February 6, 2017

Alert – Executive Order on Visas

A U.S. Federal Court Judge ruled against the immigration ban on Friday (February 3), effectively halting it. The Executive Order would’ve barred citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days, all refugees for 120 days and indefinitely halted refugees from Syria.

On Saturday (February 4), the Department of Homeland Security resumed standard inspections of travelers, and the U.S. State Department issued an “Executive Order on Visas” alert.

According to the alert:

An order issued by a U.S. District court in the state of Washington on February 3 bars the U.S. government from enforcing certain provisions of Executive Order 13769, “Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals,” including those related to visas and travel for nationals of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

The Department of State had, under the Executive Order, provisionally revoked all valid visas of nationals of those seven countries, with limited exceptions. That provisional revocation is now lifted, and those visas are now valid for travel to the United States, if the holder is otherwise eligible. Individuals whose visas are expired, or were physically cancelled, must apply for a new visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, absent a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) decision to grant parole or waive the visa requirement at the port of entry. We are looking further into this issue and will revise this site with any updates.

We are working closely with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security and we will provide further updates as soon as information is available.

On January 27, 2017, President Trump signed Executive Order 13769 on Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals which directs us to review current screening procedures, while protecting national security – our top priority when issuing visas.

The U.S. government’s national security screening and vetting procedures for visitors are constantly reviewed and refined to improve security and more effectively identify individuals who could pose a threat to the United States. We welcome every opportunity to continue to review and improve our systems and procedures. In implementing this executive order, the Department of State had temporarily stopped scheduling appointments and halted processing of immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applications for individuals from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, with limited exceptions. Processing of those applications has now resumed and appointments will be scheduled.

 Information on the Executive Order and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) – DHS

 FAQs on the Executive Order – Department of Homeland Security

Please contact

 

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Alert – United States: Department of Homeland Security Suspends Travel Ban

According to CNN:

President Donald Trump’s government moved swiftly Saturday to comply with a federal judge’s order halting his immigration ban — even as Trump denounced the judge. The Department of Homeland Security announced it has suspended all actions to implement the immigration order and will resume standard inspections of travelers as it did prior to the signing of the travel ban.

Also, a State Department official tells CNN the department has reversed the cancellation of visas that were provisionally revoked following the President’s executive order last week — so long as those visas were not stamped or marked as canceled. The State Department has said fewer than 60,000 visas were revoked since the signing of the order. It was not immediately clear how many from that group will continue to be without their visas because their visas were physically canceled.

 

Following the judge’s ruling — before the government’s announcements Saturday morning — the International Air Transportation Association, a leading airline industry group, wrote to its members to follow procedures “as if the executive order never existed.”

 

The whirlwind turn of events set up the nation for a second straight weekend of widespread uncertainty over the controversial ban, this time with the administration on defense. Friday night, the White House announced the Justice Department would file an emergency motion to stop the halt, but it had yet to do so as of late Saturday morning.

 

Trump’s order bars citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US for 90 days, all refugees for 120 days and indefinitely halts refugees from Syria.

Federal Judge James Robart, a George W. Bush appointee who presides in Seattle, halted the enforcement of Trump’s order Friday night, effective nationwide.

Robart, ruling in a lawsuit brought by the attorneys general of Washington state and Minnesota who sought to stop the order, said the states “have met their burden of demonstrating that they face immediate and irreparable injury as a result of the signing and implementation of the Executive Order.” He said the order adversely affects residents in areas of education, employment, education and freedom to travel.

 

 

 

 

 

Please contact the PR Team if you have any concerns: TravelLeadersGroupPR@TravelLeaders.com.

February 3, 2017

ALERT: French Soldier Wounds Attacker at Paris’ Louvre (February 1, 2017)

A French soldier shot and wounded a machete-wielding man outside Paris’ Louvre this morning. Authorities are treating this as a possible terrorist incident.

Hundreds of visitors were in the Louvre at the time and were gradually evacuated after security checks.

Reuters is reporting:

A French soldier shot and wounded a man armed with a machete and carrying two bags on his back on Friday as he tried to enter the Paris Louvre museum in what the government said appeared to have been a terrorist attack.

The man shouted Allahu Akbar (God is greatest) and rushed at police and soldiers before being shot near the museum’s shopping mall, police said, adding a second person had also been detained after acting suspiciously.

The attacker was alive but seriously wounded, the head of Paris police Michel Cadot told reporters at the scene, adding the bags he had been carrying contained no explosives.

“It was an attack by a person … who represented a direct threat and whose actions suggested a terrorist context.”

The soldier who fired the bullets was from one of the patrolling groups that have become a common sight around the capital since a state of emergency was declared across France in November 2015. An anti-terrorism inquiry has been opened, the public prosecutor said in a statement.

Police cordoned off and evacuated the area around the museum for a time on Friday but began to allow traffic to pass less than two hours after the incident. Louvre officials closed the museum and kept visitors inside for a time before beginning to let them leave.

 

February 1, 2017

Alert – Delays at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport Due to Air Traffic Control Computers

Technical issues with the air traffic control system at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport are causing delays. Some flights are being rerouted to airports in Rotterdam and Munich, Germany.

Reuters is reporting:

Passengers at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport faced long waits Wednesday due to a serious computer problem at air traffic control, causing scores of flights to be diverted, canceled or delayed.“We are not sure yet what the cause is or how long it will take to fix it,” said spokesman Paul Weber. A reboot of computer systems at one of Europe’s largest flight hubs failed to resolve the issue.

Delay times had mounted to more than 60 minutes, three hours after the problem was first discovered. Flights were being redirected to Germany’s Munich airport and Rotterdam, he said.

According to the UK’s Independent:

Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, which normally handles 160,000 passengers a day, has been hit by what Eurocontrol described as a “critical system problem.”The fault appears to be with radar correlation software, which compares and assesses information from primary and secondary radar.

Eurocontrol said: “Successive system re-starts have failed to rectify the problem and the system remains unstable.” It warned pilots to “anticipate possible diversions if the situation continues”.

KLM, the Dutch airline based at Schiphol, has been experiencing long delays for much of the day, and is making dozens of cancellations. The afternoon service from Amsterdam to Birmingham and back was grounded, as were the evening departures to Heathrow and Manchester.

Flights from Bristol, Cardiff, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heathrow, Humberside, Leeds/Bradford, and London City airport were running at least three hours late.

The “hub and spoke” model used by KLM is especially susceptible to disruption. Many British passengers are connecting to and from worldwide services, and while long-haul operations were less badly affected, it is likely that many people will miss their connections and be stranded in Amsterdam.

The airport said: “Unfortunately passengers will face delays due to a system failure at the Air Traffic Control. At this moment, it is uncertain how long the outage will last. The Air Traffic Control is working on a solution.”

 

February 1, 2017

Alert – American Airlines Flight Diverted After Bomb Threat

 

American Airlines flight 1804 was diverted in Knoxville, TN, after a bomb threat was made last night. The flight’s original route was from Charlotte to Indianapolis.

According to CBS News:

“The airline told CBS News the ‘threat’ came from a non-credible robocall.After the plane landed, passengers were evacuated and crews found no bomb or technical problems with the plane.

[American Airlines spokesperson Ross] Feinstein said the plane will be grounded overnight and depart Wednesday. He said passengers will spend the night in Knoxville hotels.”

 

January 29, 2017

ALERT: Canada- Quebec City Mosque Shooting (January 29, 2017)

Earlier this evening, a shooting at a Quebec City mosque left an “unknown number of people dead and wounded,” according to CNN.

CNN reported:

A shooting at a mosque in the Canadian city of Quebec has left an unknown number of people dead and wounded. The attack, which took place at the city’s Quebec Islamic Cultural Center, was confirmed by the Quebec City Police department via Twitter.

One person has been arrested, the department said. A previous statement indicated that two arrests had been made. It’s not clear what caused the discrepancy.

Police said in a later tweet that the situation was “under control.”

“The site is secure and the occupants (of the mosque) were evacuated. The investigation continues.”

At least five people were injured in the incident and are at the University Hospital of Quebec. Other victims are in hospitals throughout the city, hospital spokesman Richard Fournier tells CNN.

 

January 29, 2017

ALERT: Delta Air Lines Waivers Offered on Grounded Flights (January 29, 2017)

Delta Air Lines has issued a waiver policy for travel on January 29 and 30 after automation issues grounded domestic flights on Sunday.

According to Delta:

Due to an outage affecting multiple systems travel to/from/through all Delta served cities may be impacted. You may contact Reservation Sales to make changes to your itinerary. Check flight status frequently for up-to-the-minute info about your flight plans, or get updates sent directly to your wireless device or email with Delta Messenger.

RESCHEDULING FLIGHTS

If you wish to cancel your trip as a result of a flight cancellation or significant delay (90 minutes or more), you are entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your ticket.

Even if your flight is not canceled, you may make a one-time change to your ticket without fee if you are scheduled to travel to, from, or through the following destination(s) on Delta, Delta Connection®, or Delta-coded flights during the specified time periods listed below.

You may contact Reservations Sales to make changes to your itinerary. Additional collection in fares may apply. See Conditions & Restrictions below. AFFECTED CITIES (TO, FROM OR THROUGH)	IMPACTED TRAVEL DATE(S)	TICKET MUST BE REISSUED ON OR BEFORE	REBOOKED TRAVEL MUST BEGIN NO THAN
All Delta Flights	January 29-30, 2017	February 3, 2017	February 3,

January 23, 2017

Alert – Plane Crash at Tucson (AZ) Airport

Earlier today a private plane crashed at the airport in Tucson, Arizona.

According to the local CBS-TV affiliate:

At least one person was killed in private plane crash in Arizona, Tuscon Airport officials have confirmed.

Photos and video from passengers at the Tuscon International Airport show what appears the fiery wreckage on the tarmac.

A spokesman said airport operations would continue despite the crash.

The Arizona Daily Star reports:

The Tucson International Airport is reporting there has been a fatal aircraft crash at the airport Monday afternoon.

A tweet from the airport shortly after 1 p.m. said the aircraft was a private plane and that the crash resulted in a fatality. The tweet said all airport operations, including commercial flights, are continuing.

Emergency personnel are responding to the airport for an aircraft down.

A fire was reported at the airport shortly before 1 p.m.

Tucson Fire Department units were responding to assist airport personnel.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines all have scheduled flights to and from the Tucson airport today.

 

January 23, 2017

Alert – Heavy Flooding in French Polynesia

French Polynesia has been hit by heavy flooding, causing delays to travelers, and damage throughout Tahiti and Moorea.

Radio New Zealand reports:

“There has been no loss of life from the flooding but substantial damage to homes and infrastructure.

Many streets in Papeete have been flooded and a bridge along the northwestern coastal road collapsed, cutting the main road around the island.

Schools on the two islands will remain closed tomorrow to continue the clean-up.

The international airport is closed until further notice as crews try to remove debris from the runway.

An Air France plane from Los Angeles was forced to divert to the Cook Islands.”

Additionally, the U.S. Department of State – Consular Services posted an update on Facebook:

“U.S. citizens traveling to French Polynesia are advised that the government has declared a state of natural disaster as the result of severe flooding. Many streets in Papeete have been flooded, power has been lost in some areas, and a bridge along the northwestern coastal road has collapsed. The flooding has damaged water mains as well. The international airport is closed until future notice as crews try to remove debris from the runway, and incoming flights have been diverted.”

 

January 22, 2017

Alert – United Airlines’ Domestic Flights Resume

Sunday evening, all domestic “mainline” United Airlines flights were grounded due to a computer outage. The ground stop has now been lifted.

Reuters reported:

United Airlines said it would resume services after grounding all domestic flights following a computer glitch on Sunday.

International flights were not affected, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The number of flights that were affected was not known.

“The ground stop has been lifted. We’re working to get flights on their way,” the company said in a tweet. bit.ly/2jQRW6B

“We are working as quickly as possible to resolve this issue and get out customers to their final destinations,” a company spokeswoman Maddie King said in an emailed statement earlier.

CNN reported:

United Airlines resumed operations Sunday night after a computer problem temporarily grounded all domestic mainline flights, two sources familiar with the incident told CNN.

“The ground stop has been lifted,” the airline announced on Twitter. “We’re working to get flights on their way. We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers.”

Earlier, United spokeswoman Maddie King told CNN that the flights were grounded due to an IT issue.

“We have issued a ground stop for all domestic mainline flights due to an IT issue,” King said. “We are working as quickly as possible to resolve this issue and get our customers to their final destinations. We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers.”

Mainline flights are those operated by an airline’s main operating unit, not regional alliances or subsidiaries.

The sources said the flights were grounded due to a problem with the communication system that airplanes use to send information to United operations. Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, or ACARS, is used to record and transmit a range of information, including departure times, as well as weight and balance, which is used to calculate takeoff speeds.

The system outage was an issue for planes that had yet to depart, as pilots need this information to safely take off. Planes already in the air were in no danger, the sources said. The issue did not affect communications between planes and air traffic control.