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[ad_1] FAA: System failure caused ground stop FAA: System outage caused a nationwide ground stop 02:52 The computer glitch that forced the temporary suspension earlier this month of U.S. domestic airline departures was caused by a contractor who mistakenly and unintentionally deleted files, the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday. Damage to a database file had already been pinpointed by the agency as a probable cause of the January 11 issue, which prompted thousands of flight cancellations and delays nationwide. During the hours-long outage, pilots couldn't access the system known as Notice to Air Missions

[ad_1] A United Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft lands at San Francisco International Airport in California on March 13, 2019. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images United Airlines said Monday that it has found loose bolts on door plugs of several Boeing 737 Max 9 planes during inspections spurred when a panel of that type blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight using that type of aircraft last week. Alaska Airlines later Monday said its initial inspections of the jets had turned up "loose hardware" and that, "No aircraft will be returned to service" until formal reviews are complete. "The safety of these aircraft is our priority and we will take the time and steps necessary to ensure their airworthiness, in close partnership with the FAA," Alaska Airlines said in a statement. The Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday grounded dozens of 737 Max 9s after the panel blew out midflight on Alaska Flight 1282. Alaska has 65 of the Max 9 planes in it

[ad_1] Artificial intelligence could be used to prevent planes from creating planet-warming condensation trails, or contrails, according to a new study . Exactly how much impact contrails have on global warming is still being studied, but one recent study found the feathery streaks in the sky can trap enough heat to account for about 35% of the aviation industry's climate impact.   "A contrail could form and then just dissipate, but the contrails that persist can be very warming," Jill Blickstein, vice president of sustainability at American Airlines, said.  The airline recently joined a study led by Google and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which is a Bill Gates-created organization that helps fund technology to reduce emissions. The study found pilots could use contrail forecast maps developed by AI to make slight altitude adjustments during trips. That could decrease contrail creation by more than 50%  How the study worked  C

[ad_1] People walk in Central Park as smoke from wildfires in Canada cause hazy conditions in New York City on June 7, 2023.  Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images Smoke from Canada wildfires is set to disrupt flights again Thursday after hundreds were delayed a day earlier due to decreased visibility, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The FAA said it will "likely need to take steps to manage the flow of traffic safely into New York City, DC, Philadelphia and Charlotte due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke." Traffic to Philadelphia International Airport was paused until 9:15 a.m., the FAA said. Hundreds of flights at LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed on Wednesday due to the heavy smoke. The FAA had briefly paused traffic altogether into LaGuardia during the day. As of about 9 a.m. ET on Thursday, there were nearly 800 flights delayed across the U.S., according to flight-tracker FlightAware . This story is developing

[ad_1] Travelers at LaGuardia Airport in New York on June 30, 2022. Leslie Josephs | CNBC Airfare fell 6.4% in January from a year earlier, the Labor Department said in its monthly consumer price index report on Tuesday. It might not last too long. January is typically a slower month for travel as customers take fewer trips following the New Year's holiday. Domestic travel usually picks up during school breaks and spring holidays. The drop comes even though carriers are facing capacity constraints this year, in part because of an engine recall from Pratt & Whitney , congested airspace and delayed aircraft deliveries. Meanwhile, airline executives have forecast robust demand this year, even in the domestic market, which has faced more competition from international destinations that opened up in the wake of the pandemic. Those trends could help lift fares. "The capacity decline is related to artificial constraints due to aircraft delivery delays and GTF engine issues

[ad_1] Passenger planes sit on the tarmac at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on Nov. 4, 2022, before China ended Covid-related restrictions on travel. Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images BEIJING — China announced late Monday that travelers will no longer need to quarantine upon arrival on the mainland starting Jan. 8. The forthcoming shift follows an abrupt relaxation this month in domestic Covid controls. The changes end the bulk of the most restrictive measures that China had imposed for nearly three years under its zero-Covid policy. Since March 2020, travelers to the mainland have had to quarantine , typically at a designated hotel and for 14 days. That isolation period subsequently began to increase to 21 days or more for some travelers, before China began cutting quarantine times this summer. Current policy requires five days of quarantine at a centralized facility, followed by three days at home. China's National Health Commission also said th

[ad_1] Travelers walk at a terminal hall in Beijing Capital International Airport, China. Tingshu Wang | Reuters The United States is planning to lift a  Covid testing requirement  for travelers from China put in place earlier this year, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News on Tuesday. The plan,  first  reported by the Washington Post, would nix the China-specific requirements that were implemented in early January. The U.S. began requiring a pre-departure negative Covid test for travelers ages 2 and up flying from China on Jan. 5. The policy followed a  surge  in coronavirus cases in China after it ended its strict Covid-zero policy. [ad_2] Source link https://worldnews2023.com/health/u-s-plans-to-lift-covid-testing-requirements-for-travelers-from-china/?feed_id=221405&_unique_id=658e53bea387a

[ad_1] CNN  —  Schools across Auckland, New Zealand, will close Monday as the island nation’s largest city braces for the arrival of Cyclone Gabrielle, CNN affiliate Radio New Zealand reported Sunday. More than 36 schools and universities will shut their doors despite no formal order from the Ministry of Education, RNZ said, while the InterCity bus network will also reduce its services. According to the New Zealand MetService, gale force winds have already been recorded over the North Island on Sunday, with some reaching as high as 140 kph (87 mph). “I can’t remember a time when the whole of the North Island was on a wind warning,” said Lisa Murray, head of Weather Communications for the MetService. “This is a huge sprawling weather system affecting the country. Extreme rain and wind are expected for many North Island regions, accompanied by phenomenal seas along n

[ad_1] A sign for hire is posted on the window of a Chipotle restaurant in New York, April 29, 2022. Shannon Stapleton | Reuters Job cuts are rising at some of the biggest U.S. companies , but others are still scrambling to hire workers, the result of wild swings in consumer priorities since the Covid pandemic began three years ago. Tech giants Meta , Amazon and Microsoft , along with companies ranging from Disney to Zoom , have announced job cuts over the past few weeks. In total, U.S.-based employers cut nearly 103,000 jobs in January, the most since September 2020, according to a report released earlier this month from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Meanwhile, employers added 517,000 jobs last month, nearly three times the number analysts expected. This points to a labor market that's still tight, particularly in service sectors that were hit hard earlier in the pandemic, such as restaurants and hotels. The dynamic is making it even harder to p

[ad_1] American Airlines plane Silas Stein | picture alliance | Getty Images American Airlines pilots' union said Thursday that they agreed to a sweetened offer for a new labor contract, less than two weeks after a richer deal at rival United Airlines derailed voting at American. The new preliminary agreement includes pay matching with United, whose pilots are on track to get about 40% raises over four years, and at Delta Air Lines , whose aviators approved their contract in March , as well as other improvements. American CEO Robert Isom last week increased the company's offer by about $1 billion . "We appreciate the Allied Pilots Association for its collaborative work to reach an updated agreement on a four-year contract for American's pilots," American said in a statement. "It's a contract we're proud of and one our pilots deserve." American's pilots would start voting on the new deal in August. The deal is the latest in the trans

[ad_1] An American Airlines 777 is loaded with cargo at Philadelphia International Airport. Leslie Josephs/CNBC Airlines' cargo revenue is slumping. That's a sign of good news for travel recovery. Delta , United and American this month each reported year-over-year declines of about 40% in their second-quarter cargo revenue. For the first half of 2023, Delta's cargo business generated $381 million, down from $561 million in the first half of 2022, while American's cargo unit brought in $420 million compared with $692 million in the first six months of last year. United brought in $760 million from cargo so far this year, down from $1.2 billion a year earlier. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Meanwhile, airlines are reporting record revenue , if not earnings , thanks to the rebound in travel demand. That means the business impact of cargo, which once helped prop up airlines' revenue during the Covid pandemic travel plunge, has faded. Cargo revenue at Unite

[ad_1] Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, from American Airlines company, taking off from Barcelona airport, in Barcelona on 24th February 2023.  JanValls | Nurphoto | Getty Images American Airlines on Thursday raised its earnings outlook for 2023 after a strong start to the peak travel season, the latest airline to reap the rewards from the continued boom in demand. The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier expects to earn between $3 and $3.75 a share for the full year, adjusting for one-time items, up from a forecast in May to earn about $2.50 to $3.50. That updated 2023 profit guidance falls in line with Wall Street expectations of $3.10, according to Refinitiv consensus estimates. American shares were down more than 6% in late-afternoon trading. Airline executives have been upbeat about travel demand, particularly for international trips. Some airfares have declined compared with last year, when airlines struggled to rebuild their schedules after the worst of the Covid pandemic , leaving tr

[ad_1] Travelers are seen ahead of the fourth of July holiday weekend at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on June 30, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. Elijah Nouvelage | AFP | Getty Images Flight disruptions piled up at airports around the country ahead of the July Fourth weekend, but airline investors have largely shrugged them off. More than 63,000 flights operated by U.S. airlines, or 30% of their schedules, were delayed between June 24 through July 2. More than 9,000, or 4.2%, were canceled. Both of those percentages are above disruption averages so far this year, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. The delays were driven mostly by a series of rolling thunderstorms coupled with other issues like a shortage of air traffic controllers in congested airspace around New York and other areas, derailing travel plans of thousands of customers. It upended what has been a mostly calm spring for travelers. But sky-high travel demand continues to keep airline stocks a