US authorities on Friday moved to ground additional aircraft believed to be in violation of sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including a second airplane owned by businessman Roman Abramovich. The Commerce Department said a 787 Dreamliner owned by Abramovich had likely violated US export controls, after having identified in March a first aircraft owned by the Russian businessman suspected to be in violation of restrictions. It also said that it was issuing an order denying export privileges to Rossiya Airlines due to ongoing export violations, the fifth Russian airline to which it has done so. The Commerce Department warned that providing any service to aircraft subject to its Export Administration Regulations (EAR) that may have violated those controls requires US government authorization. Failure to do so could result in "substantial jail time, fines, loss of export privileges, or other restrictions," the Commerce Department said. "By preventing these aircraft from receiving any service, including from abroad, international flights from Belarus or Russia on these aircraft are effectively grounded," the department said. The department "is further updating the tail numbers of planes already on the list that have flown into Russia and/or Belarus in apparent violation of the EAR." The department has previously denied export privileges to Russian airlines Aeroflot, Azur Air, UTair and Aviastar.<br/>
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As Canada's busiest airport, in Toronto, grapples with unusually long lines, a global airline trade group has urged Canadian authorities to take action to curb the hours-long queues ahead of the upcoming summer travel season. Airports from Canada to England are wrestling with long-lines and delays, as a staffing crunch combined with surging travel demand following a pandemic-induced slump raises fears of chaos in some regions ahead of the busy summer season. In Canada, frustrated passengers have taken to social media in recent weeks to vent their anger, posting photos and videos of long lines at customs and security and piled-up baggage at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Those images are fueling further calls for relief, as travelers arrive early, or avoid the airport ahead of the long holiday weekend for Victoria Day on May 23. On Friday morning, cars were backed up around 500 metres (0.5 km) to get to the airport's Terminal 1 departures area, with hundreds of passengers inside waiting to reach the security checkpoints. One traveler arriving from New Delhi said passengers were held on the plane for an additional 20 minutes at the gate due to lines at customs. Such delays have stranded some planes for hours. "Passengers are expecting predictability and are paying a security fee to be efficiently processed," said the IATA regional vice president for the Americas in a May 17 letter to three Canadian ministers.<br/>
Airports body ACI Europe has improved its passenger outlook for 2022 and now expects a full traffic recovery to happen a year earlier than previously amid strong summer demand, but warns several factors could still derail the recovery. In its previous outlook, published in October, ACI Europe’s base case for European airports was for passenger traffic to be 32% below pre-crisis levels this year and not to return to 2019 activity levels until 2025. However, it now sees that gap closing to 22% below 2019 passenger levels this year, and a full recovery to pre-pandemic highs in 2024. ACI Europe director general Olivier Jankovec says: ”At the moment, the performance of passenger traffic is trending along our high-case optimistic scenario on the back of travel restrictions lifting across many markets and strong summer pent-up demand.” Despite this upbeat prognosis, ACI notes it comes with several “hefty warnings” that Covid, alongside geopolitical and economic risks, could impact the recovery. ”The history of the past three years suggests caution, especially as we still do not have an established playbook in Europe – let alone globally – on how to deal with future Covid-19 variants when it comes to travel,” says Jankovec. ”And beyond the immediate operational challenges from staffing issues, there is no escape from rising geopolitical tensions and stagflation fears, meaning risks for air traffic only go in one direction – down.”<br/>
Wizz Air has announced plans to set up a subsidiary in Malta, underscoring the emergence of the tiny island nation (population just over 500,000) as Europe’s unlikeliest new aviation powerhouse. The fast-growing Budapest-based airline, which was founded in 2003 and now operates a fleet of 153 aircraft, hopes to have its Maltese business up and running by October. Chief executive József Váradi says the move will support further expansion and that he is exploring options to set up more subsidiaries and bases in Europe and beyond. The airline’s arrival in Malta is part of a much larger trend. The country, 55 miles off the south coast of Sicily, is the world’s 10th smallest and only has seasonal tourist traffic, yet more than 500 aircraft are registered there, according to KPMG calculations. That leaves it with more aircraft than hotels. Ryanair subsidiaries Malta Air and Lauda Europe were set up on the island in 2019 and 2020 respectively and together now operate more than 170 aircraft. Earlier this year, Lufthansa’s Eurowings Europe announced plans to move to the country, which is already home to private jet companies such as VistaJet and Luxwing. The weather may be good and the location helpful to link up parts of southern Europe, but the aviation industry’s sudden rush to Malta is based on pure economics. “Malta is seen as attractive for airlines with lower aircraft registration costs and a favourable tax regime,” says Mark Simpson, an aviation analyst at Goodbody. According to tax advisory firm EMD, one of the most attractive incentives for airlines is that income from operations outside Malta is exempt from taxation in the country. Other tax breaks include incentives on aircraft parts and lease payments, and there is a personal tax rate of only 15% for people working in aviation. Meanwhile, the country is part of the EU, and flight operations come under European Aviation Safety Agency jurisdiction, making it straightforward to operate across the continent.<br/>
Airports can be green and air travel could be cheaper eventually, but first a high level of investment is needed, a scientist has told the BBC. Prof Pericles Pilidis, of Cranfield University in Bedfordshire, said new hydrogen-powered airliners could be a reality within 10 years. He claimed expanding airports could also be greener in the long term. Meanwhile, Luton Airport said its new rail link between the terminal and railway station would cut emissions. Prof Pilidis, head of Cranfield's Power and Propulsion Department, said zero-carbon hydrogen-powered aircraft would stop air travel damaging the environment. Asked if airport expansion could be green, he said: "The answer is a categorical 'yes' - subject to the right investments being put in place. "There is going to be a high transition cost - but in the longer term green aviation could be cheaper than the air travel we have at the moment." At Luton Airport, a brand new Direct Air-Rail Transit (DART) system, that will link the airport terminal with Luton Airport Parkway railway station, is due to open this year, which the airport said would reduce its carbon footprint. The council-run company that owns the airport - Luton Rising - has long-term plans to increase passenger numbers to 32 million a year. Graham Olver, CEO of Luton Rising, said: "Green-controlled growth is the new framework to make absolutely certain to everyone that when there are promises made for the environment in developing the airport, the promises are kept."<br/>
China's aviation regulator is seeking "whistleblowers" from the industry's frontline workers to plug any safety loopholes, part of the government's efforts to ensure safety after two recent major accidents including the deadly China Eastern crash. In a document issued on May 19, the Civil Aviation Administration of China urged frontline workers and grass root management officials, who are usually the first to spot weak links, to report their findings to airlines to prevent any safety hazards. "It is of great necessity that we fully mobilise the vast number of frontline personnel - for them to be willing and dare to be a safety 'whistle blower', which would also be crucial in reversing the current unfavourable situation and maintain the stable operations of the industry safety," the CAAC said Friday. On March 21, China Eastern flight MU5735 plunged into the mountains of Guangxi and killed 132 people on board in mainland China's deadliest aviation disaster for 28 years. It led the CAAC to launch sector-wide inspections to find potential safety lapses. However, less than two months later, a Tibet Airlines plane caught fire on the ground after pilots aborted a take-off in the southwestern city of Chongqing. All passengers were evacuated in time but dozens of passengers suffered minor injuries. read more China is a stickler for aviation safety, after maintaining its strong safety record for more than a decade. The CAAC was the first regulator globally to ground the Boeing 737 MAX after two fatal crashes.<br/>
India is investigating three separate incidents in the past two months where airline pilots had to shut down plane engines mid-flight made by a joint venture of General Electric and France’s Safran, according to people familiar with the matter. The so-called commanded in-flight shutdowns—when pilots intentionally turn off one of the two engines after encountering problems—may have stemmed from different issues. Modern commercial jetliners are equipped to fly and land safely with a single engine. All three incidents, the people said, involved engines made by CFM International Inc., the GE-Safran joint venture. All the planes landed safely. The incidents involved two Airbus SE A320neo jets, operated by Air India Ltd., and a Boeing Co. 737 Max aircraft, operated by Indian carrier SpiceJet Ltd., according to the people. India has seen a number of mid-flight shutdowns, and regulators have responded strongly in the past, once ordering IndiGo, the nation’s biggest airline, to ground some of its A320neo planes after engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney experienced repeated glitches. The issues come as CFM—which is the sole supplier of engines for Boeing’s 737 family of jets, and one of two suppliers for the A320neo—prepares to supply engines for the next batch of planes at IndiGo, the world’s biggest customer for the best-selling Airbus plane. Safran, which is working with GE on a new technology in which the engine’s blades operate without a traditional casing, is also considering setting up a repair facility in India after CFM won its biggest-ever order from IndiGo. The recent issues may also raise warranty costs for CFM. The engine-maker said in a statement it’s engaging with authorities in India and clients to minimize operational disruptions. “Safety is our first priority, and we are working closely with our customers and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation,” it said.<br/>
Changi Airport Terminal 2 will reopen in phases from May 29 to meet the "expected increase" in passenger traffic in the months ahead, Changi Airport Group (CAG) said on Sunday. The terminal has been closed for upgrading works since May 2020. The suspension of operations at Terminal 2 was supposed to last 18 months, but that was extended amid the COVID-19 outbreak. When the upgrading works are completed by 2024, the expansion will raise the terminal's capacity by 5m to 28m passenger movements per year. "In this first phase of Terminal 2’s progressive reopening, key touchpoints such as arrival immigration, baggage claim belts and contact gates at the southern wing of the terminal will be ready for flight operations," said CAG. Terminal 2 will host mainly peak-hour arrival flights of airlines currently operating in Terminal 3. A "small number" of Terminal 3 departure flights may use Terminal 2's boarding gates, although passengers on these flights will continue to check in and clear departure immigration at Terminal 3, said CAG. The expanded Terminal 2 will have a larger arrival immigration hall with more automated immigration lanes and special assistance lanes.<br/>
How would you feel about getting on a flight knowing that the pilot had been having suicidal thoughts? If you’re a regular passenger, you’ve probably already done it. Few things in aviation evoke greater horror than the prospect of a pilot who deliberately flies a plane into the ground. That’s what happened, notoriously, with Germanwings Flight 9525 in 2015, when 150 were killed after the first officer locked the captain out of the cockpit and steered the plane into an Alpine mountain. It’s such an alarming prospect that some suspected pilot suicides remain hotly disputed, as with the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 soon after departure from New York in 1999. Intentional crashing is among the theories posited for the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in 2014, though no conclusion has been made. Now that possibility hangs over the fate of China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735, which may have had its controls pushed into a deliberate nosedive ahead of its crash on March 21, The Wall Street Journal reports. For all the understandable alarm that such incidents attract, the solution is almost certainly to be more open about mental health, not more restrictive. Of about a billion commercial aircraft trips carried out since the 1970s, pilot suicide has only been suggested in eight crashes. The far greater risk is that the culture of aviation is preventing pilots from being honest about their state of mind and thus allowing depression and other disorders to fester without sufferers seeking the treatment they need. Commercial pilots are among the few professionals who must pass medical tests, typically taken once a year, to certify their ongoing fitness for work. They’ll include physical checks of eyesight and hearing, as well as asking if pilots have experienced mental health issues or seen a psychologist. Story has more.<br/>