A winter storm brought snow, ice and freezing temperatures to a broad swath of the U.S. on Sunday, with some 60m people across more than a dozen states from Kansas to New Jersey under winter weather warnings and advisories. The storm was moving toward the mid-Atlantic, where Washington, D.C. was bracing for heavy snow and bitter cold on Monday, the same day the U.S. Congress is set to meet and formally certify Republican Donald Trump's election as president. The storm forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights, including more than 275 in both Kansas City and St. Louis, according to the aviation tracking website FlightAware.<br/>
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Brazil's government said on Friday it has reached deals with two of the country's largest airlines, Gol and Azul, to settle some pending tax obligations totaling 7.5b reais ($1.22b). The government has provided the carriers with significant discounts and allowed them to make installment payments. The deal may provide financial relief to the companies. Latin American airlines have been facing financial hurdles in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and were forced to restructure obligations as they struggle with high debt loads. Gol has been under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. since early 2024, while Azul recently struck deals with lessors to scrap obligations in exchange for an equity stake and bondholders to obtain fresh financing. Gol will pay 880m reais in up to 120 installments to settle obligations of about 5b reais, the government said in a statement, adding that it would also retain 49m reais from the firm currently deposited in a judicial account.<br/>
German airports were hit by a nationwide IT outage affecting police systems at border control on Friday, causing disruption and longer immigration queues for passengers from outside the European Union's Schengen travel zone. "There is currently a nationwide IT disruption," a federal police spokesperson said by phone, forcing officers to manually process passengers arriving from outside the passport-free Schengen area. The cause was not immediately known. The outage caused queues of people waiting at border control at several German airports, including Frankfurt, the country's busiest. Berlin airport confirmed longer waiting times at immigration for non-Schengen passengers. "We can confirm that since around 2 p.m. (1300 GMT) today, there have been disruptions to border control for flights to and from the non-Schengen area," said a spokesperson for Duesseldorf airport, saying passengers were being provided with water. The regional public broadcaster WDR reported that passengers were waiting for two hours at immigration while others were being kept on the plane.<br/>
Snow and ice have impacted flight operations at three of Germany's major airports, with some flights having to be canceled. b"Due to the predicted weather conditions, flight operations are expected to be restricted and flights canceled on Sunday, January 5, especially in the morning,” Munich Airport said on its website. Frankfurt Airport warned of similar disruptions and cancellations during the morning hours and advised travelers to check on the status of their flights before making their way to the airport. Various flights had to be canceled at Frankfurt, including departures to famous European destinations such as Paris, Venice and Prague. Of the 1,090 take-offs and landings planned during the course of Sunday, 120 were canceled, a spokesman for the airport operator Fraport told German news agency DPA. Stuttgart Airport in southwestern Germany also reported several delays due to the winter weather, although the runway had been cleared and was ready for operations. Some planes have to be de-iced before takeoff, delaying departure times. Berlin Brandenburg Airport cut the number of arrivals on Sunday evening in half due to the threat of sleet, a spokesperson told dpa news agency. <br/>
Heavy overnight snow has created significant travel disruption across the UK as the cold start to the new year continues. Stranded vehicles and collisions have left key roads in northern England closed while rail services have also been cancelled with two amber weather warnings still in place. Several major airports have reopened but passengers have been warned to still expect delays. A new yellow rain warning for southern England has also been issued on Sunday where milder temperatures bring a risk of flooding, with more than 20 flood warnings and more than 200 flood alerts in place. Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon Airport closed their runways for several hours on Sunday morning due to heavy snow. Manchester Airport said delays to some departures and arrivals are still possible as staff de-ice aircraft and clear walkways.Leeds Bradford Airport confirmed shortly after 2.15pm that its runway had reopened but added some disruption was expected to continue throughout the day. It had earlier warned that access through security could be temporarily restricted due to the high number of customers already in the departure lounge awaiting flights. Birmingham Airport had suspended operations for several hours overnight “for snow clearing and safety reasons”, but said it was on schedule for “business as usual” on Sunday. Bristol Airport reopened at about 11pm on Saturday but warned of ongoing delays because aircraft were out of position following flight cancellations. All the affected airports urged passengers to check with their airline for updates.<br/>
The Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced the resumption of international flights to and from Damascus International Airport, starting next Tuesday (January 7), reported WAM. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) quoted Ashhad Al-Salibi, Chairman of the Authority, as saying, "We reassure Arab and international airlines that we are in the process of fully rehabilitating both Aleppo and Damascus airports, with the assistance of our partners, to ensure they can receive flights from all over the world." Earlier, the airport had only received planes carrying international aid or foreign officials, while domestic flights had resumed earlier.<br/>
Russia's Pulkovo airport in St Petersburg temporarily halted flight arrivals and departures from 7:45 a.m. (0445 GMT) on Saturday to ensure the safety of civilian aircraft, Russia's aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said. It did not specify a reason for the decision to halt flights, but Russian airports have previously closed when there is a risk of Ukrainian drone strikes in the area. Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the northern Leningrad region containing St Petersburg, said Russian forces had shot down two drones near Luga Bay in the gulf of Finland. "The airport is temporarily not accepting or dispatching flights," a Rosaviatsia representative wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "Aircraft crews, air traffic controllers and airport services are taking all necessary measures to ensure flight safety - this is the top priority."<br/>
Russian airports in the cities of Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Izhevsk and Perm, which temporarily halted flights on the morning of Jan 5 to ensure the safety of civilian aircraft, have resumed normal operations, the aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said. It did not specify a reason for the pause in flight arrivals and departures, but Russian airports have previously closed due to a risk of Ukrainian drone strikes in the area. The restrictions at the airports were all lifted by 11am local time, Rosaviatsia said. The four cities are located east of Moscow. Kazan’s airport suspended flights on Dec 21 due to a Ukrainian drone attack on a residential complex and other areas of the city in which no one was injured. <br/>
China said on Sunday it would launch 15 measures to bolster the development of its western provinces with the construction of logistical infrastructure such as ports and aviation hubs. The General Administration of Customs said the measures would enhance the integration of rail, air, river and sea links in China's west, state media reported. The measures are to include enhancing international aviation hubs in cities including Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Xi'an and Urumqi, while developing comprehensive bonded zones, and integrating these with ports and other transport links. A number of ports would also be built and expanded. China has long sought to bolster the economic heft of its western regions, which have markedly lagged coastal provinces. But ethnic tensions in such places a Xinjiang and hard-line security measures Beijing says are needed to safeguard national unity and border stability, have drawn criticism from some Western nations. China's western regions comprise around two-thirds of the country's land area and include regions such as Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Xinjiang and Tibet.<br/>
South Korea's government said on Monday it will extend the shutdown of Muan International Airport by a week to Jan. 14, citing the ongoing investigation into the crash of a Jeju Air jet that killed 179 passengers on board. The airport had been due to reopen on Tuesday following the Dec. 29 crash. A joint investigation team is stepping up the probe into South Korea's deadliest air accident. Two of the Korean investigators on Monday are set to leave for the United States with flight data recorders for analysis with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. The flight data recorders, along with cockpit voice recorders, are the two black boxes that contain key information about the crash. Investigators on Saturday compiled the complete transcript from the cockpit voice recorder recovered from the wreckage of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800. It is not clear whether they will disclose the transcript. Investigators retrieved two of the plane's engines over the weekend, as a representative from engine maker GE joined the probe. The transport ministry extended to Jan. 10 its inspections of all the Boeing 737-800 planes operated by Jeju Air and five other airlines in the country, including their maintenance records.<br/>
The deadly Dec. 29 Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport has raised concerns about the safety management at many regional airports, according to experts, Sunday. They warn that the construction of local airports without proper safety protocols, sufficient manpower, or adequate management could lead to similar accidents in the future. The efficiency, economic viability and safety measures of these airports must be thoroughly reassessed, even if it means delaying their opening, experts added. The aviation industry is expressing concerns over the struggles of underutilized airports, where low demand has resulted in inadequate budgets and poor management. This financial instability has created a vicious cycle, leading to chronic shortages of equipment and staff, which in turn further undermines operational efficiency and safety. At Muan Airport in South Jeolla Province, the site of the country’s deadliest aviation disaster, which claimed 179 lives, safety deficiencies are prevalent. Over the past six years, the airport has reported 10 bird strikes but lacks essential equipment, such as radar and thermal imaging devices. Additionally, only four staff members are tasked with bird control. Other regional airports face similar challenges. Yangyang International Airport in Gangwon Province operates without a control radar, while Ulsan Airport has a runway spanning only two kilometers — the shortest among domestic airports. Story has more.<br/>
Malaysia’s aviation sector is finally bouncing back to near pre-pandemic levels, official data has shown, with nearly 90m passenger journeys in and out of the country recorded from January to November 2024. International arrivals surged by 20.7% from 2023, official data revealed on Friday, as Chinese and Indian tourists led the return to Malaysia’s beaches and cities. But the number of visitors is still shy of a goal of 27.3m tourists for 2024 – including 2.7m short of a 5m target from China – signalling lingering challenges in the global travel economy. Tourism is vital for Malaysia’s economy, contributing 71.3b ringgit (US$15.8b) in revenue in 2023 and supporting more than 2.3m jobs, second only to the oil and gas sector. The pandemic severely affected Malaysia’s tourism industry, with international arrivals plummeting to just 4.3m visitors in 2020 from a peak of 26.1m the year before. 2021 saw a further decline, with only 130,000 visitors arriving in the country. In a statement on Thursday, the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) reported that over the past 11 months of 2024, cumulative passenger traffic reached 88.3m passengers, putting Malaysia on track to meet its full-year forecast of upwards of 95m passengers once the crucial December holiday traffic is accounted for. Eight million passengers were recorded alone in November 2024, nearly 16% higher than in the same month in 2023. The commission said this was driven primarily by a surge in international travel, supported by new route launches and expanded seat capacity, saying it had “strengthened Malaysia’s international air connectivity”.<br/>
Chinese state-owned plane maker COMAC aims for its C919 jet to start flying on commercial routes to Southeast Asia by 2026 as a first step to moving beyond its domestic market, a senior company official told Chinese media. COMAC, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, also aims for European certification for the C919 as early as this year, Yang Yang, deputy general manager of the company's marketing centre, told Shanghai government-affiliated news site Jiemian in a recent interview. China Eastern Airlines, the inaugural operator of the C919, incorporated Hong Kong into its C919 route network from Jan. 1, making the financial hub the first destination for the aircraft outside of mainland China. Yang did not say whether COMAC was in talks with any airlines about flights to Southeast Asia or other overseas markets. The C919 is also currently flown by Air China and China Southern Airlines. Positioned as a competitor to the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, the C919 currently only flies in China and needs to acquire international airworthiness certificates to enter the global market. "We hope to increase the operational deployment of C919 aircraft within China, to thoroughly identify any potential issues before expanding to Southeast Asia," Yang said. COMAC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Shanghai-based COMAC is keen to penetrate the Southeast Asian market before making a move on Western markets, at a time when industry giants Boeing and Airbus are grappling with challenges such as supply chain and labour issues.<br/>
The Federal Aviation Administration's tougher oversight of Boeing will continue indefinitely, the agency's outgoing head said on Friday, nearly a year after a door panel missing four key bolts flew off a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 in mid-air. bThe Jan. 5, 2024 incident prompted FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker to cap production at 38 737 MAX planes per month and temporarily ground 170 airplanes. The incident exposed serious safety issues at the U.S. planemaker and contributed to the departure of its then-CEO Dave Calhoun. "We have conducted an unprecedented number of unannounced audits; and we conduct monthly status reviews with Boeing executives to monitor progress. Our enhanced oversight is here to stay," Whitaker said in a statement ahead of the anniversary of the incident. Whitaker in February ordered Boeing to implement a safety and quality improvement plan and previously acknowledged prior oversight "was too hands off." "This is not a one-year project. What's needed is a fundamental cultural shift at Boeing that's oriented around safety and quality above profits," Whitaker said Friday. "That will require sustained effort and commitment from Boeing, and unwavering scrutiny on our part."<br/>
Boeing Co. and US prosecutors said they’re working to hammer out a new deal to settle a criminal case stemming from two fatal 737 Max crashes after a federal judge blocked an earlier plan because it included race as a consideration for selecting a compliance monitor. The Justice Department is working with Boeing “to include revisions to the proposed plea agreement that would address the reasons the Court rejected it,” lawyers for the agency’s fraud section and the company told the judge Friday in a filing. Last month, US District Judge Reed O’Connor rejected a previous plan because it called for an independent monitor to be selected in accordance with the department’s diversity and inclusion criteria. He also said the plan would diminish his role in ensuring Boeing’s compliance with the deal. “The parties have not reached agreement and do not expect to before January 4th, but are continuing to work in good faith toward that end,” the Justice Department wrote in a separate letter to the families of crash victims that was reviewed by Bloomberg News. The Justice Department and Boeing declined to comment on the letter sent to the families.<br/>
Boeing is embarking on another rebuilding year. A year ago, the company was thrust back into the spotlight for concerns over safety and quality when a fuselage panel that covered an unused emergency exit door blew out midair from a nearly new Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines. The accident terrified those on board though no one was seriously injured and the plane made a safe emergency landing back in Portland, Oregon. Key bolts were not installed before the aircraft left Boeing’s Renton, Washington, 737 factory, a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report found, again tarnishing the image of the marquee U.S. exporter. Boeing’s stock price is down more than 30% over the past 12 months, while the S&P 500 is up nearly 27%. Boeing’s leaders have spent the past 12 months making major changes that span replacements in its executive ranks, including a new CE, to more robust training for hundreds of factory workers, many of whom are new. The company on Friday outlined its progress over the past year, including initiating random quality audits at factories. Boeing said it has “significantly” reduced defects in 737 fuselages made by Spirit AeroSystems, which it is buying back, and cut down on so-called traveled work, where tasks to build aircraft are done out of sequence, in an effort to reduce flaws. The manufacturer also said it addressed much of the feedback from employees provided during sessions with management throughout the year. Since the accident, the Federal Aviation Administration increased its oversight of Boeing, capping its production of its best-selling 737 Max jets, though output is still below those levels. FAA chief Mike Whitaker, who said he will step down on Jan. 20, warned the company on Friday that “enhanced oversight is here to stay.” He said Boeing’s turnaround “is not a one-year project.”<br/>
Airbus missed its headline delivery target by a whisker in 2024, provisionally releasing more than 765 jets to airlines and lessors, industry sources said, citing preliminary data. Airbus notionally delivered more than 122 planes in December, bringing the total for the year to just over 765, they said. Airbus declined to discuss any details ahead of an annual commercial update planned for Jan 9.b "We are unable to comment on the numbers until then, as our figures are currently being audited as per the usual process," a spokesperson said. The European planemaker had forecast "around 770" deliveries after lowering its target in July due to supply problems, and averted a potential second profit warning after striking a deal over extra engine supplies in November. But supplies of interiors remain a persistent problem and some deliveries had to be shelved amid complex negotiations between airline, planemaker and seat supplier, leaving the 770 target narrowly out of reach, the sources said.<br/>