The United States is working with airlines to provide additional flights out of Lebanon with more seats for Americans, the State Department said on Tuesday, after Israel said overnight that its troops had launched ground raids into Lebanon. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that around 6,000 U.S. citizens in Lebanon have registered with the U.S. for information on how to depart the country, though he said not all were seeking assistance with departing.<br/>
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Lebanon's Transport Minister Ali Hamie said on Tuesday that flights were only allowed to take off towards the west, following Iran's launching of a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel. Earlier on Tuesday, the minister said that Lebanese airspace was closed to air traffic for a two-hour period. "After coordinating with the Cypriot aviation authorities, planes are allowed to take off towards the west until all developments and data are evaluated to take the appropriate decision that ensures safety of air traffic in Lebanese airspace," Hamie said on X.<br/>
As the Southeast U.S. recovers in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s destruction, consumers looking to change their air travel plans to or from affected areas without taking a financial hit may be out of luck, experts said. “The big-picture issue that happens in U.S. air travel: When there is a significant disruption, air passengers have very, very limited rights” when it comes to compensation, said Eric Napoli, chief legal officer at AirHelp, an online service that assists airline passengers. Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday in Florida as a Category 4 storm, leaving a swath of wind- and flood-related damage across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. The storm killed more than 120 people, knocked out power for millions of people and left many stranded without basic necessities like running water. The North Carolina Department of Transportation urged people to avoid unnecessary travel in the western part of the state due to hundreds of road closures from downed trees, landslides and “catastrophic damage.” Amid that destruction, travelers hoping to change flights for free or cancel their plans for a refund may find airlines unwilling to grant that financially flexibility. Airlines do generally owe “prompt” refunds to passengers if they cancel or make a “significant change” to a flight, regardless of the reason, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. That’s true even for consumers with non-refundable tickets.<br/>
A multibillion-dollar legal battle over who will foot the bill for hundreds of aircraft stranded in Russia will kick off in London this week as their owners try to secure payouts from insurance companies in one of the most complex and costly cases to be heard by the high court. Groups including AIG, Chubb and Lloyd’s of London are facing what one litigant has described as a “mega trial” over claims that they have refused to cover the owners of mainly Boeing and Airbus jets that were stuck in the country after it invaded Ukraine. Owners of the planes – including the world’s biggest commercial aircraft leasing company, AerCap – are seeking a combined total of about $3b from insurers in proceedings that are due to get under way on Wednesday and have been scheduled to last until Christmas. Parallel proceedings covering reinsurance are also advancing, with a UK high court hearing scheduled for November. The aviation insurance sector is facing potentially the biggest loss in its history, with losses topping those after 9/11. More than 500 aircraft worth an estimated $10b were stranded in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Western lessors managed to recover some of the aircraft, but most remain in Russia and are still being flown by Russian airlines. In the trial, due to take place at a “super court” in central London, several of England’s most prominent commercial barristers are expected to argue on insurers’ behalf that it is too early to declare a total loss, not least because the aircraft have not been destroyed and may yet be recovered. They are expected to point out that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could still be resolved, depending partly on the outcome of the US election, and also to highlight that the way the insurance policies were worded means the lessors are not covered.<br/>
Taiwan shut down on Wednesday with hundreds of flights grounded and offices, schools and financial markets closed ahead of the arrival of a weakening Typhoon Krathon, which is forecast to bring storm surges along the coast and torrential rain. The government in the key port city of Kaohsiung, right on the path of the eye of the storm, told people to stay at home and away from the sea, rivers and mountains, warning of a repeat of 1977's Typhoon Thelma which killed 37 people and devastated the city of 2.7m. Taiwan regularly gets hit by typhoons but they generally land along the mountainous and sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific, but Krathon will make landfall on the island's flat western plain.<br/>It is forecast to hit between Kaohsiung and its neighbouring city of Tainan in the early hours of Thursday, then work its way up the west coast towards the capital Taipei, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.<br/>Chou Yi-tang, a government official working in the Siaogang district where the airport is located, said the typhoon has brought back bad memories of Thelma for the older generation, prompting residents to take extra precautions.<br/>
Boeing Co. is considering raising at least $10b by selling new stock, as the planemaker seeks to replenish cash reserves depleted further by an ongoing strike, according to people familiar with the discussions. The company is working with advisers to explore its options, said the people, asking not to be identified discussing confidential matters. Raising equity isn’t likely to happen for at least a month, assuming the planemaker can resolve the strike, because Boeing wants a firm grasp of the financial toll from the walkout by 33,000 workers, the people said. A spokesman for Boeing declined to comment. No final decision on timing and the amount has been made, and Boeing could end up deciding against the move, the people said. Boeing is under pressure to shore up its finances and hold onto its investment-grade credit rating. The company is one step away from dropping into speculative territory, which would further drive up the cost to service its $58b debt load. The situation has been exacerbated by the strike now in its third week that has shut down output of Boeing’s single-aisle airliner, as each day of stoppage further dents reserves.<br/>
Boeing's largest union urged new CEO Kelly Ortberg on Tuesday to get more involved in contract negotiations to end a strike by around 33,000 U.S. West Coast workers, after the U.S. planemaker cut off their healthcare benefits. In August, the former Rockwell Collins boss took over the reins of Boeing, which has been rocked by multiple crises this year, including the strike that has hit production of Boeing's strongest-selling 737 MAX jets. "It’s time for the new CEO to truly engage at the proposal-based level and to take the reins from his subordinates who are fumbling critical decisions like this one," said Brian Bryant, president of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and Aerospace Workers, which represents the striking workers. "There is no reason the health benefits question could not have been punted on to allow more time for negotiations at the table," Bryant added in a statement. The Sept. 30 limit for striking workers to access their Boeing health insurance plans was long known, with the union urging workers on Monday to find alternatives. Talks between Boeing and the IAM's District 751, which is negotiating the deal, broke off last week and it is not clear when discussions will resume. "We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our represented employees and negotiating in good faith, and want to reach an agreement as soon as possible," Boeing said in a statement.<br/>
If a US dockworkers’ strike continues for more than a few weeks Airbus could start experiencing shortages of structural components used to assemble A320neo-family jets in Mobile, Alabama, possibly disrupting production. That is according to aerospace analysts, who say the impact of the strike – the latest of several major walkouts sweeping the USA – will likely not be felt immediately by Airbus. But should the strike prove lengthy, Airbus could find itself short of major A320neo structures in the USA. The company and its suppliers manufacturer those structures in Europe, then ship them via ocean freight to the Port of Mobile. “If it is a long strike, there could be some shortages at the Mobile production facility,” says aerospace analyst Alex Krutz with Patriot Industrial Partners. “It’s a very real possibility that certain components or structures are not available”.“If it’s a short strike, most likely there’s enough inventory on hand and within the region to be able to support production,” he adds. Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association walked off the job on 1 October, disrupting shipping at major ports from Maine to Texas, including the Port of Mobile. US West Coast ports are unaffected. The dockworkers’ union is seeking raises – of up to 77% over six years, according to reports – from the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents marine terminal operators, port associations and ship operators.<br/>
Embraer has emphasised the safety aspects of its automatic take-off system, as it prepares for European and US certification measures. The system – known as E2TS – has already been fitted to an E195-E2, but the manufacturer intends to make it available across its E-Jet range. It is designed to optimise take-off by rotating the aircraft consistently, pitching it sufficiently to avoid tail-strike before increasing pitch, immediately after becoming airborne, to gain height and reduce overall take-off distance. Embraer’s E2TS technical leader, Patrice London Guedes, says it uses the fly-by-wire architecture, including three flight-control computers and four air-data sensors, for the “highest level of integrity and availability”. The ability to pursue a greater pitch after leaving the ground translates to increased take-off weight capability. London Guedes adds that the system is “fail passive”, disengaging with no significant deviation and reverting to pilot control after a single failure. “Beyond the take-off performance optimisation, the system will greatly improve safety, by reducing the pilot workload and making the operation even more precise and consistent,” he says.<br/>