US regulators are aiming to extend the duration of aircraft registrations to seven years, more than double the current three-year limit, in order to relieve administrative workloads. The proposal to amend the rule on US FAA certificates of aircraft registration “alleviates burdens” from aircraft owners as well as requirements for the FAA to issue validity extensions. Three-year limitation on registration was introduced in October 2010 with the adoption of a rule which ended the previous indefinite duration. Indefinite duration “made it difficult” for the FAA to maintain accurate aircraft registration information, and could prevent owners being notified of possible revocation, the regulator states. “While there was a requirement for aircraft owners to keep their registration up-to-date, the FAA found that many aircraft owners failed to update their registration information,” it says. Introduction of the three-year limit created a regular update process and, at the time, it was considered the best balance between cost and registration accuracy. Under the 2018 FAA Reauthorisation Act the regulator was mandated to initiate a rulemaking to increase registration duration for “non-commercial general aviation aircraft” to seven years. But the FAA points out that it “cannot distinguish” between these aircraft and commercial general aviation aircraft, and that having differing registration durations is “impracticable”, and it will therefore extend registration duration for all aircraft to seven years.<br/>
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The FAA granted final environmental approval for construction of a new $4.2b terminal at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport, the state said on Thursday. New York state Governor Kathy Hochul said construction will begin early next year on a 1.2m-square foot (111,480-square-meter), 10-gate terminal at JFK. The new Terminal 6 will be built in two phases, with the first new gates opening in 2026. The new terminal will be used by JetBlue and Lufthansa Group. JetBlue CE Robin Hayes said the announcement would help "modernize JFK and bring our unique brand and culture to even more New Yorkers in a brand-new terminal." Hochul also said financial arrangements for the public-private partnership to build the new terminal had been finalized. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will commit $130m in capital funding to build enabling infrastructure for the new Terminal 6, including airside improvements and utility enhancements. The United States is in the middle of a massive overhaul and rebuilding of many airport terminals. A $1t infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden in 2021 includes $15b for airport project grants. The FAA is expected to soon issue a similar environmental approval to a massive $8.5b project at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport that includes a new Terminal 2.<br/>
Accidentally leaving your smartphone behind at home is one thing, but leaving it at an airport shortly before you're about to board a flight is quite another. A Southwest passenger found themselves in this unfortunate predicament after forgetting their phone in a gate area at Long Beach Airport in Los Angeles. By the time a customer taking a separate flight spotted it and notified the crew, boarding had already finished and the aircraft had been pushed back. However, staff on the ground quickly worked together to ensure the phone was safely returned to its owner. In a video shared by the Dallas-based airline on November 13, a pilot is seen leaning out of the cockpit window in a bid to retrieve it from ramp workers on the ground. While one staff member makes an unsuccessful attempt to jump up and hand it to the pilot, a second ramp worker steps in and manages to get it to him. According to a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, the passenger who discovered the phone had been chatting to its owner shortly beforehand, so was able to let the crew know the flight they were traveling on. When the operations agents realized the flight in question was already fully boarded, they got in touch with the captain. "The captain immediately suggested that the ramp agents on the ground try to jump the phone up to him so he could return it to the customer," the spokesperson said. "The rest was captured on video!"<br/>
Paris-CDG and Paris-Orly airports today announced the delivery of 100 self-service bag drops as operator Groupe ADP bids to further enhance the passenger experience and speed up passenger flows through its main French capital city gateways. The machines, from ICM Airport Technics, an Amadeus company, will be installed over the coming months adding to the 360 already in operation. The move provides passengers with new self-service options, reducing queues and improving the overall performance of the airports. In fact, self-service bag drop with these machines takes just 37 seconds on average, increasing the airports’ passenger handling capacity and offering a smoother experience for passengers. Edward Arkwright, deputy CEO Groupe ADP, said: “As an airport operator, our strategy is to develop smart airport solutions that ease the work of our airline customers and improve the terminal experience by making the passenger path smoother and faster. So, we are happy to work with Amadeus to increase the number of passengers checking-in their own bags at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports. While they will always have the choice between this automated service or a traditional experience at the airline’s check-in counter, we are seeing an increasing number of passengers choosing to check-in their own luggage. Our goal is to help them save time.”<br/>
About 350 ground handlers at London's Heathrow airport will begin a 72-hour strike from Friday in a pay dispute, the Unite union said on Thursday. The strike action, by workers at aviation services firm Menzies, will affect a range of airlines and disrupt a number of flights leaving terminals 2, 3 and 4 at Britain's busiest airport, Unite said.<br/>
Military exercises and aid for Ukraine helped Prestwick Airport post a profit for the third year in a row. The Scottish government-owned airport saw fuel sales return to pre-pandemic levels in the year to 31 March, boosted by "strong" military aircraft movements. They included Canadian planes carrying supplies and weaponry to Ukraine after the outbreak of war in February. Sales of fuel over the year nearly doubled to reach 36m litres. They accounted for GBP13m of its GBP16m year-on-year rise in revenue, which reached GBP35m. Operating profit for 2021-22, before exceptional items, stood at GBP1.9m, while overall profit was GBP1.2m. The airport also recorded growth in cargo and passenger figures. Cargo volumes were up 38% year-on-year, peaking at more than 18,000 tonnes, while passenger numbers rose over the year from 47,000 to 118,000. The Scottish government took the airport into public ownership in 2013 and financially supports the business through the provision of long-term loan finance.<br/>
Israel has sent diplomats to help its citizens attending the World Cup in Qatar and plans to launch temporary direct flights there on Sunday as the countries find a measure of accommodation for the soccer tournament despite having no formal relations. Between 10,000 and 20,000 Israelis are expected at the month-long matches in the Gulf emirate, an unprecedented influx after years in which it admitted only low-key delegates. Qatar is close to Iran and has hosted leaders of the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas. Having normalised ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020, the Israelis have suggested Qatar could follow if it tilts away from Tehran. Doha has ruled that out, saying Israel must first make way for a Palestinian state. In a sign of easing ties, a delegation from Israel's foreign ministry will be allowed to provide consular assistance from the Qatari capital for its citizens coming for the games. The delegation's spokesperson, Alon Lavi, said it was already working out of a Doha hotel, with duties that include advising Israelis about local laws and avoiding friction with rival fans. "We are guests here, and there are many guests from many countries - including countries that we are, perhaps, less accustomed to being right up next to - and the rules here are ultimately more stringent," he told Israel's Army Radio. Though alcohol will be permitted at select World Cup venues, a public service announcement by Lavi's ministry counselled Israelis to avoid drink altogether in conservative Qatar. "We do not have all of the infrastructure that perhaps other countries have, and certainly given that we don't have diplomatic ties," Lavi said. "Therefore the (potential) arrest of Israelis here is something that troubles us."<br/>
The Indian arm of Canadian investment company Fairfax Financial Holdings is weighing an initial public offering for India's Bangalore International Airport that could value the asset at about 300b Indian rupees ($3.7b), Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing sources. Fairfax India holds a majority stake in the owner of Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport. It is working with an adviser on the potential listing that could take place as soon as next year, the report added.<br/>
Air Lease Corp. is taking new Airbus A321neo aircraft at least six to seven months late due to a myriad of production and supply chain issues facing the European airframer. But that’s not a one-off problem. More broadly, neither Airbus nor Boeing are delivering planes on time, and it’s only getting worse, said ALC Executive Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy. “Every plane last year and this year is delayed,” he said at the Skift Aviation Forum on Wednesday, naming Airbus A330s and A350s, as well as Boeing 737s and 787s. “I think they’ll get worse before they get better.” Lessors and airlines have been calling out the big planemakers for delays for nearly a year now. But, in a spirit of optimism from both Airbus and Boeing, executives have repeatedly suggested that they were about to turn the corner on production issues. That does not appear to be the case, with Udvar-Hazy agreeing that the airframers may not be able to meet their contractual delivery schedules until at least 2023 or 2024. The delivery issues have forced many airlines to extend leases on older aircraft they intended to retire. They’re also forced to fly less than they’d like. Many carriers had hoped to boost capacity and improve fuel efficiency, thus cutting operating expenses, with newer models this year. Udvar-Hazy said carriers are renewing more than 90% of their leases with ALC currently, or well above the historic rate of around 60%. And the capacity constraints are very real. Southwest Airlines, a large 737 Max customer, had intended to recover the schedule depth — those hourly or near-hourly frequencies, for example, that it flew on many shorter routes before the pandemic — this year after adding 18 new cities in 2020 and 2021. Those plans were extended well into 2023 due to numerous issues, including delays getting new aircraft from Boeing, Southwest VP of Network Planning Adam Decaire said.<br/>