Twenty-three years after the deadliest attack on US soil in its history, the mantra “Never Forget” endures in the American consciousness as a solemn reminder of that day. For the thousands of families who believe key facts have been withheld around the attack that stole their loved ones, it’s a phrase not so much uttered but lived. Now, as survivors and the victims’ families commemorate another anniversary, they await a federal judge’s pivotal decision in their yearslong legal battle with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over their claim of KSA’s role in backing an extremist support network that assisted the hijackers in the US leading up to the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The Kingdom denies the allegations. For Terry Strada, the national chair of 9/11 Families United, a coalition of victims’ families and survivors pursuing transparency, Never Forget is a constant reminder to push for the truth about the tragedy that led to the death of her husband and nearly 3,000 others so the country is safer for her grandkids’ generation. “It’s not just one time a year to remember those that were lost or murdered that day. It’s a pledge to ensure that the truth is told,” Strada told CNN. “There’s just so much more to it than just never forget them. It’s never forget what happened so we can prevent it from happening again.”<br/>
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A record number of passengers passed through London’s Heathrow airport during the peak summer months, leaving the airport operating close to capacity as it considers a new tilt at expansion. The airport on Wednesday reported booming demand for travel to the US and European summer holiday destinations including Spain, Greece, Italy and Turkey, as it said 7.97mn people had flown to or from its terminals in August, a fourth consecutive month of record passenger numbers. Heathrow also had its busiest-ever day of travel on Sunday August 18, when 269,000 passengers flew. CE Thomas Woldbye said the airport had maintained “strong service levels” despite the high passenger volumes. “For the past four months we have broken several new records, demonstrating our ability to open a world of opportunity for more people, cargo, business and the UK economy,” he said. Still, Heathrow has warned that its position as Europe’s leading hub airport is threatened by UK government plans to require all passengers flying into the UK to apply for a GBP10 electronic travel permit, including those transferring without entering the country. The airport said it had lost 90,000 transfer passengers on routes operating to and from seven Middle Eastern countries included in the scheme since its introduction in 2023. The scheme will be rolled out to all visitors who do not require a formal visa from next year, including those from the EU and US. Manchester airport and London Stansted also said on Wednesday that August had been their busiest-ever months in a sign of how demand for travel during peak periods is still strong, even if several airlines have said passengers appear unwilling to stomach further rises in air fares. Heathrow bosses are working on a new plan to expand the airport but are prioritising comparatively minor infrastructure improvements to incrementally increase its capacity before deciding on whether to push ahead with long-standing and controversial plans for a third runway. The airport is limited to 480,000 flights a year, but improving infrastructure from parking and road access to baggage systems would allow more passengers to fly without breaching the cap.<br/>
Members of Kenya's aviation workers' union have agreed to resume work after spending the day on strike, the head of the country's umbrella trade union organisation said on Wednesday. Francis Atwoli, secretary general of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions, said the aviation workers' union and the government had agreed that no one who participated in the strike would be victimised.<br/>
Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched a major tender for the master-planning and design of three new domestic airports aimed at bolstering tourism in the sultanate. These new airports are planned for Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Masirah Island, and Suhar, according to a report in Oman Observer. The tender is expected to draw leading international consultancy firms and the successful bidder will be tasked with conducting site selection studies, developing masterplans, overseeing design, and providing supervision for the construction of the airports. This tender comes in the wake of CAA Chairman Naif bin Ali al Abri’s earlier announcement about plans to build six new airports across Oman over the next five years, a move aimed at boosting tourism, improving logistics, and encouraging investment in these strategically important areas, the report said. Alongside the airport expansion, the CAA is also moving forward with plans to licence a second low-cost carrier, designed to complement SalamAir and improve domestic air travel, particularly to key tourism destinations.<br/>
Boeing faces a possible strike as early as Friday if most of the U.S. planemaker's factory workers in the Pacific Northwest vote on Thursday to back a work stoppage and reject a tentative deal that has enraged many of them. Roughly 30,000 workers who produce Boeing's 737 MAX, 767 and 777 jets in the Seattle area and Portland, Oregon, will vote on their first full contract in 16 years. A key union negotiator has acknowledged that many of the workers are angry because they wanted bigger wage hikes and other improvements. A strike will take place if the majority of workers vote to reject the preliminary deal and at least two-thirds vote to strike, according to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). Workers' discontent with the preliminary agreement reached on Sunday has been on display in some of Boeing's Seattle-area factories, with employees holding marches, banging pots and pans and blowing horns this week, one worker said. According to a note from TD Cowen, a 50-day strike could cost Boeing an estimated $3b to $3.5b of cash flow. The Boeing workers' last strike in 2008 shuttered plants for 52 days and hit revenue by an estimated $100m per day. "What I'm seeing is that there are a lot of angry people over many of the issues that they care deeply about," said Jon Holden, who headed the negotiations for IAM, Boeing's largest union. "We might see them vote this down and vote to go on strike,” Holden, president of the IAM's district 751, told Reuters.<br/>
China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co. agreed to buy 80 Airbus SE jets in the A320neo lineup to increase the proportion of more fuel-efficient next-generation aircraft in its fleet. The planes, which would be the second-largest order by an airline or lessor for Airbus aircraft this year, are due to delivered between 2030 and 2032, China Development Bank said in a statement dated Sept. 11. The order adds to a wider move among airlines and jet lessors placing orders stretching into next decade as Airbus and Boeing Co. have virtually run out of production slots through 2029. The A320 family is Airbus’s top-selling aircraft with a backlog of around 7,000 of the single-aisle jet to deliver. The Neo, which stands for new engine option, is a more efficient version of the A320. Chinese airlines and lessors have been large buyers of Airbus aircraft in recent years. Some of China’s largest airlines bought 340 A320 family jets between them in 2022. China’s three largest carriers also ordered a combined 300 domestically-made Comac C919 planes. Meantime, Boeing’s deal drought in China, which has lasted several years, continues during geo-political tension with the US. Shenzhen-based-CDB Aviation currently has almost 300 aircraft in its portfolio, half of them Airbus A320 family jets, and around 80 committed aircraft orders prior to this latest order. CDB is ranked the eleventh-largest airplane lessor in the world, according to KPMG.<br/>
Chinese planemaker Comac is considering opening its first offices in Asia outside of mainland China, people familiar with the matter said, as part of a push to help its C919 single-aisle jet gain traction overseas and better compete against aircraft from Airbus SE and Boeing Co. Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd. may make an announcement about an office in Hong Kong as soon as next month, one person said, asking not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak publicly. The city is seen as an attractive option due to its familiarity and location, the person said, adding that Comac may make a commitment in late October around aircraft maintenance in Hong Kong as well. Comac is also exploring real estate options in Singapore, another person said. Suntec City, near to the city-state’s central business district, is being considered, although no firm decisions have been made, they said. Representatives for Comac didn’t respond to a request for comment. The moves are a step toward convincing foreign airlines to buy Comac’s C919 — a jet that competes directly with Airbus’s A320 and Boeing’s 737 aircraft. Those two incumbents have a network of sales and maintenance facilities around the world as well as supply chain and spare parts support at virtually every airport globally.<br/>
Embraer is looking at working with “potential suppliers” in India for a wide-ranging collaboration across its business units, including in defence and commercial aviation. The disclosure comes as Embraer senior executive wrap up a visit to India to evaluate the expansion of its supply chain in India. Areas of opportunity identified include aerostructures, machining, composites, as well as software development, states the Brazilian airframer. Embraer executive vice president of global procurement and supply chain Roberto Chaves says: “India has a robust aviation and defence industry, and we see strong viability for manufacturers and systems developers in India to be key suppliers to Embraer.” There are 44 Embraer aircraft operating in India, across commercial, defence and business aviation programmes. Operators include regional carrier Star Air, which has ERJ-145s and E175s in its fleet. The Indian air force also operates ERJ-145-based airborne early warning and control aircraft, known locally as ‘Netra’. Embraer also reiterates a “key future opportunity” in India’s ongoing Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) acquisition, as it touts its C-390 tactical transport as a suitable candidate for the programme.<br/>