Travel

19 Jul

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $123 Million in Grants to Improve Airports

Travel

Friday, June 28, 2024 WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced more than $123 million for airfield, safety and other improvement projects at 235 airports in 35 states and the District of Columbia. “The Biden-Harris Administration continues to make our aviation system safer, more accessible, and more resilient through initiatives like the Airport Improvement Program,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The grants we’re announcing today will help modernize hundreds of airports across the country and better meet the current and future demands of the flying public.” This second round of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP)…

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18 Jul

INVESTING IN AMERICA: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Major Airport Investments Amid Record-Breaking Air Travel Season

Travel

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is announcing a seventh round of Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG) totaling $289 million to 129 airports across 40 states, improving the safety and efficiency of air travel. The projects are funded under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s AIG program, part of the $25 billion in total funding for airport improvements such as terminal expansions, baggage system upgrades, runway safety enhancements, and air traffic infrastructure improvements.  “Americans are flying in record numbers, and the Biden-Harris Administration continues to invest in our airports to make travel safer and more convenient for the…

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18 Jul

Lighthouse Launches AI-Based Intelligent Channel Management With Pricing, Promotion and Distribution Capabilities for Independent Hotels

Travel

Solution Will Act as a Commercial ‘Co-Pilot’ to Boost Revenue for Independent Hoteliers GENT, Belgium, July 18, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Lighthouse (formerly OTA Insight), the leading commercial platform for the travel and hospitality industry, today announced the release of Channel Manager. This industry-first AI-powered solution transforms pricing, promotion, and distribution for independent hotels.Building on the recent acquisition and integration of Stardekk into the Lighthouse platform, this announcement redefines channel management for independent hotels by addressing the long-standing limitations of static pricing, promotion, and distribution technologies.Independent hotel owners, general managers and sales leaders have traditionally relied on separate pricing, promotional, and channel…

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16 Jul

ICYMI: Local, State, and Federal Leaders Celebrate Biden-Harris Administration’s $1.8 Billion Investment in American Infrastructure Projects, Funded by USDOT RAISE Grants

Travel

Washington – Last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced $1.8 billion in awards from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program for 148 projects across the country. Funding is split equally between urban and rural areas, and a large percentage of grants support regions that been historically overlooked or underinvested in.  RAISE is a keystone program of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, rebuilding and repairing critical infrastructure using American-made materials and spurring historic levels of private sector investment in regions around the country. Investing in key transportation infrastructure initiatives through programs like RAISE…

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15 Jul

Summer Travel 2024: Record Air Travel, Fewer Cancellations, Better Airports, More Passenger Protections

Travel

Tuesday, July 2, 2024 Year-to-date flight cancellation rate is just 1.4% during a record-breaking summer travel season​​​​​ WASHINGTON – Despite record-breaking levels of air travel this year, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) numbers show that the flight cancellation rate for the first half of 2024 was just 1.4% – nearly the lowest rate in over a decade. The latest data from airlines reported to the U.S. Department of Transportation shows that weather continues to be the leading cause of flight cancellations. On June 23, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened more than 2.99 million individuals in a single day at U.S.…

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13 Jul

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $114 Million in Federal Loans to Benefit Rural Oklahoma Communities

Travel

Project Will Improve Road Safety in 15 Counties  Washington – The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that its Build America Bureau has provided three loans for up to $113.8 million to the Oklahoma Capital Improvement Authority (OCIA), on behalf of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to improve rural road safety across 15 counties in the state. By providing Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loans and other financing, the Bureau helps communities expedite infrastructure projects and reduce project costs.    “On behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration and USDOT, I am proud to deliver this $113.8 million investment to…

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12 Jul

Department of Transportation Awards $7 million for Complementary Positioning, Navigation and Timing Technologies

Travel

Washington, DC — The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded contracts to nine Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technology vendors. The primary and most recognizable PNT service supporting critical infrastructure is the Global Positioning System (GPS) utilized for all modes of transportation, including aviation, maritime, and rail. In addition to transportation applications, use of GPS is foundational through many sectors of the economy such as surveying, the financial sector, machine control, precision agriculture, science missions, and space applications. However, because GPS relies on signals broadcast from satellites in medium Earth orbit (MEO), the signal strength at the receiver is…

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10 Jul

INVESTING IN AMERICA: Biden-Harris Administration Makes over $600 Million Available for Projects that Reconnect Communities

Travel

Biden-Harris Administration opens application period for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, established through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to fund locally-driven projects such as interstate caps, highway removals, complete streets, and Main Street revitalizations  WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the third round of the Department’s popular Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Program, with the FY24 NOFO containing FY24-26 funding of more than $600 million available for both capital construction and community planning grants. This continues the stream of investment from the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law flowing to communities across the…

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09 Jul

ICYMI: U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Kicks off Summer of Construction Tour in North Carolina, Visits Construction Sites and Groundbreakings with Governor Cooper

Travel

WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Governor Roy Cooper in North Carolina, where they visited active construction sites and groundbreakings for critical infrastructure projects that were made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, and met with local leaders, union representatives, workers, and small business owners. The trip marked the beginning of the Secretary’s summer of construction tour where he is visiting new and ongoing infrastructure projects across the country. Secretary Buttigieg and Governor Cooper visit a construction site The Secretary began his trip in Raleigh on Monday, where he joined Governor Cooper and North…

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07 Jul

Air Travel Consumer Report: June-December 2023, Full Year 2023 Airline Consumer Submissions Data

Travel

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today released data on the submissions (complaints, inquiries, and opinions) it has received from consumers about air travel for June-December 2023 and the full calendar year 2023. The submissions about air travel in calendar year 2023 are the highest number on record except for calendar year 2020.    The release of the submissions data in the Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) was delayed primarily because of the high volume of complaints against airlines and ticket agents received by the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) and the time needed to review and process…

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