Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global scheduled international traffic data for March. Compared to the same month in the previous year, passenger demand increased 5.8% with load factors at 77.7%. Freight traffic grew 3.2%. March passenger growth is positively skewed by the Easter holiday period which was in April of the previous year. Adjusting for this distortion, real traffic growth in March was 4%. The slowdown in the demand growth continues the sharp downward trend which began in December 2007 as the impact of the US credit crunch began to be felt in the airline industry. International passenger load factors were equally skewed. When adjusted to take into account artificially high utilisation over the Easter period, the March load factor was 76.1%. While still high, this is 1.7 percentage points lower than the 77.8% recorded for the same month in 2007. This fall indicated that the slowing of demand occurred faster than airlines could cut capacity. International freight growth of 3.2% remains sluggish and well below the 4.3% growth recorded in 2007.

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A reminder that the consultation on proposals to expand the use of Mode S on aircraft operating in UK airspace closes on 31 May was issued today by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The consultation on the further expansion of Mode S was launched on 1 February. The aim of the proposals is to improve further the interoperability of aircraft with air traffic control radar and collision avoidance safety systems as levels of air traffic grow, helping to decrease collision risks and enhance air traffic control safety. In support of the consultation, CAA staff have held a series of presentations at flying clubs to explain the proposals and answer any questions. These were attended by more than 800 people. They were held at Turweston - Northants, Lasham - Hampshire, Portmoak - Kinross-shire, Pocklington - Yorkshire, Shobdon – Herefordshire, and Husbands Bosworth - Leicestershire.

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Brussels, Belgium - EUROCONTROL is undertaking a large scale multi-centre real-time simulation to validate new airspace and route scenarios that will come as a result of the Functional Airspace Block (FAB) initiative, FABEC. The project, called AMRUFRA (Amsterdam, Ruhr and Frankfurt), covers the airspace area controlled by Amsterdam, Langen and Maastricht and includes both civil and military operations. AMRUFRA, which started on 7 April and will last for a period of three weeks, involves 25 controllers. Airspace and airport capacity increases are to be expected in the near future for the AMRUFRA airspace interface. The simulation examines the consequences on airspace organisation of the entry into service of a new runway at Frankfurt which, in addition to increasing the traffic at Frankfurt and Amsterdam Schiphol airports, will also increase the complexity of the routings and procedures in the area under study.

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WASHINGTON, DC, April 28, 2008 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today issued the following statement regarding an agreement reached between the Senate Finance and Commerce Committees over funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and modernization of the nation’s aviation system. Agency funding and air traffic control modernization have been included as part of an FAA reauthorization bill under consideration by Congress. With agreement on a measure between the Finance and Commerce Committees, the full Senate is expected to vote soon a comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill.

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EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. — April 26, 2008 — In an effort to gain attention and support for electric aircraft innovation and to help advance efforts to bring affordable electric aircraft to recreational aviators, EAA at today’s CAFE Foundation 2008 Electric Aircraft Symposium announced a significant advocacy measure. As the final speaker on the Symposium agenda, EAA Lifetime Member Craig Willan wrapped up the one-day event in San Francisco by announcing that EAA has filed a request to the FAA for regulatory exemptions that would allow the use of electric motors in ultralight and light-sport aircraft. “The announcement drew enthusiastic applause,” Willan reported shortly after the event’s conclusion. “After a full day’s in-depth exploration of the cutting-edge work being done, the group was already energized by the promising developments in the science and engineering arenas. When I announced at the end of the day EAA’s action in the regulatory arena aimed at allowing the application of this technology, it was like an additional shot of adrenaline,” he said.

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Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on the U.K. Government to abandon its proposal Aviation Duty. The call came in the Association’s response to the U.K. Government’s request for consultation. “The proposed Aviation Duty is nothing more than a blunt revenue instrument. It has no credibility as a driver of improved environmental performance. And the revenue will not be used to support environmental objectives,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO in a letter to Chancellor Alistair Darling. “The proposal fails to satisfy the basic principles advanced by the government to justify it,” said Giovanni Bisignani. “It is incompatible with U.K. obligations under international law. It will not improve environmental performance. It ignores that air transport already completely covers its environmental costs. It will lead to serious discriminatory economic impacts and market distortions. It will result in double taxation and reduce the U.K.’s competitive stance. It is neither simple, nor transparent, nor coherent. In short, as an approach, it could not be more wrong. The government should focus on other industries that, unlike aviation, are not contributing their fair share,” said Bisignani.

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At the global joint meeting of 23 April 2008 between IATA, IATA airlines and travel agents’ representatives, IATA refused to discuss the consequences that the end of neutral paper tickets on 31 May 2008 will have for agents. Airlines will not have reached 100% e-tickets and there is no satisfactory solution for agents to issue when e-ticket is not available. IATA has been carrying out a valuable initiative to develop the use of electronic tickets in air transport, which constitutes a real progress for the travel industry. However, IATA has set the deadline of 31 May 2008 for the end of neutral paper tickets. This deadline was initially fixed on 31 December 2007 and postponed because many airlines could not meet the deadline.

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Brussels, Belgium - EUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, has accepted the ‘SESAR Master Plan’ (D5) and the associated ‘Work Programme for 2008-2013′ (D6) from the SESAR Consortium. D5, the ‘SESAR Master Plan’, lays out how the ATM Target Concept, defined in previous SESAR deliverables, can be put in place. It sets out a phased implementation which addresses the lifecycle from feasibility and Research and Development through to deployment. It establishes the roadmaps for the evolution of operations, for enabler development and deployment and for supporting changes including safety and environment. 5 also addresses the associated benefits provided by this ATM Target Concept, funding and financing aspects as well as risks.

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GENEVA, 22 April 2008 – Airports Council International (ACI) member airports have responded strongly in favour of a cross-industry declaration “Aviation Industry Commitment to Action on Climate Change” issued today. Director General of ACI, Robert J Aaronson reports, “Over 300 airports have signed up to the goals of this landmark industry document, and airport authorities worldwide are already engaged in a broad spectrum of active programmes that address carbon emissions, noise and local air quality.” Speaking to over 450 delegates attending the Aviation & Environment Summit in Geneva, Aaronson called for accelerated action. “For the airports community, environment has joined safety and security to form a triumvirate of top industry priorities. We agree with our aviation partners on the need to develop new technologies, to optimise our operations, to coordinate with key stakeholders including government and regulatory bodies and to implement cost-effective economic instruments.

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GENEVA, 22 April 2008 – At the global Aviation and Environment Summit currently underway in Geneva, commercial aviation industry leaders today signed a declaration on climate change to lead towards carbon neutral growth and a totally sustainable industry. In a significant move, the declaration has brought together all sectors of commercial aviation – aircraft manufacturers, airlines, airports, air traffic control and engine manufacturers. This is the first time the industry has united in this way, highlighting the importance it is placing on environmental issues. The declaration outlines aviation’s concept of ‘carbon neutral growth’ with an aspirational goal of carbon-free flight. The industry will achieve this through focusing on a four-pillar approach to climate change: investment in new technology, increasing operational efficiency, air traffic and airport infrastructure improvements and appropriate economic measures.

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Best practise and harmonisation of policies is the main goal of the annual International Maintenance Review Board Policy Board (IMRBPB) meeting. This year, the conference is hosted and chaired by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and will take place in Cologne from 22 to 25 April 2008. The aim of the Board is to advocate the worldwide standardisation of maintenance policy procedures. At the annual conference structured discussions between regulatory authorities and industry lead to the development of national and international maintenance recommendations. “Harmonisation of maintenance requirements is an important step for aviation safety worldwide”, says Patrick Goudou, the Agency’s Executive Director. “The Board is a good example how co-operation between industry and regulatory authorities can lead to enhanced safety.”

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Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has signed a historic commitment to tackle climate change. IATA Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani was joined by the industry’s other top leaders in a signing ceremony at the 3rd Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. “This declaration is a great step,” said Bisignani. “IATA’s four-pillar strategy on climate change is now an industry commitment. This commitment will drive us forward—first to our 25% fuel efficiency improvement target, and more importantly towards our vision of carbon neutral growth leading to a carbon emission free industry.”

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Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the U.K. Competition Commission’s emerging thinking, published today, on the BAA Airports market investigation. The Competition Commission noted that the ownership of seven U.K. airports is not in the best interests of passengers and that the system of economic regulation applied by the CAA may adversely affect competition. “The Competition Commission has come to the same conclusion that every passenger using the U.K.’s main airports knows all too well: there is a problem with the U.K. airports that must be fixed urgently,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA Director General and CEO.

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Washington – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) today condemned the new U.S. Government proposal that airlines and their employees collect biometric information from all non-U.S. citizens when departing the U.S. in the U.S. Exit Plan. The U.S. Government plan would require airlines to invest billions in new equipment and the staff to operate it. “Border protection and immigration are government responsibilities. Airline counter staff are not a substitute for trained border patrol officers. And outsourcing exit formalities to airlines is not a responsible approach,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

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Brussels, Belgium - With Spain facing traffic growth of 6.2% in 2008, a major workshop co-organised by EUROCONTROL, IATA and AENA - the Spanish air navigation service provider - has identified a number of high-level and technical actions to reinforce high levels of safety and operational performance at Madrid-Barajas airport. The workshop, ‘Improving Operational and Flight Safety Performance at Madrid Barajas’, was held in Madrid on 15 and 16 April, and was a result of the Madrid Pilot/Controller Task Force initiated by AENA and IATA and chaired by Dragica Stankovic of EUROCONTROL. It attracted over 140 aviation experts from airlines, AENA, the Spanish Directorate General of Civil Aviation, institutes, professional associations, and EUROCONTROL.

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Business aviation associations from around the world today announced a new program to assist operators implement Safety Management Systems (SMS). SMS is central to modern thinking in aviation safety; it is being progressively introduced into regulations in response to global standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The new Tool Kit will be of immediate interest to commercial fixed-wing and rotary-wing operators, the first sectors to be impacted by the new regulatory requirements. The new SMS Tool Kit (SMS TK) builds on the industry’s successful “code of practice”, the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) introduced in 2002. Rui Thomaz de Aquino, Chairman of the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), advised that “given our long and positive experience with SMS over the past eight years we can now provide assistance to operators who have not yet introduced SMS into their operations”.

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Bringing together two of Europe’s leading aviation associations, the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) is seeking to work even more closely with the Airports Council International (ACI) EUROPE to address the issue of European airport congestion. Meeting at the ERA Regional Airline Conference in Malta, ERA Director General Mike Ambrose and ACI EUROPE Director General Olivier Jankovec agreed that cooperation is needed to lobby European regulators and European Union member states to take action against the airport congestion problem severely threatening the future of European aviation.

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The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) is today welcoming the European Commission’s acknowledgement that aviation’s inclusion in the European Union’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) must not be accompanied by even further environmental charges on European aviation. Speaking at the ERA Regional Airline Conference in Malta, Olivier Onidi, the European Commission’s Head of Unit, Internal Market, Air Transport Agreements and Multilateral Relations, stated that the EC is opposed to further costs, such as the environmental taxes enacted in the UK and the Netherlands, being imposed on aviation in the name of environmentalism, whether on a European or national level.

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WASHINGTON – Despite a rosy picture painted Tuesday by the Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) network is unreliable, lacking suitable backups, and continues to be a source of great frustration and deep concern for the FAA technicians and air traffic controllers who must deal with the fallout of the FAA’s decision to cut corners and costs on this project and run it on the razor’s edge despite a lengthy list of failures and outages. As PASS pointed out on Monday, the FTI program, which is provided by Harris Corporation, has had numerous problems from the start, including insufficient training of contractors, poor planning and management, and substandard service. Furthermore, with no services to fall back on when there are problems with FTI, there is even greater risk of outages occurring repeatedly at facilities throughout the country. Because FTI transmits voice, data and radar information to controllers, any interruption puts air travelers at great risk.

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LAKELAND, FL, April 9, 2008 - The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today announced that it will host a new, three-day industry event, the Light Airplane Conference & Exhibition (LAC&E). NBAA made the announcement during the annual Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In. The show will serve as the industry’s premier event dedicated to operators who use light airplanes to make their businesses more successful. Specifically, LAC&E will focus on business owners and other operators of light jets, turboprops and piston airplanes. “When we ask our Member Companies with light airplanes how NBAA can better serve them, the answer we frequently get is a request for an event specific to their needs and concerns,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “We have heard from this important part of our membership, and we’re responding with this new event specific to light airplane ownership and operations.

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The prosecution of persons or companies ‘guilty’ of human error or tragic mistakes has no place in air accident investigation, says ERA President. The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) is calling for European states to adopt a non-punitive voluntary reporting system for air safety occurrences, rather than encouraging a culture of blame and criminal prosecution which discourages the sharing of safety information. Antonis Simigdalas, ERA President and COO of Greek carrier Aegean Airlines, says: “The open and transparent reporting of safety incidents is crucial for accident prevention and the further enhancement of air safety. However, all aviation personnel, including pilots, cabin crew, maintenance staff, air traffic controllers, flight safety officers, even administrative staff, must be willing to disclose and share such information and be confident that they do so without penalty or fear of prosecution.”

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Brussels, Belgium - The involvement and commitment of the military is crucial for the success of SESAR, but additional resources must be allocated for this according to a recent meeting of the Military ATM Board (MAB). The meeting, which was held on 1 April at EUROCONTROL, agreed that a close relationship with the SESAR JU at strategic and technical level will be necessary. However, funding mechanisms must be found that would allow the military to invest resources beyond the envelope of national security and defence. “Military forces across Europe are well aware of the importance of SESAR and of their involvement in it,” said Mr Jean-Robert Cazarré, Director of Civil-Military Coordination at EUROCONTROL. “We are addressing the military-military and civil-military coordination at European level through EUROCONTROL and in particular the MAB - but we must also recognise the importance of additional funding in order for us to be fully integrated and contribute to SESAR and Single European Sky activities.

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LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has named Nancy Baggott as the federal security director for Long Beach Airport, Long Beach, Calif. Baggott has worked in the TSA’s Transportation Security Operations Center since 2003, most recently serving as command duty officer responsible for the operational coordination and crisis management response on a national scale. “Nancy brings to Long Beach valued leadership experience, which is exactly what we are looking for in our federal security directors,” said Mo McGowan, TSA’s assistant administrator for Security Operations. “Coupled with her operational experience, she is the right person to serve as Long Beach Airport’s first on-scene security director.”

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Lagos, Nigeria - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced further enhancements to its commitment to improve aviation safety in Africa. “African safety has improved, but the accident rate is still nearly six times the global average. This must change. IATA is serious about delivering results that will raise the bar on aviation safety,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO. Bisignani announced the Association’s latest addition to its African safety initiatives—the Implementation Programme for Safe Operations in Africa (IPSOA). “This is a US$3.7 million programme that follows on the US$5.4 million that we have already committed to improve safety in this region,” said Bisignani. IPSOA will give up to 30 African airlines access to IATA’s Flight Data Analysis (FDA) tool over a three-year period. FDA offers airlines the capability to statistically analyse data from actual flights to improve procedures and monitor compliance. FDA offers critical insight for aircraft maintenance by using data to monitor engine condition trends and aircraft fuel usage.

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The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association says the Federal Aviation Administration is jumping too far too soon with its plan to reduce airline delays with congestion pricing. “Congestion pricing should be the FAA’s last resort, not its first,” said AOPA President Phil Boyer. “The agency’s proposal does nothing to improve the national air transportation system and could in fact hurt general aviation’s access to airport.” In its formal comments and in previous communications with the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation, AOPA has offered specific suggestion for ways to reduce delays. Some of those suggestions include:

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