More than a dozen US air marshals plan to refuse deployment to the US-Mexico border, according to a group representing them, a sign of challenges facing US President Joe Biden’s administration as it grapples with record migrant crossings. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sought volunteers from the Federal Air Marshal Service to travel to the southwest border, but when fewer than 150 signed up in October, some were assigned, said Sonya LaBosco, executive director of the Air Marshal National Council. The air marshals are part of the TSA and ride on US airlines to guard against security threats. A lawyer for the air marshal group wrote in a Nov. 4 letter to the agency that the deployments are illegal because they involve duties outside the scope of the job. While DHS does not release the number of marshals, LaBosco said there were fewer than 3,000. LaBosco said the deployments would hurt US aviation security during the holiday travel season and force marshals to take on unrelated duties at the border, including watching migrant children. A DHS spokesperson defended the deployments, saying that marshals have had previous assignments to assist hurricane relief and that some were temporarily deployed to the border in 2019. US flights would still be protected, the spokesperson said.<br/>
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Strong passenger demand continued in October as fresh IATA figures show airline traffic running at almost three-quarters of pre-pandemic levels for the month. Passenger traffic as measured in RPKs in October was 44% higher than the same month last year and reached 74.2% of 2019 levels. That is a fractionally higher than 73.8% of pre-pandemic traffic reported in September. IATA director general Willie Walsh says: ”Traditionally, by October we are into the slower autumn travel season in the northern hemisphere, so it is highly reassuring to see demand and forward bookings continuing to be so strong. It bodes well for the coming winter season and the ongoing recovery.” The improvement was driven by international markets, as Covid restrictions continue to be eased. International traffic doubled in October over the same month last year. By contrast, domestic traffic was fractionally down on October 2021, reflecting the impact of continued restrictions in the key Chinese market. It means the recovery in international air traffic, which has consistently lagged that of domestic markets, is approaching parity in terms of how much of pre-pandemic levels have been recovered. Domestic traffic was at just under 78% of 2019 levels in October, while international traffic was 72% recovered. The previous month domestic traffic had been 81% of pre-pandemic levels while international traffic was still below 70% that of September 2019. IATA says forward bookings have increased to around 75% of pre-pandemic levels for international travel following market reopenings in Asia, while domestic bookings remain at around 70% of 2019. Airlines reduced capacity fractionally compared with September, reflecting the seasonal impact of the northern hemisphere summer ending. Consequently October passenger load factor climbed fractionally compared with September to reach 82% and was almost four points above the year-to-date average. North American, European and Latin American carriers posted load factors in excess of 80%, recording 86.4%, 84.8% and 83.3% respectively in October. <br/>
Airbus said it’s in no rush to bring a flying taxi to market and that hundreds of outline orders for rival craft will help the whole sector by encouraging progress on power systems and surface infrastructure. The European manufacturer has yet to launch its CityAirbus design, and will instead focus on developing and maturing a prototype before entering commercial discussions with potential customers, Balkiz Sarihan, head of urban air mobility strategy, said in a briefing Thursday. “We take, in contrast to others, a more mid- to long-term perspective,” Sarihan said in a briefing in Munich. Airbus unveiled its CityAirbus NextGen model last year following a revamp to an earlier blueprint, and is targeting a first flight in 2023. The long gestation of a first flying taxi from the world’s biggest planemaker has seen a clutch of startups begin racking up orders and operating deals from airlines and city authorities while attracting billions of dollars in outside investment. Airbus has no need to rush to market because its work on electric vertical takeoff and landing craft, as flying taxis are known, is 100% internally funded and not dependent on raising external finance or attracting orders, Sarihan said. While Airbus is committed to urban air mobility and sees benefits across its wider portfolio from developing the technologies required, the sector must also pay its way, according to the executive, who sees air-medical services and eco-tourism as being among the likeliest early adopters.<br/>