general

The US Defense Department denied its involvement in the mysterious drone activity that’s confounded officials in New York and New Jersey, prompting skepticism among some local leaders. Major General Pat Ryder told reporters Tuesday that none of the drones spotted in those areas are being flown by the Pentagon or are part of secret government tests, saying they’re most likely a combination of commercial or hobbyist drones. While top department officials take seriously any cases of drones flying near or over US military sites, he said this wasn’t a new concern given the volume of daily drone flights. “Is it possible that some of those drones could be up to malign activity? It’s entirely possible, but the vast majority, that is not the case,” Ryder said. “In the case of drones flying near or over US military installations, that in and of itself just given the volume of drone flights we see on a given day, is not something that’s new.” The comments came as speculation abounded about the source of the drones and state officials, as well as President-elect Donald Trump, demand information from federal authorities. The White House hosted a call Monday with politicians and lawmakers from New Jersey — where sightings began mid-November — and on Tuesday President Joe Biden said there was no sense of danger.<br/>

Reported sightings of drones over New Jersey have prompted a spike in the number of people in the state pointing lasers at airplanes flying overhead, which is illegal and can be dangerous, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said. The FAA said reports are up 269% to 59 in the first half of December, compared with eight in the same period last year. Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety issue and a violation of federal law. U.S. agencies have repeatedly said the spike in drone sightings does not pose national security risks and appear to be mostly aircraft, stars or hobbyist drones. The FAA said it has received dozens of new laser reports from pilots in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania airspace. The FBI in New Jersey separately warned people Wednesday not to shoot at suspected drones or point lasers at them, warning "there could be dangerous and possibly deadly consequences if manned aircraft are targeted mistakenly" as drones. Federal agencies have stepped up tracking of drones in New Jersey and in nearby states after a frenzy of public concern. Fewer than 100 of the more than 5,000 reported sightings in New Jersey and other northeastern U.S. states merited investigation, officials at the Defense Department, Homeland Security Department, FBI and FAA said this week. The Biden administration gave members of the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee a classified briefing on the issue on Tuesday. Officials have repeatedly said most of the large fixed-wing sightings involved manned aircraft, and came after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday called for more federal comment on the reported sightings.<br/>

The U.S. Senate rejected a bid on Wednesday to fast-track legislation to expand U.S. government authority to detect and destroy drones that could pose security threats over stadiums and other locations. Congress has debated for years expanding authority amid growing safety concerns. Senator Gary Peters sought unanimous consent to approve the bill after reports of drones sighted over New Jersey raised widespread concerns. The FBI and other agencies have said many of the sightings are of airplanes or planes and do not pose safety concerns. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the bill "explicitly authorizes state and local authorities to conduct drone detection and helps them better coordinate with federal law enforcement agencies to keep communities safe." Republican Senator Rand Paul blocked the request saying the bill would grant the government sweeping authority to conduct broad surveillance and Congress should not rush to legislate. "It's about unchecked government overreach. It's about capitalizing on fear and media-driven hysteria" that could violate the civil liberties of Americans. The White House and sports leagues since 2022 have been pushing for expanded authority to detect threatening drones, with the NFL, Major League Baseball and other leagues warning previously that without expanded authority, airports and sporting events "are at substantial risk from malicious and unauthorized (drone) operation."<br/>

As millions prepare to fly for the holidays, the Federal Aviation Administration is warning travelers about a hidden danger in their luggage: lithium-ion batteries. Found in everyday devices like laptops, tablets and even electric toothbrushes, these batteries can catch fire if they overheat or are damaged. Last July, panic erupted on an American Airlines flight from San Francisco to Miami after a laptop battery in a carry-on bag ignited. "It was absolute chaos. It truly felt like every man for themselves. And it was terrifying," said Shilpa Patel, a passenger on the flight. "I don't know if we're going to explode. All I know is I need to get out and I need to survive." FAA data shows that lithium battery fires on U.S. flights have risen 388% since 2015, now occurring nearly twice a week. "Any fire at 30,000 feet is unacceptable," said David Wroth of UL Standards & Engagement, a safety research organization. A survey of more than 800 flight attendants conducted by UL found that 87% are concerned about lithium battery risks on airplanes, and more than a third believe airlines should do more to ensure passenger safety. While the FAA requires airlines to include general safety information in preflight announcements, those warnings often don't address the specific risk of battery fires.<br/>

Two aboard a Bombardier Challenger 300 were killed upon landing in Buenos Aires on 18 December as the aircraft left the runway and caught fire outside the airport perimeter. According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, the Challenger 300 – flying as LV-GOK – had completed a 30min segment from Maldonado, Uruguay, touching down at San Fernando International airport northwest of Buenos Aires. Videos taken from multiple vantage points and shared on social media show the business jet crashing through a fence beyond the end of the runway and crossing a street before disappearing into a residential area. Responders are seen dousing the ensuing fire with flame retardant chemicals. Images also show dark smoke rising from blackened wreckage, with all but the aircraft’s nose and empennage consumed by flames. Both the pilot and co-pilot were reportedly killed. No passengers were aboard the aircraft, which can be configured to seat up to nine passengers. Contacted by FlightGlobal for comment, Canadian business jet manufacturer Bombardier says it is ”deeply saddened by this tragic event”. ”We extend our sincerest sympathies to all those affected by this accident,” the company says. <br/>

Shortly before the first domestic flight since Bashar al-Assad’s fall landed at Aleppo International Airport late Wednesday morning, the final preparations were still being made. Workers rushed to remove about a dozen empty ammunition boxes, gas masks and helmets from a grassy patch next to the runway. When the Syrian Air flight from Damascus landed, more than an hour behind schedule, it was greeted by a large crowd of journalists and a phalanx of security personnel, including military police officers and civil defense workers, standing by in case anything went wrong. But its arrival was otherwise smooth — a sign, the rebels who ousted al-Assad as president 10 days ago hope, that Syria’s new transitional government will be able to run the country. They want to prove they can provide Syrians with basic services, including domestic and international flights. “We consider this a big accomplishment — we are coming to rebuild this country,” said Anas Rustum, who was appointed to oversee the Aleppo airport by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the offensive against the Assad government and now leads the transitional government in Damascus. Rustum, speaking outside the airport terminal as the just-landed Airbus A320 sat on the tarmac behind him, said Syria’s leaders were open to welcoming flights from all countries and airlines, touting “these results you are seeing in front of your eyes.”<br/>

London's Heathrow is to spend GBP2.3b ($2.92b) upgrading the airport over the next two years. The move is an increase of GBP244m on previously forecasted investments, and comes days after Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, PIF, and French investment firm Ardian completed their deal to buy a 37% stake in Heathrow. The investment is the largest of its kind in UK transport infrastructure, and will be used to improve all terminals, including baggage delivery and projects to support punctual departures and arrivals, Heathrow said. The plan is to spend GBP1.05b upgrading the airport’s infrastructure next year and GBP1.29b in 2026. Heathrow has invested GBP1.1b in 2024, including spending GBP191m on upgrading security lanes. “Heathrow is the UK’s gateway to the world, and ultimately, the country’s gateway to growth,” the airport's CE, Thomas Woldbye, said. “Today’s announcement confirms that we will continue to invest more than GBP1b of private sector cash each year into the airport to deliver facilities our airlines and passengers want, while boosting the UK economy and creating opportunities for businesses up and down the country.”<br/>

London Stansted Airport is to introduce an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system that allows drivers to pass through without needing to stop and pay at a barrier. The technology, currently used at the Dartford Crossing, will be installed at Stansted's Express Set Down (ESD) area in January. It comes after GTBP1.1b of government investment was announced in October, allowing the airport to go ahead with an extension. "We have seen these systems work effectively at other airports and in other settings, such as bridges, toll roads and tunnels, and that is why we are confident it will improve the overall experience for users," said Anita Harrison, customer operations director. Earlier this month, Stansted said it would be able to handle between 48 and 51m passengers a year by 2040. Harrison said the new barrierless system would make drop-offs "quicker and more convenient, reducing driver waiting times and helping improve passenger flows". She said the recent investment would "deliver wide-ranging benefits at every touch point of a passenger's journey while at the airport". The charge will be payable by midnight the day after the drop-off.<br/>

Poland's Warsaw Chopin airport will remove security scanners manufactured by Chinese company Nuctech over security concerns, an airport official said on Wednesday. The decision was based on an analysis by the Civil Aviation Authority, which voiced the security issues, said Piotr Rudzki, head of the airport's communication department. "Just like the later position of the Ministry of Infrastructure, the recommendation was that these devices may not be safe and therefore it is recommended to refrain from using them," Rudzki told Reuters. Nuctech could not be reached for an immediate comment. Warsaw Chopin airport's four large Nuctech scanners, which scan checked-in luggage, will be replaced in March 2025, by devices produced by Polish consortium Dimark-Anglosec, Rudzki said. Nuctech makes body and luggage scanners for airports and ports used in more than 170 countries and it was among Chinese tech companies blacklisted by the U.S. government in 2020, which had said that the firms were security threats. In 2022 Strasbourg airport's deal to buy baggage-scanning equipment made by Nuctech upset some European lawmakers, who called for the contract to be reversed until an independent investigation was carried out to check whether Nuctech's technology posed no spying risk. <br/>

Incheon International Airport expects to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels in terms of cargo and air passengers by the end of the year, Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC), the operator of the country’s largest international air transport hub, said Wednesday. “Due to the complete end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport expects to see the number of air passengers this year drastically increase by 26.9% compared to last year,” Lee Sang-yong, senior public relations manager at IIAC, said during a press conference at the company's headquarters in Incheon. By the end of 2024, IIAC expects around 71.2m air passengers will have passed through the airport this year, which is a 26.9% jump from last year. The 2019 figure was 71.1m. The increase is due to soaring air travel demand during the summer and Chuseok holiday seasons, mainly from and to neighboring Japan. In 2025, the airport expects to receive some 73m travelers. Amid the global recovery in travel and tourism, the airport also expects a full-scale recovery in cargo transport at 2.9m tons this year.<br/>

Investigators have found that the “safety margin” was reduced in a runway incursion incident between two Boeing 787-9s at Singapore’s Changi airport. The incident, which happened on 5 February, involved a Korean Air and Scoot aircraft, both of which were landing at Changi, says the Transport and Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) in its final report. The Korean Air jet (HL7209) had touched down on runway 02C at around 04:35 local time, and was exiting the runway via rapid exit taxiway T6. It had not vacated T6 when the Scoot 787 (9V-OJH) was about to land about a minute later. This was because the flight crew of the Korean Air aircraft assessed there was insufficient clearance for it to turn into the exit assigned. “Even though the runway controller was aware that [the Korean Air 787] had come to a stop and was unable to vacate [T6], the runway controller did not cancel the [Scoot 787’s] landing clearance and instruct it to go around,” the TSIB states. According to the final report, the controller took into consideration that the Korean Air jet’s tail was clear of the runway and “there was no immediate obstruction” that would affect the Scoot jet’s landing. The Scoot jet was “already over the threshold of Runway 02C”, according to the runway controller, and “it would be safer to allow [it] to continue landing instead of instructing it to go around”. It landed on Runway 02C without incident, and exited on a rapid exit taxiway further along the runway. <br/>

Boeing said late on Tuesday it has resumed production of all airplane programs that had been halted by a machinists' strike in the Pacific Northwest. The planemaker confirmed last week it restarted production of its best-selling 737 MAX jetliner in early December - about a month after the end of a seven-week strike by 33,000 factory workers - and said it has now resumed wide-body programs in Everett, Washington that were impacted. Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stephanie Pope said in a social media post on Tuesday the company had now resumed production across its 737, 767, and 777/777X airplane programs. "We have taken time to ensure all manufacturing teammates are current on training and certifications, while positioning inventory at the optimal levels for smooth production," she added. Last week, Boeing said it delivered just 13 commercial jets in November, less than a quarter of the 56 jetliners it handed over to customers 12 months earlier. Deliveries were down from 14 in October, when most of the company's aircraft production was shut down during a seven-week strike by 33,000 factory workers that ended Nov. 5. The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Mike Whitaker, told Reuters earlier this month he was pleased Boeing was slowly and safely resuming production. The FAA said it would intensify oversight as Boeing resumed production.<br/>