands of low-capacity trips -- known as ghost flights -- spewing out unnecessary carbon emissions, Walsh said. Regulators reject this claim, saying the exceptions provide ample flexibility for airlines.<br/>

The UK will stop requiring vaccinated travelers to take a Covid-19 test after arriving in England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. The new rules come on the heels of a recent lifting of pre-flight test requirements, and are part of a general easing of Covid-19 restrictions as the U.K. starts to treat the virus as endemic. “To show that this country is open for business, open for travelers, you will see changes,” Johnson told broadcasters Monday in a pooled interview. “People arriving no longer have to take tests” if they are double vaccinated, he said. The new changes, which take effect on Feb. 11, will lower the cost of travel and give consumers more confidence their plans won’t be upended at the last minute, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told lawmakers on Monday. Airlines, which have sought to lift all testing requirements -- are sure to get a boost, as are hotels and restaurants. Carriers welcomed the government’s decision, which comes ahead of the half-term school holidays next month, followed by spring break and the busy summer season. “We believe testing for travel should now firmly become a thing of the past,” said Johan Lundgren, the CEO of EasyJet. “We now look ahead to what we believe will be a strong summer.”<br/>

Russia’s transport ministry is preparing legislation enabling tougher measures against disruptive passengers, intended to permit crew members and security personnel with the right to use special restraints. Under the proposal the captain of the aircraft would be given the responsibility of deciding whether to use such measures in the event of a direct threat to the flight or safety of those on board. “The largest Russian airlines regularly record cases of attacks and physical assault by passengers on flight attendants, as well as other passengers,” says the ministry. “There are frequent instances of verbal threats, swearing or insults, abusive behaviour, interference, and obstruction of the crew’s performance of duty.” The legislation, intended to take effect from September, proposes to equip aircraft with plastic handcuffs and nylon belts to restrain passengers who engage in such behaviour or refuse to comply with instructions.<br/>

Some foreigners and Vietnamese living abroad no longer need written permission from Vietnamese authorities to enter the country as the government gradually eases travel restrictions. Foreigners and Vietnamese holding permanent or temporary residence cards, visas and visa exemptions may enter Vietnam without prior approval from government authorities or undergoing pre-clearance procedures, Vietnam’s Department of Immigration said in a statement on its website. Foreign tourists who want to visit Vietnam are still restricted to special tours approved by the government. As of Jan. 1, travelers arriving from abroad must be fully vaccinated or have proof of recovering from the coronavirus, be tested for the virus ahead of flying and undergo three days of quarantine at their homes or in hotels and complete a PCR test, the health ministry said. Those that test negative are required to closely monitor their health for two weeks. Foreigners who want to enter the nation for business or family reasons and lack the documents must seek approval from government officials, according to the statement. Domestic airlines resumed regular routes to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Cambodia, the U.S., South Korea, Laos and Thailand earlier this month, according to the government. National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines JSC plans to resume flights to Russia, the U.K., France and Germany before Feb. 1, according to local media.<br/>

Boeing is investing a further $450m in Wisk Aero to support development of future pilotless flying taxis, the US aerospace giant said on Monday. California-based Wisk, owned by Boeing and Kitty Hawk - the air vehicle firm launched by Google co-founder Larry Page - is one of dozens of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) makers but differs in focusing its efforts on autonomous flight. "Our view is that is the big strategic advantage of Wisk, going straight to a self-flying aircraft, building those principles in at every level of the design and development," Boeing's Chief Strategy Officer Marc Allen told Reuters. The decision to leapfrog a generation of piloted eVTOL aircraft being developed by independent startups and some aerospace groups entails a later entry to service than the target date of 2024 envisaged by most competitors. Boeing declined to give a date for what it terms the sixth-generation Wisk passenger vehicle, but industry sources said the idea was to present it for certification in around 2028. Boeing said it would be the first autonomous passenger-carrying vehicle to be certified in the United States. Wisk said the $450m investment from Boeing would make it "one of the most well-funded" companies of its type, but gave no further details.<br/>

Avelo Airlines’ CE Andrew Levy says business travel will not return to pre-pandemic levels since new technologies have matured enough to make companies and employees think twice about corporate trips. “I have shifted my view, and I don’t think business is coming back like anything it used to be,” the veteran airline executive says during a webinar sponsored by XML Financial Group on 24 January. “People have gotten too used to not travelling.” The pandemic has enabled people to realise the value of new technologies like video conferencing, and the value of the time they used to spend commuting or travelling for work, he says. “As that behaviour has become entrenched, I think it’s really going to be hard to reverse that trend,” he adds. “I have shifted my own views [and now] think it will be well south of 100%.” That said, the start-up airline’s target customers are not executives travelling on company time, but rather cost-conscious leisure travellers and passengers visiting family and friends. He anticipates Avelo will benefit from these new trends. “More people are travelling for leisure, having flexibility in their lives, having the ability to fly and have three- or four-day weekends, doing some work but doing it remotely,” Levy says. “That’s right up our alley.”<br/>