Four of the US’s five largest airlines are squaring off in a debate roiling the domestic aviation industry over the regulation of so-called public charter flights. The issue has come to a head over the rapid growth of charter operators like Dallas-based JSX that compete with regularly scheduled flights from smaller, private terminals without long security and boarding lines. That growth triggered a federal review of the regulations governing those operators. American Airlines and Southwest support cracking down on safety and security standards, closing a “loophole” being used by JSX and others, while United Airlines Holdings Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp. — which each own a stake in JSX — argue for keeping the status quo, since these carriers provide service to small communities and a pipeline for pilots. JSX markets itself as “the ultimate travel hack” that lets flyers “ditch the traditional airport route and arrive at our crowd-free terminals just 20 minutes before takeoff.” The carrier does its own passenger screening it says is approved by the Transportation Security Administration. It can also hire pilots who don’t have the minimum 1,500 flying hours required for large scheduled carriers, and ones who are older than 65, the mandatory retirement age at such airlines. Critics say the charter operator — and others like it — are taking advantage of what they characterize as a regulatory loophole that lets them make scheduled flights under a less-stringent set of safety and security standards. The Federal Aviation Administration launched a formal review in August, saying the expansion of such carriers is “an increased risk to safety if left unchecked.” Airlines, unions, airports, cities and travelers weighed in on the matter — pro and con — during a public comment period that closed Oct. 13. The FAA and TSA have not specified when their assessments will conclude or what steps they might take.<br/>
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A group of outside experts appointed by the FAA called on Wednesday for “urgent action” to address safety risks in the nation’s aviation system, highlighting issues like staffing shortages among air traffic controllers and outdated technology. The FAA announced the formation of the group, the National Airspace System Safety Review Team, in April after a string of close calls at airports across the country, and the panel issued a 52-page report on Wednesday laying out its findings. In addition to calling for the FAA to address the shortage of air traffic controllers and improve its aging technology, the report also recommended changes in how the agency is funded, such as more broadly shielding it from government shutdowns. “The current erosion in the margin of safety in the NAS caused by the confluence of these challenges is rendering the current level of safety unsustainable,” the report said, referring to what is known as the National Airspace System. The group of experts was led by Michael P. Huerta, who served as FAA administrator under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump. It also included other former federal officials and former union leaders. “There are no easy short-term fixes to address many of these challenges,” Huerta said Wednesday. “Addressing risk in the NAS requires the FAA, the administration, Congress and others across industry to work together collaboratively.” New York Times investigations published in August and in October revealed how the nation’s vaunted aviation safety system is under mounting stress. The Times found that close calls involving commercial airlines had been happening, on average, multiple times a week. A dire shortage of air traffic controllers — The Times found that 99% of the country’s air traffic control facilities were understaffed — has been one major factor. The report released on Wednesday also warned about the risks posed by aging technology. In January, an FAA system outage caused flights to be grounded nationwide and led to a wave of delays and cancellations for travelers. “The age and condition of F.A.A. facilities and equipment are elevating system risk to unsustainable levels, even before considering losses in efficiency from outdated technology,” the report said. The agency has said that it has taken steps to reduce the risk of close calls at airports, such as by providing funding to reconfigure taxiways and improve runway lighting.<br/>
Dubai's main airport expects a surge in its Q4 traffic, due in part to a rebound in passengers from China, the CEO of operator Dubai Airports said on Wednesday, as the Gulf hub remains on track to surpass pre-pandemic numbers for the full year. Dubai International recorded 22.9m passengers in Q3, the highest quarterly traffic since 2019, and annual passenger traffic is forecast to reach 86.8m in 2023, revised upwards from 85m passengers in August. "One of our biggest markets in the Far East is obviously China and that has not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels ... we do think in Q4 they will start to bounce back," Paul Griffiths told Reuters at the Dubai Air Show. Total passenger traffic at DXB, among the world's busiest, for the first nine months of 2023 stood at 64.5m, up 39.3% compared to the prior year period, and 1% above the same period in 2019. Griffiths said the resurgence of demand is a reaction to limited supply as many airlines cut down on their fleets during the pandemic. "There has been a shortage of capacity, a shortage of manpower and therefore the supply side of the aviation industry has run well below where it was pre-pandemic," he said. Buoyed by a swift economic rebound post-COVID 19, Dubai, the tourism and trade hub of the Middle East, has benefited from its safe haven status, with relaxed residency rules amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.<br/>