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Washington Opens Door to Dark-Fleet Tankers as US Box Rates Stall
The Trump administration moved this week to bring sanctioned oil tankers back into lawful trade in an effort to curb soaring freight costs. On the transpacific, container lines began cutting capacity as US-bound rates lost momentum. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Monday that the government is developing an approval process that would let investors buy idle sanctioned tankers, refurbish them and use them to carry only non-sanctioned crude. Speaking at a Citadel Securiti
4 minutes ago2 min read
Washington Hands Railroads $2.3 Billion as Metra, Union Pacific Feud Over Fees
The US rail industry began the week with a record round of federal infrastructure grants, while a long-running fight over Chicago’s commuter lines escalated before regulators. The Transportation Department on Monday awarded $2.3 billion to 105 projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program. The winners were chosen from 368 applications that together sought more t
6 minutes ago2 min read
Controllers Win Delayed Raise as Boeing’s Biggest 737 Nears Approval
US air traffic controllers will start receiving a long-delayed pay increase from Sunday. Boeing Co., meanwhile, is within days of certification for its largest 737 Max, capping a weekend of progress for an industry strained by staffing shortages and production setbacks. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association agreed late last week on a 2.8% raise, effective Oct. 18 and backdated to Jan. 1. Congress authorized a 3.8% increase in
1 day ago2 min read
Washington Puts $200 Million Behind Truck Parking as ATA Names New Chief
The US trucking industry won a long-sought federal commitment on driver parking this week. Its biggest lobbying group, meanwhile, ended a two-month leadership vacuum. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Wednesday announced $200 million for 14 truck parking projects across 12 states, funded through the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects program. According to the department, 40% of truckers spend more than an hour a day looking for somewhere to pa
1 day ago2 min read
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Mayday for Isom? American's Pilots Seek a New Captain (and a Bigger Cut)
Pilots Turn on Isom Just as Their Contract Talks Begin The head of American Airlines’ pilot union has publicly questioned whether CEO Robert Isom is the right man to lead the carrier's turnaround, sharpening a dispute that has been building for the best part of a year. Capt. Nick Silva, president of the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents American's roughly 16,000 pilots, said the pool of executives able to run an airline is small, but asked whether someone cou
Sep 253 min read
A High-Class Problem: Why America's Pilots Are Doing Just Fine
Jeff Barath retired from United Airlines last year at 65 with a problem most Americans would love to have. He has a partial pension, a brokerage account and a $3.5 million 401(k). Once his required minimum distributions kick in, his retirement income, including Social Security, will be well over $300,000 a year. That's more than he earned in most of his working years. "It's a high-class problem," according to Barath. He's right. And he's far from the only one. Four times the
Sep 223 min read
The Grey Areas of the Bargaining Table
When flight attendants at United voted on strike authorisation in August 2024, the result came back at 99.99 per cent in favour. The union announced it live from twenty informational picket lines at airports across the country, on the eve of the Labor Day travel weekend. And in the same announcement, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) reminded everyone reading that it holds a trademarked strike strategy called CHAOS, an acronym for Create Havoc Around Our System,
Sep 104 min read
American Airlines pilots didn't wait for the calendar. They tore it up.
Nearly a year before their contract was due to become amendable, the Allied Pilots Association formally opened negotiations for a new deal, invoking a rarely used clause buried in their 2023 agreement. The trigger? A blunt declaration from union president Nick Silva, in an August 7 letter to CEO Robert Isom, that the airline "cannot agree that implementation is sufficient." Translation: you didn't finish what you promised us last time, so we're coming back to the table now. T
Sep 33 min read
‘We owe it to the victims’ families and the American flying public’ | Interview with Rep. Sharice Davids on aviation safety reform after Flight 5342
Sharice Davids is the Democratic representative for Kansas’s 3rd District, covering much of the Kansas City metropolitan area. She sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and has played a leading role in Congress's response to the midair collision of American Eagle Flight 5342 with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter on 29 January 2025, in which 67 people were killed. Davids helped lead the bipartisan ALERT Act, which passed the House last month by 396 votes
May 64 min read
'MH370 disappearance shows how ruthless democracy's enemies are' | Interview with aviation journalist Jeff Wise
Jeff Wise is a journalist specializing in aviation, technology, and psychology who has written for Businessweek, Psychology Today, and...
Aug 16, 20244 min read
A High Flying Career: Flight Attendant Kara Mulder on the Evolving Landscape of Aviation
Kara Mulder, an accomplished flight attendant and the creative force behind the popular Flight Attendant Life blog, has leveraged her...
Aug 17, 20234 min read
With Summer Travel Almost Here, the FAA Remains Leaderless
In another twist in the saga of complications and chaos that has been plaguing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), it has recently...
Apr 12, 20233 min read
A High-Class Problem: Why America's Pilots Are Doing Just Fine
Jeff Barath retired from United Airlines last year at 65 with a problem most Americans would love to have. He has a partial pension, a brokerage account and a $3.5 million 401(k). Once his required minimum distributions kick in, his retirement income, including Social Security, will be well over $300,000 a year. That's more than he earned in most of his working years. "It's a high-class problem," according to Barath. He's right. And he's far from the only one. Four times the
Sep 223 min read
The Grey Areas of the Bargaining Table
When flight attendants at United voted on strike authorisation in August 2024, the result came back at 99.99 per cent in favour. The union announced it live from twenty informational picket lines at airports across the country, on the eve of the Labor Day travel weekend. And in the same announcement, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) reminded everyone reading that it holds a trademarked strike strategy called CHAOS, an acronym for Create Havoc Around Our System,
Sep 104 min read
American Airlines pilots didn't wait for the calendar. They tore it up.
Nearly a year before their contract was due to become amendable, the Allied Pilots Association formally opened negotiations for a new deal, invoking a rarely used clause buried in their 2023 agreement. The trigger? A blunt declaration from union president Nick Silva, in an August 7 letter to CEO Robert Isom, that the airline "cannot agree that implementation is sufficient." Translation: you didn't finish what you promised us last time, so we're coming back to the table now. T
Sep 33 min read
Newark Airport Dispute Exposes Political Risk to US Aviation
One of America’s busiest international airports found itself at the centre of political confrontation. The Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin threatened on 28 May that the Trump administration could soon stop processing international travellers and cargo at Newark airport as local law enforcement in the Blue State of New Jersey refused to assist federal immigration officials. With fans gearing up for the FIFA World Cup this summer, questions over international
Jun 83 min read
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