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STOCKHOLM/AMSTERDAM, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Airlines wrestled with the safety risk of evacuation operations in Israel on Thursday, with carriers including Dutch KLM cancelling flights while sister airline Air France mounted a special relief flight chartered by the French foreign ministry. Israel's parliamentary finance committee meanwhile approved a plan to provide a state guarantee of $6 billion to cover insurance against war risks to Israeli airlines. The framework will grant Israeli airlines cover against war risks, thereby ensuring the continuity of air operations. Foreign airlines have struggled to find a common approach and the head of European budget giant Ryanair (RYA.I) said it was up to governments to plot the way forward. PATCHY RESPONSEGermany's Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) said it was sticking to its plans for evacuation flights on Thursday and Friday, while continuing to ground commercial flights to Israel.

Persons: Ben Gurion, Ben Smith, Ed Bastian, Sasha Gainullin, Rafael Schvartzman, Obama, Anna Ringstrom, Bart H, Meijer, Tim Hepher, Joanna Plucinska, Julia Payne, Carolyn Cohn, Steven Scheer, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Doyinsola, Terje Solsvik, Deborah Kyvrikosaios, Diane Craft Organizations: Airlines, Dutch KLM, Air France, Palestinian, Israel's, Norwegian Air, Insurance, Reuters, Foreign, Ryanair, KLM, Boeing, Lufthansa, Dubai's Emirates, Delta Air Lines, International Air Transport Association, Regulators, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, AMSTERDAM, Israel, Palestinian, Tel Aviv's, Ben, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Eilat, Emirates, United States, Europe, U.S, Ben Gurion

☆ US FAA ends probe of Blue Origin's 2022 rocket mishap, needs engine redesign
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The space capsule of Blue Origin's rocket New Shepard, carrying six crew members, is seen before landing, on billionaire Jeff Bezos's company's fourth suborbital tourism flight, near Van Horn, Texas, U.S., March 31, 2022. REUTERS/Ivan Pierre Aguirre/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday it has closed a probe into Blue Origin's 2022 New Shepard rocket failure, forcing a redesign of the vehicle's engine and other fixes before the company can resume its suborbital launch business. Blue Origin must take 21 corrective actions before its reusable New Shepard rocket can return to flight, including a "redesign of engine and nozzle components to improve structural performance during operation as well as organizational changes," the FAA said. The FAA, which regulates launch site safety and oversees mishap investigations led by rocket companies, cited the same conclusion as Blue Origin's in its statement on Wednesday. Reporting by Joey Roulette; Editing by Leslie Adler, David Gregorio and Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Shepard, Jeff Bezos's, Ivan Pierre Aguirre, we've, uncrewed, Jeff Bezos, Joey Roulette, Leslie Adler, David Gregorio, Richard Chang Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, Shepard, FAA, NASA, Thomson Locations: Van Horn , Texas, U.S, Texas, New

☆ SpaceX, US FAA close Starship launch probe with dozens of fixes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"The closure of the mishap investigation does not signal an immediate resumption of Starship launches at Boca Chica," the agency said, referring to SpaceX's sprawling Starship launch site in south Texas. It was unclear how many of the corrective actions SpaceX has already implemented, which will impact Starship's next launch timeline. Later on Friday, SpaceX's CEO and founder Elon Musk asked the FAA "what are the 63 corrective actions?" In line with FAA regulations, Musk's space company led the Starship investigation and largely created the list of 63 corrective actions for the FAA to approve. The agency requires SpaceX complete those actions before it can obtain a new Starship launch license.

Persons: SpaceX's, Joe Skipper, Elon Musk, Musk, Joey Roulette, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Porter, Josie Kao, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Boca Chica, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, SpaceX's, FAA, SpaceX, NASA, Boca, Thomson Locations: Brownsville , Texas, U.S, Texas, Boca Chica

REUTERS/Raquel Cunha/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Transportation has told Mexico that it will officially recover a U.S.-given air safety rating next week, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday, preempting the much-anticipated decision. Mexico overhauled its civil aviation law, but faced several hurdles in recovering the Category 1 rating. "This is good news," Lopez Obrador said in a regular morning press conference, explaining that Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena had been informed by the U.S. Department of Transportation of the upcoming decision. The tax is currently used to pay off some $4.2 billion in outstanding bonds from the construction of an unfinished airport, which Lopez Obrador scrapped upon his election. Lopez Obrador slammed the ratings agency's decision on Friday, and said he could assure bondholders their investments were safe.

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Raquel Cunha, Lopez Obrador's, Lopez Obrador, Alicia Barcena, Carrier Aeromexico, Lopez, Fitch, Kylie Madry, David Shepardson, Andrea Ricci, Edmund Blair, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Regeneration, REUTERS, U.S . Department of Transportation, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Reuters, Government, Industry, Carrier, Trust, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, U.S

☆ Your boarding pass and weight, please: Why airlines are asking passengers to step on the scales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Marylou Costa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Starting Monday, passengers flying on Korean Air may be asked to step on a scale before boarding their flight. Is it reasonable to weigh passengers? "Fuel is 20 times more than the passenger weight," he said. Where airlines weigh passengersAir New Zealand weighed passengers in June for reasons, it said, related to safety and fuel efficiency. Commercial airline seating is based on average passenger weight from the 1950s to 1970s, Hilderman said.

Persons: —, Vance Hilderman, Shem Malmquist, Hilderman, we're, Jose Silva, Finnair, Nick Gausling, Gausling, Tigress Osborn, Jodi Jacobson Organizations: Korean, Korean Air, CNBC, Gimpo, Incheon Airport, Bombardier, Embraer, Aviation, Istock, Florida Tech's College of Aeronautics, Transport & Health, RMIT University's School of Engineering, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, New Zealand, Hawaiian Air, Samoa Air, Reuters, Flyers, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, International Civil Aviation Organization, Romy Group, National Association Locations: Honolulu, American Samoa, United States, Europe

☆ US FAA holding runway safety meetings after close call incidents
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Southwest Airlines plane approaches to land at San Diego International Airport as U.S. telecom companies, airlines and the FAA continue to discuss the potential impact of 5G wireless services on aircraft electronics in San Diego, California, U.S., January 6, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday it will hold runway safety meetings at 90 airports over the next few weeks after a series of troubling close call aviation incidents. On Aug. 12, the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said they were investigating a near collision between a Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) Boeing 737 and a Cessna Citation 560X business jet in San Diego. The NTSB is investigating seven runway incursion events since January, including the San Diego incident. In March, the FAA said it was taking steps to improve its air traffic control operations after near-miss incidents telling employees: "There is no question that we are seeing too many close calls."

Persons: Mike Blake, David Shepardson, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Southwest Airlines, San Diego International Airport, FAA, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, Boeing, Cessna, NTSB, Thomson Locations: San Diego , California, U.S, San Diego

☆ US agencies investigate close call between Southwest plane, Cessna
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Southwest Airlines check-in area sits empty after Southwest Airlines flights resumed following the lifting of a brief nationwide stoppage caused by an internal technical issue, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), at Chicago Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. April 18, 2023. The facility’s automated surface surveillance system alerted the controller about the developing situation and the controller directed the Cessna to discontinue landing. A person briefed on the matter said the initial review shows the Cessna passed over the top of the Southwest airplane by about 100 feet. The controller had cleared the FedEx plane to land and the Southwest plane to depart. The NTSB said the airport surface detection equipment issued an alert, and the air traffic controller gave go-around instructions to the JetBlue flight.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, David Shepardson, Andrew Heavens, Matthew Lewis, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Southwest Airlines, U.S . Federal Aviation Authority, FAA, Chicago Midway International, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety, Boeing, Cessna, Daylight, San Diego International, FedEx, Southwest Boeing, Lear, JetBlue, NTSB, JetBlue Embraer, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, San Diego, San Jose, Austin , Texas, Boston, Washington

☆ Aviation bill upping pilot retirement age to 67 passed by US House
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The vote in the Republican-led House was 351-69 to pass the bill that would reauthorize U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety and infrastructure programs for the next five years. The Air Line Pilots Association has said hiking the retirement age could cause airline scheduling and pilot training issues and require reopening pilot contracts. The White House said this week it opposed a House bill provision that would rescind a 2012 Transportation Department regulation requiring airlines to advertise full fares including government fees and taxes. The House measure would bar airlines from charging fees to allow families to sit together on flights. The House opted to retain pilot training rules that were adopted after a 2009 fatal passenger airplane crash near Buffalo.

Persons: Joe Biden, David Shepardson, Will Dunham, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S . House, Senate, Republican, . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Air Line Pilots, Regional Airline Association, Transportation, Washington Reagan National Airport, Delta Air Lines, Airlines for America, Democratic, Colgan Air, U.S, Thomson Locations: United States, Buffalo

☆ U.S. House passes aviation bill upping pilot retirement age to 67
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Air Line Pilots Association has said hiking the retirement age could cause airline scheduling and pilot training issues and require reopening pilot contracts. The White House said this week it opposed a House bill provision that would rescind a 2012 Transportation Department regulation requiring airlines to advertise full fares including government fees and taxes. The House measure also did not include a provision sought by President Joe Biden to compensate passengers for delays or set minimum airline seat sizes. The House measure would bar airlines from charging fees to allow families to sit together on flights. The House opted to retain pilot training rules that were adopted after a 2009 fatal passenger airplane crash near Buffalo.

Persons: Joe Biden Organizations: United Airlines, Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S . House, Senate, Republican, . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Air Line Pilots, Regional Airline Association, Transportation, Washington Reagan National Airport, Delta Air Lines, Airlines for America, Democratic, Colgan Air, U.S Locations: Newark , New Jersey, United States, Buffalo

MEXICO CITY, July 5 (Reuters) - Mexican airline Viva Aerobus has signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase 90 Airbus A321neo aircraft, the carrier said on Wednesday, in a deal likely worth several billion dollars. The companies did not name a price for the aircraft, and Airbus no longer publishes catalog prices. The agreement brings Viva's order book up to 170 Airbus aircraft, the carrier said in a statement, all part of the A320 family. In April, Viva signed an agreement with SAF producer Neste (NESTE.HE) to purchase 1 million liters of the fuel. Viva said the aircraft order would drive both domestic and international growth plans, taking into account that Mexico is expected to recover a U.S. air safety rating in coming months.

Persons: Pratt, Whitney, Viva, Neste, Aeromexico, Volaris, Kylie Madry, Raul Cortes, Tim Hepher, Bill Berkrot Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Viva Aerobus, Airbus, Paris Airshow, Whitney, Pratt, SAF, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, U.S, Allegiant, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, U.S

☆ United Airlines CEO aims to avoid flight disruptions ahead of US Fourth of July holiday travel
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Anirudh Saligrama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 1 (Reuters) - United Airlines (UAL.O) plans to make changes in flight operations to avoid weather-related disruptions ahead of the Fourth of July holiday travel, Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby said on Saturday. Recent flight disruptions have raised new concerns about whether airlines are ready to handle the summer travel boom during the first Fourth of July holiday in which U.S. air traffic is likely to exceed pre-COVID levels. About 26,000 flights were delayed by all airlines during a weekend in June after thunderstorms ripped through parts of the U.S., according to data from flight monitoring service FlightAware. Kirby last week blamed the FAA for recent flight cancellations. Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Scott Kirby, Kirby, Anirudh, David Gregorio Our Organizations: United Airlines, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, U.S ., Port Authority of New, Thomson Locations: Washington, U.S . East Coast, U.S, Port Authority of New York, New Jersey, Newark, Bengaluru

☆ Israel's Percepto gets U.S. FAA waiver for drone use, raises $67 mln
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Heavy industry confronts major challenges to operate efficiently, maintain reliable critical infrastructure, meet high productivity expectations, and increase safety levels - all in the face of complex, hazardous and often aging infrastructure assets. Percepto said it helps industrial companies meet challenges such as maintaining reliable critical infrastructure, meeting high productivity expectations, and increasing safety levels through real-time visibility into their facility's infrastructure integrity, and finding failures before they escalate into incidents. It said it received a nationwide Beyond Line of Sight waiver from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, allowing the company to provide any U.S. critical infrastructure site with remotely-operated automated drones without the need for site specific approvals from the FAA. Percepto said this waiver removes logistical and cost barriers, such as the need for radars or people on the ground, fuelling the adoption of autonomous drone technology. In total, Percepto has raised $120 million.

Persons: Percepto, Arkin, Steven Scheer, David Evans Organizations: U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Koch Disruptive Technologies, Zimmer Partners, U.S, Venture Partners, Delek US Holdings, Atento, Spider Capital, Arkin Holdings, Thomson

MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON, June 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. and Mexico still have "differences" of opinion regarding Mexico's recovery of a coveted air safety rating, Mexico's president said on Thursday. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded Mexico to the Category 2 air safety rating more than two years ago, citing safety concerns. The U.S. wants to make clear any decision to restore Mexico's safety rating would be based on technical merits, not politics, the sources added. A joint statement from the U.S. and Mexican transportation agencies released by USDOT late Thursday did not address Mexico's air safety rating but said both governments are committed to the successful development of AIFA "in ways that will bolster the U.S.-Mexico air transportation relationship." Mexican Transportation Minister Jorge Nuno said the audit was Mexico's "last" in a statement Wednesday, implying a positive resolution.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Lopez, Felipe Angeles, Lopez Obrador, USDOT, Jorge Nuno, Lopez Obrador's, Kylie Madry, David Shepardson, Rosalba O'Brien, Gerry Doyle Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, U.S . Transportation, Transportation, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, WASHINGTON, U.S, Mexico, United States, Mexican, Mexico City, Benito Juarez, AIFA, Washington

The problem involves a fitting for the 787's horizontal stabilizer installed by a Boeing production facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, the company said. Boeing, which announced last week that it had increased 787 production from three to four jets a month, said the issue has not caused a halt in 787 production. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement it had validated Boeing's assessment that there was no immediate safety issue for 787s already in service. Boeing stopped 787 deliveries at multiple points during that period, resuming them last August after agreeing to an FAA-approved modification plan for Dreamliners in the company's inventory. In March, the FAA said it would allow Boeing to restart 787 deliveries, as the U.S. planemaker had addressed concerns.

Persons: Gavin McIntyre, planemaker, Dreamliners, Jefferies, Sheila Kahyaoglu, Dave Calhoun, Valerie Insinna, David Shepardson, Will Dunham, Deepa Babington, Jamie Freed Organizations: Boeing, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Thomson Locations: North Charleston , South Carolina, U.S, REUTERS WASHINGTON, Salt Lake City , Utah, Washington

Boeing, which announced last week that it had increased 787 production from three to four jets a month, said the issue has not caused a halt in 787 production. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said has validated the Boeing's assessment that there is no immediate safety issue for 787s already in service. Boeing stopped 787 deliveries at multiple points during that period, resuming them last August after agreeing to an FAA-approved modification plan for Dreamliners in the company's inventory. The company faced yet another 787 delivery stoppage in February after Boeing found a data analysis error regarding forward pressure bulkhead that was unrelated to the shimming problem. In March, the FAA said it would allow Boeing to restart 787 deliveries, as the U.S. planemaker had addressed concerns.

Persons: Gavin McIntyre, Dreamliners, planemaker, Dave Calhoun, Valerie Insinna, David Shepardson, Will Dunham, Deepa Babington Organizations: Boeing, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Thomson Locations: North Charleston , South Carolina, U.S, REUTERS WASHINGTON, Salt Lake City , Utah, Washington

The FAA downgraded Mexico's aviation safety rating to Category 2 in 2021, citing safety deficiencies and blocking Mexican carriers from adding new U.S. flights. Since Mexico lost the rating, the FAA has conducted a series of audits on the local civil aviation authority and its compliance with international safety standards. Mexican newspaper El Financiero had earlier reported that Mexico had already recovered the safety rating, citing government sources, but a short time later backtracked on the initial report. In the two years since the FAA dropped Mexico to Category 2, the country has revamped its aviation standards, replacing officials and most recently overhauling its civil aviation law. Asked to comment on Mexico's air safety rating, an FAA spokesperson would only say the agency continues "to provide assistance to Mexico's civil aviation authority."

Persons: El Financiero, Andres Conesa, Kylie Madry, Adriana Barrera, Carolina Pulice, Ana Isabel Martinez, Brendan O'Boyle, David Alire Garcia, Diane Craft Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, El, U.S, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, United States

"We could add maybe 85 or 90 destinations depending on the aircraft deliveries," Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker told reporters. Airbus in March reinstated an order for 73 aircraft from Qatar Airways which it had revoked during a major legal dispute over damage to the surface of grounded A350s. Qatar Airways is also experiencing delayed delivery of Boeing 787 and 777X planes, Al Baker added. He later told reporters that Qatar Airways could pursue codeshares or exchanges of technical assistance with the new airline. High energy prices have not dented passenger demand for travel at Qatar Airways, where load factors, a measure of capacity utilisation, are in the "high 80s" Al Baker told reporters.

REUTERS/Go NakamuraBOCA CHICA, Texas, April 20 (Reuters) - Elon Musk's SpaceX aimed on Thursday to launch the company's next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket for the first time, on a highly anticipated but brief uncrewed test flight from the Gulf Coast of Texas. A successful flight would instantly rank the Starship system as the most powerful launch vehicle on Earth. In February, SpaceX conducted a test-firing of the Super Heavy, igniting 31 of its 33 engines for roughly 10 seconds with the rocket bolted in place vertically atop a platform. The Federal Aviation Administration last Friday granted a license for the first test flight of the fully stacked rocket system, clearing a final regulatory hurdle for the long-awaited launch. After separating from the Starship, the Super Heavy booster is expected to execute the beginnings of a controlled return flight before plunging into the Gulf.

The steep drop in fresh capital has left many companies in a vulnerable state, while the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, a leading provider of venture debt, has added to the challenge, a report by venture capital (VC) firm Space Capital said on Thursday. Space Capital's report, coming on the heels of a Chapter 11 filing from Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc, tracked 89 companies active in the sector. The risk threshold to invest in space companies was much higher earlier, but given recent market uncertainty, investors may not be as risk-loving and space being a nascent sector, many are dialing back, Deutsche Bank analyst Edison Yu told Reuters separately. However, Space Capital added that companies in emerging industries, like those associated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Artemis mission to the Moon are seeing an increased interest. Reuters GraphicsReporting by Akash Sriram and Tanya Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita BhattacharjeeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Jim VondruskaApril 18 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines Co's (LUV.N) said a technology failure caused a one-hour nationwide stoppage of its flights on Tuesday, another snafu for the carrier after a software problem over the Christmas holiday stranded thousands. The Dallas-based carrier's flights resumed after a vendor-supplied computer network firewall went down Tuesday morning and connection to some operational data was "unexpectedly" lost. Data from flight tracker FlightAware showed 47% of Southwest's flights were delayed as of late afternoon on Tuesday. "This is another demonstration that Southwest Airlines needs to upgrade their systems and stop the negative impacts to individual travelers,” said Senator Maria Cantwell in a statement. The FAA had to halt flights nationwide in January due to a systems outage.

☆ SpaceX gets US regulatory green light for debut Starship flight to space
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Friday granted a long-awaited license allowing Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch its Starship rocket to orbit for the first time, clearing the way for a test flight crucial to the company's goals in space. "After a comprehensive license evaluation process, the FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy, payload, airspace integration and financial responsibility requirements," the FAA said in a statement on Friday, adding that the license is valid for five years. The launch, from SpaceX's Starbase rocket facilities in Boca Chica, Texas, is slated for Monday April 17, the company affirmed on Twitter. Regulatory notices filed earlier on Friday indicate liftoff could occur anytime from 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Central time. Reporting by Joey Roulette; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Higher costs and a shortage of available new parts are also delaying aircraft repairs, which risk pushing up air fares. Some makers of brand-name parts like General Electric Co (GE.N) stand to benefit because they also sell used parts, known as used serviceable material. Honeywell Aerospace Trading (HON.O), the U.S. conglomerate's used parts business, is among companies enjoying higher demand since 2021. Ultimately, the alternatives to new parts may bring relief but a congested supply chain must be fixed, said Benjamin Hockenberg, president of JSSI Parts & Leasing. "Certain models, certain situations, (used parts) will fill the void, but I think we also need to see a repaired supply chain," said Hockenberg.

☆ US FAA awards Verizon $2.4 bln contract for telecom network infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Verizon will design, build and operate the FAA’s new next-generation communications platform. The telecom company said it will "build the FAA a dynamic, highly available and secure enterprise network to support all of the agency's mission critical applications across the National Airspace System." Verizon Business CEO Kyle Malady said the project would help lead the FAA through "a telecommunications infrastructure transformation that utilizes the latest advances in technology and networking solutions." He added the it would provide "dynamic services and bandwidth provisioning, to improved insight and visibility into network service configuration and operation." A 2021 Transportation Department Office of Inspection General report repeatedly cited challenges in the FAA's multi-billion dollar Next Generation Air Transportation System infrastructure project.

☆ Mexican airline Volaris hopeful Mexico recovers Category 1 safety rating in next six months
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris is "optimistic" the country will recover the coveted Category 1 safety rating, which allows airlines to open new routes to the United States, in the next six months, the airline's chief executive said on Wednesday. Mexico was downgraded in May 2021 by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which argued that the country fell short of regulation airlines in accordance with international safety standards. Since then, the FAA has made a number of visits to Mexico, even establishing an office in the country in December. Mexico has proposed reforming its aviation laws, although the most significant proposals remain stuck in Congress. One such proposal would allow "cabotage," a rare practice allowing foreign carriers to open domestic routes in the country.

☆ What's up there? Possible explanations for mystery objects downed by U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Military officials say that until they are able to recover the debris, they are unlikely to know for sure what the objects were. Scientists use balloons to study wind patterns, air quality, and other aspects of Earth's atmosphere. STILL UNEXPLAINEDThe object downed over Canada on Saturday was described by Canada's defense minister as resembling a balloon. Senator Marco Rubio, leaving a classified briefing on the objects on Tuesday, told reporters that they are no different than the hundreds of benign objects cited in past intelligence reports. "We've never shot down anything in over 65 years of NORAD, and in one week they shot down three things," he said.

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