A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday blocked the Biden administration's 2024 rule requiring upfront disclosure of airline service fees, saying the Transportation Department (USDOT) had not complied with procedural rules. The court ruling said the department had authority to write fee disclosure rules that specifically address "unfair or deceptive practices being conducted by airlines." However, the court also said the department should have allowed airlines an opportunity to comment on a study used by USDOT that looked at the impact of the fee disclosure rules. The court sent the rule back to USDOT to give it a chance to address the procedural error. The department, which has been under control of the Trump administration since Jan. 20, did not immediately comment on whether it plans to proceed. Regulations issued by USDOT in April required airlines and ticket agents to disclose service fees alongside the airfare, in a move to help consumers avoid unneeded or unexpected fees, but they were put on hold pending a legal challenge. Airlines including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines, joined by trade group Airlines for America and the International Air Transport Association, sued in May to overturn the rules. Airlines for America said it was studying the ruling and did not comment. The Biden rules had set an October 2024 deadline for airlines to disclose fee data to third-party ticket agents, and on their own websites by April 2025.<br/>
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The U.S. Senate voted 77 to 22 on Tuesday to confirm former Representative Sean Duffy to head the U.S. Transportation Department. Duffy, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, says Boeing needs “tough love” to get back on track after a 2024 mid-air emergency and vowed not to approve additional 737 MAX production until the plane-maker makes safety improvements. He will oversee billions of dollars in unspent infrastructure funds, and told lawmakers an ongoing safety probe into Tesla will continue when he takes office. Duffy, who cleared a procedural hurdle to be confirmed on Monday on a 99-0 vote, lost some Senate support after the White House sent a memo to federal agencies late on Monday freezing most federal grant programs. The White House last week froze funding for electric vehicle charging stations, a move that also led to the temporary pause of all federal highway reimbursements to states, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. The White House later clarified that last week’s funding freeze only applied to EV charging stations. Duffy also said last week he planned to meet with Boeing’s leadership at the “earliest feasible moment” to “make clear that the department and the FAA will continue to hold them accountable to the action plan they developed, and which was accepted by the department.” In January of 2024, Mike Whitaker, who at the time was the Federal Aviation Administration’s acting chief, imposed a production cap of 38 planes per month on Boeing after a door panel missing four key bolts flew off a new Alaska Airlines<br/> 737 MAX 9 jet.<br/>
Heathrow’s management is poised to relaunch plans to build a third runway at the airport, assuming the government signals its strong support this week, marking the return of one of the UK’s most expensive and controversial infrastructure projects. Bosses at the UK’s hub airport are keen to seize on the sudden window of political opportunity that has opened up, with chancellor Rachel Reeves expected to signal her backing for the expansion in a major speech on economic growth this week. Heathrow CE Thomas Woldbye has long said the airport would only press ahead with the full support of government. The prospect of a third runway at Heathrow has alarmed residents, environmental groups and some Labour politicians, concerned about the prospect of higher carbon emissions as well as noise and air pollution in the local area. But it is the scale and cost of the construction that could pose the biggest barrier to expansion. People briefed on the airport’s plans said that if it went ahead, the current thinking would favour updating the pre-pandemic blueprint for a multibillion-pound megaproject outside the current perimeter. As well as a 3.5km runway and taxiways on land to the north-west of the airport’s current boundary, the work would also involve diverting the nearby M25 motorway into a tunnel to make room for the expansion. In the process, 750 homes and a primary school would be demolished.<br/>
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to welcome Heathrow's expansion on Wednesday, the BBC understands, as she reveals Labour's latest plans for growth. A move to encourage in principle a planning application for a third runway at the airport will mark the first stage of the process and come as part of a major speech setting out several other projects aimed at boosting the economy. The announcement will likely anger campaigners - including within Reeves' Labour Party - who have opposed a third runway for decades because of environmental concerns. The Conservatives have criticised Labour's plans as "hastily cobbled together". In an article in the Times, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said wider government plans would "kick down the barriers to building, clear out the regulatory weeds and allow a new era of British growth to bloom". A third runway at Heathrow would cost tens of billions of pounds and take more than a decade to complete. But expansion plans at Gatwick and Luton airports starting during this parliament, and the redevelopment of the area around Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium could be confirmed in the speech. Reeves' speech will also focus on development between Oxford and Cambridge to create a "Silicon Valley of Europe".<br/>
Paphos airport is safe, deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou insisted on Tuesday, after Israeli airlines suspended their operations in and out of Paphos, Cyprus’ second airport. Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, he said both Paphos and Larnaca airports are safe, and that the measures “concern airlines with Israeli interests”. Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet had on Monday instructed flag carrier airline El Al and Arkia to not fly to Paphos “due to security reasons that cannot be made public”, with no further announcement having since been made. Antoniou had told CyBC later in the day that the Republic of Cyprus had been “aware of the development” over the past few days, and that flights between Israel and Larnaca airport had been continuing as normal. However, the civil aviation department on Monday morning denied that any safety issue had arisen at Paphos airport. “Paphos airport is operating normally despite a technical problem which recently arose,” it said, adding that the problem in question “concerned radio navigation” and had no impact on flight safety.<br/>
Rebels seized the airport of east Congo's largest city Goma on Tuesday, potentially cutting off the main route for aid to reach hundreds of thousands of displaced people, after capturing the city in an offensive that left dead bodies lying in the streets. M23 fighters marched into Goma on Monday in the worst escalation since 2012 of a three-decade conflict rooted in the long fallout from the Rwandan genocide and the struggle for control of Congo's mineral resources. The United Nations has heard that the rebels control the airport and are inside Goma, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a briefing, describing the situation as "tense and fluid."<br/>"There are real risks of breakdown of law and order in the city, given the proliferation of weapons," he warned, adding that U.N. peacekeepers and personnel had been forced to shelter at their bases. In the Congolese capital Kinshasa, 1,600 km (1,000 miles) west of Goma, protesters attacked a U.N. compound and embassies including those of Rwanda, France and the United States, expressing anger at what they said was foreign interference. Looters ransacked the embassy of Kenya.<br/>
The country's aviation industry is expected to make a significant recovery and return to the pre-pandemic level this year, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). CAAT director Suttipong Kongpool said the aviation sector is projected to see a surge of at least 25m passengers this year, bringing Thailand back to the pre-pandemic 2019 level. Initially, the aviation industry expected a full recovery by 2024, but it fell short of expectations due to the slow return of Chinese visitors, he said, adding this was due to a number of factors, including economic conditions in China. Based on the CAAT figures, in 2019, Thailand saw a total of 165m passengers for both inbound and outbound flights of both domestic and international routes, while in 2024, the industry recorded 140m passengers. This marked a recovery rate of 85.14% of the pre-pandemic level. Suttipong said the growth has also been affected by shortages of aircraft, and airlines have opted to lease aircraft to alleviate the problem. The CAAT director said concerned parties need to speed up efforts to meet growing air travel demand as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects the Thai aviation sector to expand and rise to the 9th position by 2033. Currently, Thai aviation ranks the 19th largest in the world. IATA's projection shows a promising outlook for the country as an aviation hub, and the efforts needed include enhancing services, maintaining safety standards, and completing infrastructure projects, he said. Mr Suttipong also provided an update on the CAAT's operations<br/>
Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) will be delisted from the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia as its minimum public shareholding spread is now less than 25%. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia today, the airport operator said the shortfall in the public shareholding spread arose as a direct consequence of the offer and the shortfall is expected to increase further as a result of additional valid acceptances under the offer until it is closed for acceptances on Feb 12. "As of 5pm today, the total MAHB shares held by the joint offerors and the joint ultimate offerors, including MAHB shares transferred to the joint offerors but pending receipt of the acceptance document - which are subject to verification - constitute 95.11% of the total issued shares of MAHB," it said. Meanwhile, Gateway Development Alliance Sdn Bhd (GDA) and its shareholders (consortium), in a statement, said they will now take the necessary steps to delist MAHB from the official list of Bursa Malaysia and the last day that MAHB shares will trade publicly is Feb 19. In addition, the consortium will also take the necessary steps to compulsorily acquire all the remaining shares in MAHB that it does not own after the final close of the offer period in accordance with Section 222 of the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007. "The consortium looks forward to working closely with MAHB to realise its potential to become a world-class airport operator that is competitive, efficient, commercial and service-focused.<br/>
The Philippines is preparing to privatise five more major airports in 2025, a move aimed at enhancing regional aviation services and supporting economic growth outside the bustling capital, Manila. Manuel Tamayo, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), announced the development on Tuesday. He doubled down on the government's commitment to leveraging public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives to continue ramping up the country’s aviation infrastructure. The airports slated for privatisation are Iloilo International Airport, Puerto Princesa International Airport, Davao International Airport, Siargao Airport, and Bohol-Panglao International Airport. These airports are key gateways to popular tourist destinations and vital hubs for regional connectivity.<br/>
Boeing said on Tuesday it was making progress on increasing plane production, and its shares jumped nearly 8%, despite the company recording its biggest annual loss in four years. The $11.8b loss, due to problems at its major units, along with fallout from a crippling strike that shuttered production of most of its jets, demonstrates the challenges facing CEO Kelly Ortberg in turning around the U.S. planemaker. Boeing has ceded ground to rival Airbus in the delivery race and entered the crosshairs of regulators and customers following a series of missteps. CFO Brian West told analysts the planemaker had delivered 33 of its strongest-selling 737 jets so far in January. West added the company expects to be in position later this year to exceed a cap of 38 per month imposed by U.S. regulators, but would need approval of the Federal Aviation Administration. "The second half is likely going to benefit from achieving higher production rates, which include the 38 per month target, and possibly higher, based on approval from the FAA," West said. Ortberg told Reuters earlier he is "not too worried" about U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs on trade partners, which could affect Boeing’s far-flung supply chain. He added that Boeing does not plan to start work on a new airplane program in the near future. Ortberg, who took the planemaker's helm in August, said the company is restoring production stability, after a harrowing mid-air accident a year ago raised concerns about the safety of its jets. Lower 2024 output has contributed to pressure on Boeing's finances, driving its credit rating down to just above junk level as it accumulated $87.5b in inventory from suppliers. West said the company would reduce inventory as output becomes more predictable, improving cash flow.<br/>
Nepali airlines have resumed rescue helicopter flights to the Everest region, an aviation industry official announced Tuesday, following weeks of suspension prompted by protests from locals citing environmental impact and loss of income from trekkers. Helicopters are a key means of transport and crucial for emergency rescue in many remote regions around mountainous Nepal, vast stretches of which are often inaccessible by road. But they have also been used to give mountaineering teams and tourists a shortcut over challenging terrain in the Sagarmatha National Park, home to Mount Everest, the world's highest peak. For those who can afford the $1,000 price tag, helicopters reduce the two-week long trek to Everest base camp to just a day -- depriving Nepalis along the overland route of a key source of revenue. In early January, the Airlines Operators Association of Nepal grounded all flights, blaming the halt on local youths who had blocked landing sites with flags. The association also said the protesters had warned pilots who landed that they would be forced to walk back on foot. On Tuesday, association official Pratap Jung Pandey told AFP that rescue flights were reopened Saturday "on humanitarian grounds". But commercial flights to the region were still suspended, as negotiations with locals for their resumption were ongoing.<br/>
The world’s first independently developed supersonic jet, the XB-1, has broken the sound barrier in a test flight above the Mojave Desert in California. The plane on Tuesday reached an altitude of more than 10km during the test before accelerating to Mach 1.1 (1,358kph) – past the speed of sound. XB-1’s supersonic flight marks the first time an independently developed jet has broken the sound barrier. Boom Supersonic is testing the jet as a prototype to develop the Overture plane in the next decade, which will carry 64 to 80 passengers at about twice the speed of today’s subsonic aircraft and run on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel. Two decades after Concorde’s retirement, the XB-1 marks the return of a civil supersonic aircraft to the skies and paves the way for the revival of mainstream supersonic travel. Carriers including American Airlines, United Airlines and Japan Airlines have already lodged 130 orders for the plane. The company is also working the US government to determine how it could be used for defence purposes. After its inaugural flight in March 2024, XB-1 completed a rigorous series of 11 human-piloted test flights under increasingly challenging conditions to evaluate systems and aerodynamics. Over the course of the flight test campaign, the XB-1 team systematically expanded flight speeds through subsonic, transonic and supersonic.<br/>