GENEVA - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) branded the European Commission’s (EC) decision to set the winter slot use threshold at 50% as "out of touch with reality" and argued that the EC had ignored the advice and evidence presented by EU member states and the airline industry.

LONDON - Britain plans to relax slot use regulation through the winter to protect airline assets. London Gatwick Airport warned the Governement that the step will eventually backfire. The airline landscape is in a split mood: British Airways and Easyjet favor an extended slot relief, while Ryanair and Wizz Air push for a return to normal rules.

LONDON - In the first three months of 2021 alone, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a staggering 485 Fixed Penalty Notices - financial fines - to airlines for carrying passengers who had not complied with Covid-19 requirements for international passengers travelling into the UK.

LONDON - British pilots are urging politicians across the UK to pressure the Government to save the summer and secure the future for the national aviation and travel industry. According to pilot union Balpa and Eurocontrol data inbound and outbound UK travel collapsed by three-quarters through the crisis.

LONDON - UK aviation industry is the "hardest hit" in Europe by restrictions on international travel, an analysis of official European air traffic data for June 2021 by The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) has revealed. The pilots call for a quick opening of international air travel to spur recovery.

LONDON - Ryanair and airport operator MAG are suing the UK Government over "unacceptable" travel restrictions. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's traffic light system continues to choke off air travel recovery, Ryanair said. To prevent further spreading of a new Covid-19 string, Downing Street so far rejects any adjustments to its policy.

LONDON - "New type of relationship": UK Civil Aviation Authority CAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA have concluded negotiations on Technical Implementation Procedures (TIP) for the post-Brexit aerospace sector. The framework gives OEMs like Airbus and their suppliers regulatory clarity.

LONDON - Explosively rising Covid-19 infection rates and a double mutation in India cause Canada and Great Britain to suspend passenger air traffic with the country for the time being. Heathrow Airport rejected airline requests for additional flight shortly before the red list suspension took effect this Friday.

LONDON - Return path to a British license: the UK Civil Aviation Authority has launched a "simplified process" to allow pilots who transferred their licence and medical certificate to an EU member state in preparation for the end of the transition period to get their UK licence back.

LONDON - UK charter and freight airlines face Brexit headaches as EU rivals snap away lucrative business. Permits for ad hoc flights between UK and EU - a standard requirement under post-Brexit regulation - are issued faster by UK authorities than EU counterparts putting UK back-up airlines in disadvantage.

DUBLIN - Ryanair expects the European Commission this week to unveil a new system of Covid-19 travel advice that will open up most regions of the continent to travel without quarantine, Chief Executive Eddie Wilson said. A regulatory patchwork in Europe caused Ryanair to curb its winter schedule.

LONDON - British pilots are urging the EU and UK negotiating teams to come to an early agreement on aviation in the forthcoming talks to avoid "catastrophic disruptions" in air transports. Unlike other industries aviation is not governed by a WTO mechanism - a crucial safety net to fall back if trade talks lapse.