Flight chaos over the summer has air travelers on edge as Americans head into what's expected to be the busiest holiday travel season since 2019. By all accounts -- from airlines, industry groups and aviation analysts -- US air carriers are in a much better position than they were this summer to avoid operational meltdowns over the holidays. "They've adjusted their schedules, they've been on hiring binges, on putting people in the right places that we hope will be at the right time," said Nick Calio, president and CEO of Airlines for America, an industry group representing US air carriers. The number of Americans expected to travel by air over Thanksgiving is up 8% over last year, according to AAA's forecast, and air traveler volume is expected to be about 99% of the 2019 volume. United Airlines has said it's on track to hire 15,000 employees in 2022, and Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told CNN the company has hired 25,000 people since the start of last year and is still hiring. Airlines have now passed 2019 staffing levels, according to Airlines for America, and US carriers have adjusted their staffing models to account for factors such as increased absenteeism. US airlines also have increased the staffing reserves they have on hand, the group said, and it also pointed to a less concentrated holiday travel period as Americans who can work remotely have more flexibility. "I would not say we're out of the woods yet," said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Monday. "But I am cautiously optimistic about this week being off to a good start."<br/>
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The FAA has issued wide-ranging recommendations aimed at ensuring airline pilots are properly trained to effectively manage highly-automated modern aircraft, without relying too much on technology. Released on 22 November, the report is an FAA response to provisions in a 2020 law that stemmed from two deadly 737 Max crashes. It also addresses concerns highlighted by the deadly 2013 crash of an Asian Boeing 777-200ER. The report is an Advisory Circular that specifically addresses “flightpath management” – a broad term meaning the planning, execution and assurance of proper aircraft trajectory and energy. “Flightpath management is especially important in operating airplanes with highly automated systems,” the FAA says. “Even when an airplane is on autopilot, the flight crew should always be aware of the aircraft’s flightpath and be able to intervene if necessary.” The report includes no requirements. Instead, it provides “guidance and recommendations” to airlines – “a framework for operations and training programmes”, the FAA says. “It will help pilots develop and maintain manual flight operations skills and avoid becoming overly reliant on automation.” The document addresses four risk categories: manual flight operations, automation management, pilot-monitoring duties and aircraft-energy management. It notes today’s pilots, due to automation, spend relatively little time manually flying aircraft, and that degradation of such skills can contribute to accidents. The report recommends airlines’ training programmes “promote the development and maintenance of” manual flying skills, and that airlines ensure pilots can adequately address emergencies while manually flying.<br/>
European and US regulators have set out proposals to modernise and harmonise aviation data connectivity, which currently relies on limited-bandwidth connections. Air-ground data exchanges support air traffic management and airline operations, but the European Union Aviation Safety Agency says technologies such as VHF datalink and first-generation satellite communications are “fragmented” and “not always interoperable”. Connectivity demands are rising owing to higher-capacity air traffic services datalink and the greater use by modern aircraft of operational and maintenance data transmission. “There is a need to look to the future and bring the system up to modern-day standards making use of technologies such as broadband,” it states. EASA and the US FAA have co-operated with Airbus and Boeing on a proposal to modernise aviation data communication by 2035, and to maximise use of scarce spectrum resource. FAA acting associate administrator for aviation safety David Boulter says data and connectivity are “driving aerospace advances”. The joint task force analysed long-term connectivity needs for various domains – air traffic management, airline operations, aeronautical information services, and autonomy – and the status of potential solutions. It is aiming for B2 over Internet Protocol Suite for air traffic management connectivity, making use of VDL2 datalink and satcom performance class B for future physical links. Task force members have selected their recommended options based on safety, capacity, spectral and economic efficiency, interoperability and future-proof technology. “The recommended solutions, along with the proposed transition roadmap, are defined to limit the overall investment costs…and to optimise the share of complexity between air and ground, while providing the required performance,” says the task force proposal.<br/>
While Virgin Atlantic CE Shai Weiss continues to hit out at charges and capacity planning at London Heathrow Airport, the efficiencies and better connectivity the hub provides means a return to London Gatwick is not on the cards. Virgin, which has its headquarters in Crawley near Gatwick, had served the airport since its launch in 1984 before taking the decision to consolidate its operations at Heathrow airport during the pandemic. ”Through the pandemic we had to make some tough decisions and one of them was to move all our flying from Gatwick into Heathrow and consolidate our position there,” Weiss said. “We’ve actually increased the number of slots available to Virgin Atlantic there, that has improved our utilisation of planes by virtue of efficiency which is a tremendous contribution to improving our financial performance.” Virgin already had a majority of its services operating from Heathrow even before the pandemic, serving only Las Vegas and Orlando in the USA and Caribbean leisure destinations from Gatwick. Weiss flags connectivity as the key benefit of Heathrow operations, which has become even more important after joining its shareholder and partner Delta Air Lines in its transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM – none of whom fly into Gatwick. “[There is] 30-40% connectivity at Heathrow, it is already the most busy airport as it should be, and only 10% connectivity at Gatwick despite the fact its extremely well run,” he says. ”We have consolidated at Heathrow, it has benefits for our consumers, it has benefits for Virgin Atlantic and it is necessary when we are partnership with Delta, Air France and KLM. ”If by magic you could create another airport of that magnitude which would be a gateway to the UK, we would consider it. But until that happens, we are at Heathrow.”<br/>