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Major air carriers on Friday challenged a U.S. appeals court ruling in January that the Transportation Department has the authority to write airline fee disclosure rules. A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the Biden administration's 2024 rule requiring upfront disclosure of airline service fees from taking effect. While noting that the Transportation Department had the authority to write rules on unfair or deceptive practices by airlines, the court said the agency had not complied with procedural rules. American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines, along with trade groups Airlines for America and the IATA, asked the full appeals court to reconsider the ruling. The rule would "upend the way airlines interact with their customers, at great cost, and with no demonstrated benefit," they said. The appeals court said USDOT should have allowed airlines an opportunity to comment on a study reviewing the impact of the fee disclosure rules. It sent the regulation back to USDOT to give it a chance to address the procedural error. USDOT did not immediately issue a comment on Friday. egulations issued by USDOT in April 2024 required airlines and ticket agents to disclose service fees alongside airfares to help consumers avoid unneeded or unexpected fees. The requirement was put on hold by the court pending the airlines' legal challenge. In April, USDOT said consumers were overpaying $543m in fees annually, generating additional revenue for airlines from passengers surprised by having to pay a "higher fee at the airport to check a bag." Major airlines charge higher baggage fees if travelers do not pay in advance or wait until flight time. Several U.S. airlines boosted fees in 2024 for checked baggage while Southwest Airlines said this week it plans to introduce checked baggage fees for some customers.<br/>

Air Canada has apologized after it emerged that some of its fleet displayed maps that appeared to have erased Israel. The carrier’s Boeing 737 MAX fleet were found to have moving maps — part of the in flight entertainment (IFE) system — that did not show Israel as a state, but replaced it with the name “Palestinian territories.” The maps have been deactivated while they are updated. The discrepancy was first noticed by a passenger who flagged it to the company. Air Canada said in a statement that it was found on 40 of its Boeing 737 aircraft. According to the airline’s website, there are 43 737 MAX twinjets in the fleet of more than 350 total aircraft. The IFE in question had been produced by French aerospace group Thales, while the map itself had been produced for Thales by an external company, which has not been named. Air Canada and Thales said in a joint statement, shared with CNN on Thursday, that the issue had been “resolved.” “It was brought to the attention of Air Canada that the interactive map on its Boeing 737 fleet did not consistently portray certain Middle Eastern boundaries, including those of the State of Israel, at all amplification levels,” the statement said. “Air Canada’s policy in general is to display only city names on the maps in its aircraft, and the configuration on this particular system was not compliant with this policy.” The map function was immediately disabled on the aircraft, it added, and the airline has been working with Thales and the map provider to reprogram the planes. A rectified map will be installed on the fleet from March 14. Juancho E Irausquin Airport is the only airport on the Caribbean island of Saba. It has the shortest commercial runway in the world, only 1,299 feet long, and flanked on one side by high hills, with cliffs that drop into the seat at both ends, says PrivateFly. Due to the runway length, only small aircraft and helicopters use it. “Air Canada and Thales apologize for the unease created by this situation,” it concluded.<br/>

Airbus has submitted a bid in a tender for 84 passenger planes for Polish national carrier LOT, Airbus Vice President Benoit de Saint-Exupery was quoted as saying by the PAP news agency on Saturday. "Our bid concerns two versions of the A220-100 and 300 aircraft," he told PAP. In March 2024, Poland's Ministry of State Assets said that LOT intended to send a request for proposals to Airbus and Embraer regarding the purchase of aircraft to service its regional routes. "From what we know, LOT is to resolve the tender and make a decision quite quickly, within a few months. The sooner, the better for the carrier," de Saint-Exupery was quoted as saying.<br/>

Greek carrier Aegean has identified itself as a customer for eight more Airbus A321neo twinjets. Aegean says the top-up agreement expands, for the third time, an original order with Airbus from 2018. It takes its overall commitment to 58 aircraft, comprising 33 A321neos, four long-range A321LRs, and 21 A320neos. Thirty-four of these aircraft have already been delivered, says the carrier. Aegean has received one aircraft this year and plans to take another four over the remainder of 2025. CE Dimitris Gerogiannis says the additional order is “essential for achieving our growth objectives”. With 37 of Aegean’s aircraft set to be A321neos, he states that the company has a “strong preference” for the larger-capacity and extended-range variants. Aegean has not disclosed an engine selection but its current A320neo family jets are fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW1100Gs.<br/>

Ethiopian Airlines and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have signed a partnership agreement to collaborate on the construction of Ethiopia's new mega international airport, according to the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance. The partnership accord was signed on Friday by Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, and Nnenna Nwabufo, vice president for regional development, integration and business delivery at the AfDB, the ministry said in a statement issued on Saturday. During the letter of intent signing ceremony, Ethiopian Finance Minister Ahmed Shide appreciated the AfDB's "comprehensive support" to Ethiopia's development, with a current investment portfolio of more than 1.2b U.S. dollars in key development sectors. Highlighting that the East African country's ongoing macroeconomic reform efforts are critical to driving inclusive growth and building a robust economy, Shide acknowledged the AfDB's support for Ethiopia's development. Commending the two sides' partnership on Ethiopia's Bishoftu International Airport Development Project, the finance minister also requested the bank's support for the country's macroeconomic reform agenda as well as other transformational projects.<br/>

Air India on Thursday unveiled its new “Maharaja Club Points Plus” offer, allowing its frequent flyer members to convert their reward points from eligible bank partners into Maharaja Points. This promotion, announced by Air India in a press release, is aimed at maximising the reward points that members can earn. The offer, running from March 6 to March 31, 2025, also provides an opportunity to earn up to 50% bonus points on conversions. With this new initiative, Maharaja Club members, including newly enrolled participants, can convert their bank reward points into Maharaja Points, with the potential to earn up to 1m Maharaja points during the offer period. These points can be redeemed for booking Award Flights and Cabin Upgrades, enabling members to enjoy enhanced travel benefits with Air India and its Star Alliance partner airlines, Air India added.<br/>