Airlines around the world are ripping up schedules and bringing in new flights to cope with a COVID-triggered trend in corporate travel for executives like Jerome Harris - the scrapping of one-day business trips in favour of longer stays. For Sydney-based Harris, exhausting one-day treks to Melbourne or Brisbane - meaning four taxi rides, two flights, extended waits and the risk of delays - are no more after a pandemic-driven reassessment of his travel habits. Industry data show business travellers are taking longer trips than before COVID-19, leaving airlines adjusting flight plans. Environmental concerns, rising ticket prices, increased flight cancellations amid staff shortages and a boom in online videoconferencing are all undermining the single-day trip option as an industry standard. "I'm happier to save the effort and the carbon and do a few days in a location and have time to meet up with multiple people and visit multiple projects," said Harris, who works for an infrastructure company. Corporate travel agency CWT said in global terms, the proportion of one-day domestic trips has fallen by more than 25% compared with 2019 levels as online meetings grow in popularity. In markets from Australia to the United States, airlines are having to adapt to maximise revenue. US carriers, for example, are adding more midweek flights as travellers take more trips that blend business with leisure, with many capitalising on greater flexibility to work remotely. "Tuesdays and Wednesdays are not as much of a trough as they used to be in a traditional week," according to United Airlines CCO Andrew Nocella, speaking on an earnings call last month. For corporate travel agency CWT's head of Asia Pacific sales, Akshay Kapoor, the shift is long term for both airlines and hotels. "I think the trend away from one-day trips in favour of longer stays is here to stay as travellers become more environmentally and fiscally conscious," said Kapoor. "This could translate into a higher revenue per available room for hotels in the long run."<br/>
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The FAA said Friday it would partially approve a request by JetBlue Airways to waive minimum flight requirements at New York-area airports John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International. The decision allows JetBlue to hold on to valuable flight rights at some of the most congested US airports. Airlines can lose their slots or runway timings at congested airports if they do not use them at least 80% of the time. JetBlue sought the waiver in July, saying its "workforce and flight operations are under extraordinary strain, leaving little margin for operational challenges caused by airport construction, (air traffic control) delays and weather," the FAA said. The relief, which runs retroactively through Oct. 29, will allow JetBlue to hold on to some slots, which are takeoff and landing authorizations. It does not extend into early 2023 as JetBlue had sought. JetBlue also cited a "a severe, industry-wide shortage of aircraft parts," the FAA said, adding the airline "asserts that they have been unable to meet the minimum slot usage requirement because of an ongoing global aircraft parts shortage that has caused aircraft to remain in maintenance and out of service for longer than normal." JetBlue told the FAA it significantly increased the number of spare aircraft starting in August, but with additional aircraft out of service the "ability to cover slotted flying is even more challenged." The FAA said "slots are scarce public resources whose use the holder must prioritize or surrender to another operator who will maximize their benefit for the traveling and shipping public."<br/>
At a moment when it seems like everything is getting more expensive, there's at least one travel convenience that will cost air travelers less. The TSA announced on Friday that TSA PreCheck, the service aimed at expediting airport security screening for members, will now cost less for enrollment and in-person renewal. Enrollment provider IDEMIA has dropped those fees from $85 to $78. The cost to renew membership online remains $70. Membership, which requires application and approval, is good for five years before renewal is required. Those travelers applying for TSA PreCheck membership must provide "biometric and biographic information that TSA uses to conduct a security threat assessment," TSA said. Now is the time to enroll for the holiday season, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. "TSA PreCheck offers significant benefits to those who meet its enrollment standards -- less physical contact, fewer items on the conveyor belt and faster screening," Pekoske said. Applying involves an in-person enrollment appointment. According to the TSA, there are 500 enrollment centers in the United States. Most travelers receive a "Known Traveler Number" (KTN) within about three to five days, the agency says. That number must be added to passengers' flight reservations to receive the expedited screening. With TSA PreCheck membership, travelers are allowed to leave on shoes, belts and jackets and electronics and liquids complying with the 3-1-1 rule may stay in carry-on bags. Designated lanes for members generally move more quickly than non-PreCheck lanes. According to the TSA, 93% of TSA PreCheck passengers waited less than five minutes at airport security in September 2022.<br/>
Top-tier frequent flyer Rick Hubbard spends a lot of time squeezing into airplane seats and has noticed it's a tighter fit. "Either that or I'm getting bigger and bigger, but I don't think so," Hubbard told CNN recently near a baggage claim. "I can't imagine seats or aisles being smaller than they are today." Shrinking personal space in the skies is not imaginary: Experts say airline seats shrunk over the years while Americans grew larger. Airlines are balancing passenger demand for cheap airfare and more legroom. Federal regulators, meanwhile, have focused narrowly on preventing a cabin so cramped that it prevents a rapid emergency evacuation. "Their message to date has been how uncomfortable you are is between you and the air carrier," said Peter Goelz, a CNN safety analyst and former managing director of the NTSB. Under pressure from Congress and passengers, the FAA is now looking into whether seats are too tight to rapidly evacuate. Federal standards require evacuating a plane within 90 seconds of it coming to rest in an emergency, and a 2018 law requires the agency to rule on the minimum safe seat dimensions. The agency opened up the seat size safety issue for comments this fall, and more than 26,000 comments poured in -- many raising concerns beyond evacuation. Commenter John Naughton called "tiny seats terribly uncomfortable." Jill Kenney predicted "less fights ... if people could fit in more comfortably."<br/>
There’s more bad news for travellers heading into the busy holiday season: There will likely be delays galore at Canadian airports. That’s been a problem for many months now, and it doesn’t sound like things are going to change in time for the holidays. Tim Perry, president of the Air Line Pilots Association Canada, said at a parliamentary hearing that a refusal to increase wages for pilots will lead to a shortage, according to the Canadian Press. He added airlines are also relying on temporary foreign workers, which could raise concerns around training and safety. The Canadian Air Traffic Control Association told CP there is also a significant shortage of traffic air controllers, which will also lead to delays. The summer was filled with issues, particularly at Toronto’s Pearson Airport — many related to staffing shortages by the airlines, security and baggage handlers. Many former airline industry workers simply haven’t returned to the sector following the pandemic, which shut down travel. Andrew Gibbons, vice-president of external affairs for WestJet, said at the committee meeting that because of the pandemic, “(the industry is) not out of the woods. We’re still facing the effects of this crisis.”<br/>
Hundreds of environmental activists wearing white overalls stormed an area holding private jets at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport and stopped aircraft from leaving for hours by sitting in front of their wheels on Saturday. Military police moved in and were seen taking dozens of the protesters away in buses. More than 100 activists were arrested, national broadcaster NOS reported. The protest was part of a day of demonstrations in and around the air hub organised by Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion in the build-up to the COP27 climate talks in Egypt. No delays to commercial flights were reported. "We want fewer flights, more trains and a ban on unnecessary short-haul flights and private jets," Greenpeace Netherlands campaign leader Dewi Zloch said. The environmental group says Schiphol is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the Netherlands, emitting 12 billion kilograms annually. Hundreds of other demonstrators in and around the airport's main hall carried signs saying "Restrict Aviation" and "More Trains". Responding to the protest, Schiphol said it aims to become an emissions-free airport by 2030 and supports targets for the aviation industry to reach net zero emissions by 2050.<br/>
Several Spanish airports grounded flights Friday morning due to the risk of falling debris from a massive Chinese rocket booster that’s headed for an uncontrolled fall through the atmosphere. Flights were stopped for close to an hour in regions including Catalonia and the Basque Country as well as in the Balearic Islands, according to tweets published by air traffic control. Operations were due to restart from around 10:30 a.m., the controllers said. Flights were stopped “due to the risk of the space object CZ-5B passing through the Spanish air space,” a Catalan government agency said in a separate statement on Twitter. The falling booster is the large core stage of the Long March 5B rocket launched on Oct. 31. The rocket lofted an experimental laboratory module called Mengtian, meant to dock with China’s space station, Tiangong. Unlike other rockets, the Long March 5B’s core stage travels all the way into orbit during launch and circles the Earth for a few days. Eventually, its orbit decays and it descends to Earth. It’s the fourth time in two years a large Chinese rocket has headed for an uncontrolled impact and that has many space industry experts crying foul. Both the US and Europe adhere to a rule that any space debris that is disposed of over the Earth must not exceed a one-in-10,000 chance that it will cause an injury on the ground, a threshold experts say China’s rocket exceeds. <br/>
Britain will struggle to create an industry producing sustainable aviation fuel unless the government provides regular subsidies to manufacturers, leading airlines and airports have warned. The government has set a 2050 “Jet Zero” target for the airline industry to eliminate net carbon emissions, mainly through the use of green fuel produced by household waste such as cooking oil, known as “SAF”. The government has promised GBP165mn as seed capital to encourage manufacturers to open at least five plants producing the new fuel and hopes they will be under construction by 2025. It has also set a target under which 10 per cent of aviation fuel must be SAF by 2030. But leading airports and airlines, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester Airports Group, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways have written to Mark Harper, the new transport secretary, calling for more state intervention to get the fledgling industry off the ground. The letter is also signed by some of the manufacturers with plans for SAF plants in the UK, including Fulcrum, Velocys and Alfanar. “We believe UK SAF production has the chance to become a domestic success story, but the government needs to act now to ensure manufacturers get the price certainty needed to unlock private investment into this sector,” the groups wrote. They want the government to create “contracts for difference” (CFDs) to agree a set price for SAF, similar to those the state has used to underwrite nuclear and offshore wind projects.<br/>
Strike action by hundreds of workers at Heathrow Airport could hit football fans heading to the World Cup in Qatar, a union has warned. Unite said 700 workers who work in the ground handling, airside transport and cargo side of the airport will go on strike for three days from 18 November. It said the strike action would cause disruption and delays at Heathrow terminals 2, 3 and 4. The staff, employed by Dnata and Menzies, are calling for higher pay. "Strike action will inevitably cause disruption, delays and cancellations to flights throughout Heathrow, with travellers to the World Cup particularly affected," Unite regional officer Kevin Hall warned. The World Cup is set to begin in Qatar on 20 November and the union said it expected Qatar Airways, which has put on extra flights for football fans, to be "hit heavily" by the strike action. But Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the union's members at Dnata and Menzies "are simply seeking a decent pay rise". She added: "Both companies are highly profitable and can fully afford to make a fair pay increase." The union said other airlines, including Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates will also be affected. Passengers travelling to the United States for the Thanksgiving holiday might also be hit. A Heathrow spokesperson said: "We are aware of proposed industrial action from Dnata and Menzies colleagues at Heathrow, and we are in discussions with our airline partners on what contingency plans they can implement to support their ground handling should the strike go ahead."<br/>
China is sticking with a strict COVID-19 containment strategy nearly three years into the pandemic, potentially disappointing investors hoping for a quick reopening, although authorities are making ongoing if modest tweaks to managing the virus. Numerous analysts and experts say China is unlikely to begin significant easing of its outlier zero-COVID approach, which is squeezing the economy and fuelling widespread frustration, before an annual parliamentary session in March - at the earliest. Authorities are making changes such as more precisely targeting lockdowns, rolling out new vaccines and adding international flights. But they have not taken steps, like a big new vaccination push or preparing the public for the possibility of a surge in infections, that would enable significant easing of restrictions. Chinese stocks surged 5.3% last week, the biggest weekly gain in more than two years, as investors pumped a trillion dollars into the market on hopes of a reopening in the world's second-biggest economy. International flights are rising: daily international flights last month on Chinese airlines rose 21.9% from September on average, according to Variflight. Still, international capacity is at just 7.3% of 2019 levels, based on data from CAPA and OAG. China may soon shorten COVID quarantine requirements for inbound travellers from 10 days to seven or eight days, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. Bloomberg News said China was working on scrapping a system that penalises airlines for bringing in COVID-positive passengers, citing people familiar with the matter, saying the effort was a sign authorities were looking for ways to ease the impact of its COVID policies. Neither move would be a game changer. "The government still believes they are doing a good job of balancing economic development and COVID control," said Huang at the Council on Foreign Relations.<br/>
China on Friday formally announced existing deals for Airbus jets worth $17b, in what experts described as an effort to showcase a visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that caught the European planemaker and China-watchers off guard. China's state buying agency CASC said it had signed a bulk agreement for 140 Airbus aircraft including 132 A320-family jets and eight A350 wide-body aircraft during Scholz's one-day visit. "China's modus operandi is to announce business deals commensurate with the importance of the guest," said Noah Barkin, managing editor with research firm Rhodium Group's China practice and an expert in German-Chinese relations. "Germany was not keen to make this about deals. So the Chinese side appears to have reheated an old deal and announced it on their own." CASC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The announcement comes as Beijing is widely seen as keen to show concrete achievements from the visit, which has stirred concerns in Germany that Berlin will prioritise economic ties with Beijing over security and strategic matters. China is Germany's biggest trading partner and Scholz decided to take a large business delegation with him to the dismay of China hawks in the West.<br/>
The C919 narrowbody jet will join the opening flight display in China's biggest air show in the southern city of Zhuhai on Tuesday, according to a schedule posted by the organisers, in what will be its first public flight or display. The C919, made by Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, is designed to rival single-aisle jets made by Airbus and Boeing has never been displayed or publicly flown. China will show off its home-grown civil and military aviation technology at the air show, where 740 businesses are expected to take part both online and offline. The C919's presence was confirmed on the schedule on the organiser's official WeChat social media account. It will make a 15-minute flying show for each of the six days of the airshow. At the end of September, COMAC held a certification ceremony for the C919, which can now be delivered to its first customer, China Eastern Airlines, although it now needs a separate production certificate before it can ramp up mass production. Also scheduled to appear are China's domestically developed AG600, the world's largest amphibious aircraft, as well as the Y20 military transport aircraft.<br/>
Boeing unit Jeppesen has been hit by a cyberattack that’s affecting access to its flight planning software, which is used by airlines globally. “Our subsidiary, Jeppesen, experienced a cyber incident affecting certain flight planning products and services,” Boeing spokesman Yukui Wang said in an email Friday. “There have been some flight planning disruption, but at this time we have no reason to believe that this incident poses a threat to aircraft or flight safety.” A red banner at the top of Jeppesen’s website said the company was experiencing technical issues with some of its products, services, and communication channels. Clients can get in contact by email for support, but phone services aren’t available, it said. Receipt and processing of so-called notice to air missions, which inform pilots and airlines about potential hazards during flights, have also been affected, Jeppesen said. “We are in communication with customers and regulatory authorities, and working to restore full service as soon as possible,” Boeing’s Wang said. Steve Giordano, managing director of Delaware-based Nomadic Aviation Group, tweeted a picture of a notice from Jeppesen on the products rendered unavailable due to a “system outage.”<br/>