Global air travel traffic (measured in revenue per kilometers (RPKs)) begins 2024 in line with pre-COVID highs. Certain markets, such as US domestic and intra-European have already surpassed pre-COVID levels and despite some...more
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in June for alternative certification standards for pilots operating powered-lift aircraft, as well as specific operating rules for...more
On February 2, 2023, Mexican President López Obrador published an executive order in the Federal Official Gazette establishing the closure of Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport ("AICM") for the operations of...more
Key Points - - Insurance companies are bracing themselves for years of legal disputes over liability for total losses claimed by lessors to aircraft stranded in Russia as a result of sanctions over Russia's invasion of...more
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Dec. 7, 2022, published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), "Update to Air Carrier Definitions," that would incorporate "powered-lift" operations into...more
The day when Urban Air Mobility will transition from dream to reality is fast approaching. A number of eVTOL aircraft are in the final stages of certification. Designs for vertiports are being finalized, and the supporting...more
Key Points - - The rights of an aircraft lessor or lender financing the conversion of a passenger aircraft to a freighter aircraft will be specified in agreements between the borrower, financer and conversion facility. ...more
Para recuperar la categoría 1 ante la FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), el Gobierno Federal Mexicano ha llevado a cabo ciertas acciones para fortalecer la regulación en materia de seguridad aérea. Al respecto, la Agencia...more
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) issued notice of proposed regulation amendments to Title 17 of the Alaska Administrative Code dealing with rural airport rental and fees....more
Key Points - - Replacing the owner trustee of a US-registered aircraft that is on lease requires submitting a new application to register that aircraft. - Submitting the application to reregister the aircraft restricts...more
For airlines and airports regulated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), aviation security nomenclature is rife with acronyms: airline passengers pass through ASLs (automated screening lanes) every day,...more
Executive Summary: The Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) has published a final rule to transition from the Pilot Records Improvement Act (“PRIA”) to the electronic Pilot Records Database. The rule is effective August 9,...more
AVIATION REGULATORY AND POLICY - Single European Sky: The Wise Person Group Publishes a Statement on the Future of the Single European Sky On 14 April 2021, the Wise Persons Group (WPG), a high-level aviation experts group...more
As we originally reported back in 2019, the FAA has been working on a new set of rules defining an air carrier’s responsibilities to its passengers in the event of a tarmac delay. That process has finally ended, with the...more
AVIATION REGULATORY AND POLICY - Aviation Policy: European Commission Proposes to set up new European Partnerships and to Invest Nearly €10 Billion for the Green and Digital Transition - On 23 February 2021, the European...more
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the Rescue Plan Act) was signed into law, providing much-needed relief to keep employees on airline payrolls. The Act provides “eligible air carriers” with $14 billion...more
AVIATION REGULATORY AND POLICY - Aviation Policy: European Commission Presents its “Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy” - The European Commission (Commission) presented its “Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy,”...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a particularly pronounced effect on the aviation sector. Passenger carriers have grounded their aircraft and slashed their schedules, cargo carriers scrambled to maintain healthcare and other...more
Congress has passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, a comprehensive $900 billion COVID relief stimulus package and $1.4 trillion omnibus bill. The President has not yet signed the legislation into law. ...more
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently issued new regulations codifying specific criteria for interpreting its fundamental regulatory authority under 49 U.S.C. section 41712 to prohibit airlines from engaging in...more
AVIATION REGULATORY AND POLICY - COVID-19: European Commission steps up action to reinforce preparedness and response measures across the EU - On 28 October 2020, the European Commission launched an additional set of actions...more
We are sometimes asked about the application of the Montreal Convention to personal injury cases involving air travel, particularly with our air carrier clients. This article is a short primer on the Convention and a...more
Virtually all Americans know that the FAA regulates air carrier safety in the United States. However, most Americans are unaware that the Department of Transportation also maintains oversight of air carrier operations through...more
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently issued a consent order assessing a $70,000 civil penalty against Volaris, the Mexican low-cost airline, for alleged violations of DOT’s regulations governing lengthy tarmac...more
COVID-19 travel restrictions have put the aviation industry on the backfoot. M&A will not be an immediate priority, but consolidation and distressed deals will come in time - The aviation sector has been one of the hardest...more