Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport has extended its passenger cap and British Airways has suspended short-haul ticket sales from London's Heathrow Airport, reports CNN. Schiphol Airport announced on Tuesday that it will continue its passenger cap through October; the maximum number of daily passengers departing in September will be capped to 67,500 and increase to 69,500 per day in October. The airport stated that the “the independent slot coordinator (ACNL) will consult with all airlines to ensure that the number of passengers is appropriate in relation to the security capacity." Also on Tuesday, British Airways announced that it was suspending the sale of tickets on short-haul flights from Heathrow in response to the airport's passenger cap, with sales expected to resume on August 8. In a statement, the airline noted it will take “responsible action and limit the available fares on some Heathrow services to help maximise rebooking options for existing customers, given the restrictions imposed on us and the ongoing challenges facing the entire aviation industry.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced it is reviewing airplane seat sizes in order to determine if a minimum standard should be regulated, reports Travel + Leisure. On Wednesday, the FAA published a notice in the Federal Register, seeking public comment on the pitch, width, and length of passenger seats on aircraft in the US. The review should determine if a minimum seat size is necessary for passenger safety, after Congress directed the FAA to examine seat dimensions in 2018. The agency stated, “Comments should address whether, considering the existing regulatory requirements, one or more of the following seat dimensions have or demonstrably could adversely affect the safety of air passengers by delaying the group egress time of an emergency evacuation.” The FAA also asked those commenting to address a variety of groups, including people over 60 years old and passengers with disabilities. The notice is open to public comment for 90 days, ending on November 1.

Department of Transportation (DOT) secretary Pete Buttigieg has pledged to work toward requiring airlines to allow travelers to remain in their personal wheelchairs on flights, reports Travel Weekly. In a video posted by the advocacy group Paralyzed Veterans of America, Buttigieg noted that "Practically everyone who uses an airline and flies, including colleagues of mine here at the DOT, has a troubling story about an airline experience […] No other form of transportation; trains, buses, boats, forces you to give up your mobility device when you board, and the same ought to be true of airlines.” Currently, flyers are typically transferred from their own wheelchair in the boarding area into a narrow, airline-owned wheelchair. Once on board, they are transferred to a standard airline seat. Last year, a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report concluded that personal wheelchair securement is technically feasible, provided that two successive rows of seats are removed on one side of the aisle. It further noted that many wheelchairs comply with the horizontal crash standards used by the FAA for existing aircraft seats, although further testing needs to be done regarding vertical crash standards.

Tampa International Airport (TPA) has deployed biometric screening at some of its departure gates, following a pilot test aimed at improving safety and efficiency during boarding, reports Airport Technology. According to TPA, this technology has the potential to drastically reduce the amount of time needed for boarding. Typically, the process for a flight with roughly 130 passengers takes about 30 to 40 minutes, while biometric screening can complete this process in 11 minutes. TPA has implemented eight scanners, mainly at international airline gates. Once at the gate, the scanner takes a photo of a passenger and compares it with the passport photo on file with the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). After validating the photo and passenger details, the automatic gates open to allow that passenger to pass and then close before the next passenger can board. Going forward, the airport plans to install more biometric scanners.

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have each announced that they will begin new service to Cape Town, South Africa, later this year, reports Business Travel News. Both carriers had made requests for frequencies between the US and South Africa allowed under the US-South Africa Air Transport Agreement and were granted three weekly frequencies each. Delta will operate nonstop Atlanta-Cape Town service on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, beginning December 17. Flights will be on an Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which will have four cabins: Comfort-plus, Main Cabin, One Suites, and Premium Select. United will begin thrice-weekly nonstop service between Washington DC and Cape Town on November 17, subject to approval by the South Africa government, according to the carrier. United flights will be on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamline aircraft, with 48 lie-flat, Polaris business class seats, 21 Premium Plus seats, and 188 Economy seats. Tickets for all frequencies are on sale now.