On Sep. 24, 2008 European Court of Justice held a hearing in connected cases C- 402/07 (Sturgeon v. Condor) and C-432/07 (Böck v. Air France) regarding differentiation between delay and cancellation on the one hand and acknowledgement of technical problems as extraordinary circumstances on the other. Apart from plaintiffs' counsels ...

On 29 April 1999, the United Kingdom travel company Airtours (now renamed into MyTravel Group) announced its intention to acquire the whole of the issued share capital of First Choice, one of its competitors in the United Kingdom, on the stock market. The Commission declared the merger incompatible with the ...

The site, www.enviro.aero, is an initiative of the commercial aviation industry and highlights the technology solutions, operational improvements and infrastructure efficiencies that are being researched and implemented across the world. It aims to answer the questions being raised by environmental groups and members of the public about aviation's impact on ...

In 1947, Norway was one of the 19 founding members of the International Union of Official Travel Organizations (IUOTO), the organization which preceded the modern UNWTO. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway officially submitted its application for full membership of UNWTO on 8 September 2008. In accordance with the ...

Problems with the Federal Aviation Adminstration (FAA)'s traffic management computer system at Georgia facility caused flight delays at U.S. airports on Tuesday. An FAA Web site tracking airport status showed delays at about three dozen major airports across the country, largely centered in the northeastern U.S. The site advised passengers ...

.Is already available the Page of the "II International Tourism Law Conference", that will take place at Cancun, Mexico, next October, from 30 to 31.This event is organized by the IIJ-UNAM - the Institute of Legal Researches of the National Authonomous University of Mexico, the University of Quintana Roo and ...

The majority of rules relating to aviation security will be made available to the public, the European Commission has decided today. The publication of the EU list of prohibited articles will make it easier for passengers to know what they can – and cannot – take on board an aircraft, ...

As reported by The Dallas Morning News, American Airlines is suing the parent of meta-search Websites Kayak.com and Sidestep .com, for violating an agreement on the use of the airline's airfare content by displaying the airline's fares available through third parties. Kayak issued a statement saying that it terminated its ...

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration (NOAA) revised its predictions for the 2008 hurricane season. In the August update to the Atlantic hurricane season outlook, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center has increased the likelihood of an above-normal hurricane season and has raised the total number of named storms and hurricanes that ...

The Times reports that due to a confidential study, British Airways loses more bags and operates more delayed planes than any other big airline in Europe. Allegedly nine passengers on every British Airways jumbo lose their bags. Last year BA lost 26.5 bags per 1,000 passengers, compared with 23 in ...

The lawsuit, filed by United Airlines in Chicago last Wednesday, seeks a preliminary injunction against the Air Line Pilots Association and four pilots claiming they had organized an effort to encourage pilots to call in sick. The airline accuses the union of conducting a "public campaign of intimidation" meant to ...

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has scathed "zero fares" offered by the country's two warring carriers as misleading and demand the advertisements should be banned. The "zero fares" offered are not only for limited seats, but do not include airport taxes, fuel surcharges and other "applicable" ...

A group of travel agents in Florida sued the state over a new law requiring agents who book trips to Cuba to post a USD 250,000 bond and disclose their clients' names. Earlier this month, a federal judge lifted the measure temporarily to consider the law's legality. Before the measure ...

Government officials confirmed Thursday that visas for business people will be tougher to get during the Olympic period. Authorities have repeatedly said the security measures are needed because the games are a target for terrorism.Now, Beijing and other Olympic cities such as Shanghai have stopped issuing official invitation letters, known ...

As just stated by the EU Press Room, "The European Commission today adopted the eighth update of the so-called blacklist of airlines that are banned from flying into the countries of the European Union due to safety concerns. The new list, which replaces the previous one, can already be consulted ...

Mexico's Ministry of Tourism had planned to apply a $5 head tax on cruise passengers who stop at the country's ports starting this summer but has postponed the implementation until Oct. 1. The Florida Caribbean Cruise Association, some Mexican ports and cruise lines are opposed to the tax, which supporters ...

According to the EU Press Room,"The European Commission has adopted its fourth report on certain third countries' maintenance of visa requirements in breach of the principle of reciprocity. The report shows that further progress towards full visa reciprocity has been achieved.Vice-President Jacques Barrot, Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security ...

According to the Southern African Tourism Services Association (Satsa), a "balanced solution" is needed when it comes to compensating airline passengers denied permission to board a flight because it has been overbooked. There is no legislation in South Africa so far that requires compensation to be paid to a passenger ...

I thought Willy Wonka only gave away tours of the Chocolate Factory - not space...Wed Jul 16, 11:02 AM ETPARIS (Reuters) - A French air hostess will become one of Europe's pioneer space tourists after picking a chocolate wrapper out of the rubbish and finding a winning number in a ...

Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf says she would like to put a stop to the practice of people travelling to Switzerland to die. Swiss law tolerates assisted suicide when the patient commits the act and the helper has no direct interest. Several organisations offer the service, but only one group ...

This is an interesting item out of the G8 meetings held this week. The G8 is looking at plans to give airports the power to scan portable media players for copyrighted material when you fly under its upcoming Anti-counterfeiting Trade Agreement. This would give custom officials the power to scan ...

BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) - Entry and exit inspection authorities here said that a new regulation, whereby international airlines must provide them with Advance Passenger Information (API) before arrival, took effect on Tuesday.The move would greatly accelerate the inspection process as it would allow the authorities to screen passengers before ...

According to the EU Press Room,"EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva today welcomed the publication of a report entitled 'Protecting children and youth in water recreation: safety guidelines for service providers', which gives basic but crucial advice for reducing water-related accidents, particularly when it comes to children on holidays. The report ...

As the holiday seasons begins, Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva and Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou have joined forces to help raise awareness of the dangers that excessive exposure to sunlight can cause. Last year, the Commission drew attention to the need for citizens to protect themselves against the dangerous effects ...

In Case C-173/07 (Schenkel v Emirates Airlines) ECJ held that Art 3 para 3 lit a of Regulation 261/2004/EC must be interpreted as not applying to the case of an outward and returnjourney in which passengers who have originally departed from an airport located in the territory of a Member ...

As stated by the European Parliament Press Service,"Air travellers will soon be able to see at a glance exactly what they have to pay for their tickets, as the European Parliament approved new EU rules. Air fares as displayed will have to include all taxes, fees and charges added to ...

A French judge has ordered Continental Airlines and five individuals to stand trial on charges arising from the crash of an Air France Concorde that killed 113 people in 2000. The defendants include two employees of the U.S. carrier, two employees of Aerospatiale, the company that made the supersonic Concorde, ...

As stated by the European Parliament Press Service, "MEPs adopted legislation on including aviation in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), all flights starting and/or landing in Europe (including intercontinental flights) to be included in the ETS from 1 January 2012. The reduction target to be calculated on the basis ...

According to the EU Press Room, "As of today, aviation relations between the European Community and the United States will be further strengthened through an agreement on aviation safety. Thanks to the mutual recognition of aviation safety certificates, the agreement will result in better harmonised safety systems on both sides ...

Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the Commission adopted a Communication on their repercussions on the air transport industry. In that communication, the Commission considered that, having regard to the exceptional nature of the events of 11 September, the State aid provisions could authorise, under certain conditions, compensation ...