Reuters
• David Shepardson
More than two dozen lawmakers asked the FAA to suspend the new SMART system, which assists air traffic controllers at Washington-area airports. Their concerns center on safety testing, controller training and oversight, putting the tool’s deployment under congressional scrutiny.
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More than two dozen lawmakers asked the FAA to suspend the new SMART system, which assists air traffic controllers at Washington-area airports. Their concerns center on safety testing, controller training and oversight, putting the tool’s deployment under congressional scrutiny.
The UK spectrum regulator is seeking changes to international rules that limit transmission power for low-Earth-orbit broadband systems in Ku and Ka bands. The restrictions were established about 25 years ago to protect geostationary satellites from interference; Ofcom argues they should be softened for newer LEO constellations.
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SpaceX is proposing to scale up Starship operations at its Starbase facility in South Texas to 456 launches and landings annually. The plan is under U.S. government review, including a request for FAA approval, and would mark a major increase in the site’s planned flight activity.
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The FAA awarded $12 million to 19 companies for research and testing intended to safely expand drone operations in the national airspace. Separately, Raytheon received $729 million in counter-drone awards for the U.S., Qatar and Jordan, while other initiatives span autonomous interceptors, airport vehicle-collision prevention and the Pentagon’s Drone Dominance program.
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Israel’s new rules barring some dual nationals from serving on flights to or over the country have already forced an Ethiopian Airlines cargo 737 to turn back after an Indonesian pilot was found on its crew list. The restrictions follow a separate Flydubai cockpit attack that UAE authorities say was intended to end in a crash at Tel Aviv airport.
The United States has lifted restrictions on direct flights between the US and Lebanon. The available report provides no further details on the timing, operational scope or policy rationale for the change.
Legislation introduced in both chambers would increase federal funding for air traffic control by $30 billion, building on $12.5 billion approved in 2025. The available reporting does not specify how the proposed money would be allocated or the bills’ prospects, but the measures put ATC investment before Congress as a substantial funding question.
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