Federal Aviation Administration

Air travellers face frustration as FAA's further flight cuts take effect

Air travellers could face more frustration as busy US airports need to meet a higher Federal Aviation Administration target for reducing flights Tuesday after already cancelling thousands to scale back demands on the nation's aviation system during the government shutdown. The FAA ordered domestic airlines last week to drop 4 per cent of their flights at 40 major US airports, saying absences and signs of stress among traffic controllers made it imperative to act in the name of public safety. After already cancelling more than 7,900 since Friday, the goal for cutting flights is set to rise to 6 per cent on Tuesday and again to 10 per cent on Friday. But it was unclear exactly how many additional flights would need to be cancelled Tuesday. The average cancellation rate over the last few days already exceeded the FAA's requirement, according to aviation analytics company Cirium. The FAA also expanded its flight restrictions Monday, barring business jets and many private flights from ..

Air traffic controller shortage widens US flight delays amid govt shutdown

Continued staffing shortages in air traffic control facilities around the country were again causing delays at airports on Friday as the government shutdown neared the one-month mark. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been warning that travelers would start to see more flights delayed or cancelled as the nation's controllers continue to work without pay during the shutdown, which began Oct 1. Every day there's going to be more challenges, Duffy told reporters Thursday outside the White House after a closed-door meeting with Vice President JD Vance and aviation industry leaders to talk about the shutdown's impact on US travel. The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing-related delays Friday at a number of airports, including in Boston, New York City, Nashville, Houston, Dallas and Newark, New Jersey. The airports in Boston, Nashville and New York City were experiencing delays averaging two hours or longer. Aviation analytics firm Cirium says flight data showed a

JetBlue passengers hospitalised after emergency landing in Florida

JetBlue passengers were taken to a hospital after a sudden altitude drop on a flight from Mexico forced an emergency landing in Florida on Thursday, according to officials. The flight from Cancun was travelling to Newark, New Jersey, when the altitude dropped. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that it is investigating. The Airbus A320 was diverted to Tampa International Airport around 2 pm, according to the FAA. It was not immediately clear how many were hurt or how severe their injuries were. Air traffic audio from LiveATC.net captured a radio call reporting the injuries: We've got at least three people injured. It seems like maybe a laceration in the head. Medical officials evaluated the passengers and crew members at the airport before some were taken to hospitals, according to JetBlue. Our team has taken the aircraft out of service for inspection, and we will conduct a full investigation to determine the cause, according to a JetBlue statement. The safety

Two Delta jets collide at low speed while taxiing at NY's LaGuardia airport

According to Delta, as one plane prepared for takeoff to Virginia, its wing struck another aircraft arriving from North Carolina; a flight attendant was injured in the collision

FAA finds no fuel system fault in Air India Dreamliner crash probe

US aviation regulator rules out mechanical failure in June 12 Air India 787 crash that killed 260 people, as probe continues into cause of fuel cutoff

Six missing after Cessna 414 crashes into Pacific off San Diego coast in US

A Cessna 414 carrying six people crashed into the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on Sunday. The US Coast Guard has launched a search operation, while federal agencies probe the cause of the crash

US Army pauses helicopter flights near Washington airport after close calls

The Army is pausing helicopter flights near a Washington airport after two commercial planes had to abort landings last week because of an Army Black Hawk helicopter that was flying to the Pentagon. The commander of the 12th Aviation Battalion directed the unit to pause helicopter flight operations around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport following Thursday's close calls, two Army officials confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday. One official said the flights have been paused since Friday. The pause comes after 67 people died in January when a passenger jet collided in midair with a Black Hawk helicopter at Reagan airport. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that were not publicly announced. The unit is continuing to fly in the greater Washington, D.C., region. The unit had begun a return to flight within the last week, with plans to gradually increase the number of flights over the next four weeks, according to an Army document viewed

IndiGo names ex-FAA administrator Michael Whitaker as independent director

InterGlobe Aviation, the parent of the country's largest airline IndiGo, on Thursday announced the appointment of former administrator US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and pilot Michael Whitaker as an Independent Director. Whitaker's appointment, which is subject to regulatory and shareholders' approvals, comes as the term of Venkataramani Sumantran as an Independent Director ends on May 27. Sumantran, who is currently a Non Executive Independent Director and Chairperson, has decided not to seek re-appointment for a second term, according to a BSE filing. "Mike's deep and varied industry and government experience will contribute significantly to having an effective and diverse board. His focus on efficiency, operations, air safety as head of the FAA will reinforce IndiGo's longstanding focus on operating at the highest levels. "Also, his extensive experience in international governmental affairs will be hugely instrumental as IndiGo continues its global expansion," IndiGo's

US aviation agency reinstating 132 fired employees after court order: Union

The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union announced that fired probationary employees due to Elon Musk-led federal cuts will receive back pay and return to duty on March 20

Donald Trump nominates Republic Airways CEO Bedford to lead US FAA

FAA position has been vacant since January 20, when FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker stepped down a little more than one year into a five-year term when Trump took office

Trump begins firings of FAA staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash

The Trump administration has begun firing several hundred Federal Aviation Administration employees, upending staff on a busy air travel weekend and just weeks after a January fatal midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Probationary workers were targeted in late-night emails on Friday notifying them they had been fired, David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, said in a statement. The impacted workers include personnel hired for FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance, one air traffic controller told AP. The air traffic controller was not authorised to talk to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity. A Transportation Department official told AP late on Monday that no air traffic controllers were affected by the cuts, and that the agency has "retained employees who perform critical safety functions". In a follow-up query the agency said they would have to look into whether the radar, landing and ...

Trump targets FAA diversity efforts in plane crash probe without any proof

President Donald Trump wasted little time this week trying to assign blame for the nation's deadliest air disaster in more than two decades. Among his chief targets: An FAA diversity hiring initiative he suggested had undermined the agency's effectiveness. But certainly for an air traffic controller, we want the brightest, the smartest, the sharpest. We want somebody that's psychologically superior, Trump said at a news conference Thursday. No evidence has emerged that rules seeking to diversify the FAA played any role in the collision Wednesday between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people. Nevertheless, Trump's comments drew attention to the agency's attempts to address its most pressing and long-standing problem a persistent shortage of air traffic controllers who are critical to keeping the nation's skies safe. How has Trump tied diversity hiring to the collision? Trump is using this week's disaster as another opportunity to

Boeing needs cultural shift to prioritise safety over profits: FAA head

A year after a panel blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during flight, the nation's top aviation regulator says the company needs "a fundamental cultural shift to put safety and quality above profits. Mike Whitaker, chief of the Federal Aviation Administration, said in an online post Friday that his agency also has more work to do in its oversight of Boeing. Whitaker, who plans to step down in two weeks to let President-elect Donald Trump pick his own FAA administrator, looked back on his decision last January to ground all 737 Max jets with similar panels called door plugs. Later, the FAA put more inspectors in Boeing factories, limited production of new 737s, and required Boeing to come up with a plan to fix manufacturing problems. Boeing is working to make progress executing its comprehensive plan in the areas of safety, quality improvement and effective employee engagement and training, Whitaker said. But this is not a one-year project. What's needed is a fundamental cultural shift at

Federal Aviation head to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, who has led a tougher enforcement policy against Boeing since a panel blew off a jetliner in January, said Thursday that he will step down next month, clearing the way for President-elect Donald Trump to name his choice to lead the agency. Mike Whitaker announced his pending resignation in a message to employees of the FAA, which regulates airlines and aircraft manufacturers and manages the nation's airspace. He became the agency's administrator in October 2023. Since then, the challenges confronting Whitaker have included a surge in close calls between planes, a need for stricter oversight of Boeing. antiquated equipment and a shortage of air traffic controllers at a time of high consumer demand for air travel. The United States is the safest and most complex airspace in the world, and that is because of your commitment to the safety of the flying public, Whitaker said in the message to employees. This has been the best and most ...

Boeing still not producing MAX planes after strike, says FAA administrator

FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker this week met with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and toured Boeing's 737 plant in Renton, Washington, as it boosts oversight following the strike, which ended Nov 4

FAA will not require urgent 737 MAX engine action after bird strikes

FAA Corrective Action Review Board reviewed the CFM LEAP-1B engine bird strikes which led to smoke entering two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft

Boeing crisis sparks US FAA to revamp safety programmes to avoid risks

FAA audits revealed a series of manufacturing and safety lapses at Boeing after a fuselage panel blew off a 737 Max jet shortly after takeoff in January

US FAA chief to testify before Congress on Sept 24 on Boeing quality plan

Boeing faces mounting scrutiny from Congress since a Jan. 5 mid-air emergency in a new Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9.

Boeing must be 'in the green' before 737 Max cap lifted, says FAA chief

The FAA capped output of Boeing's 737 Max at a rate of 38 per month in the wake of a January near-catastrophe, in which a door cover blew off during flight

FAA grounds SpaceX after Falcon 9 rocket falls over in flames at landing

SpaceX launches are on hold after a booster rocket toppled over in flames while landing Wednesday. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded the company's Falcon 9 rockets and ordered an investigation following the predawn accident off the Florida coast. No injuries or public damage were reported. It's too early to know how much impact this will have on SpaceX's upcoming crew flights, one private and the other for NASA. A billionaire's chartered flight was delayed just a few hours earlier because of a poor weather forecast. The rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and got all 21 Starlink internet satellites to orbit. But the first-stage booster fell over in a fireball moments after landing on an ocean platform, the first such accident in years. It was the 23rd time this particular booster had launched, a recycling record for SpaceX. The FAA said it must approve SpaceX's accident findings and corrective action before the company can resume Falcon 9 launches.