Articles by Allison Lampert

Canada Should Require Stronger Rail Cars for Crude Before 2025 Deadline: Official

Canada ought to require stronger tank cars for transporting flammable liquids sooner than the current deadline in 2025, Transportation Safety Board Chair Kathy Fox said on Thursday, noting that crude-by-rail shipments are expected to rise in the country. “We understand …

Fearing Collisions, Airlines Support Global Drone Registry

Concerned by a rise in near collisions by unmanned aircraft and commercial jets, the world’s airlines back development of a United Nations-led global registry for drones, an executive of their trade group said on Tuesday. The International Air Transport Association …

Driving in Snow: Difficult for Humans and Driverless Cars

A Canadian town known for its annual theater festival is emerging as a hub of “snowtonomous” research, as automakers face demands to produce self-driving cars that can perform in snow and sleet. But testing driverless cars in cold climates brings …

Real-Time Tracking to Be Required for Aircraft, After MH370 Disappearance

The U.N.’s aviation agency on Monday announced new requirements for the real-time tracking of civilian aircraft in distress, following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 two years ago. The International Civil Aviation Organization’s governing council approved proposals for planes …

Lac Megantic Train Crash Victims’ Fund to Begin Payments without CP Rail

A C$460 million (US$330.46 million) settlement fund for victims of the 2013 Lac-Megantic crude-by-rail disaster will begin disbursements this week without the participation of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd [CP], the monitor involved in the payments said on Tuesday. Forty-seven people …

Court Delays Ruling on 2013 Quebec Oil Train Crash Settlement

A Quebec judge reserved his decision on Wednesday on whether to grant a motion that would clear the way for a settlement between victims of the 2013 Lac-Megantic oil train disaster and dozens of companies and individuals linked to the …

Malaysia Says U.N. Must Make Conflict Zone Air Risk Reporting Mandatory

Malaysia, which suffered two commercial air disasters last year after one jet disappeared and another was shot down over Ukraine, said on Monday the United Nations must make reporting of risks to airlines over conflict zones mandatory. The International Civil …

U.S. to Back New System Warning Airlines in Conflict Zones

The United States will throw its support behind a proposal by the U.N.’s aviation agency to share information about risks to commercial aircraft over conflict zones after the downing of a Malaysian jet in Ukraine last year, according to a …

ANALYSIS: AirAsia Crash Makes Case for Ejectable Black Boxes

A long-delayed proposal to outfit commercial airliners with ejectable “black box” recorders may have a better chance of being adopted following the AirAsia crash in the Java Sea, according to three sources at the U.N. global aviation body. The idea, …

Canada Railway Audit ‘Inadequate’ before Lac-Mégantic Disaster: Official Report

The Canadian government did not adequately audit the railroad company at the center of the Lac-Mégantic crude tanker disaster, which last year killed 47 people, an independent federal agency said on Tuesday, as it called for tougher scrutiny of the …