Expected to open in the second half of 2028, the property will offer more than a place to sleep. Guests will find an enclosed free-fall thrill ride high above the city, an observation deck more than 1,000 feet (around 305 metres) above Manhattan, a rooftop pool and a rooftop bar and lounge.

The project will be the first StandardX hotel in North America. Extell is the New York developer behind landmark towers such as Central Park Tower and One57, as well as the W Hotel Times Square. The building at 255 West 45th Street will combine hospitality, dining and entertainment, and it promises to change the city’s skyline.

The StandardX is the younger, more irreverent sibling of The Standard. That brand was founded in 1999 and has flagship hotels in New York, London and Bangkok, plus European addresses in Brussels and Ibiza. The idea behind the spin-off is simple: keep what makes a Standard hotel special and drop the rest. Rooms are simpler and service more relaxed, but the brand’s design sense and attitude remain intact. The hotel serves as a base, while the surrounding neighbourhood is the real attraction.

There is only one StandardX so far, in Melbourne’s creative Fitzroy district. The 125-room boutique hotel has a rooftop, several dining options and a busy events calendar that ranges from wine tastings to DJ sets. The format is designed to connect travellers with local life instead of keeping them inside the hotel.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The StandardX (@thestandardx)

Times Square works on a very different scale, and Hyatt presents the new hotel as a one-off flagship, not a template for future StandardX openings. Its design will reflect New York’s theatrical character, with bold colours, sculptural shapes, and unexpected touches. The guestrooms will be expressive but uncomplicated. The public spaces will bring together design, music and the social energy The Standard is known for.

Restaurants, bars and nightlife venues will run from street level to the top of the building, and they are meant to attract New Yorkers as well as hotel guests. The aim is to bring the cultural spirit of The Standard, High Line and The Standard, East Village to a very different part of the city. Details on the dining and nightlife concepts and on creative collaborations will be announced later.

For Amar Lalvani, Chief Creative Officer at Hyatt, The StandardX takes The Standard’s core idea of being part of the city and makes it simpler and easier to access. “Usually, that means putting people in the middle of an interesting neighbourhood, with everything happening right outside the door. In Times Square, a lot of it will be happening right inside the building,” he said. “I love that. It’s energetic, theatrical and completely over the top. We want to embrace that, have some fun with it, and create something that could only happen in New York. And only right there.”

L’article The StandardX plans 1,800-room Times Square hotel with free-fall ride and sky-high pool est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

At Liberty Canyon, the freeway cuts through habitat that animals once moved between freely. For mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains, the road has limited their ability to reach potential mates on the other side. The crossing is also intended to reduce collisions with wildlife, protecting both animals and the hundreds of thousands of drivers who use the freeway each day. 

The 210-foot (64-metre) span over the freeway is the larger of two linked bridges. A second takes animals over neighbouring Agoura Road, so they can clear both roads in one passage. Together, the structures cover nearly 56,000 square feet (5,200 square metres). Crews have planted oaks and other native vegetation to make the route resemble the habitat on either side. Fencing will guide animals towards the crossing, while barriers will shield them from headlights and traffic noise.

Construction began on Earth Day in 2022. Officials initially hoped to finish in 2025, but heavy rain and flooding delayed the work. The estimated cost rose from $92 million to $114 million, a rise AccuWeather attributed to inflation, labour shortages and the complexity of construction. At Agoura Road alone, crews had to relocate power and telecommunications lines, reroute a regional water main and install concrete supports about 75 feet deep while working around two creeks and dozens of mature oaks. 

Project partners have already spotted coyotes and bobcats near the bridge during construction. Once it opens, researchers will be able to compare animal movements with findings from a two-year study that tracked five species before the crossing was available. More than 50 cameras are planned for the bridge and surrounding area. Scientists also plan to fit animals such as deer with devices that record heart rate to see whether they show signs of stress as they cross.

For researchers who have spent decades studying wildlife around Liberty Canyon, one measure of success will be whether animals previously separated by the freeway begin breeding across it. As David Szymanski, superintendent of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, put it, “This forward-looking project will help to end the isolation and reconnect natural habitat.”

L’article World’s largest wildlife crossing set to open over California’s 10-lane freeway in December est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The information requests fall under Section 6(b) of the FTC’s legal powers to investigate how businesses adjust and set prices based on person-specific data. Major air carriers— Delta, the biggest US airline by revenue and market value; United, the national leader by available seat miles; and northeast and east coast giant, JetBlue—are all implicated, as are ridesharing firm Lyft; ride-hailing, freight, delivery, and experience provider, Uber; the largest convenience delivery service in the US, DoorDash; competitor Instacart; and mass market retailers, Target and Walmart.

FTC launches personalized pricing and compensation inquiry. Commission orders seek pricing and compensation methodology from major airlines, ride-sharing companies and food-delivery firms: https://t.co/2eQT9iRBeF

— FTC (@FTC) October 28, 2026

Global controversy has been building for some time around how online firms that rely on algorithms and data collection might deploy those tools and that information to manipulate users and clients. Just last month, Facebook was ordered to pay a $25-billion fine after a jury decided the social network had intentionally misled the public over 40 million times regarding user data privacy. The Associated Press reports that legislators in at least 30 US jurisdictions have considered new pricing laws in 2026 alone, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Over the summer, the FTC opened a consultation that runs until 21 November, inviting views on a policy to require firms to “clearly and conspicuously disclose” their personalised pricing activities and the data behind it.

Airlines and industry groups like IATA have long pushed for more personalised merchandising, with individual search data and purchase histories gathered and used to tailor offers that are more relevant and appealing to customers. 

But, announcing the FTC investigation, commission chair Andrew Ferguson said its scope would include protecting both consumers and workers, by digging into how fair these practices are, questioning the “opaque methodology that some companies in these industries may be using to determine how much consumers pay or how much gig workers are paid for the same product or service.”

Nine representative companies across three major industries—air travel, ride sharing & food delivery—must fully detail their use, if any, of individual consumer data to set prices or pay workers. We will find out if personal data, such as web-surfing habits, are used.

— Andrew Ferguson (@AFergusonFTC) October 28, 2026

He added: “Consumers deserve to know whether companies use their web surfing habits or other personal data to estimate the highest price they can charge each consumer.”

Delta and JetBlue immediately denied any wrongdoing. “JetBlue does not use personal information or web browsing history to set individual pricing. Fares are determined by demand and seat availability, and all customers have access to the same fares on JetBlue.com and our mobile app,” the carrier insisted. Likewise, Delta said its operations had “zero tolerance for discriminatory or predatory pricing and fully comply with applicable privacy, pricing and advertising laws.”

At the time of writing, United had said it was reviewing the FTC request and would respond within the 45-day window.

L’article US airlines’ use of customer data under scrutiny by trade commission est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The Learjet 60 was travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it came down in a residential area near West Palm Beach, less than 11 km from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Trump had departed aboard Air Force One about an hour earlier.

Dashcam footage shows the aircraft plummeting almost vertically to the ground beside a busy road before erupting into a fireball on impact, leaving a large crater and scattered debris across the surrounding area.

In a horrific scene captured on dashcam, a business jet can be seen hitting the ground "like a missile" in a neighbourhood in #Florida on Sunday, killing all nine people on board, the US transport secretary said. The Lear Jet 60 crashed near Cresthaven, around nine miles (14 km) from Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach County. The crash scene showed a crater in the middle of a residential road, and scattered burning debris of the wreckage. The aircraft from Austin, Texas, was headed to the Bahamas, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement. @CBSNews said as per the air traffic control audio recorded moments before the crash, the pilot of the aircraft can be heard saying the plane was descending 10,000 feet per minute, then the pilot declared an emergency, yelling, "We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute," CBS reported. "We’re gonna crash … We’re out of time," the pilot told the tower. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after watching the video of the aircraft said; "It’s like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere." #aviation #floridaplanecrash

— Shafek Koreshe (@shafeKoreshe) November 2, 2026

One man on the ground reportedly suffered a minor leg injury. Some 600 residents of a nearby mobile home community were evacuated.

“I heard and felt the boom,” resident Andrew Mannino told CNN. He described seeing a large black cloud and losing power.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called it a “cataclysmic plane crash”, saying the aircraft “looked like a missile going down”.

Recordings of communications between the crew and air traffic control shed light on the flight’s final minutes.

Initially speaking calmly, a female crew member reported “light, clear ice” that was “manageable”, moderate turbulence and an outside temperature of minus 47°C.

Flying at 35,000 feet, the crew then reported precipitation and requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet, which was granted.

Less than 30 seconds later, the aircraft began descending rapidly. The crew member issued mayday calls, reporting a descent of 10,000 feet per minute.

She then shouted, “We are in an overspeed condition, descending 20,000 feet per minute”, before warning, “We’re going to crash in the ground!” 

The recording ends with her shouting, “Holy fuck! We’re out of time!”

“We are banking 60 degrees.” I built this Learjet 60 N722BD crash visualization using ADS-B flight tracks, altitude and ground-speed records, final ATC radio calls, aerial imagery and crash-site photos. Radio-timed cockpit and exterior views put the descent into perspective, followed by actual dashcam impact footage. Estimated portions are clearly marked. Greenacres / West Palm Beach, Florida · Nov. 1, 2026 #Learjet60 #N722BD #WestPalmBeach

— jonfredric (@thejonfredric) November 2, 2026

According to the flight-tracking data, the Learjet descended 27,000 feet in just one minute before its signal disappeared.

Among those killed were technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, and their children Emma, four, and Charlie, two. Also on board were family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, and the children’s nanny, Anita Maria Cetina.

The pilots were Jeff Gregory, 55, and Nathalia Filgueiras, 20. Filgueiras obtained her private pilot’s licence at 17. Her mother told The New York Times that she had been passionate about flying since childhood and loved the freedom it offered.

An update to yesterday’s post: families and reporting have now identified all nine people lost in the Palm Beach County plane crash. Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp, their children Emma and Charlie, Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr, Anita Maria Cetina, and pilots Jeff Gregory and Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras. Seeing their faces makes this loss even harder to take in. My heart is with their families, friends and everyone who loved them. May all nine be remembered for their lives, their love and the people they touched. https://t.co/LcSxobaJxm https://t.co/pyHrYUDLnY

— Weston Riley (@WestonRileyNV) November 3, 2026

Investigators are examining several possible causes, including weather conditions, icing and mechanical problems. Scattered thunderstorms were reported along the flight path, but their role, if any, remains unclear.

At a briefing on Monday, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Tom Chapman stressed that it was too early to determine the cause of the crash.

“You all saw what the weather was like here at the surface. What we have to determine is what the weather conditions were like at altitude,” he said.

Investigators have also found indications that the aircraft may have begun breaking apart before impact, with debris scattered across an area measuring approximately half a mile by four-tenths of a mile.

Here is the first media briefing by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding the November 1, 2026, Learjet 60 crash in Palm Beach County, Florida. The NTSB will investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash, including possible weather-related factors, particularly the heavy thunderstorms reported in the area. The public is advised not to disturb or move any debris they may find. Anyone with photos or videos of the accident, or who witnessed the crash, is encouraged to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov and provide their information.

— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) November 2, 2026

Maintenance records suggest that a cockpit voice recorder, or “black box”, had been installed, although investigators have yet to establish whether it was still on board or could be recovered.

The crash was the second deadliest US aviation accident of 2026 and the deadliest involving a Learjet 60, according to NTSB records and the Flight Safety Foundation, respectively.

The NTSB has cautioned that establishing the cause will require a lengthy investigation.

L’article Nine killed in Florida private jet crash after final mayday calls  est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Across 2025, four million fewer visitors went to the States than in 2024 (68 million compared to 72 million), and tourist spending fell by $8 billion. According to recent figures from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), overseas visits (excluding Mexico and Canada) are now down 5.7% year-on-year to September 2026. Western European visitors, the most important overseas source market for US tourism stakeholders, have dropped 8.7%. 

Commentators have dubbed the decline the “Trump Slump,” since it has coincided almost exactly with President Donald Trump’s second mandate. Trump’s perceived negativity towards outsiders, controversial foreign tariffs, and strict border policies have been blamed. If Trump’s Republicans receive a strong vote of disapproval from Americans in the midterms, it’s possible that international visitors will relent, travel intentions will warm up, and the dire job warnings made by the US Travel Association will recede.

There is also the fate of the bipartisan-sponsored VISIT USA Act. It proposes the transfer of $160 million to Brand USA to provide destination managers with much-needed resources to promote the US to visitors (since 2025’s One Big Beautiful Bill slashed its funds by 80% and staffing by 15%). The bill has struggled to pass, partly because the responsible Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is chaired by the Republican Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who, Travel Weekly and Skift note, has a tendency to oppose government-backed tourism programs. Post-midterm changes to committee make-up could go either way, helping or hindering that injection of funds.

Appealing to foreign markets is not the only concern. A July survey commissioned by shopping platform Smarty and reported by Money Lion found that half of Americans are putting off spending due to household financial headwinds, with a large part of the pain caused by the Middle East oil crisis. Over a quarter (26%) of Americans who responded to the poll are delaying travel spending.

The midterms could provide some relief. Late September YouGov polling found 57.2% of Americans are unhappy with Republican Party positions, and a CNBC survey found 52% want a Democrat-controlled Congress. If that happens, at least for those who voted for it, optimism, consumer, and investor confidence could all benefit from an uptick. Pollsters and analysts reported by Skift put the Democrats’ chances of winning the House between 78% and 91%, and the Senate at 57% to 69%.

However, whether any ensuing surge in “optimism” will translate into higher spending and more trips booked still probably depends on how the election affects a whole wishlist of goods, including oil prices. Some argue that, if Democrats win back control of, say, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, any general boost to confidence could be offset by efforts to re-impose blocks on Russian diesel supplies, which might send fuel and energy prices back up. But a quick fact-check reveals that, as of 2 November, Trump enabling the flow of Russian diesel had made no difference to rising prices. The LA Times reports that: “The week before his announcement, the average diesel price in the U.S. was $6.20 per gallon. At the beginning of last week, the average was $6.35.”

For holiday travellers contemplating fuel bills that are up by over a third year-on-year, that points to the end of the war in Iran and the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz as bigger keys to easing prices than the Russian supply chain. Any pressure voters are seen to put on Trump’s Middle East policies could, then, unlock their spending.

But there’s another caveat, and it’s to do with the timing of the elections. The midterms take place just ahead of immovable family feasts such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Nobody wants to disappoint grandma at the last minute, or turn up unexpectedly only to be greeted by a meal prepared for one. That could mean, for many households, any celebrations (or lack thereof) are already locked in and accounted for, limiting any immediate post-vote changes in travel consumer behaviour.

While pump prices and airfares could in theory come down quite quickly, they are also affected by factors such as capacity, competition, demand, and how far ahead bookings are made. In conclusion, the mid-term effect on travel is likely to be seen more in the long term than the short term.

L’article What could US mid-term elections mean for the travel sector? est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The latest NTTO figures reveal that overseas visits (not including arrivals from Mexico and Canada) are down 5.7% year-on-year to September. Arrivals from Western Europe, the most important overseas source market for US tourism stakeholders, are down 8.7% for the year to date.

The drop in visitors to Uncle Sam has been ongoing since the start of 2025, and commentators have dubbed the decline the “Trump Slump,” since it commenced with the re-election of President Donald Trump in January of that year. Trump’s well-documented belligerence towards outsiders, tariffs on foreign goods, and threats to annex Canada and Greenland are widely seen as having dampened tourist appetites around the world.

Across 2025, four million fewer visitors went to the States than in 2024 (68 million compared to 72 million), and tourist spending fell by $8 billion, marking the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that the US market had shrunk. The phenomenon triggered stark warnings from the US Travel Association that hundreds of thousands of US jobs could be at risk. The trade body has condemned both the “self-inflicted” damage caused by Trumpian policies such as high visa fees and entry restrictions, as well as slamming social media campaigns that called for travel consumers to boycott the US.

As stories emerged about pensioners who had saved for the trip of a lifetime, for example, only to end up held in detention centres for weeks, national governments around the globe released a series of travel alerts, noting the difficulties some visitors were having at the border, even when in possession of the correct visa documents.

It should also be noted that the strength of the US dollar could have driven some prospective visitors to choose alternative, better-value vacations. US stakeholders in iconic destinations such as New York and Las Vegas have slashed prices in a bid to win back spending, but the decline continues. After calls from Canadian politicians to stand firm against US tariffs, Canadians in particular appear entrenched in their determination not to visit the US or spend money there as frequently as before. It’s a self-perpetuating issue, as some airlines have reorganised schedules away from US cities, answering tourist demand to go elsewhere and reducing the number of available US-bound seats in the process.

It was hoped, however, that the US sector would benefit in 2026 from the country’s role as co-host nation to the Men’s FIFA World Cup, alongside Mexico and Canada. Initial NTTO figures for the tournament season reveal that international visitor arrivals to the US did increase by 2.7% compared to June 2025, reaching 5.4 million visitors. The NTTO has predicted that the total figures for 2026 would see a 3.2% rise compared to the previous year. With the release of September’s sobering data, that forecast is now in doubt.

L’article US tourism decline continues as September 2026 visitor arrivals fall est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

United Airlines flight 1681 departed from Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) at 10:51 pm and was meant to return to the airline’s base at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). However, soon after take-off, Air Traffic Control (ATC) was made aware of a possible emergency situation aboard the plane.

Allegedly, one of the flight attendants had spotted a text sent by one of the passengers, specifying he was going to “crash ur row only” – or hijack – the plane. It is not clear as of yet how the message was sent, who it was sent to, or how the flight attendant was able to read it.

“The passenger doesn’t know anything is going on. The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft”, the pilot told Air Traffic Control according to Simple Flying.

A flight attendant may have foiled a possible hijacking after noticing a passenger’s text message. On a flight from Las Vegas to Newark, a crew member reportedly spotted a passenger writing that he planned to hijack the plane. #FlightAttendant #Hijacking #LasVegas #Newark #AviationSecurity #TextMessage #HeroCrew #snnfinland

— SNN Finland (@snnfinalnd) October 26, 2026

When the pilot was made aware of the situation by the flight attendant, he made the decision to lock down the cockpit and to return to Las Vegas. The plane made a U-turn over the Arizona ghost town of Oak Grove and started heading back. 

The aircraft, reportedly a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was carrying fuel for the journey to Newark and was above its normal maximum landing weight. As the aircraft was not equipped with a fuel-dumping system, the pilots made additional turns to burn fuel before returning to Las Vegas.

Before landing, the pilot requested Runway 26L. In his communications, he specified that as a safety measure, he might require the full length of the runway, which amounts to 3,208 meters.

“United Airlines Flight 1681 returned safely to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas around 11:05 p.m. local time on Saturday, Oct. 24, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

#BREAKING | NEWS United Airlines flight 1681 has to turn around for an emergency landing in Las Vegas after a foiled hijacking plot US Marshals were at the gate to arrest the suspect. ATC audio and flightpath of the aircraft as it turns red and makes emergency landing. https://t.co/gjQHFUgOXW

— Todd Paron (@tparon) October 25, 2026

“United flight 1681 from Las Vegas to Newark on Saturday, Oct. 24, safely returned to Las Vegas to address a potential security concern. The flight was delayed overnight due to crew timeout, and departed for Newark this morning,” a United Airlines spokesperson told Simple Flying. 

According to the Associated Press, police were waiting for the 25 year-old passenger who made the hijacking threat upon arrival. The man was arrested on charges of making a threat or providing false information regarding an act of terrorism. If he is found guilty, he could face a sentence of 1 to 20 years in prison. The Federal Aviation Administration will also be investigating the incident.

The other passengers aboard the flight were able to leave for Newark on Sunday morning.

L’article United Airlines flight diverted after passenger seen texting about plane hijacking est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

In May 2026, an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain was discovered in Central Africa. The WHO declared the event a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 after confirmed cases were reported in eastern Congo and linked cross-border infections emerged in Uganda.

Despite the seriousness of the illness, the WHO was very clear about the fact that countries should not close their borders or impose restrictions on travel and trade. The organisation judged the global risk of transmission to be rather low, as Bundibugyo Ebola only spreads via direct contact with infected bodily fluids or blood.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CDC Global Health (@cdcglobal)

However, the US did not hesitate to take action. In May 2026, passengers who had been in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the prior three weeks were banned from entering the US, and that rule was extended to US citizens in July 2026. 

“Travellers, including U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals, who have been in DRC within 21 days before departure will not be allowed to board flights with U.S. destinations. These travellers should plan to remain outside the United States for at least 21 days after they leave DRC. If they have been in outbreak-affected provinces in DRC, they may be subject to additional travel requirements from local authorities before they leave DRC,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) writes.

Those restrictions are set to become even tighter starting from 3 November 2026. The CDC has announced that from that date onwards, all passengers boarding an international flight to the United States, regardless of location of embarkation, must attest in the form of a signed statement that they have not been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the 21 days before their flight leaves for the United States.

According to the order, airlines and aircraft operators must confirm that all passengers onboard the aircraft have completed the attestation before or at the moment of boarding. Any passenger who has failed to complete and present such an attestation – unless they have an exemption issued by the US Government – must be prohibited from boarding the plane. A copy of the completed version of the attestation for each passenger must be kept for at least 42 days after the passenger’s flight arrives in the US from a foreign country.

At the moment of writing, specific rules also apply for those travelling from South Sudan or Uganda. Non-US citizens and non-US nationals, including lawful permanent residents with a Green Card, who have been in South Sudan or Uganda within 21 days before departure will not be allowed to enter the United States and should plan to remain outside the US for at least 21 days after they leave South Sudan or Uganda.

US citizens and US nationals who have been present in Uganda or South Sudan (and have not been present in DRC) within 21 days before arrival in the United States will have their air travel routed through designated US airports for public health entry screening. Those airports are Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), or John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

According to the CDC, no Ebola cases linked to the current outbreak have been reported in the US so far. It is therefore unclear why the US are choosing to change their policy on 3 November 2026. 

L’article US to introduce new Ebola screening for all arrivals in November 2026 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Horse-drawn carriages have been associated with Central Park for more than 160 years. For visitors, a ride offers a familiar image of New York, reinforced by appearances in films and television programmes such as Barefoot in the Park and Sex and the City. Supporters see the carriages as part of the city’s cultural heritage and a source of employment. Critics argue that this tradition comes at a cost to horses working near traffic and in a busy urban environment.

Support for a ban grew after the death of Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist visiting from India with his family. On 17 June 2026, the horse pulling his carriage bolted after the driver stepped away to take a family photograph. Mahajan was thrown from the carriage and died. The proposed legislation, named Romanch’s Law, was approved at a council hearing attended by his family. Council Speaker Julie Menin said the measure would ensure he was “the last soul that we lose to this industry”.

BREAKING: The City Council just passed legislation to phase out horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, with a plan to protect workers. https://t.co/6NWORWQD4V

— New York City Council (@NYCCouncil) October 22, 2026

The fatal incident followed other accidents involving carriage horses and drivers. In January, a horse named Destiny ran into traffic near Central Park, causing a collision involving several cars. In May, a driver was taken to hospital after a frightened horse struck another carriage and caused it to overturn. Another carriage horse, Deniz, died this year after eating a toxic plant in the park. The Central Park Conservancy, the non-profit organisation that manages the park, reported seven horse-related incidents over the previous 13 months and supported a ban as “a matter of public health and safety”.

Animal welfare concerns have also played a central role in the debate. According to the Manhattan Borough President’s office, 40 horses working in Central Park have died since 1982, with overheating and collisions among the causes cited. Horses can currently work for up to nine hours a day, waiting with their drivers at designated park entrances between rides. Animal rights organisations, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, have campaigned against the industry. Drivers dispute claims that their animals are mistreated and say their work involves close care and strong bonds with the horses.

Alexus Lawson, who has driven carriages for six years and owns six horses, questioned what the ban would mean for their future. “What am I supposed to do with my horse?” she asked, referring to her horse Starlight. Lawson described Mahajan’s death as “extremely tragic”, but challenged the decision to allow the industry to continue until 2028 if officials considered it unsafe. Fellow driver Medet Fidan also rejected allegations of abuse. “I spend more time with my horses than my wife and my kids,” he said.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ASPCA (@aspca)

The period before the proposed ban takes effect is intended to give workers time to find other employment. The legislation requires the city to develop a transition plan by April, with possible support including job placement, training and career counselling. It also calls for consideration of financial compensation for carriage operators. However, the Transport Workers Union, which represents drivers and business owners, says the legislation does not guarantee compensation. Some drivers have also made clear that they want to continue their profession rather than move into different jobs.

The union has threatened legal action if the bill becomes law. In a letter sent before the vote, its lawyer said it would seek a temporary restraining order “the minute the ink dries”, asking a court to temporarily block the measure. The legislation would also prohibit owners from selling their horses for slaughter or for similar carriage work. Menin said owners would be allowed to keep their animals. The union has nevertheless raised concerns about a lack of funding for the people and organisations that might eventually take them in.

L’article New York votes to end horse-drawn carriage rides from June 2028 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The FAA specifically prohibits US carriers and operators from flying through certain foreign airspaces where “conflict, militant activity or heightened tensions pose a risk to civil aviation”.

Under a codeshare agreement, one airline can sell tickets for flights operated by another airline under its own flight number. Although the flights in question were operated by Air France and KLM, they also carried Delta Air Lines flight numbers, making them subject to US aviation restrictions.

Both Air France and KLM breached these restrictions while operating flights carrying Delta’s code between 2022 and 2025. Consequently, Air France has been fined $105,000, while KLM has been fined $320,000.

The US Transportation Department said Friday it was fining Air France and KLM ‌a total of $425,000 for operating dozens of flights in ‌Iraqi airspace below a minimum altitude intended to protect them from threats from the ​ground. https://t.co/R6JkwQTGK7

— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) October 23, 2026

The offences were uncovered following investigations by the USDOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP). The OACP found that, between April 2022 and November 2025, Air France operated over 30 flights carrying Delta’s code through restricted airspace in the Baghdad Flight Information Region. KLM operated over a hundred such flights between January 2022 and May 2025.

US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy warned that complying with US aviation safety regulations was not optional for airlines operating under an American carrier’s code.

“We will not hesitate to hold accountable any airline for failing to comply with agency regulations. Passenger safety comes first – no exceptions”, he said.

Air France and KLM have, however, disputed the circumstances surrounding the violations.

Both airlines informed the DOT that they were fully committed to complying with the regulations and that they took the issue very seriously. They explained that they had planned to operate flights above 32,000 feet, but that local air traffic controllers (ATCs) had either instructed their pilots to descend or refused to allow them to climb to the required altitude due to conflicting traffic.

“Both airlines take their legal obligations seriously and remain committed to complying with all applicable aviation regulations,” KLM stated in a press release.

They also maintained that neither passengers nor crew “were adversely affected” and that the flights should qualify for an exemption for emergency situations, given the potential safety implications of not following ATC instructions.

However, the DOT rejected this argument, stressing that the fines were not imposed because the pilots had followed ATC instructions. Instead, the DOT argued that, given the recurring patterns, the airlines should have anticipated the problem and taken preventive measures, such as rerouting flights or removing Delta’s code from services operating through the affected airspace.

Despite their objections, both airlines have agreed to settle the case to avoid litigation and have been ordered to cease further violations.

Of the combined $425,000 in penalties, $265,000 is due within 60 days. The remaining $160,000 will only become payable if the airlines breach the terms of their respective orders within one year.

In October 2020, the FAA amended and extended its restrictions on flights over Iraq. These restrictions will remain in force until 26 October 2027.

The investigation also revealed that these were not Air France’s only violations. The airline operated several Delta codeshare flights through restricted Somali airspace prior to October 2022. However, the DOT decided not to pursue the matter, as the FAA subsequently amended its regulations to permit such operations.

L’article US fines Air France and KLM $425,000 for flying too low over Iraq est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.