July 6 – July 13
Greetings! Here’s our dedicated page to the top 12 travel news stories from this past week. It’s updated every Sunday and is geared towards our newsletter subscribers. You can sign up for free here.
DHS Confirms TSA Has Ended Its ‘Shoes Off’ Policy
Three days ago, I was the first to write about a credible rumor that “all travelers, regardless of PreCheck status, will now be allowed to keep their shoes on during security screening.” Well, Kristi Noem, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, just confirmed it in a tweet just minutes ago. JohnnyJet.com
Unexpected Fuel Cutoff Preceded Air India Crash, Report Finds
Indian investigators say both engines stopped receiving fuel shortly after takeoff, causing the crash of Air India Flight 171. The preliminary report suggests the switches controlling fuel to the engines entered the cutoff position early into the flight, resulting in a loss of thrust. Washington Post
Delta Testing AI to Set Airfare Prices
Delta Air Lines is experimenting with artificial intelligence to dynamically price airfares across 3% of its domestic network, with plans to expand by year-end. The technology is provided by Israeli tech firm Fetcherr. Travelmole
SFO Pushes Back on Oakland Airport’s Name Change
Oakland Airport’s plan to rename itself “Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport” is being challenged by SFO officials, who are prepared to take legal action. SFist
State Department Is Firing Over 1,300 Employees
The State Department is firing more than 1,300 employees on Friday in line with a dramatic reorganization plan unveiled by the Trump administration earlier this year, a move that critics say will damage America’s global leadership and efforts to counter threats abroad. AP
US Senate Votes to Confirm Republic CEO to Head FAA
The U.S. Senate Wednesday voted 53 to 43 to approve Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford to head the Federal Aviation Administration. Bedford, the head of the regional air carrier nominated by President Donald Trump and approved for a five-year term, will oversee $12.5 billion in funding over five years to remake the aging U.S. air traffic control system passed by Congress last week. Bedford has also pledged to maintain tough oversight of Boeing, which came under harsh criticism from the National Transportation Safety Board last month for a mid-air emergency involving a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 missing four key bolts. Reuters
European Heatwave Caused 2,300 Deaths in 10 Days, Study Finds
Some 2,300 people are likely to have died of heat-related causes across 12 European cities during a severe heatwave that ended last week, with two-thirds of the deaths directly linked to climate change, according to a new study. The analysis, published on Wednesday, focused on the 10-day period between June 23 and July 2, during which large parts of Western Europe were hit by extreme heat, with temperatures breaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in Spain and wildfires breaking out in France. Al Jazeera
NCL Port Swap Causes Dozens of Cancelations
Norwegian Cruise Line has tweaked its ship deployments again, leading to dozens of cruise cancelations. It comes as it swaps around the homeports of Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Prima. Norwegian Breakaway will sail from New Orleans and Prima from San Juan, switching the two ships around for sailings between November 2026 and March 2027. Travel Mole
Delta Passengers Stranded on Remote Atlantic Island for 29 Hours
A Delta flight diverted to a mid-Atlantic island after an indication of an engine problem. Passengers were stuck on Terceira, part of the Portuguese island chain, the Azores, for more than a day. The airline sent another A330 from New York to pick up the passengers. Insider
United Airlines to Resume US Service to Tel Aviv
United Airlines said Tuesday it would resume service between Tel Aviv and its Newark/New York hub on July 21, 10 days earlier than previously planned. The carrier joined a large group of international airlines that suspended service to Israel on June 13 as fighting between Israel and Iran closed off airspaces in the region. AFP
Bali Flights Canceled After Massive Volcano Eruption
Dozens of flights to and from Indonesia’s Bali island were canceled Monday after a volcano belched a colossal ash tower 18 kilometers (11 miles) into the sky, authorities said. The aviation disruption came just weeks after the same rumbling volcano caused dozens of flight cancellations to and from the popular resort island. AFP
Eiffel Tower Closure Disrupts Summer Travel Plans
If Paris is on your summer travel list, you might want to double-check your itinerary. The Eiffel Tower’s summit, the highest and most iconic viewing platform in the city, was closed through July 2 due to an extreme heatwave that gripped the French capital. In a surprise move, operators announced the closure last week, citing safety concerns for visitors and staff. Lower levels of the tower remained open, but access to the top was suspended, leaving many tourists scrambling to rearrange plans. Men’s Journal
National Parks Strained By Layoffs and Budget Cuts
The visitors who trek to America’s national parks are already noticing the changes, just months after President Donald Trump took office. “I’ve been visiting national parks for 30 years and never has the presence of rangers been so absent,” one visitor to Zion National Park wrote in National Park Service public feedback. CNN
