A recent decision by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to allow small knives on passenger planes is drawing opposition from flight attendants, airlines and politicians as well as the families of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Airline passengers could get to use their cell phones and other portable electronic devices (PEDs) more while in flight, depending upon the results of a task force study on the issue. Government and industry experts including representatives from the mobile technology and aviation manufacturing industries, pilot and flight attendant groups, and airlines, held their first meeting last week to study PED use.

The FAA’s 34th annual General Aviation and Part 135 Survey for 2011 data is underway and available online at www.aviationsurvey.org

Passengers traveling on Boeing 747s and other large planes probably don’t realize that their pilot cannot see the airplane’s wingtips from the cockpit unless he opens the cockpit window and sticks his head out of it.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released the final agenda including speaker names, affiliations, and biographies for the forum on General Aviation Safety: Climbing to the Next Level, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, June 19 & 20.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has directed its investigators and staff to pursue stiffer penalties for individuals who purposefully point laser devices at aircraft.

In a continuing effort to combat the growing problem of lasers directed at aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has created a new website to make it easier for pilots and the public to report laser incidents and obtain information on the subject, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt announced today.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a new rule to enhance aviation safety by requiring scheduled airlines to install ice detection equipment in their existing fleets or to update their flight manuals to make sure crews know when they should activate their ice protection systems.