The Sunday after Thanksgiving weekend marked a fresh record for US air travel with the Transportation Security Administration screening more than 3m passengers in a single day. That doesn’t mean everything went smoothly, of course. AirHelp Inc., which facilitates compensation for passengers by processing customer service claims for flight disruptions and lost luggage, has released its annual analysis of the best and worst performing airlines. The 2024 AirHelp Score report, published on Tuesday, comes just in time for the holiday season. The airline rankings methodology takes into account customer claims processed worldwide, as well as outside data tracking on-time arrival and departure performance for every plane, plus feedback from passengers from over 54 countries on the quality of food, comfort and crew service on their most recent flight. The aim is to give a snapshot of airline performance, says AirHelp CEO Tomasz Pawliszyn, with hope that the analysis “encourages airlines to continuously listen to passenger feedback.” Data analyzed for this round spanned from January through October. The worst performing airline in the world? That’s Tunisair, coming in last at No. 109. Keeping it company in the bottom 10 are a handful of national and low-cost carriers, including Buzz, a Polish airline that is a subsidiary of Ryanair Holdings PLC, Bulgaria Air, Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines and Air Mauritius. But ranking in the bottom 50, too, are North American carriers JetBlue and Air Canada.<br/>
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Biden administration officials will not finalize highly anticipated guidelines on new clean fuel production tax credits aimed at the airline and biofuel industries before they leave in January, three sources told Reuters, casting doubt on the future of a key piece of the U.S. president’s climate agenda. The tax credit, the engine behind President Joe Biden’s ambitious plan to generate 3b gallons in production of sustainable aviation fuels by 2030, was due to become effective Jan. 1, but a lack of detailed guidance from the US Treasury would render the program dormant. Air travel contributes around 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a big target in the fight against climate change. The Treasury Department on Tuesday reiterated its previous commitments, saying the agency anticipates issuing guidance before Jan. 20 that will enable producers to access the credit in 2025. Biofuel companies and their legislative backers were hoping to have a finalized program in place before Biden departs the White House on Jan. 20. They said they believed a complete program would provide some protection against President-elect Donald Trump's vow to repeal Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which launched the program. Ethanol producers in particular are hoping sustainable aviation fuels will provide market growth, amid stagnant demand for the corn-based fuel as a gasoline additive. U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley said delaying the guidance would be disruptive to the biofuels industry and vowed a different approach to Farm Belt politics once Republicans take over next year.<br/>
Passengers will be allowed to use expired identity documents to travel to the UK because of flaws in the eVisa system, a minister has told the Guardian. Seema Malhotra, the migration and citizenship minister, said the government had postponed a planned full shift to the new digital immigration system amid “real fear” of another Windrush-style scandal among minority communities. It follows complaints from eVisa applicants who have failed to gain access to the new digital immigration system so they can demonstrate they have a right to return to their homes in the UK. Most physical documentation proving the right to remain in the UK, such as biometric residence permits, will no longer be valid as proof of residency from 31 December. It is understood that hundreds of UK residents have struggled to access the system from abroad and so cannot return to their homes, Home Office insiders said. Migrant workers have complained that without an eVisa, they could not access employment or housing. Malhotra said: “I have heard a range of concerns, including that the move to eVisas might negatively impact the vulnerable and elderly, leaving them unable to demonstrate their rights. I know that international travel is also a particular point of concern ahead of the festive period. I have therefore brought in changes to reflect these concerns … this includes working with airlines to allow biometric residence permits or EU settlement scheme (EUSS) biometric residence cards that expire on or after 31 December to be accepted as valid evidence of permission to travel until 31 March 2025.”<br/>
Chinese carriers are reportedly refusing to pay Nepal's value-added tax (VAT), according to Kathmandu-based magazine Epardafas. Four airlines have accrued a combined debt of NPR4b rupees (US$29.5m) and the Chinese Embassy in the city is allegedly lobbying the Nepalese government to waive the debt, saying the imposition of VAT on foreign carriers violates international norms. Nepal began imposing VAT on international air services after it changed its Finance Act in the second quarter of 2023. To date, most foreign operators have complied and are paying the tax, but the four Chinese carriers that fly into the country - Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines - have not. A finance ministry official told Epardafas that all foreign airlines operating in Nepal must comply with the nation’s tax laws. He added that Nepalese entities abide by local tax laws when operating abroad and reciprocity is expected. Despite this, the Chinese carriers are said to be lobbying against the paying the VAT through diplomatic channels.<br/>
The domestic aviation industry is thriving, with the cabinet on Tuesday approving foreign pilots flying domestic routes temporarily to address the pilot shortage, while the Thai Pilots Association is preparing to submit a petition to restrain this amendment. Teerawat Angkasakulkiat, president of the Thai Pilots Association, said the statement from the government citing a pilot shortage totally missed the point as there are many unemployed pilots in the country. Within this week, the association plans to express its objection by submitting the petition to both the Labour Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). "Not only for this year, but we're concerned that during the next high season, the government might consistently allow foreign pilots to fly domestic flights, which would eventually affect local pilots in the long run," he said. Karom Polpornklang, a deputy government spokesman, said on Tuesday that the tourism boom has led to a shortage of commercial pilots.<br/>
Trading in the shares of Auckland International Airport was halted on Wednesday after the airport operator said it was notified that Auckland Council had started a process to sell its remaining 9.71% stake in the company. "Auckland Future Fund Trustee Limited has invited a relatively large group of brokers to submit offers for a parcel of 163,231,446 shares in Auckland Airport," the company said in a filing to the New Zealand stock exchange. Based on Auckland Airport's closing price of NZ$8.08 on Tuesday, the stake is worth about NZ$1.32b ($776.03m). Last year, Auckland Council lowered its stake in the airport operator by about 7% after selling shares worth NZ$835.9m. "We believe that the stake sale could be seen as a clearing event for investors to focus more on the operating and fundamental outlook for Auckland Airport," Citi analysts said.<br/>