The trade group for major US airlines on Tuesday urged the government to act quickly to address a long-standing air traffic controller shortage ahead of the busy summer travel season but the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration chief accused the group of trying to deflect responsibility for flight delays. Nick Calio, head of Airlines for America, whose members include American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, said the staffing shortage "has a direct impact on airline operations and the traveling public." FAA Deputy Administrator Katie Thomson rejected the criticism, saying the agency is working to boost hiring and "focused on the safety of the flying public. Rather than funding publicity stunts, we’d welcome support in a serious effort to help recruit more controllers."<br/>Thomson added the "industry’s own data shows that weather and airline issues cause far more delays than air traffic control capacity." The FAA points to delays tied to airline staffing and maintenance issues as a bigger issue. In March, President Joe Biden's administration said it was seeking funding from Congress to hire another 2,000 air traffic controllers in the 2025 budget year after a series of near-miss incidents. Airlines and the administration have sparred over the last three years over a series of issues, including mergers, consumer rules and family seating. Calio on Tuesday reiterated calls for action, saying it was "past time" for Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker to "take action to solve this crisis and increase staffing." A persistent shortage of controllers has delayed flights. At many facilities, controllers are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks to cover staffing shortages. The FAA wants $43m to accelerate hiring and training of controllers.<br/>
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Boeing will invest a total of C$240m in three Canadian aerospace development projects as part of an agreement to sell Poseidon military surveillance planes to Ottawa, the company said on Tuesday. Canada and the United States reached a C$5.9b deal agreement last November for the purchase of up to 16 Poseidons and related equipment. As part of the agreement, Boeing agreed to invest in Canadian enterprises. The C$240m, to be spent in the province of Quebec, will be divided between an aerospace innovation zone, a center focusing on a four-seat air taxi and a firm researching advanced landing gear, Boeing said in a statement. "These investments serve as a testament to Canada's aviation leadership and exemplify Boeing's unwavering commitment to the country," said Boeing Global president Brendan Nelson.<br/>
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, commenting on the helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, said on Tuesday that U.S. sanctions had worsened aviation safety. Iranian media reported that images from the site showed the US-made Bell 212 helicopter on which Raisi was travelling slammed into a mountain peak, although there was no official word on the cause of the crash. Iran was a major buyer of Bell helicopters under the Shah before the 1979 Islamic revolution, though the exact origin of the aircraft that crashed was not clear. Decades of sanctions have made it hard for Iran to obtain parts or upgrade its aircraft. "The Americans disown this, but the truth is that other countries against which the United States announced sanctions do not receive spare parts for American equipment, including aviation," Lavrov said about the crash. We are talking about deliberately causing damage to ordinary citizens who use these vehicles, and when spare parts are not supplied, this is directly related to a decrease in the level of safety." <br/>