The FAA said on Wednesday it will install enhanced safety technology at 74 airports by the end of 2026 to help detect runway incursions. The FAA is installing the Runway Incursion Device, a memory aid for air traffic controllers that indicates when a runway is occupied. The system is operational at four airports and will be installed at another 70 airports over the next 19 months. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier on Wednesday that he plans to announce in the next few days a plan to overhaul the U.S. air traffic control system to replace aging technologies. The Jan. 29 fatal Army helicopter and American Airlines regional jet collision that killed 67 people near Reagan Washington National Airport has also rekindled concerns about aviation safety. Duffy said last week that he plans to ask Congress for tens of billions of dollars to reform air traffic control. The Government Accountability Office says the FAA must take urgent action to address aging air traffic control systems, saying that one-third are unsustainable.<br/>
general
New York's JFK airport is an overlapping patchwork of open terminals, giant building sites and burgeoning infrastructure, wedged in by thousands of homes on one side and the ocean on the other. Passengers and project executives alike describe the US$9b mega-project to completely overhaul the United States' largest global aviation gateway as "organized chaos" -- even as the airport remains open and passenger numbers grow. "For me, it's the most complex project I've ever worked on," said Gina Bigler, a senior engineer of construction at the JFK Redevelopment Program to entirely remodel the airport that handles more international passengers than any other in North America. Around her, temporary bridges redirected roads to make space for new permanent crossings and flyovers, while giant excavators shifted sandy earth near two brand new terminals in varying stages of completion. "There's multiple different contractors and the fact is the passenger volume is way higher than other projects," said Bigler, wearing a hardhat and high-vis jacket as she watched the delivery of plastic piping to the site of a new parking garage. "We have the constant push and pull of who's going to go first. There's tonnes of conversations." A complex web of contractors, terminal tenants, investment consortiums and airlines all coordinate with the Port Authority of New York-New Jersey (PANYNJ) which oversees every aspect of the project, from what art will be displayed in terminals to the tiles selected for the bathrooms. Despite the Coronavirus disruption and the project's scale and complexity, currently the largest of its type in the US, the redevelopment remains on budget and on schedule. Collaboration between the airport owner and private businesses guaranteed "oversight from a public oversight perspective," said JFK Millennium Partners CEO Steve Thody, responsible for the airport's new Terminal Six.<br/>
More than one million Canadians visited New York City last year, injecting hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy. Now, they are canceling trips in droves. School groups have called off end-of-semester trips. So have busloads of retirees, as well as newlyweds planning honeymoons, friends celebrating birthdays and a family from Quebec that had planned to visit twice this year. Often, the reason cited is President Trump’s escalating hostility toward Canada and repeated threats to make it the 51st state, which has stirred sweeping pledges to boycott American goods and abandon over-the-border vacations to the United States. The cancellations could inflict damage on the economy in the city, where Canadians spent an estimated $600m in 2024, and hinder the tourism industry’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The havoc could also extend statewide. Cities and towns along the border with Canada, for instance, rely on tourism from their northern neighbors who often make same-day shopping trips. Nearly four million Canadians visited New York State in 2023, according to the most recent data available from the state, and spent more than $1.7b. “When you piss off a country and threaten to annex them, they are not going to want to travel here,” said Matt Levy, the owner of the New York City tour guide company, Spread Love Tours, whose business with Canadian groups is on pace to decline 50% this year. More than a dozen high schools from Canada recently informed him that they were canceling their annual trips to the city, he said. A tour operator in Ottawa, Travac Tours, expected to send 16 coach buses to New York City this year. But none of its customers — mostly retirees who tend to spend generously on restaurants, shopping and Broadway shows — have booked a seat since Mr. Trump imposed tariffs on Canada this month, and the company expects to cancel every trip. “We love the American people, but we are so anti-America when it comes to finances,” Cindy Tobin, a manager at the company, said her clients have told her. “We are just not going to give them any money.”<br/>
Airlines have raised concerns over Heathrow’s third runway plans as they believe its effectiveness as a hub airport is hampered by the way it is run. Some 90% of respondents to a survey of 50 carriers which use the west London airport agreed with the assertion. The standard of services and a lack of engagement were among the reasons cited by airlines for why they believe Heathrow’s capability is hindered. Heathrow’s Airline Operators Committee (AOC), which represents the airport’s airlines and commissioned the research, said it shows a third runway would be “unaffordable” under the current system. In response, the airport said it agrees that “adjustments to the regulatory model are needed”, but insisted “airlines and passengers get good value for money”. More than two out of three (67%) airlines agreed that the airport’s operation stifles their ability to increase investment. Some 60% of respondents believe Heathrow’s service levels inside terminals is worse than at other major airports, with claims of long security lines, baggage system failures and poor treatment of passengers with restricted mobility. Chancellor Rachel Reeves gave her backing for Heathrow’s third runway project in a speech on growth in January. The airport responded by saying it would submit detailed plans to the Government in the summer. The cost of the project was estimated at GBP14b in 2014, but this is likely to have risen sharply.<br/>
Gatwick Airport bosses are warning that rogue parking firms are continuing to operate in its car parks with the number of complaints nearly doubling over two years. A BBC investigation found holidaymakers having long waits for their cars, some of which were damaged, at the hands of third party car parking operators. Trading Standards statistics show that 130 customers reported issues with car parking companies at the West Sussex airport in 2024, up from 73 in 2022. Oliver Bedford, car parking director at Gatwick Airport, urged passengers to be vigilant when booking ahead of the busy Easter and summer period, adding the airport was "taking steps to combat this". Bedford said: "The challenge we have is that these operators can operate in the airport as long as they don't break any of our bylaws. Although they may have Gatwick in their name there's no association between those operators and the airport." He said some operators opened up over peak holiday periods, and then closed down.<br/>
Swiss air traffic controllers are to impose temporary capacity reduction at Zurich airport, in order to implement a new airspace structure which has been based on collision-risk modelling. The redesigned airspace – intended to minimise infringements – will come into effect from 20 March. Swiss air navigation service Skyguide will reduce Zurich arrival capacity by 20% for four weeks, and also restrict general aviation activity in the vicinity of the airport. The redesign features changes such as a revision of terminal airspace zones. It covers not only Zurich but the military airspace around Dubendorf airfield, and also involves adjustments to gliding areas. Skyguide says the “far-reaching” change is the largest to the airport’s airspace in “several decades”, but adds that it is “committed to minimising the impact”. The redesign has been spurred by a number of airprox incidents at Zurich but, in particular, a serious occurrence in March 2011 when two Swiss Airbus A320s were cleared for take-off on intersecting runways within 46s of one another. As the jets accelerated, the crew of the A320 on runway 28 – having seen the other A320 converging from runway 16 – aborted the take-off at 135kt. The abort was initiated 550m before the runway intersection and just as the other aircraft was lifting off at 162kt. Swiss investigators stated that the situation involved a “high risk” of collision. The inquiry found that the airport’s complex operation on intersecting runways was subject to only “a small error tolerance” during periods of high-volume traffic.<br/>
The Middle East fleet of commercial airliners is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% over the next decade, according to the Global Fleet and MRO Market Forecast, 2025-2035 report from Oliver Wyman, a global management consulting firm and business unit within Marsh McLennan. This is almost double the 2.8% annual growth rate anticipated for the fleet worldwide over the same 10 years, reflecting the region’s rising demand for air travel, it said. The Middle East’s share of the global fleet is also expected to increase from 5.3% to 6.7% by 2035, as its fleet expands to close to 2,600 of the world’s more than 38,000 aircraft by 2035. Reflecting the increase in aircraft, the spending on maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) in the region will also trend upward, topping $20b in 2035. The MRO spend in 2025 is expected to reach $16b. “The Middle East commercial aviation market is on a growth trajectory, supported by strong demand for air travel, from both full-service airlines and low-cost carriers entering the market,” said André Martins, Oliver Wyman’s Head of the Transportation, Services, and Operations Practices for India, the Middle East, and Africa. As the report highlights, the region’s fleet expansion will be driven primarily by the addition of narrowbodies that will cater to the growth in domestic and shorter-haul flights. In a region where widebodies have long dominated, narrowbodies will climb from 43% to 47% of the regional fleet over the decade.<br/>
The Thai Pilots Association hopes the temporary permission for foreign pilots to fly domestic flights will not be extended, based on a commitment from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). Teerawat Angkasakulkiat, president of the association, said a loophole in the cabinet resolution does not clearly state a deadline, instead roughly limiting the time frame per wet lease agreement to six months, which can be extended one time for another six months. He said this could lead to airlines proposing use of this measure again next year, which would hamper the careers of local pilots. Teerawat said the association welcomes CAAT's plans to improve job opportunities, including supporting Thai pilots seeking jobs overseas. With Thailand poised to regain Category 1 status soon after a US Federal Aviation Administration assessment, CAAT said there should be more opportunities for local pilots. Last week the association filed a lawsuit against the Labour Ministry with the Administrative Court, seeking a temporary injunction to prohibit foreign pilots from operating domestic routes. There are more than 1,700 unemployed local pilots, as 3,300 pilots work for airlines in Thailand, while a smaller number fly with international carriers, according to the association. Based on discussions with CAAT last week, Teerawat said a positive sign is the authority acknowledged employment challenges faced by Thai pilots. The authority also pledged to not allow an extension of the wet lease agreement for foreign pilots, he said.<br/>
Three Auckland Airport workers have been arrested after allegedly smuggling 58kg of methamphetamine off a Malaysian Airlines flight worth about $21.7m. Suspicious activity within the airport precinct had been identified by Customs which led to investigations establishing three workers had moved a container off a flight from Malaysia at the international terminal on March 12, Customs said. Three men were arrested with court documents seen by Stuff stating the trio work for Menzies Aviation. The company provides aircraft ground handling services. The seized methamphetamine has a potential street value of up to $21.7m and $61m in social harm. The trio are facing multiple charges for the importation of methamphetamine and possession of the Class A drug for supply. But on Thursday, Customs and police searched five properties in Auckland finding a number of items interest including cocaine. Customs Investigations Manager, Dominic Adams, said this case sends a clear warning to those who are willing to abuse trust and access at the New Zealand border. “Customs has zero-tolerance for anyone taking advantage of their privileged security access and we will not hesitate to prosecute those caught abusing it.<br/>
Boeing’s cash burn is easing this quarter and its factories are improving to deliver more planes this year, the aerospace giant’s finance chief said Wednesday, as the company works to turn a corner on several manufacturing and safety crises. Boeing shares ended the day nearly 7% higher after CFO Brian West’s upbeat comments, leading the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 higher. “We think we’re off to a good start for the year,” West said at a Bank of America investor conference. He said cash burn improvement could be in the “hundreds of millions” of dollars. Boeing went through about $14b last year, including more than $4b in the last three months of 2024, when it struggled through a nearly two-month labor strike at its largest factories and faced other production problems. Boeing last posted an annual profit in 2018. West said the massive fire at a Pennsylvania aviation fastener factory in February won’t have a near-term production impact or affect Boeing’s goal to get monthly output to 38 737 Max aircraft a month and seven 787 Dreamliners because of its elevated inventory. The FAA last year barred Boeing from ramping production up beyond 38 Max planes a month following the January 2024 midair blow out of a door plug on a passenger jet. New Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the cap remains in place, following a visit to Boeing’s 737 Max factory in Renton, Washington, last week.<br/>
Boeing remains unsure how the Federal Aviation Administration will handle the company’s request for regulatory exemptions related to the stall management yaw damper (SMYD) on the 737 Max 7 and Max 10. The company requested the exemption for both types in January, saying that the system, while proven safe, does not comply with what it called “increased regulatory expectations”. Boeing badly needs to achieve certification of the 737 Max 7 and Max 10. Both types are already years behind schedule, customers have been clamouring for the jets and delays have cost Boeing market share to rival Airbus. “Nothing is concluded,” Boeing CFO Brian West said about the SMYD exemption request on 19 March. “We are working with the FAA on the… SMYD” and using “extensive analysis and research to [determine] the right path forward,” he adds, speaking during a Bank of America investor conference. The exemption would allow the Max 7 and 10 to be certificated by the FAA despite Boeing not having demonstrated that the SMYDs meet new, stricter regulatory requirements for software. But also, the Max 7 and Max 10’s SMYDs support new “enhanced” angle of attack (AOA) “safety features” that Boeing intends to deploy on all Max variants, including the already-certificated Max 8 and 9, it has said. As a result, delays in certification of the Max 7 and Max 10 will likewise push back Boeing’s roll out of the AOA update in the other models.<br/>
Boeing is the kind of manufacturer — one that exports billions of dollars of goods — that President Trump says he wants to protect and nurture. But his tariffs could have the opposite effect on the company’s suppliers. Trump has imposed a few tariffs so far, but he says more are coming in just a few weeks. That threat has unnerved the aerospace industry, of which Boeing is one of the largest companies. Duties on aluminum and steel, two of the most important raw materials used in aircraft, are expected to raise manufacturing costs. But the industry is far more concerned by tariffs that take effect on goods from Canada and Mexico next month, which could disrupt the highly integrated North American supply chain. “These tariffs are particularly fraught for an industry like aerospace that has been duty-free for decades,” said Bruce Hirsh, a trade policy expert at Capitol Counsel, a lobbying firm in Washington, which has aerospace clients. “Parts are coming from everywhere.” Aerospace experts say the industry is an example of U.S. manufacturing prowess. It offers well-paying jobs and has produced one of the largest trade surpluses of any industry for years. Aerospace is expected to export about $125b this year, according to IBISWorld, second only to oil and gas. But the industry is operating under a cloud of uncertainty. Many companies have been able to avoid costly cross-border tariffs under a short-term reprieve for products covered by a North American trade agreement that Trump negotiated in his first term. But that deal expires in April. In a letter to administration officials last week, groups representing airlines, plane repair stations, suppliers and manufacturers asked for an exception to the tariffs, arguing that it was needed to keep the industry competitive on the global market.<br/>
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will visit Vietnam next week, bringing with him a business delegation including executives from planemaker Embraer and food giant JBS that are both in talks for possible deals in the Southeast Asian country, sources said. Lula's second visit to Vietnam as president will take place as Vietnam, under pressure from the Trump administration to reduce its large trade surplus, is pledging to boost imports from the United States, including of farm products such as soybeans of which Brazil is a top exporter to the country. Lula will travel to Vietnam on March 27-29 after visiting Japan, according to the Brazilian government. Lula is expected to invite Vietnam to attend a BRICS summit in Brazil in July, a Brazilian official said, noting Vietnam was invited last year to become a BRICS partner but has so far not taken an official position on the matter. Vietnam's foreign ministry did not reply to a request for comment. Brazil's embassy to Vietnam declined to comment. The two countries are expected to agree on an action plan on defence, agriculture and energy, which could boost cooperation on ethanol, a fuel of which Brazil is a major global producer, the Brazilian official said.<br/>