Airport Infrastructure & Air Traffic Management News

Flying Magazine

High activity

FAA awards $870 million for airport infrastructure, safety and passenger upgrades

The FAA is awarding $870 million for airport improvements, with funding directed toward infrastructure upgrades, safety enhancements and more family-friendly features. The grants underscore continued federal investment in airport facilities and passenger-facing infrastructure, though the announcement provides no further breakdown of recipients or individual project amounts.

ch-aviation

UK CAA allows Heathrow to charge airlines and travelers for third-runway investment

The UK Civil Aviation Authority has authorized Heathrow Airport Limited to recover the early-stage costs of its proposed third runway through additional charges to airlines and travelers. The decision establishes a regulatory mechanism for funding the project before construction and broader expansion decisions are finalized.

Yahoo Finance

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Joby partners with Atoms and ex-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick to build U.S. vertiport network

Joby Aviation is partnering with infrastructure company Atoms to acquire and develop vertiports ahead of planned U.S. passenger air taxi operations. The initial network will target sites in New York, California, Texas and Florida, marking a push to establish ground infrastructure alongside its eVTOL launch plans.

Aviation Week

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Gatwick clears final legal hurdle for second runway, targeting 100,000 additional flights

The Court of Appeal has rejected a last-ditch challenge to London Gatwick’s Northern Runway project, allowing the airport’s existing taxiway to be converted for full-time runway operations. The £2.2 billion expansion is expected to add capacity for up to 100,000 flights and 13 million passengers annually.

CNA

Changi Airport begins deploying autonomous wheelchairs for passengers with reduced mobility

Changi Airport Group and ground handler SATS are rolling out autonomous wheelchairs in Terminals 2 and 3, initially targeting transit passengers. Airlines at the Singapore hub handle about 2,300 wheelchair-assistance requests daily, with transfer passengers accounting for four in five requests.

AINonline

IBAC lets ground handlers self-declare conformity with IS-BAH safety standard, bypassing third-party audits

The International Business Aviation Council has introduced a self-declaration pathway for its IS-BAH ground-handling safety standard. Eligible organizations can now declare conformity without undergoing an independent third-party audit, changing the verification process for business aviation ground-handling providers.

Cranky Flier

Dulles’ Current State Highlights the Case for a Major Overhaul

A close look at Washington Dulles International Airport makes the case for action, even as plans emerge to remake the airport on a grand scale. The analysis examines why Dulles’ present condition has prompted attention to its future and long-term infrastructure needs.

ch-aviation

Thai Airways to sign 50-year lease for 336,000-square-meter Utapao MRO site in August 2026

Thai Airways International plans to sign a 50-year lease on Aug. 4, 2026, for a 210-rai, or 336,000-square-meter, site at Thailand’s Utapao airport. The lease will take effect Sept. 1, establishing the contractual basis for the airline’s planned MRO presence at the facility.