U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx will deliver a keynote address during the opening session at the IATA AGM in Miami Monday, raising the possibility that the ongoing dispute between the three major U.S. carriers and the three largest Gulf airlines could be discussed even though it is not on the AGM agenda.
Tony Tyler could be looking ahead at a relatively relaxed annual general assembly. The location in Miami Beach is nice; there are no major decisions to be made by the board; and the industry is doing reasonably well. And the one big policy issue that the industry will have to deal with—the introduction of a global emissions trading system to be organized by ICAO—is only really on the agenda for next year. In other words: “It is business as usual,” Tyler says.
As the world’s airlines meet in Miami for IATA’s annual general meeting, one of the most pressing policy issues will not be on the official agenda: how to deal with Gulf carriers and, more broadly, government support in the industry. But the dispute has a major political effect beyond this case: further liberalization, much demanded by many, is becoming less likely.
For years IATA has advocated for opening a dialogue between airlines and airports to align strategic objectives and work together to jointly define functional needs and corresponding infrastructure requirements. Yet, still too often this “constructive engagement” remains tricky to take in—especially when it comes to charges.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr suggests that the airline industry should take a close look at how WTO has been dealing with trade disputes in other industries and try to learn from those mechanisms.
In early May, Cargolux joined the growing list of major passenger and freight carriers refusing to transport lithium-ion batteries. The current risk to continue flying such shipments is “not acceptable,” Europe’s largest freighter airline says.
The notion of a restructured FAA that could include taking air traffic control out of the agency is starting to gain traction in Washington, with U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx among those willing to have an open mind on the issue.
Aviation Week’s biennial survey examines MRO developments, 2014 airframe maintenance hours and revenue MROs ramping up new capabilities and investing in IT to prepare for the next generation of airframes.
