Air travel in the US has broadly recovered from the depths of the pandemic, but passenger counts from the busy Thanksgiving period show it still has a way to go before returning to 2019’s record levels. Almost 24.6m people went through TSA screening from Nov. 18 through Nov. 28, according to agency data, down 5.7% from the same period three years ago. While the Sunday after Thanksgiving was the busiest day since Covid-19 began ravaging the industry, it was 11.2% below that day in 2019, which was the biggest day ever for air travel in the US. Still, passenger totals from the 11-day stretch this year were up by about 1.5m from a year ago. With business travel yet to rebound and employees taking advantage of looser policies on working remotely, people have become more flexible in what days they fly. Slightly more passengers flew last Friday and on the Monday before the holiday than the equivalent days in 2019, according to TSA. Major carriers United Airlines, Delta Air and American Airlines said they had relatively smooth operations during the holidays, with only a handful of cancellations. That was due in part to a reduction in flight schedules after disruptions last year and earlier in 2022. The seven largest US carriers reported 451 canceled flights, or 0.3%, from Nov. 18 through Monday, and 30,252 delays, or 19.4%, according to tracker FlightAware. <br/>
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A key US lawmaker is proposing an extension of a certification deadline for two new versions of Boeing's 737 MAX and requiring retrofitting existing planes, according to a document reviewed by Reuters. Boeing is seeking an extension from Congress of a December deadline imposing a new safety standard for modern cockpit alerts for the 737 MAX 7 and 737 MAX 10 variants after two fatal 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia and led to the plane's 20-month grounding. Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell drafted a proposal that would grant exceptions for the two MAX variants if they include safety enhancements "such as enhanced angle of attack (AOA) and a means to shut off stall warnings and overspeed alerts, for all MAX aircraft" according to the summary document reviewed by Reuters. Boeing would be required to bear the costs of the mandatory safety enhancements retrofit for MAX planes currently in service, according to the proposal. The Seattle Times first reported details of Cantwell's proposal. Cantwell's office did not immediately comment. In comments to Reuters earlier Tuesday, Cantwell said, "We do want to push for safety enhancements and we'll see what happens - some people just want a straight extension ... Safety should be the focus, not a date, safety." The requirements were adopted by Congress as part of certification reform passed after two fatal 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia and led to the plane's 20-month grounding.<br/>
The US Senate does not plan to take up President Joe Biden's nominee to head the FAA until next year, a key lawmaker said. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, who heads the panel that overseas the FAA, told Reuters late on Tuesday she planned to hold a hearing for Denver International Airport CE Phil Washington to head the FAA after the new Congress convenes in January. The job has been vacant since March 31 when Steve Dickson, who was nominated to the position by former President Donald Trump in 2019, stepped down about halfway through his five-year term. Cantwell said she plans to meet next week with Washington, who was nominated in July but not yet had a hearing. "There wasn't enough time to meet with him and get him to the floor," Cantwell said. The Democratic lawmaker said she believes the White House will stand by Washington and renominate him next year. The FAA's top aviation safety official, Billy Nolen, has been running the agency on an interim basis. Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Commerce Committee, who earlier expressed "skepticism" about Washington due to his "lack of experience in aviation", told Reuters he thought the nomination should not be approved. Wicker in September said he was "deeply troubled" to learn Washington was named in a search warrant that ties him to allegations of corruption at LA Metro." Washington, a former CEO of the Los Angeles public transport system, previously told Bloomberg News "all the allegations are false." <br/>
Some US lawmakers are scrutinising the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to let two regional airlines continue a Covid-19-era practice of allowing dispatchers to work remotely. Peter DeFazio, chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, addressed the issue in a 29 November letter to FAA acting administrator Billy Nolen. The FAA previously addressed the same issue after labour group Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) complained this year. FAA regulations do not prohibit dispatchers from working outside airline operations centres. “We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to allow SkyWest Airlines and Republic Airways, under emergency authority, to continue use of alternate aircraft dispatch centres, allowing dispatchers to work remotely, despite the potential safety risks,” the letter says. The FAA in 2020 permitted SkyWest and Republic – the USA’s to largest regional airlines – to allow 20% of their dispatchers to “work from remote locations” due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the letter says. The FAA expanded the cap to 60% of dispatchers in subsequent extensions, the last of which runs through March 2023. “Dispatchers have a joint responsibility, along with the flight crew, for the safety and operational control of flights under their guidance,” says DeFazio’s letter, which aviation subcommittee chair Rick Larsen also signed. “It is not a job that can be easily performed from home.” Citing “dispatchers from Republic”, the letter also says “alarming safety incidents have been reported – related to dispatchers working from remote locations”. Story has details.<br/>
European regulators are to carry out an on-site assessment of Nepalese air safety in order to determine whether revised oversight structures are sufficient to lift the Asian state off the European Commission blacklist. All Nepalese operators have been blacklisted for nearly a decade, following a series of fatal commuter turboprop accidents. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has adopted a new regulation for functional separation of service provider and regulatory oversight roles. This has been a “long-standing issue” during discussions with Nepalese authorities, says the Commission, and was a key subject during a meeting between the two sides on 14 September. The civil aviation authority submitted further information and documentary evidence on the regulation on 10 November. It prevents transfer of personnel between the regulatory and service-provider sections of the organisation. “Implementation of this new regulation, as well as progress in aligning [the authority’s] safety oversight capacity with the relevant international safety standards, must be verified through [a European Union] on-site assessment visit to Nepal,” it adds. It aims to carry out this assessment, with the support of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, in the “coming months”, intending to assist Nepalese authorities’ efforts to improve air transport and ensure any potential risks are “contained”. If the visit, which is likely to take place in 2023, finds that the measures are sufficient, says the Commission, the removal of Nepalese carriers from the blacklist could be “justified”.<br/>
Belgium launches its largest ever trial on Wednesday to determine whether 10 accused men played a part in the 2016 Islamist bombings of Brussels airport and the city’s metro that killed 32 people and injured more than 300. Among the 10 accused are six men already convicted in France over the November 2015 Paris attacks, but unlike the French trial which concluded in June with a decision by a panel of judges, the Brussels case will be settled by a jury. Presiding Judge Laurence Massart will oversee the selection of a 12-person panel, chosen from 1,000 Belgian citizens summoned to attend a mammoth selection process on Wednesday. Proceedings will commence on Monday in the former headquarters of NATO in a Brussels suburb. The trial, set to last until the end of June, will undoubtedly revive painful memories for the roughly 1,000 victims registered to attend. They include those who lost loved ones or were injured and witnesses to the twin bombings at the airport and third bomb on the metro on March 22, 2016. Lawyers say many are seeking to understand why they or their loved ones became targets of an Islamist attack. Certain relatives and victims are expected to address the court, along with a roster of some 370 experts and witnesses due to testify.<br/>
SMBC Aviation Capital has joined most of the world’s largest aircraft lessors in pursuing insurance claims through the courts over jets it owns that are stuck in Russia, an Irish High Court filing showed. Irish-headquartered SMBC recorded an impairment of $1.6b earlier this year to cover the full financial impact of having 34 jets stuck in Russia after European Union sanctions that forced the termination of all Russian leases. The filing, issued against Lloyd’s of London on Nov. 28, did not include details on the size of the claim by SMBC, which is owned by a consortium including Japan’s Sumitomo Corp and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group. “SMBC Aviation Capital confirms it has commenced litigation in the Irish courts against the insurers of aircraft lost in Russia. Appropriate insurance is in place and we expect to be paid in accordance with our insurance policies,” SMBC said. A spokesperson for Lloyd’s of London said it was not at liberty to share information on any specific claim, policy or policyholder. SMBC is set to become the world’s second largest aircraft lessor by number of aircraft when it completes a $6.7b acquisition of smaller rival Goshawk Aviation shortly. The proceedings are the fourth to be initiated in the Irish courts following filings by major lessors Avolon, BOC Aviation Ltd and CDB Aviation.<br/>
Moscow has sent India a list of more than 500 products for potential delivery including parts for cars, aircraft and trains, four sources familiar with the matter said, as sanctions squeeze Russia's ability to keep vital industries running. The list, a version of which has been seen by Reuters in New Delhi, is provisional and it is unclear how many of the items will eventually be exported and in what quantity, but an Indian government source said the request was unusual in its scope. India is keen to boost trade in this way, said the source, as it tries to narrow a ballooning trade deficit with Russia. Some companies have expressed concern, however, about potentially falling foul of Western sanctions. An industry source in Moscow, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, said Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade asked large companies to supply lists of raw materials and equipment they needed. The source added that further discussion would be needed to agree specifications and volumes and that the outreach was not limited to India. Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Indian foreign and commerce ministries and the prime minister's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Russia's requests were made weeks ahead of Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar's visit to Moscow starting Nov. 7, two of the Indian sources said. It was not immediately clear what was conveyed by New Delhi to Russia during the visit.<br/>
A major port and industrial hub in eastern China says there must be “a sense of urgency” in the development of its general aviation industry, following a series of setbacks in Beijing’s bid to become a key player in the global civil aviation market. “[We will] broaden our horizons, innovate and actively learn from the experience of advanced provinces and cities,” the government of Ningbo, in Zhejiang province, said in a report outlining its plans. The report, posted to the local government website on Thursday, said Ningbo had failed to build any airports specialising in general aviation flights, citing the military’s control of China’s airspace, and an abundance of bureaucracy when dealing with the provincial government and the aviation regulator – all of which are involved in such approvals. General aviation refers to flights other than those of the military or scheduled airlines, and it includes light aircraft such as private jets and helicopters. “Both the pre- and post-approval process is strict, and it takes a long time to go through,” the report said, adding that the construction of a new airport in Hangzhou Bay had been postponed for nearly seven years as a result. Its construction finally started last year, according to Ningbo authorities. The difficulties highlighted by the Ningbo government reflect similar challenges facing other regions when it comes to helping China grow its general aviation industry into a major player – an intention outlined in Beijing’s economic plans.<br/>
China’s aviation regulator has issued a production certificate allowing for the mass production of the homegrown C919 narrowbody jet, manufacturer Commercial Aviation Corp of China (COMAC) said Tuesday. The C919, a rival to the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle jet families, had received a type certificate in September declaring the model safe to fly but each individual jet manufactured had needed a separate sign-off from the regulator upon production. The C919’s regional jet predecessor, the ARJ21, faced a 2.5-year gap between obtaining the type certificate and the production certificate, slowing production. That contrasts with the West, where both certificates are typically granted around the same time. Maiden customer China Eastern Airlines is due to take delivery of its first C919 next month and is expected to operate passenger flights with the type from the first half of next year. Jefferies analysts said last month that they expected COMAC to reach production of around 25 C919s per year by 2030, well behind the current monthly rates of narrowbody production at Airbus and Boeing. Although the C919 is assembled in China, it relies heavily on Western components, including engines and avionics, from companies including GE, Safran and Honeywell International.<br/>
Passengers across Australia may face major flight disruptions nextweek when firefighters at 27 airports walk off the job. The United Firefighters Union aviation branch announced on Tuesday members will stop work on Friday week in protest over staffing levels and safety concerns amid months of negotiation with Airservices Australia over a new enterprise agreement. The strike, planned to go ahead between 6am-10am AEDT on Friday 9 December, could result in grounded international and domestic flights, according to the union, as some aircraft are not permitted to land at an airport without firefighters on duty, while other airlines choose not to. Wesley Garrett, aviation branch secretary of the United Firefighters union, said aviation firefighters had been left with no choice but to take stop-work action. “Every day the lives of 2,500 air travellers across Australia are being put at risk because they don’t have the protection they need from understaffed aviation firefighters,” he said. “Air travellers don’t have the protection they need because Airservices cut 100 aviation firefighters from Australia’s airports to cut costs in October 2021,” Garrett said, referencing a voluntary retirement scheme. Garrett said that since October 2021, every month more than 600 flights are “operating from Australia’s airports without the aviation firefighting protection they require under international aviation safety regulation”. Story has more.<br/>
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said supply constraints will persist until the end of next year as he revealed the full extent of the crisis gripping the firm’s multitude of component producers. Soaring inflation and energy bills, raw-material shortages, a labor squeeze and disruption to Chinese parts makers amid continuing coronavirus lockdowns are combining to extend disruption, Faury said at a conference in Brussels Tuesday. “The supply chain crisis is going to be longer than we thought a couple of months ago, more challenging and more difficult,” the CEO said. “I would not expect things to start getting better before the middle of next year. And we don’t expect the situation to be normalized before the end of next year.” While some issues have eased, such as an engine shortage that left two dozen otherwise flight-ready aircraft waiting on turbines earlier this year, Faury reeled off a list of problems still afflicting production. The supply squeeze comes as Toulouse, France-based Airbus races to meet an already reduced annual delivery goal of 700 jets in the final few weeks of 2022. The energy crisis will weigh particularly hard on smaller, power-intensive producers, such as those making castings and forgings or relying on high-temperature autoclaves used to produce composites, Faury said at the ASD aerospace industry association event. A shortage of computer chips meanwhile continues to affect availability of micro-electronic components vital to a wide array of on-board equipment, while a raw-material squeeze is impacting everyone from wing and airframe producers to firms making small metal brackets.<br/>