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CNN —One month after four children vanished into the Colombian Amazon, a preliminary report by the country’s Civil Aviation Authority offers clues to how they could have survived the devastating airplane crash that killed every adult onboard. “…Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, 2803, Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, I have the engine at minimum, I’m going to look for a field,” he said. Air traffic control later tracked the plane veering right, the report said. The report says the plane likely first hit the trees of the dense forest, tearing the engine and propeller off, followed by a vertical drop to the forest floor. Two of three seats occupied by the children remained in place and upright despite the crash, according to the report, while one child’s seat came loose from the plane structure.

Persons: Hernando Murcia Morales, Herman Mendoza Hernández, Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia, “, ”, …, Dirección, Fidencio Valencia Organizations: CNN, country’s Civil Aviation Authority, Colombian, Caracol Locations: Colombian, Colombia, Araracuara

☆ Air New Zealand is asking passengers to volunteer to be weighed before boarding and reassures them that details will not be shared: 'No one can see your weight, not even us'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Air New Zealand is asking passengers to volunteer to be weighed before boarding. But that's exactly what Air New Zealand is asking its passengers to do in what it calls a "passenger weight survey." Air New Zealand's "passenger weight survey" is voluntary, the airline said. Should passengers feel uncomfortable being weighed, they can simply choose to decline to participate in the survey, the representative said. Passengers will be asked to volunteer to step on the scales only on select Air New Zealand flights departing from Auckland International Airport.

Persons: Alastair James, James, you'll Organizations: New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority, Morning, Air, Air New Zealand, Auckland International Airport Locations: Zealand, Air

☆ World’s best airline for 2023 named by AirlineRatings.com
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket/Getty ImagesAfter a couple of years of reduced air travel in the wake of the pandemic, travelers returned to the air in 2022 to significant airline chaos – canceled flights, lost luggage and overstretched staff. And interestingly, while Air New Zealand came out on top for 2023, Thomas said the results were close among the top five. Singapore Airlines took the fifth spot on AirlineRatings.com's 2023 list and also won the Best First Class award. Johannes P. Christo/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesAbu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways is number 3 on AirlineRatings.com’s 2023 list. Singapore Airlines, named top in the Best First Class award and the Excellence in Long Haul Travel - Southeast Asia award, took fifth place overall.

Persons: AirlineRatings.com, –, ” Geoffrey Thomas, ” AirlineRatings.com, Marcos del Mazo, Thomas, Johannes P Organizations: CNN, Air, Zealand, CNN Travel, Zealand’s, Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand, Business, Catering, Long, Singapore Airlines, Christo, Anadolu Agency, Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways, Korean, North, ” Air, New, Civil Aviation Authority, Auckland International Airport, Etihad Airways, Qantas, Virgin, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, SAS, TAP, All Nippon Airways, Delta Air, Air Canada, British Airways, Jet, JAL, Vietnam Airlines, Turkish Airlines, KLM, . Alaska Airlines, United Airlines Locations: Australia, North Asia, Asia, Zealand, Auckland, AirlineRatings.com’s, Virgin Australia, Swiss, TAP Portugal

☆ Air New Zealand to weigh passengers before they board the airplane
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

That’s right: New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority is requiring that its national airline weigh passengers departing on international flights from Auckland International Airport through July 2, 2023. The program, which Air New Zealand calls a passenger weight survey, is a way to gather data on the weight load and distribution for planes, the airline said. This isn’t the first time that Air NZ has asked passengers to step on the scales before boarding their flights. Domestic passengers took part in a survey in 2021, but the one for international travelers was delayed due to the pandemic. The 17-hour flagship route was launched last fall as a lynchpin of Air NZ’s post-pandemic strategy.

☆ Colombian Amazon plane crash: children's plight is the latest in a long list of air travel mishaps
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The three adults onboard, including the pilot and the children’s mother, Magdalena Mucutuy, died in the crash. Calderon dismisses the idea that his job is particularly high risk, but he concedes flying in the Colombian Amazon is not for the faint hearted. Soldiers stand next to the wreckage of a plane during the search for child survivors on May 19, 2023. Moreover, this type of older airplanes are often the most apt to operate in the limited infrastructure of the airfields in the Colombian Amazon. This year the Colombian government budgeted the equivalent of over $200 million to boost airports across the Amazon region over the next 30 years, and to open eight new commercial flight routes Amazon region.

CNN —As the Colombian military frantically searches for four children missing after a jungle plane crash over two weeks ago, new details are emerging about the plane’s history – and local concerns over the safety of air travel in that part of the Amazon. Colombian Military Forces/ReutersIndigenous activists who mourned the deaths in a statement earlier this week said the crash was no surprise, accusing airline companies operating in the Amazon of chasing profits and the Colombian government of failing to uphold safety standards. Speaking to CNN, OPIAC president Julio Cesar Lopez pointed out that the ill-fated plane had previously crashed in the same region, on July 25, 2021. The report states that the plane was built in 1982 and, prior to the 2021 crash, had accumulated over 10 thousand flight hours. Relatives say the children knew the jungle well, and are holding out hope that they will be found alive.

☆ Colombia jungle plane crash: Government official hopeful children found alive in jungle 17 days after plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Mia Alberti Stefano Pozzebon Jennifer Deaton | Mia Alberti | Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Colombian government official is “very confident” four children were found alive 17 days after their plane crashed in the Amazon jungle but is awaiting further proof. The Director of Colombia’s Family Affairs Institute, Astrid Caceres, said her team received second hand confirmation that search teams rescued and identified the children missing following the crash of a small airplane in southern Colombia. While the children were found alive, Aerocivil said they found another three bodies inside the small aircraft. President Petro said news of the rescue was “a joy for the country.”“After arduous searching by our military, we have found alive the four children who went missing after a plane crash in Guaviare. A joy for the country,” Petro tweeted earlier on Thursday.

☆ Colombian children found alive in jungle weeks after plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The children were rescued by members of the military, firefighters and civil aviation authority officials in the dense jungle of Colombia's Caqueta province. "After arduous searching by our military, we have found alive the four children who went missing after a plane crash in Guaviare. A joy for the country," Petro said in a message via Twitter. Three adults, including the pilot, died as a result of the crash and their bodies were found inside the plane. Rescuers, supported by search dogs, had previously found discarded fruit the children ate to survive, as well as improvised shelters made with jungle vegetation.

☆ Georgia to resume flights to Russia this week, drawing EU and Ukrainian criticism
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 16 (Reuters) - Georgian Airways will resume direct flights to Russia from Saturday, the country's civil aviation authority said, drawing criticism from Ukraine and the European Union. "The world is isolating Russia to force it to stop the war, but Georgia is welcoming Russian airlines and sending its own to Moscow. All while 20% of Georgian territory remains occupied by Russia with impunity," Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Twitter. The EU said it regretted that Georgia was resuming flights to Russia at a time when the bloc has closed its airspace to Russian planes in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. "This latest decision by Georgia's authorities raises concerns in terms of Georgia's EU path," EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano said.

☆ Colombia's Avianca backs down from Viva Air merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, May 13 (Reuters) - Colombia's flagship airline Avianca is backing down from a merger with Viva Air, blaming conditions set by the country's aviation regulator, the company announced Saturday. In a statement, Avianca said conditions set by the regulator "would not allow Viva to be a financially and operationally viable airline," and also put Avianca's stability at risk. Colombia's aviation regultaor did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Colombia's aviation regulator approved the merger in late April after repeated delays, with the civil aviation authority objecting to the deal last November, before annulling and reopening the process in January after citing procedural irregularities. Amid the limbo, Viva Air abruptly suspended operations in late February, leaving passengers stranded in airports across the country.

☆ Sweden launches research rocket, accidentally hits Norway
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM, April 25 (Reuters) - A research rocket launched by Sweden Space Corp (SSC) early on Monday from Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden malfunctioned and landed 15 km (9.32 miles) inside neighbouring Norway. There are routines in place when things go wrong and we inform both Swedish and Norwegian governments, and other actors, he said. In the event of any border violation, those responsible should immediately inform the relevant Norwegian authorities, which included the foreign ministry, through the right channels, the spokesperson said. The ministry had not received a formal notification of the incident from the Swedish authorities, she added. The Norwegian foreign ministry said it was not aware of whether there was any damage to the surroundings, while a SSC spokesperson said the rocket came down far from any settlement.

☆ I'm a 21-year-old helicopter pilot. Nothing makes me happier than flying — and yes, I can land in your backyard.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amelia Joanna Brunt is a 21-year-old student in London who's qualified as a helicopter pilot. She grew up flying with her dad, who inspired her to get her private pilot's license. I officially got my helicopter license this January at 21. After a minimum of 45 hours of flight training, including at least 10 hours of solo flying, you take a license skills test with an examiner. At ICE Helicopters, there is a group of six women who are certified, from private license holders to flight instructors.

☆ China denies imposing no-fly zone north of Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 14 (Reuters) - China denied on Friday that it had imposed a no-fly zone in the seas north of Taiwan for Sunday, even though Taipei said it was told by Beijing that China would impose one. "I have noticed that there were previous reports pointing out that the no-fly zone was set up by the Chinese side, which is inaccurate. China's civil aviation authority will forewarn and issue notices in advance for any space activities, Wang said. The area covers busy flight routes between Taiwan and China and Taiwan and South Korea, among others. "Relevant parties in the mainland have issued advance notices and announcements of space activities affecting the airspace," said China's Taiwan Affairs Office in a statement on Friday.

Strikes have rolled through France, Portugal, Britain and Germany in recent weeks and could cause air travel disruption in parts of Europe through the Easter holidays, officials at airlines, airports and air traffic authorities told Reuters. There's no doubt about it," said Steven Moore, who is in charge of air traffic management operations at Eurocontrol. Airlines say they have to pay compensation without themselves getting compensated for air traffic delays. Consumer groups say air traffic control strikes are not new and airlines should be quicker to react and pay compensation. He called last week on the European Commission to do more to stop such strikes hitting overflights, by introducing minimum service rules, though industry experts say strikes are a national issue.

☆ Pension protests to bring 'maximum' workers in France after government, union talks fail
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Silvia Aloisi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Labour groups vowed to dig in their heels after talks with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Wednesday - which lasted just an hour - failed to calm the situation. They said the only way out of the crisis was for the legislation to be pulled, an option which Borne flatly rejected. "After this meeting, I am calling for a maximum of workers, men and women, to join the marches across France tomorrow," Laurent Berger, head of the country's biggest union CFDT, said on Wednesday. Strikes are still disrupting operations at oil refineries and nuclear plants, while garbage collectors have vowed to resume their protest from next week. Polls show a wide majority of French oppose the pension legislation and the government's decision to push it through parliament without a vote.

☆ In pictures: Protests take place across France after Macron forces through pension changes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A man in Lille, northern France, stands next to a placard reading "No!" Strikes and protests around France on Thursday disrupted travel and filled the streets as citizens demonstrated against changes to the pension system. His bill will see the retirement age for most workers rise from 62 to 64 and the number of years a worker must pay into the system to receive a full pension rise from 42 to 43 in 2027. On Thursday, unions accused Macron of making "provocative" comments after he said they had failed to engage in negotiations over changes to the pension system and compared the protests to the raiding of the U.S. Capitol in 2021. Meanwhile, electricity output was cut, refinery blockages continued and the civil aviation authority said flight services would be reduced into the weekend.

☆ UK regulator tells Heathrow to cut fees in win for airlines
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Sarah Young | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A worker sanitises a barrier at the International arrivals area of Terminal 5 in London's Heathrow Airport, Britain, August 2, 2021. The lower fees will boost airlines such as IAG's (ICAG.L) British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, two of Heathrow's biggest, making the airport cheaper for them. They have long complained that fees at Heathrow, the busiest airport in western Europe, are the highest in the world. The strong bounceback in travel since the lows of the pandemic prompted the CAA to reduce the fees Heathrow can charge in the coming years. Improved forecasts for passenger numbers this year and next year mean Heathrow will be able to generate higher revenue, said the CAA, which uses passenger numbers to calculate the charges.

Air France said about 20% of short-haul flights would be canceled, but long-haul services would be maintained. The reforms will gradually increase the age at which most French citizens can draw a state pension to 64, from 62. A record 1.3 million people took part in demonstrations on January 19, which brought the country to a standstill and shuttered the Eiffel Tower to visitors. The government has said the pension legislation is necessary to tackle a funding deficit, but the reforms have angered workers at a time when living costs are rising. The legislation is currently before French lawmakers, with a vote on the final version of the text expected later this month.

☆ A Southwest passenger says they felt their lungs 'burning' after the cabin filled with smoke mid-flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Florida-bound Southwest flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Cuba on Sunday. The plane's cabin filled with smoke after the Boeing 737 was hit by birds. A passenger told NBC's "Early Today" show they felt their lungs "burning" in the smoke. Marco Antonio, a passenger on the flight, told NBC's "Early Today" show that people on board the Boeing 737 jet were "screaming," adding: "Nobody could breathe. A spokesperson for Southwest told Insider the plane's engine and nose were struck by birds, which prompted an emergency landing.

☆ Colombia's Viva Air grounds fleet after Avianca merger hold-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Viva Air said it has temporarily suspended operations as the indebted low-cost carrier awaited a ruling by Colombia's civil aviation authority on its proposed merger with Avianca (AVT_p.CN). Viva Air said late on Monday it had halted ticket sales and grounded its entire fleet after the regulator allowed five other airlines including Aerolineas Argentinas and JetSMART to take part in the merger process. Low-cost carrier JetSMART and regional giant LATAM Airlines have both expressed an interest in buying Viva Air. LATAM, Avianca and local airline Satena will offer alternatives to stranded passengers on some routes at no additional cost, the civil aviation authority said. Colombia's superintendency of transportation will open an investigation against Viva Air, which could result in possible sanctions, it said.

☆ Wizz Air to suspend Moldova flights, citing security
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wizz Air said in a statement it would lay on extra flights from the Romanian city of Iasi as replacements, including a new service to Berlin, and more flights to Barcelona, Milan Bergamo, Bologna, Rome Ciampino, Rome Fuimicino, Dortumand, Larnaca, London Luton and Treviso. Flights to Budapest and Prague will not be replaced and those inbound to Chisinau will be reallocated to other destinations in the Wizz Air network, it said. Tensions between Russia and Moldova have grown in recent months as Russian missiles aimed at Ukraine have entered Moldovan airspace and authorities have blamed the Kremlin for fuelling anti-government protests, something it denies. It said the civil aviation authority and the ministry of infrastructure and regional development had been in "constant cooperation" with Wizz Air representatives and informed them of the procedures in place to ensure aviation security. The aviation authority would take "all necessary actions" to return Wizz Air to Chisinau airport as soon as possible, and to attract other low-cost airlines.

☆ Oman Opens Airspace to Israeli Planes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Dion Nissenbaum | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

El Al, Israel’s leading airline, said it would now explore opening a route to Australia and re-establish flights to India. Oman cleared the way on Thursday for Israeli planes to fly over its airspace, ending a decadeslong ban that indicates a further thawing of ties between Israel and Arab nations that have long refused to openly embrace the Jewish nation. In a short statement that didn’t explicitly mention Israel, Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority said it was opening its airspace to all airlines that meet the country’s regulations.

☆ Israel thanks Oman for opening its airspace
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Israel's foreign minister on Thursday thanked Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said for opening Oman's airspace to all carriers, including Israeli airlines, which will now be able to offer shorter routes to Asia. "It's an historic and significant decision for the Israeli economy and the Israeli traveler," said Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. Oman's civil aviation authority on Thursday said the sultanate's airspace will be open for all carriers that meet the authority's requirements for overflying. U.S. President Joe Biden in July announced a Saudi air corridor for Israeli carriers might be implemented. Israeli officials had said the corridor could not be implemented until Muscat consented because it would also entail flying over Oman.

☆ Oman opens airspace, joining Saudi in Israeli airline corridor
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Oman's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Thursday said the Gulf Arab state's airspace will be open for all civilian carriers, a move that would enable Israeli airlines to utilise a Saudi-Oman corridor to cut flight times to Asia. Saudi Arabia, which like Oman does not have formal ties with Israel, last summer said it would open its airspace to all air carriers, but Israeli officials had said the corridor could not be implemented until Oman consented. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Thursday thanked Oman's ruler Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said and described it as a "historic decision that will shorten the route to Asia, lower costs for Israelis and help Israeli airlines be more competitive". Israeli flag carrier El Al (ELAL.TA) said that beyond shortening current flight times, it would now examine opening new routes to Australia and restarting flights to India. Israel's foreign ministry said the corridor would shorten the flight route by more than two hours to some Asian destinations.

☆ A pilot thought his instructor was 'pretending to nap' but the man had actually died inflight
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A flying instructor died during a private flight last year, according to a new safety report. The pilot thought his instructor was "just pretending to take a nap," before realizing he was dead. The pilot knew the instructor well and thought he was simply "pretending to take a nap," not realizing what had occurred, the report said. As he failed to garner a response from the instructor, the pilot finally realized something was wrong, according to the report. The Civil Aviation Authority found three previous instances of a pilot suffering a heart attack inflight since 2005, according to the accidents report.

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