October 3, 2013 
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U.S. Government Shutdown to Have Minimal Impact on Air Travel - Initially


If shutdown continues, expect repercussions throughout the air travel world. 
 
By Rowland Stiteler 

 

On Tuesday, the U.S. began a partial shutdown of federal government services after that nation's Congress was unable to come to a budget agreement to keep the government functioning at full capacity. In the short run, the has had limited impact on the international air travel grid that not only takes Latin American travelers to and from major U.S. entry airports like Miami, Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles, but links airports throughout Central and South America with destinations in Europe and Asia.

 

Add a descriptionNo shutdown-related delays were reported in any of those major international gateway airports in the U.S. on Tuesday or Wednesday, the first two days of the shutdown.

 

That's because the key government-paid workers who keep the system running at U.S. airports have all been designated as essential government employees and are not among the 800,000 U.S. federal employees furloughed from their jobs as part of the shutdown. These essential workers include air traffic controllers air marshals and the legions of airport screeners who work for the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), as well as U.S. Customs officers and officers of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

 

U.S. Embassies and Consulates around Latin America remain open and are continuing to process applications for U.S. visas, as well as passport applications from U.S. citizens abroad. The reasons for that are twofold: passport and visa applications carry fees that generate revenue for the U.S. government, and the U.S. State Department has announced it has a backlog of funding that will allow continued operations of embassies and consulates for a while.

 

But the State Department did not specify how long its funding reserves would last, and at least two Latin American locations, the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru, and the U.S. Consulate in Guayaquil, Ecuador, have announced that they expect some reduction in services, especially if the government shutdown lasts long. U.S. embassies and consulates are expected to focus on their diplomatic mission and on emergency aid for traveling U.S. citizens if the shutdown lasts long enough that funding runs low.

 

In the long-term, shutdown-related staffing cutbacks that began Tuesday will pose problems for the international air travel network, industry experts say. The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) furloughed 3,000 aircraft inspectors, who inspect and certify not only commercial aircraft based in the U.S., but foreign-based aircraft that fly into that nation.

 

A spokesperson for the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists Union has said that aircraft that don't get inspections on schedule could be grounded, thus reducing the number of airline seats available to passengers flying in and out of the United States.

 

Additionally, while air traffic controllers have not been furloughed, FAA employees who train new air traffic controllers have been, which could reduce the controller workforce over time. And overtime pay for air traffic controllers has been suspended for the duration of the shutdown.

 

Illustration �iStockphoto.com/Photomorphic

 

 

  

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Delta Airlines 'Pink Plane' Kicks off Annual Fundraising Campaign for Breast Cancer Research Foundation: Annual survivor flight commemorates organization's 20th anniversary


Airlines plan to create dedicated flight schedule for business customers and introduced a new schedule between New York and London's Heathrow airport, which begins March 30 

 

 

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Travel News
 

New Airline Routes

Avianca Brazil will begin daily flights between S�o Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport and Mac ei�, capital of the Brazilian state of Alagoas, on October 27.

  

Between October 22 and December 1, Aeromexico will use larger aircraft on many flights between Mexico City and Caracas; the airline will fly Boeing 767-200ER airplanes on the route daily, replacing the Boeing 737-800 airplanes it has been using.

  

Aeromexico also plans to begin flying Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner airplanes between Mexico City and Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport on October 24. The Dreamliner will fly the route on even days during October and on even days during November. Beginning November 17, the Dreamliner will fly the route daily.

  

Russia-based Transaero Airlines will begin flying between Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Moscow's Vnukovo international airport on November 1. Service will be irregular, every 10 to 12 days.

 

Airport News

In an effort to minimize wait times at New York's JFK International Airport, Delta Airlines will pay for a utomated passport-control machines at the busy airport. The machines could reduce wait times to enter the U.S. by as much as 40%. They allow passengers to answer a series of questions on a computer terminal, rather than fill out a paper declaration form, then scan their passport before passing through U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

 

At Buenos Aires' Ezeiza International Airport, Argentinean company Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 will build a new, 700-square-meter terminal for smaller aircraft.

 

Electronics in Flight

A U.S. Federal Aviation Administration advisory group has recommended that passengers be allowed to use personal electronic devices such as e-books, music players and tablets during takeoff and landing on airplanes. The group recommends that talking on the phone, browsing the Internet and downloading data be prohibited during those times. 

 

Hotel Pipeline

Indura Beach & Golf Resortis scheduled to open on the northern coastline of Honduras early in 2014. The 60-suite resort will include an 18-hole eco-sensitive golf course and a wellness sanctuary.

 

 
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