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☆ Musk says SpaceX Starship rocket launch slipping to later in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - A key SpaceX Starship Super Heavy rocket launch test now is likely to take place later this month rather than sometime this week, the space company's CEO Elon Musk said on Monday. The rocket is scheduled to lift off from SpaceX's Starbase facilities at Boca Chica in South Texas in the first launch of the company's fully stacked 394-foot (120-meter) tall Starship rocket system. "Starship launch trending towards near the end of third week of April," Musk wrote on Twitter a day after stating that it was ready for launch and "awaiting regulatory approval." Musk said last week Starship would be ready to launch this week. The Starship rocket system consists of a Starship rocket sitting atop a "Super Heavy" first stage booster with 33 rocket engines.

☆ United will cut some New York-area, D.C. flights after US waiver
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Daily flights between Newark and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will drop to 10 from 18. Daily departures from New York LaGuardia Airport to Washington Dulles International Airport will decrease to six from nine. United could cut more flights beginning in June. Airlines have already cut about 10% of scheduled flights this spring to address performance issues, said trade group Airlines for America. Last summer air traffic control staffing was a factor in delays of 41,498 flights from New York airports, the FAA disclosed in March.

☆ American Airlines will cut some New York flights this summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 3 (Reuters) - American Airlines (AAL.O) said Monday it will join other major carriers in temporarily cutting some New York City area flights this summer after the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily relaxed some minimum flight requirements. Air travelers could face another rough summer as carriers struggle to meet burgeoning flight demands after the pandemic. The airline added "it is disappointing to reduce flights for customers as they plan their summer holidays and as New York City works to rebound from the pandemic." Airlines have already cut about 10% of scheduled flights this spring to address performance issues, said trade group Airlines for America. Last summer air traffic control staffing was a factor in delays of 41,498 flights from New York airports.

☆ Boeing just sold hundreds of Dreamliners — now it just needs to figure out how to consistently deliver them
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This is not the first time Boeing has had to stop 787 deliveries. Despite the latest pause, Boeing said it didn't "anticipate a change to our production and delivery outlook for the year." Henry Harteveldt, travel analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, told Insider the Boeing 787 is favorable due to its fuel efficiency, versatility, and passenger comfort. Boeing told Insider it will "continue to produce at a slow rate as we increase back to five per month." "In the case of the 787, you've got components coming in from many countries around the world," he told Insider.

☆ Verizon, AT&T to get full C-Band use, extend some 5G safeguards - letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Last year, Verizon and AT&T voluntarily agreed to delay some C-Band 5G usage until July as air carriers worked to retrofit airplane altimeters. Reuters first reported in February that the FAA, Verizon and AT&T were in talks to reach a new agreement that sought to extend some voluntary mitigations beyond July 1. Verizon said Friday it "agreed to final voluntary commitments that will allow our company to fully use our C-band spectrum for 5G by the previously agreed to deadline of July 1." The FAA said Friday it continues "to work closely to ensure a safe co-existence in the U.S. 5G C-band environment." UScellular said the "agreement results from collaboration and coordination with the FAA, FCC, and our industry partners to ensure UScellular can deploy our C-band spectrum without delay."

☆ Boeing will increase 737 MAX production rates 'very soon'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Valerie Insinna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 30 (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) will increase 737 MAX production rates above the current rate of 31 jet per month "very soon," the head of Boeing's commercial airplanes business said on Thursday. The company is also making progress with the new 737 MAX 7 model, which is "completing the final submittals" for Federal Aviation Administration certification, Stan Deal told reporters. "We've got a handful - less than a handful - left to go to the FAA," he said. I want them to be perfect, I want the FAA to feel comfortable, and then give them the time to go review." The company plans to increase monthly MAX production to 50 planes per month by the end of 2026.

☆ 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.

☆ United Airlines crew reported 'a possible fire' in a plane's engine, causing the aircraft to turn around, FAA says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A United Airlines flight to Brazil returned to Texas after reports of a possible engine fire. The FAA told Insider the airline crew reported the incident during the flight. The aircraft returned to George Bush Intercontinental Airport and landed safely, the FAA said. Around two hours after takeoff, the site showed the plane circled back to George Bush Intercontinental Airport where it then landed. The FAA, George Bush Airport, and Houston's fire department didn't respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Airline, banking and rail oversight top U.S. progressives' wish list for Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Jim VondruskaWASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - Liberal Democrats in the U.S. Congress called on President Joe Biden on Thursday to take executive action to crack down on misconduct in the banking, airline and rail transportation industries. The caucus, made up of 101 U.S. House Democrats and independent Senator Bernie Sanders, has grown in influence in recent years under Representative Pramila Jayapal's leadership. "These are actions that we believe the White House and federal agencies have the authority and the ability to take now," Jayapal told reporters on Thursday. With the House of Representatives narrowly controlled by Republicans and the Senate narrowly controlled by Democrats, progress on legislation is increasingly rare, leading presidents to rely more heavily on executive action. Biden's Democratic administration has taken the caucus's advice on multiple occasions, most notably on canceling student debt through executive action.

☆ JetBlue is preparing to trim New York flights in response to FAA staffing shortage, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The FAA cited its staffing shortfall. "We don't want to pull down flights. I'm sure no airline wants to pull down flights," Hayes said in an interview with CNBC ahead of an event at the Economic Club of New York. The staffing shortfall and potential schedule cuts in the region highlight the difficulty airlines have faced to ramp up capacity as travel demand returns in the wake of a pandemic lull. If weather is bad or there are other challenges, disruptions tend to cascade if airlines have packed their schedules with too many flights.

☆ FAA's Bill Nolen: We are hiring as aggressively as we can
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFAA's Bill Nolen: We are hiring as aggressively as we canBill Nolen, FAA acting administrator, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss fears around the New York City airline congestion, whether the FAA is having trouble hiring air traffic controllers, and more.

☆ Mayor Pete and the FAA’s Plan for Higher Fares
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Holman W. Jenkins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Holman W. Jenkins Jr. is a member of the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Jenkins joined the Journal in May 1992 as a writer for the editorial page in New York. In February 1994, he moved to Hong Kong as editor of The Asian Wall Street Journal's editorial page. Mr. Jenkins won a 1997 Gerald Loeb Award for distinguished business and financial coverage. Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Jenkins received a bachelor's degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

☆ Delta is spending $1.5 billion to upgrade New York's largest airport — see the improvements so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Delta's vice president of cargo, Rob Walpole, told Insider it has had to adjust its cargo business through the pandemic, capitalizing on the increased demand for air transport created by bottlenecked shipping ports. Delta got permission from the FAA to transport cargo in the passenger cabin during the pandemic. (These were cargo-only flights.) Delta Air LinesSource: Delta Air Lines, We chartered a boat with a logistics expert to look at port congestion up close and saw how American greed is leading to shortages and empty shelves

☆ Biden FAA nominee who withdrew cites 'cheap and unfounded partisan attacks'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who withdrew from consideration said on Monday he did not see a path forward for winning approval. Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington said in a statement that he had written to Biden on Friday to withdraw. "I no longer saw a respectful, civil, and viable path forward to Senate confirmation," Washington said on Monday. "I faced cheap and unfounded partisan attacks and procedural obstruction with regard to my military career that would have further lengthened the already delayed confirmation process." Senator Kyrsten Sinema, an Independent, said on Monday: "The administration should quickly nominate a permanent FAA administrator with the necessary, substantial aviation safety experience and expertise."

☆ The FAA is warning flyers of a 45% increase in flight delays this summer in NYC and DC as it deals with staff shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The FAA anticipates a 45% increase in flight delays at East Coast airports in the summer of 2023. The agency is blaming a post-pandemic shortage of air traffic controllers at key New York facilities. Airlines will be temporarily allowed to give up slots and times at airports in New York and DC. The agency expects overall delays in the New York region to increase 45% in the coming months compared to summer 2022, according to a recent press release. Last summer saw over 40,000 delays recorded at the New York area airports and the highest yearly percentage of delayed flights of the past seven years.

☆ U.S. lawmakers make new push to bar convicted violent passengers from flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - A group of lawmakers on Wednesday will make a new push for legislation to bar passengers fined or convicted of serious physical violence from commercial flights after a series of recent high-profile incidents. Senator Jack Reed and Representative Eric Swalwell, both Democrats, and Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick said Monday they plan to reintroduce the "Protection from Abusive Passengers Act." Despite the end of the airplane mask mandate in April 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigated 831 unruly passenger incidents in 2022, up from 146 in 2019, but down from 1,099 in 2021, the lawmakers noted. Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US lawmakers make new push to bar convicted violent passengers from flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Wednesday will make a new push for legislation to bar passengers fined or convicted of serious physical violence from commercial flights after a series of recent high-profile incidents. Last year, the American Civil Liberties Union opposed creating a no-fly list for unruly passengers, saying the U.S. government "has a terrible record of treating people fairly with regard to the existing no-fly list and other watch lists that are aimed at alleged terrorists." Despite the end of the airplane mask mandate in April 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigated 831 unruly passenger incidents in 2022, up from 146 in 2019, but down from 1,099 in 2021, the lawmakers noted. The FAA received 2,456 unruly passenger reports in 2022 and proposed $8.4 million in fines, down from 5,981 reports in 2021, which included 4,290 mask-related incidents. In February 2022, Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) CEO Ed Bastian urged the U.S. government to place passengers convicted of on-board disruptions on a national no-fly list that would bar them from future travel on any commercial airline.

☆ Biden Nominee to Run FAA Withdraws After GOP Criticism
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Micah Maidenberg | Lindsay Wise | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Biden administration’s nominee for the top job at the Federal Aviation Administration has taken himself out of the running for the position following criticism from Republicans over his credentials for the job. Phil Washington , currently chief executive of Denver International Airport, withdrew his name from consideration to serve as FAA administrator, a White House official said Saturday.

☆ Exclusive: Biden nominee to head FAA withdraws after Republican criticism
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, March 25 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is withdrawing his nomination after Republican criticism that he was not qualified to serve as the top aviation regulator. Last year, Biden nominated Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington to serve as FAA administrator. A White House official had earlier told Reuters "politics must not hold up confirming an administrator to lead the FAA, and we will move expeditiously to nominate a new candidate for FAA administrator." Some industry officials think the White House could name acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen as a new nominee. Nolen, who was named head of the FAA's aviation safety office, has been the acting FAA administrator since April 2022 and has received backing from many Republicans in Congress.

☆ Exclusive: Biden nominee to head FAA withdraws after Republican attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Last year, Biden nominated Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington to serve as FAA administrator. One of the sources, a White House official, told Reuters that "an onslaught of unfounded Republican attacks on Mr. Washington’s service and experience irresponsibly delayed this process, threatened unnecessary procedural hurdles on the Senate floor, and ultimately have led him to withdraw his nomination today." The White House official added "politics must not hold up confirming an Administrator to lead the FAA, and we will move expeditiously to nominate a new candidate for FAA Administrator." Some industry official think the White House could name acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen as a new nominee. Nolen, who was named head of the FAA's aviation safety office, has been the acting FAA administrator since April 2022 and has garnered wide support from Republicans in Congress.

☆ Biden’s pick to lead FAA withdraws amid shaky Senate support
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Phillip A. Washington speaks at a nomination hearing with the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill on March 01, 2023 in Washington, DC. Democrats and allied independents still might have pushed the nomination through, but key senators on their side balked at supporting Biden's pick. "The FAA needs a confirmed Administrator, and Phil Washington's transportation & military experience made him an excellent nominee," Buttigieg tweeted Saturday night. He has strong ties to the administration, however — he led Biden's 2020 transition team for the Transportation Department, which includes the FAA. "Given the significant challenges facing the FAA, this wasn't the time for an administrator who needed on-the-job training," he said.

☆ Joby Aviation names former FAA administrator as director
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON March 24 (Reuters) - Joby Aviation (JOBY.N), which is developing electrical aircraft to operate as air taxis, on Friday named former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) head Michael Huerta to its board of directors. Joby is pushing to win FAA certification for its vertical take-off and landing aircraft ahead of starting planned commercial passenger service in 2025. Huerta served as FAA administrator from 2013 to 2018 after three years as deputy administrator. Joby CEO JoeBen Bevirt said Huerta's seat on both boards "will be invaluable as we prepare for commercial operations." The FAA in November issued airworthiness criteria for Joby to certify its Model JAS4-1 aircraft.

☆ FAA Tries to Ease Flight Congestion at New York Airports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Alison Sider | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

John F. Kennedy International Airport and New York-area airports could experience delays. Air-traffic officials on Wednesday said they are trying to ease what they expect could be flight delays and other snarls in the New York-area skies this summer. The number of flights at New York airports is set to rise while a key air-traffic control facility there continues to struggle with a staffing shortfall. The combined impact could lead to a 45% increase in delays in New York this summer if no action is taken, the Federal Aviation Administration wrote in a notice Wednesday.

☆ A faulty defibrillator aboard an American Airlines flight led to a 14 year old's death, a new lawsuit claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kevin Greenidge was 14 years old when he experienced cardiac arrest on an American Airlines flight. A lawsuit filed recently by the teenager's mother alleges the defibrillator on the plane wasn't working. The suit says the defibrillator was faulty — and places the blame on American Airlines. In a statement to Insider, an American Airlines spokesperson said the carrier was reviewing details of the lawsuit. American Airlines didn't comment to Insider on the number of times defibrillators have been used on its flights.

☆ U.S. FAA cuts airlines' minimum flight requirements at NY, Washington airports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. aviation regulator said on Wednesday it will temporarily cut minimum flight requirements for airlines at congested New York City-area airports and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to address summer congestion issues, citing air traffic controller staffing levels. Passengers and regulators have expressed outrage while airlines said the FAA needed more staffing. Airlines can lose their slots at congested airports if they do not use them at least 80% of the time. The FAA expects airlines to take actions minimizing impacts on passengers, including operating larger aircraft and ensuring passengers are informed about any possible disruptions. Last summer there were 41,498 flights from New York airports where air traffic control staffing was a contributing factor in delays.

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