DECEMBER ON-TIME CARRIER PERFORMANCE DROPS

The average on-time performance for North American carriers in December dropped for the first time in four months, reports Business Travel News. According to Cirium’s latest monthly report, the average on-time performance was 79.1 percent compared with November’s 81.9 percent. Every carrier's score declined in December from the month before. Delta once again took the top spot with an on-time score of 89.6 percent (91.3 percent in November) and was followed by United Airlines at 85.8 percent (88.4 percent in November) and American Airlines at 84.3 percent (86.7 percent in November). Delta also took the top spot on the list of most on-time global carriers. United came in third with American at fourth. No other North American carrier appeared in the global top 10. Additionally, North American carriers in December canceled nearly 4,750 flights, up about 79 percent month over month. A flight is considered on time if the aircraft arrives at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time.

BOEING WITHDRAWS REQUEST FOR SAFETY EXEMPTION FOR NEW 737 MAX MODEL

Boeing has withdrawn its request for a safety exemption allowing the delivery of new 737 MAX 7 planes despite not meeting safety standards after recent criticism from travelers and the US government, reports Travel Pulse. Boeing officials had previously asked federal regulators late last year to allow it to begin delivering its 737 Max 7 airliner even though it does not meet a safety standard designed to prevent part of the engine housing from overheating and breaking off during flight. Following the January 5 Alaska Airlines incident, US Senators Maria Cantwell and Tammy Duckworth urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to deny the safety exemption request. On Monday, Boeing withdrew its request, stating that the company is “committed to being transparent, listening to all our stakeholders and taking action to strengthen safety and quality at Boeing.” In response, Senator Duckworth said, “While Boeing never should have sought this exemption to put another new aircraft with a known safety defect into service in the first place, I’m both relieved and appreciative that they are putting the flying public’s safety first by withdrawing this petition. I hope this decision marks the beginning of a turnaround in Boeing’s safety culture." The safety standard concerns an anti-icing system, and the issue affects other models of the 737 Max that are already flying, but FAA officials reported no incidents of the overheating problem. 

US GOVERNMENT WON’T RENEW DELTA AIR LINES, AEROMEXICO CODESHARE

The US government has said that it does not plan to renew the antitrust immunity that Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico currently operate a codeshare agreement under, after the Mexican government made changes at the country's main capital airport, reports Reuters. Last year, Mexican officials moved cargo flights from Mexico City International Airport (MEX) to Felipe Angeles International Airport (NLU) 21 miles north of MEX. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) found that existing carriers and potential new entrants were negatively impacted due to this decision. US authorities, carriers, and lobbies have opposed the actions taken by the Mexican government, which President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has acknowledged are aimed at boosting low traffic at the new Felipe Angeles International Airport. The decision not to renew is pending a final ruling, the DOT said, adding that the companies tentatively have until October 26 to wind down their joint venture. Delta and Aeromexico were set to offer more than 90 daily flights between the countries this year under the arrangement. Delta said it was reviewing the DOT's decision; Aeromexico has not yet made a comment.

FAA GRANTS $243M FOR MODERNIZATION AND RUNWAY SAFETY

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted $243.7 million to airports across the country as it plans to modernize infrastructure and improve safety through its Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG), reports Airport Technology. Utilizing funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the FAA has approved 150 grants across 37 states including many focusing on reducing the risk of runway incursions, building on existing funding put towards the issue after reports that close call incidents were happening several times per week. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “We saw a record number of passengers fly during the recent holiday season, and we can expect increased demand for air travel to continue. These investments from the Biden-Harris administration are making it possible to modernize our country’s ageing airport infrastructure to meet this demand today and ensure safe, efficient travel into the future.”