Air Canada will launch a raft of new routes to Central and South America and the Caribbean this winter in what the carrier describes as its largest Latin American network expansion to date. In December, it will begin seasonal flights from Toronto to Cartagena and Rio de Janeiro, and from Montreal to Santiago and Cartagena. The winter season will also bring the addition of flights from Toronto to Guadalajara in Mexico and Pointe-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe; from Montreal to Guatemala; from Quebec to Fort-de-France in Martinique; from Ottawa to Nassau in the Bahamas and Montego Bay in Jamaica; from Halifax to Nassau and Montego Bay; and from Vancouver to Huatulco in Mexico. The Star Alliance carrier will also lift frequencies on existing routes from Toronto to Los Cabos, Nassau, Montego Bay, Monterrey and St Maarten; from Montreal to Punta Cana, St Maarten and Montego Bay; and from Vancouver to Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta. "Air Canada is delivering on its New Frontiers strategy with the expansion of its Latin America presence this winter," states commercial chief and cargo head Mark Galardo. "Our Latin America winter schedule has been built to serve both Canadian and global sixth-freedom connecting travellers, as well as capitalise on growing cargo opportunities." The deployment of additional capacity to the Latin American market comes amid falling demand for travel between Canada and the USA, following the imposition of trade tariffs by US president Donald Trump and rhetoric about making Canada the 51st state. Last month, Canadian carrier WestJet suspended scheduled services between Vancouver and Austin in Texas, citing a "downward shift in demand for US travel".

US Department of Transportation (DOT) secretary Sean Duffy has announced a plan to build a "brand new, state-of-the-art" air traffic control system. The new system will be "the envy of the world", the DOT said in an 8 May press release. "By replacing the current, antiquated system, the FAA will enhance safety in the sky, reduce delays, and unlock the future of air travel. This plan also ensures hard-working air traffic controllers have a system they can rely on and one they deserve," it adds. The plan will see the Federal Aviation Administration replace core infrastructure including radar, software, hardware and telecommunications networks "to manage modern travel", the DOT states. It is comprised of four infrastructure components: communications, surveillance, automation and facilities. "Decades of neglect have left us with an outdated system that is showing its age," states Duffy. "Building this new system is an economic and national security necessity, and the time to fix it is now. The unprecedented coalition of support we've assembled – from labour to industry – is indicative of just how important it is to this administration to get done what no one else could. The American people are counting on us, and we won't let them down." Some "critical actions" under the plan will include replacing "antiquated" telecommunications with new fibre, wireless and satellite technologies at over 4,600 sites, including 25,000 new radios and 475 new voice switches, as well as replacing 618 radars that have reached end-of-life. The plan also envisages addressing runway safety by increasing the number of airports with Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) to 200. SAI "delivers capabilities to improve controller situational awareness and reduce runway incursions", according to the FAA. Furthermore, the plan involves building six new air traffic control centres for the first time since the 1960s and replacing towers and Terminal Radar Approach Control Facilities (TRACONs), as well as installing new modern hardware and software for all air traffic facilities to create a common platform system throughout towers, TRACONs and centres. The plan also looks at "addressing the challenges that face Alaska by adding 174 new weather stations".

South African Airways has disclosed that a "significant cyber incident" earlier this month disrupted its website, mobile application, and some internal systems. The carrier says it acted quickly to contain the breach on 3 May and was able to restore services the same day. It is working with law enforcement and digital forensic experts to determine the cause and scope of the incident, including whether any data was compromised. "The security and integrity of our business systems and the protection of the consumer data entrusted to us remain our highest priority," states group chief executive John Lamola. "Our robust business continuity measures ensured operational stability, particularly for our valued customers. I want to assure all stakeholders, including our partners, customers, and dedicated employees, that we are taking every necessary step to determine the root cause of this incident, strengthen our security framework, and mitigate any potential risks." SAA has reported the incident to the state security agency, South African police, and the national information regulator, and adds that it is "committed to notifying any affected parties directly, in accordance with regulatory requirements, should the investigation confirm a data breach".