Within just a few decades, the commercial aviation industry has gone from using computers only for flight bookings to operating an end-to-end digital air travel journey across multiple connected systems. Ticketing, passports, payment information, even airport security processes are linked — but these technological advances create security vulnerabilities. In 2022, there were 38 “successful” cyber attacks on the aviation industry, according to KonBriefing Research. Then, in April this year, pro-Russian hackers claimed responsibility for a five-day attack on Europe’s air traffic control authority — disrupting its website but not European aviation. These attacks have become possible because aviation technology is now a “sea of complexity”, says Frank Dickson, a cyber security analyst at IDC, a research company. “You took a system that was incredibly secure and connected it — [which creates] an attack surface,” he says. “It’s surprising that it hasn’t had more significant cyber security breaches.” How, then, does the industry protect itself and customers from cyber attacks? Is disconnecting an option? Most experts doubt whether a large-scale disconnecting of systems to the internet, or from each other, is feasible, given the disruption this would probably cause passengers. In fact, the direction of travel is towards more automation and technology. However, some airports and airlines — including American Airlines and Spain’s Iberia — have begun exploring new techniques, such as encrypted, single-use digital tokens and facial recognition technology, to verify passengers’ identity. These technologies aim to make journeys through airports faster and more secure and, post-pandemic, with less physical contact. Aviation is “moving to a more digital version of identity management”, says Philippe Vallée, executive vice-president of digital identity and security at Thales, a technology company that supplies the aviation industry. <br/>
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Members of the Indo-Canadian community are reeling after the Indian government suspended visa services for citizens of Canada, upending travel plans for those set on visiting the country but now caught in the crossfire of a diplomatic blowup. India's visa application centre in Canada announced an immediate halt on Thursday, widening a rift between the two countries that broke open this week when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said New Delhi may have been involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen. Relations between the two countries have spiralled downward rapidly since Monday, when Trudeau told Parliament there were "credible allegations" of Indian involvement in the assassination of Sikh independence activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Gunned down in June outside the gurdwara he led in Surrey, B.C., he had been wanted by India for years. Ottawa also expelled an Indian diplomat, and New Delhi followed suit by booting a Canadian representative on Tuesday and then issuing a travel advisory that warned of violence against Indian nationals and students in Canada. India's External Affairs Ministry called the allegations being investigated in Canada "absurd" and an attempt to shift attention from the presence of Nijjar and other wanted suspects on Canadian soil. In 2021, 80,000 Canadian tourists visited India, making them the fourth largest group, according to India's Bureau of Immigration. Some 1.4m residents of Indian descent call Canada home, according to the 2021 census, including about 772,000 Sikhs -- the highest number of any country, save India.<br/>
FedEx Corp. rose in early trading Thursday on profit that topped analyst estimates and an increase to the low end of its earnings forecast. The company credited cost cuts, strong pricing and customers who switched to the courier from its main rival on concern over a potential strike. Adjusted earnings were $4.55 a share for the quarter that ended Aug. 31, FedEx said Wednesday after the close of regular trading in a statement. That’s up from $3.44 a year ago and higher than a prediction of $3.73 from the average of 25 estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Sales fell about 6% to $21.7b; analysts had expected $21.8b. “We started fiscal 2024 with strong momentum as our global transformation actions take hold and drive improved results,” CEO Raj Subramaniam said. FedEx has won over investors in 2023 with a multiyear restructuring plan to cut costs and improve efficiency by $6b, which should help underpin earnings even while package demand declines. FedEx got a boost this quarter from United Parcel Service customers who shifted volume on concern of a potential strike that was resolved only days before an Aug. 1 deadline. FedEx’s Freight unit also picked up some volume from trucker Yellow Corp., which declared bankruptcy in early August. The company raised the lower end of its guidance for annual adjusted earnings per shares to $17 to from $16.50 that it had forecast in June. The company left the top end of its outlook at $18.50. FedEx lowered its outlook for revenue in 2024 to no gain amid “ongoing demand weakness.” Earlier, it had predicted sales would be between no gain and a low-single-digit percentage increase.<br/>