The government would standardise the way airlines disclose fees for basic services like checked bags, seat assignments and ticket changes so that passengers can more easily comparison-shop the full cost of flights under a bipartisan Senate bill introduced Wednesday. The proposal is part of an airline policy bill sponsored by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., the committee’s senior Democrat. It would extend the operating authority of the Federal Aviation Administration through Oct. 1, 2017. That authority is due to expire on March 31. The bill would require the DoT develop a way to display fees that’s easy for consumers to understand and require that airlines and ticket agents use the system. A report last year by the committee’s Democratic staff found that airline fees, especially for things like ticket cancellations or changes, are often hidden from consumers while shopping fares online or disclosed in lengthy paragraphs of tiny type-face that’s difficult to read. Airlines would also have to return fees for bags that are lost or delayed more than six hours after the arrival of a domestic flight, and more than 12 hours after the arrival of an international flight under the bill. Airlines would also be required to automatically refund fees for services purchased but not received by passengers. Examples would include things like advance seat assignments that turn out to be unavailable or early boarding that isn’t provided.<br/>
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By September, Chris Audlin will be a step closer to the job of his dreams. For four years, the 25-year-old has been training to become a pilot while working full-time as a police officer to help pay for his studies.<br/>His ambition has come with significant sacrifices. His parents remortgaged their home to help fund Mr Audlin’s £70,000 preparation for his career — but when he qualifies this year there is no guarantee that he will have a job. Welcome to the world of becoming a pilot. “It’s all I’ve wanted to do since I was about 11 but it’s not without its challenges,” says Audlin, who asked the Financial Times not to use his real name in case it hurts his job prospects. “You’ve got the stress of pilot training, which is incredibly intense, coupled with financial stress.” It is a critical moment for the airline industry. Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, has warned that 558,000 commercial pilots will be needed globally by 2034 to meet a surge in demand for air travel. That equates to 28,000 extra jobs a year. The cost of training is substantial: it can exceed GBP100,000 for those who undertake a full-time 18-month course. Many, like Audlin, opt to study part-time to reduce the cost by tens of thousands of pounds. Some experts have said that airlines will struggle to meet the shortfall if more is not done to support new pilots financially. “The industry needs to get its act together,” says Jim McAuslan, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association. “Everyone is outsourcing the responsibility to the individual who has a dream of being a pilot, but if there’s not enough investment by airlines and by the government, then we are not going to have enough pilots to fly UK plc in the future.” The problem has been accentuated by a change in the way pilot training is funded. Twenty years ago, airlines mostly paid for training, or pilots would join from the military. However, as cuts have been made across an industry that often struggles to be profitable, the financial burden has gradually shifted to the trainee, and most have to cover the cost with bank or family loans.<br/>
Air travel for this year's spring break season is expected to jump 3% over last year's, setting a new record, according to a trade group for the nation's airlines. The expected surge -- a rise to 140m passengers during March and April, up from 136.2m during the same months last year -- was attributed to "accessibility and affordability of air travel" by John Heimlich, chief economist for the trade group Airlines for America. The most recent data from the US DoT shows that domestic airfares dropped 6.2% in the three-month period that ended last September. But more recent numbers show airfares may be on the rise. The nation's airlines have adopted three fare hikes in the first two months of 2016, the first two for $6 per round trip and the third for $10 per round trip, according to the travel site FareCompare. Also, travel app Hopper said on its blog that airfares jumped nearly 7% in February, and projected an additional 3.5% increase in March.<br/>The rise in air travel, combined with a 40% drop in the price of jet fuel over the last year, is good news for the airline industry, which reported losing a combined $29 billion in the decade after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. <br/>
A runway at LaGuardia Airport has reopened after emergency crews fixed a section of it that was damaged. The disruption caused flight delays of over an hour at the New York airport Wednesday night as planes got backed up. Officials say a departing aircraft reported seeing pavement damage on the runway earlier that afternoon. The runway reopened at about 8 p.m. after workers repaired the surface layer of a section of pavement.<br/>
Severe weather conditions cancelled, diverted and delayed flights across the UAE on Wednesday, that also saw Abu Dhabi International temporarily shutting down its runway. Abu Dhabi International suspended flights for around an hour “in line with civil aviation regulations” as heavy rain and strong winds lashed the emirate, a statement said. The closure had a knock-on effect in the region, with Abu Dhabi International being the UAE’s second busiest airport and home to Etihad Airways. Diverted flights landed at nearby airports in Al Ain, Dubai and Muscat. Flights resumed at around 1.45pm. The ceiling of the Sky Park Plaza, a parking complex at Abu Dhabi International, was damaged in the deluge, Abu Dhabi Airports also said Wednesday. The heavy rain also forced the closure of Abu Dhabi Air Expo for the second day in a row. Weather conditions cancelled and delayed flights in Dubai and caused delays in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, according to airport websites and airlines. Some flights departing Dubai International, the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, were delayed by as much as two hours.<br/>
A proposal to ban laser pens that have been used to target airplanes near London’s Heathrow Airport was put forward in the UK House of Commons. The bill, presented Wednesday by Rehman Chishti from the governing Conservative Party, aims to “make the sale, ownership and use of portable laser-emitting devices with output power of more than 1 milliwatt unlawful in certain circumstances.” As a so-called private member’s bill, the measure is only likely to be given sufficient time in Parliament for debate if the government itself decides to promote it. A first discussion of the bill is scheduled for April 22.<br/>
Brazil's state airport operator, Infraero, plans an initial public share offering this year for a CE Gustavo do Vale said he would hire state lender Banco do Brasil to model an IPO for the subsidiary and gauge market conditions for the best timing. "There will be a holding company with airport assets including (Sao Paulo's) Congonhas and (Rio's) Santos Dumont," Vale said. "We plan to list that company as soon as possible, preferably this year." President Dilma Rousseff has made repeated efforts to court private investment for Brazil's fragile transport infrastructure, including a series of airport concessions in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup. Those measures granted private engineering consortia the right to co-operate international airports in several host cities in exchange for building and overhauling terminals.<br/>
Online retail titan Amazon is starting up its own air cargo service, laying down a challenge to companies like Fedex and UPS, which deliver much of its goods. Aircraft leasing firm Air Transport Services Group said Amazon's Fulfillment Services unit will lease 20 Boeing 767 freighters, to be operated by ATSG, to serve Amazon customers in the United States. "A dedicated, fully customized air cargo network can be a strong supplement to existing transportation and distribution resources," said ATSG chief executive Joe Hete. Dave Clark, Amazon senior VP of worldwide operations and customer service, said the move was to "ensure air cargo capacity to support one and two-day delivery for customers."<br/>