Policy & Regulation News

ch-aviation

RwandAir CEO calls for coalition to turn Africa’s open-skies commitments into action

RwandAir CEO Yvonne Manzi Makolo is urging African governments and industry stakeholders to form a “coalition of the willing” to advance the continent’s open-skies agenda. She called for clear implementation timelines and measurable outcomes, moving beyond commitments toward practical liberalization of intra-African air travel.

SpaceWatch Global

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Trump signs order to establish U.S. Space Academy for NASA, Space Force and commercial workforce

President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating creation of a United States Space Academy to train engineers, scientists, operators, astronauts and other professionals. The proposed federal institution is intended to strengthen the workforce supporting national security, NASA missions, scientific discovery and the expanding commercial space sector.

ch-aviation

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Philippine Airlines adds daily Melbourne flights as Korean Air prepares Seoul return; PAL franchise renewal advances

Philippine Airlines will increase Melbourne service from five to seven weekly flights with its A330-300 fleet from Nov. 19, while Korean Air plans to resume nonstop Melbourne–Seoul service in December after a 13-year absence. Separately, PAL’s proposed 50-year legislative franchise has cleared a second reading in the Philippine House.

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

Flight attendant union advises crews not to answer ICE questions about coworkers or passengers

A flight attendant union is telling crew members they are not required to answer questions from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about coworkers or passengers. The guidance introduces a new layer of operational and legal sensitivity for airline employees encountering immigration-enforcement activity.

avweb.com

FAA proposes special conditions for Skyryse’s fly-by-wire R66 helicopter

The FAA is proposing special conditions for Skyryse’s fly-by-wire conversion of the Robinson R66, focusing on how pilots maintain awareness of control limits after conventional mechanical feedback is removed. The proposal addresses a key safety and certification challenge for helicopters using electronically mediated flight controls.

Unmanned Airspace

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FAA expands BEYOND drone-integration program to airports, controlled airspace and cross-border operations

The FAA is launching Phase 2 of its BEYOND program and inviting additional participants to help integrate drones into the national airspace system. The initiative will examine operations at airports, in controlled airspace and across borders as drone activity expands.

SpaceNews.com

Commerce’s TraCSS adds test users but remains without a full-operations timeline

The Commerce Department’s civil space traffic coordination system, TraCSS, has expanded its user base for service testing but remains in a pilot phase. The department has not established a firm date for transitioning the system into full operational service.

Associated Press

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South Korean police seek indictments of seven transport officials over Jeju Air crash cover-up allegations

Police have referred seven South Korean transport ministry officials to prosecutors over alleged efforts to conceal that a localizer was unfit before the 2024 Jeju Air crash. The accident killed 179 of the 181 people aboard, making the officials’ potential accountability a central safety and oversight issue.