The U.S. Congress passed spending legislation early on Saturday in a down-to-the wire burst of activity that will avert a destabilizing government shutdown ahead of the busy holiday travel season.<br/>The Democratic-controlled Senate in an 85-11 vote passed the bill to continue government funding 38 minutes after it expired at midnight (0500 GMT Saturday). The government did not invoke shutdown procedures in the interim. The late-night vote capped a frantic week that saw President-elect Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk defeat an initial bipartisan deal, throwing Congress into disarray. The final version stripped out some provisions championed by Democrats, who accused Republicans of caving in to pressure from an unelected billionaire who has no experience in government. Congress did not act on Trump's demand to raise the debt ceiling, a politically difficult task, before he takes office on Jan. 20. The federal government spent roughly $6.2t last year and has more than $36t in debt, and Congress will need to act to authorize further borrowing by the middle of next year. The legislation would extend government funding until March 14, provide $100b for disaster-hit states and $10b for farmers, and extend farm and food aid programs due to expire at the end of the year. A travel industry trade group warned it could cost airlines, hotels and other companies $1b per week and lead to widespread disruptions during the busy Christmas season. Authorities warned travelers could face long lines at airports.<br/>
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A government shutdown is looming just as the peak holiday travel season gets underway. Lawmakers have been at an impasse and on Thursday voted down a short-term bill, which was backed by President-elect Donald Trump, to continue to fund the U.S. government. A shutdown could begin as early as 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday if no deal is reached. Hundreds of thousands of government employees would be furloughed if Congress fails to pass a spending bill. A government shutdown could cost the U.S. travel industry $1b per week, estimated the U.S. Travel Association, which represents major hotel groups and others. “It’s hard to see how anyone in Congress wins if they force TSA workers, air traffic controllers, and other essential employees to work without pay during one of the busiest travel periods of the year,” Geoff Freeman, the group’s president, said in a statement on Friday. Commercial airplanes are still scheduled to fly, even given the chance of a shutdown. Airlines are forecasting the busiest year-end holiday season on record. The Transportation Security Administration expects its officers to screen more than 40m people during the holidays through Jan. 2. United Airlines alone said it will fly 9.9m people between Dec. 19 and Jan. 6, up 12% over last year. The government deems the more than 14,000 air traffic controllers and close to 60,000 TSA agents essential, which means they would continue working, though they wouldn’t be paid during the shutdown.<br/>
A small private plane carrying 10 people crashed in a tourist city in southern Brazil on Sunday, clipping buildings as it fell from the sky and injuring at least 17 others, officials said. Authorities for the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, where the crash took place, said 10 people were aboard the plane that went down Sunday in the mountain resort town of Gramado. “We wish to express our solidarity with the families of the passengers on this plane, who unfortunately did not survive a serious accident,” the state’s governor, Eduardo Leite, said during a news conference on Sunday. As the plane fell, it reportedly struck the chimney of a building and the second floor of a house before crashing into a furniture store and sending debris into a nearby bed-and-breakfast, civil defense officials said in a statement. At least 17 people on the ground were injured, most from smoke inhalation. Two women were in serious condition for burns and were being transported to the state capital for treatment, Leite said. The plane crashed in Gramado at 9:15 a.m., just minutes after taking off from a nearby airport. The aircraft was owned and piloted by Luiz Claudio Salgueiro Galeazzi, a Brazilian businessman, according to the state authorities. The passengers on board the plane are believed to have been relatives of Mr. Galeazzi.<br/>
Strong winds are continuing to cause some travel disruption in parts of the UK as millions of people travel ahead of Christmas. Heathrow said around 100 flights had been cancelled on Sunday and passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling. The weather has also led to the "widescale cancellation" of ferry services across the Irish Sea and along the Scottish coast, road closures to high-sided vehicles and rail disruption. A yellow warning for ice in north-east Scotland is in force until 10:00 GMT on Monday morning. Saturday also saw disruption, with a number of ferries between Northern Ireland and Scotland cancelled, speed restrictions in place on some trains in Scotland, a "small number of flights" cancelled at Heathrow Airport due to "strong winds and airspace restrictions", and some road closures in exposed areas.<br/>
Three experts in noise control have urged An Bord Pleanála to retain a proposed rule that would limit night-time flights at Dublin Airport, calling it “an absolute necessity” to manage health effects from the noise of low-flying planes. The three academics, who have expertise in acoustics, noise control, mechanical engineering and urban planning, said in a letter to the board that the absence of a movement limit for aircraft would mean “some aircraft could operate without restriction, undermining the system’s intent to reduce noise impacts”. Eoin King, a lecturer in mechanical engineering at NUI Galway, John Kennedy, an assistant professor of engineering at Trinity College Dublin, and Enda Murphy, a professor at the school of architecture, planning and environmental policy at UCD, made their observations as part of the board’s public consultation. They said the board’s proposed conditions were “a positive step forward” that “not only provides greater flexibility during the busy summer months but also aligns with best practices for managing airport noise”. The subject of how many flights are permitted into and out of Dublin Airport has been a source of controversy in recent years, generating planning battles and High Court cases and planning battles related to both the airport’s passenger cap of 32m and the noise limits attached to the use of its runways. In September, the planning board issued a draft ruling proposing to remove the cap on night-time flights at the airport and replace it with an annual noise quota in conjunction with seasonal aircraft movement limits. The decision replaced the current arrangement where Dublin Airport is limited to 65 or fewer flights between the hours of 11pm and 7am each night with a limit of 13,000 flights annually, split between 9,100 in summer and 3,900 in winter.<br/>
An Indian government panel has rejected an airline industry proposal for aviation fuel to be brought under the unified Goods and Services Tax (GST), the finance minister said after a meeting of the panel on Saturday. Currently, state governments choose how to tax aviation turbine fuel (ATF). Airlines have been lobbying to include it in the GST regime so the levy is the same nationwide, but state authorities have opposed that, fearing they could lose revenue. "States do not want ATF to be brought under GST just like petrol and diesel," federal Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said after Saturday's meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council. The council is chaired by Sitharaman and includes state government representatives. The tax panel also decided to impose 18% GST when all used or old vehicles, including electric vehicles, are sold by registered sellers. Such vehicles sold directly between two individuals will not attract tax.<br/>
The Albanese government has bowed to pressure from Qantas and other airlines advocating against laws that would force them to pay cash compensation to passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled. The omission of a compensation scheme in the government’s draft aviation customer rights charter follows claims from airlines such as Qantas that compensation rules – which exist in the European Union – would force them to preempt costs and increase air fares. The charter was released on Sunday. When the government announced it would introduce an airline passenger charter of rights – to fall under a forthcoming industry ombuds scheme – it left open the door for the interim ombudsperson, Pauline Sullivan, to determine if a compensation scheme should be in the charter she was tasked with drafting. However, such a scheme is not included in the draft charter, which is now open for public consultation until the end of February. The omission means advocacy groups’ longtime hopes for an EU-style compensation scheme for Australian passengers lie in the Coalition’s “pay on delay” bill. There have been mounting calls to introduce a compensation scheme modelled on EU laws. It is understood Australia’s consumer watchdog closely studied the EU scheme in the lead-up to the delivery of a landmark aviation white paper. Proponents of an Australian scheme say forcing airlines to pay cash to passengers delayed as a result of the airline’s operations – but not weather-related issues – could bring airlines with poor on-time performances into line. They argue it could also disincentivise airlines from deliberately scheduling and cancelling flights to retain takeoff and landing slots.<br/>
China’s first home-grown passenger jet, the C919, is now serving 10 major cities across the country as domestic airlines move swiftly to deploy the new aircraft. The aircraft, seen as a symbol of China’s achievements in tech and advanced manufacturing, also hit a new milestone on Thursday, carrying a total of 1m passengers since its maiden commercial flight in May 2023. The rapid roll-out will be a key test for the C919 as it strives to prove itself a reliable alternative to Boeing and Airbus’ single-aisle models, with more frequent flights posing challenges from deployment to maintenance. “More flights between more cities mean real tests for the jet, but it can also raise its profile,” said Li Hanming, an aviation consultant. China Eastern Airlines was the first carrier to put the new aircraft into service. Since then, the jet has rapidly spread its wings to destinations across China as its manufacturer, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), has moved to ramp up production.<br/>