Flights between the US and China will increase to 70 a week starting Nov. 9, American officials said, as the two world’s largest economies gradually lift limits on services imposed during the pandemic. The number of flights rises from 48 a week, with the equivalent round-trips increasing to 35 from 24, the US Department of Transportation said in a filing Friday. The limit of 24 kicks in on Sunday, after an earlier agreed relaxation from 12. The department said it was seeking an “ongoing and productive dialogue” with its counterparts in China at the Civil Aviation Administration of China “to facilitate a gradual, broader reopening of the US-China air services market.” “The Department intends to establish a roadmap that will provide for a phased and predictable return to the capacity entitlements,” according to the filing. The increase in flights comes hours after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded two days of talks in Washington with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and met with President Joe Biden. The officials agreed in principle on a meeting between Biden and President Xi Jinping. A United Airlines executive told Bloomberg News on Friday the airline was in favor of a gradual increase in the restoration of US-China flights. Flights between the two countries, which averaged 340 a week before the pandemic, have struggled to recover as the US blocked any increase, with officials arguing that China had violated an existing agreement between the two nations with its strict Covid control measures. The US Department of Transportation in August agreed to raise the number of round-trips from 12 a week for each nation to 24 from Oct. 29, shared between the three largest US carriers and six Chinese airlines. United said earlier that it will resume flights between San Francisco and Beijing in November as part of the earlier increase.<br/>
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Two of Europe’s biggest airline groups cautioned that the war between Israel and Hamas is clouding the outlook for travel in the Middle East, as customers start to avoid nearby destinations. British Airways parent IAG and Air France-KLM each reported record third-quarter operating profit on Friday, driven by booming summer demand, especially between Europe and North America. But the CEOs of both carriers signaled a careful stance going forward. While most airlines have halted flights to Israel — a small part of most major carriers’ revenue — some travelers are also staying away from nearby countries like Egypt and Oman. “We are seeing some slight reduction in demand to some of the other destinations we serve around Israel,” CEO Ben Smith said on a conference call after reporting results that missed analysts’ estimates. The company said it hasn’t yet seen any material impact from the war. IAG CEO Luis Gallego said the group, which also includes Aer Lingus and Iberia, would maintain its fourth-quarter forecast as it monitors developments. The company is seeing “limited revenue impact” on flights to Egypt and Oman. “We’re very mindful of the geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty, in particular the events happening in the Middle East,” Gallego said on an earnings call. Airlines have benefited from a bumper summer as travel got close to pre-Covid levels and the last remaining travel restrictions were lifted. It’s allowed companies like IAG and Air France-KLM to mend balance sheets damaged during the pandemic and set their sights on consolidation. But the rest of the year looks more challenging, with cost of living pressures in key markets, higher interest rates and growing geopolitical difficulties, as the Israel-Gaza conflict adds to the continued closure of airspace over Ukraine.s<br/>
Airlines are piling pressure on Gatwick airport to improve its performance after staff shortages in the control tower led to serious disruption over the summer. Senior executives are pushing the UK’s second-busiest airport for assurances on how many flights it will be able to handle over the next year to allow them to plan their flight schedules. Johan Lundgren, CE of easyJet, the largest airline at Gatwick, told the Financial Times the issues experienced this summer “cannot be repeated next year”. “The priority now must be that Gatwick and [air traffic controller] NATS work together to resolve the staffing issues,” he said. Lundgren has written to NATS and the airport seeking assurances over service levels. British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle said it had been a “very challenging” time for Gatwick. “It is very important it is resourced correctly . . . for the second-biggest airport in the UK, we need to be doing better,” he said as the airline reported results on Friday. Airline executives said absences in the tower had led to the airport imposing “flow restrictions” at short notice this summer leading to air traffic disruptions. While the seasonal slowdown in flights over the winter should offer some respite, there is concern that there will be more disruption next summer unless the staffing problems in the tower are resolved. Between September 25 and October 15, Gatwick placed an unusual cap on flights operating from the airport because of sickness and other “staffing constraints” in its control tower. The airport subcontracts operations in its control tower to NATS, the UK’s main air traffic manager, which in September said up to 30% of its staff had been unavailable “for a variety of medical reasons”, including Covid-19. During September, 46% of flights from Gatwick departed on time, according to air traffic manager Eurocontrol. That compares with a Europe-wide average of 64%. Willie Walsh, head of airline trade body Iata and former CE of BA, this week said Gatwick’s performance had been “very poor” as he called on the airport to improve its staffing levels. NATS took over the contract to run the control tower in October 2022, and pledged to improve its “resilience” after inheriting an operation where the number of controllers had fallen a third since 2016.<br/>
A Russian regional airport in a majority Muslim region was shut down after reports and images on social media showed a mob forcing their way into the tarmac where a plane from Israel had landed. Parts of the airport in Makhachkala, the regional capital of Dagestan, were invaded by “unknown people,” Russia’s federal aviation agency Rosaviatsia said in a post on Telegram on Sunday evening. It took hours to restore order. Rosaviatsia said the premises were finally cleared but that the hub would remain closed for a week. A crowd of people, some carrying Palestinian flags, massed at the airport where a Red Wings plane from Tel Aviv was arriving, according to reports. Unverified footage abounded on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing people shouting “Allahu Akbar!” rush onto the runway, with one person seen climbing onto the engine and then onto the wing of the jet. Officials were quick to respond to the disturbing scenes playing out in the North Caucasus that unfolded less than 48 hours after Israeli troops and tanks entered the Gaza Strip in what is expected to be a protracted war against Hamas. A deadly incursion into Israel on Oct. 7 by the militant group, designated a terrorist outfit by the US and European Union, killed 1,400 people and set off a retaliation that has raised tensions across the Middle East. Officials in Gaza say more than 7,700 people have died so far in Israel’s aerial and ground attacks.<br/>
China's aviation regulator said it will increase domestic flights to 34% above pre-pandemic levels, a move that will further boost the recovery of Chinese airlines. China's top airlines reported their first quarterly profits in more than three years on Friday, fanning industry hopes for China's big three state carriers to finally step out of the difficulties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Civil Aviation Administration of China will roll out its winter and spring season flight plan on Sunday, which will last until March 30, according to the summary of a Friday press conference on the website of CAAC News, which is run by the aviation regulator. There will be 96,651 domestic flights a week, or 34% higher than the same period four years ago, with 7,202 new weekly flights brought on by the opening of 516 new domestic routes. The increase in domestic flights focuses on connections between regional and hub airports like Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, the regulator said. International flights, while slower to recover, are also picking up steam. In the next five months there will be 16,680 weekly flights, with passenger flights expected to reach 71% of the total four years ago. Flights to and from 22 countries, including Britain and Italy, have neared or overtaken pre-pandemic levels, the regulator said. In the winter and spring season, weekly direct passenger flights between China and the United States are expected to increase to 70 from 48, according to a post on Sunday on the CAAC News WeChat account.<br/>
China reclaimed its spot among Changi Airport’s top five markets in the third quarter of 2023, as the airport continued its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Passenger traffic in September 2023 returned to 89% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019, with 4.87m passengers passing through Changi, figures released by Changi Airport Group (CAG) last week showed. The number of passenger movements in the third quarter from July to September – 15.3m – also returned to 89% of the same period in 2019. Changi’s other top markets were Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. CAG releases the exact rankings of its markets when its full-year results are available. In 2019, China was Changi’s second-largest market in terms of traffic, behind Indonesia. CAG attributed the rise in passenger traffic to and from China in the third quarter to increased travel during its two-month summer holiday in July and August, as well as the resumption of the 15-day visa-free policy for Singapore citizens entering China in July.<br/>
Boeing has begun deliveries of reworked 737 MAXs that were fixed following the discovery of a new supplier defect in August, a Boeing spokesperson confirmed on Friday. The manufacturing error, which is not a safety of flight issue, involves elongated, misdrilled holes on certain aft pressure bulkheads built by Spirit AeroSystems. Earlier this month, the US planemaker expanded the scope of inspections to include hand-drilled holes that were not originally checked during the rework process, as well as those drilled by an automated machine. A source familiar said the first reworked plane had been delivered on Thursday. Boeing declined to specify which airline had accepted the reworked aircraft. Boeing shares were flat in afternoon trading Friday. The issue has stymied some 737 MAX deliveries, which fell to a mere 15 planes in September and are expected to remain around that level in October. It has also slowed Boeing’s progress in ramping up 737 production from 31 to 38 jets per month, which is now expected to occur by the end of the year. On Wednesday, Boeing confirmed it has lowered its 737 delivery expectations from 400-450 jets this year to 375-400 aircraft due to the problem. With only 286 of the 737s handed over to customers through the first nine months of the year, Boeing will have to pick up the pace on deliveries in the last two months of the year. “While a setback, we’ll regain our momentum as we progress through the issue,” CFO Brian West said during an earnings call. Boeing has said the issue affects its bestselling MAX 8 and forces the company to do time-consuming x-ray examinations of 165 planes to ensure holes are properly sized. It does not impact the larger MAX 9.<br/>
The head of French engine maker Safran called on Friday for a criminal investigation into allegations that a London-based firm distributed falsely documented aircraft engine parts. Safran and its US engine partner GE Aerospace have alleged that AOG Technics sold thousands of parts for the world's most-sold jet engine, built by their joint venture CFM International, with false certification documents. AOG Technics, a parts distributor, has not responded publicly to the allegations, but last month told a British court it was co-operating fully with investigations by the companies and regulators. Britain's Civil Aviation Authority in August said it was "investigating the supply of a large number of suspect unapproved parts" through AOG Technics. EU and US regulators have also issued warnings of suspect parts from AOG Technics. "I believe and hope that there will be a criminal investigation," Safran CEO Olivier Andries told reporters after the company reported quarterly results. AOG Technics could not immediately be reached for comment. Telephone calls to its London offices on Friday went to voicemail. Its UK lawyer was not immediately available. CFM, responsible for designing and building the CFM56 engines which are used on some Boeing and Airbus jets, took AOG Technics to court in the UK in September to obtain documents related to its dealings.<br/>