Latest news with #DGAC
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Ethan Guo, teen pilot, agrees to deal in Antarctica landing case
Chilean prosecutors alleged that the influencer had provided authorities with false flight plan data and "multiple national and international" rules regarding access to Antarctica, according to CBS News. Guo must make a $30,000 donation to Fundacion Nuestros Hijos within 30 days and agree to be banned from Chilean territory for three years, according to La Trecera. Chilean television station 24Horas reported that the donation must be paid within 72 hours of Guo's return to continental Chile and that he must cover the cost of his plane's stay at a Chilean military base in Antarctica. He told the Associated Press that he was "relieved by the outcome" following the ruling. "I remain in Antarctica awaiting approval for my departure flight," Guo told the wire service through text messages Aug. 11. "I sincerely hope they give it to me soon so that I and my plane can continue with my original mission." Guo confirmed he remained on Antarctica in messages with USA TODAY through his Instagram account Aug. 12. A timetable for his return to mainland Chile is unclear, Guo said. Why was Ethan Guo on Antarctica? Guo began a "trip around the world" in Sept. 2024 to raise $1 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and documented the trip on his Instagram page. He had reached six of the seven continents in his Cessna 182Q before flying to Antarctica. He flew to King George Island, an island off the coast of Antarctica that Chile claims as its territory, on June 28 and was detained at the airport there, according to CBS News. Prosecutors alleged that Guo was cleared to fly to Punta Arenas but not continue onto the island, according to La Tercera. The newspaper reported that Guo's defense filed a letter pointing to WhatsApp communications between Guo and officials at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, where a "senior DGAC official expressly responds to Ethan Guo that he can land" at the airport on King George Island for "safety reasons." "While already in the air, he began to experience a series of complications," Karina Ulloa, one of Guo's lawyers, told CNN. She added that Guo was on an exploratory flight to ensure the ability to fly the route. La Tercera quoted another of Guo's lawyers, Jaime Barrentos, as saying, "the prosecutor's office made decisions with partial information provided by DGAC." Guo said hardest part of flying is 'paperwork' In a profile before the flight with The Patriot Ledger - a part of the USA TODAY Network - the Milton, Massachusetts native foreshadowed the logistical roadblocks he would encounter. "Flying isn't easy. It's harder than driving a car, but the hardest part is the logistics and paperwork," said Guo, who told the paper that he would be submitting the necessary permits and documents for each country on the flight. Guo began flying at 13 and already holds a record as the youngest person to fly to all 48 contiguous states, a feat he accomplished at 17, not long after earning his pilot's license. Guo had attempted the flight around the world in 2023 in the additional hope of becoming the youngest person to complete the global trek. That journey, though, was grounded before it started. On his approach to the Memphis airport in September 2023, his plane encountered a partial power failure at 12,000 feet. Contributing: David R. Smith - The Patriot Ledger
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
US teen pilot claims innocence after charges dropped in Antarctica flight case
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Ethan Guo, an American pilot and influencer who has been trapped in Antarctica for several weeks, maintained Wednesday that he is 'innocent' of the accusations against him, after being charged by Chilean authorities with submitting a false flight plan to reach the White Continent. Guo was charged on June 29 with handing false information to ground control and landing without authorization, but on Monday a judge dropped the charges as part of an agreement with his lawyers and Chile's prosecutors. It requires the teen to give a $30,000 donation to a children's cancer foundation within 30 days to avoid a trial. He must also leave the country as soon as conditions allow and is prohibited from reentering Chilean territory for three years. According to Guo's defense, the teen pilot was granted authorizations to deviate his initial route — from Punta Arenas, southern Chile, to Ushuaia, Argentina — and land at Teniente Marsh base in Chilean Antarctica due to "weather and technical circumstances." 'My client's actions are protected by a presumption of legality arising from the authorizations expressly granted by various DGAC ( Directorate General of Civil Aviation) officials,' his lawyer Jaime Barrientos said in documents handed to the court and shared with The Associated Press. According to Barrientos, evidence was presented that 'Mr. Guo informed the DGAC as soon as possible of the change to the filed flight plan, receiving express authorization to land at said aerodrome." Guo, who turned 20 during his stay in Antarctica in July and has maintained his innocence, said in a statement sent to AP that during his original journey he 'encountered instrument failures and heavy, unreported icing conditions' which created 'an imminent risk of a crash.' 'Due to these cascading failures, Mr. Guo requested and received explicit, direct permission to land at the Marsh base from a high ranking DGAC official via WhatsApp, an authorization that was subsequently confirmed by the base's air traffic controller," it said. The influencer added that the court's ruling last Monday was 'a direct result of the prosecutor's refusal to acknowledge this clear evidence.' The prosecutor's office has maintained in several interviews with local media that Guo has handed ' false information' to the respective authority and, by doing so, put at risk 'the safety of global air traffic.' 'What the background indicates is that he always had the will and the knowledge that he wanted to reach Antarctica at all costs, putting at risk not only his life, but also the safety of global air traffic,' prosecutor Cristián Crisosto told local Radio Bio Bio in an interview Wednesday. Guo made headlines last year when he began a trip in an attempt to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents and at the same time collect donations for research into childhood cancer. But for the past six weeks, he has stayed at the Chilean Air Force base where he landed in June. He was not forced to stay there, only to remain in Chilean territory, but because of the severe winter in that part of the southern hemisphere, no flights were available. He has also been unable to fly his small plane, whose future remains uncertain.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
US teen pilot claims innocence after charges dropped in Antarctica flight case
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Ethan Guo, an American pilot and influencer who has been trapped in Antarctica for several weeks, maintained Wednesday that he is 'innocent' of the accusations against him, after being charged by Chilean authorities with submitting a false flight plan to reach the White Continent. Guo was charged on June 29 with handing false information to ground control and landing without authorization, but on Monday a judge dropped the charges as part of an agreement with his lawyers and Chile's prosecutors. It requires the teen to give a $30,000 donation to a children's cancer foundation within 30 days to avoid a trial. He must also leave the country as soon as conditions allow and is prohibited from reentering Chilean territory for three years. According to Guo's defense, the teen pilot was granted authorizations to deviate his initial route — from Punta Arenas, southern Chile, to Ushuaia, Argentina — and land at Teniente Marsh base in Chilean Antarctica due to 'weather and technical circumstances.' 'My client's actions are protected by a presumption of legality arising from the authorizations expressly granted by various DGAC ( Directorate General of Civil Aviation) officials,' his lawyer Jaime Barrientos said in documents handed to the court and shared with The Associated Press. According to Barrientos, evidence was presented that 'Mr. Guo informed the DGAC as soon as possible of the change to the filed flight plan, receiving express authorization to land at said aerodrome.' Guo, who turned 20 during his stay in Antarctica in July and has maintained his innocence, said in a statement sent to AP that during his original journey he 'encountered instrument failures and heavy, unreported icing conditions' which created 'an imminent risk of a crash.' 'Due to these cascading failures, Mr. Guo requested and received explicit, direct permission to land at the Marsh base from a high ranking DGAC official via WhatsApp, an authorization that was subsequently confirmed by the base's air traffic controller,' it said. The influencer added that the court's ruling last Monday was 'a direct result of the prosecutor's refusal to acknowledge this clear evidence.' The prosecutor's office has maintained in several interviews with local media that Guo has handed ' false information' to the respective authority and, by doing so, put at risk 'the safety of global air traffic.' 'What the background indicates is that he always had the will and the knowledge that he wanted to reach Antarctica at all costs, putting at risk not only his life, but also the safety of global air traffic,' prosecutor Cristián Crisosto told local Radio Bio Bio in an interview Wednesday. Guo made headlines last year when he began a trip in an attempt to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents and at the same time collect donations for research into childhood cancer. But for the past six weeks, he has stayed at the Chilean Air Force base where he landed in June. He was not forced to stay there, only to remain in Chilean territory, but because of the severe winter in that part of the southern hemisphere, no flights were available. He has also been unable to fly his small plane, whose future remains uncertain. Crisosto said that the plane would probably have difficulty leaving Antarctica because it does not meet the necessary regulations. 'That plane could leave Antarctica in pieces. But I don't see it flying,' he warned.
USA Today
5 days ago
- USA Today
American teen pilot agrees to donation to suspend proceedings in Antarctica landing case
An American pilot and influencer who has been stuck on Chilean territory in Antarctica agreed to a deal that would see him make a large donation to avoid a trial on charges connected to landing on the continent, according to American and Chilean reporting. A Chilean court suspended proceedings against Ethan Guo, a teen influencer who intended to fly to all seven continents to fundraise for children's cancer research on Monday, Aug. 11, according to Chilean newspaper La Tercera. Chilean prosecutors alleged that the influencer had provided authorities with false flight plan data and "multiple national and international" rules regarding access to Antarctica, according to CBS News. Guo must make a $30,000 donation to Fundación Nuestros Hijos within 30 days and agree to be banned from Chilean territory for three years, according to La Trecera. Chilean television station 24Horas reported that the donation must be paid within 72 hours of Guo's return to continental Chile and that he must cover the cost of his plane's stay at a Chilean military base in Antarctica. He told the Associated Press that he was "relieved by the outcome" following the ruling. "I remain in Antarctica awaiting approval for my departure flight," Guo told the wire service through text messages Aug. 11. "I sincerely hope they give it to me soon so that I and my plane can continue with my original mission." Guo confirmed he remained on Antarctica in messages with USA TODAY through his Instagram account Aug. 12. A timetable for his return to mainland Chile is unclear, Guo said. Why was Ethan Guo on Antarctica? Guo began a "trip around the world" in Sept. 2024 to raise $1 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and documented the trip on his Instagram page. He had reached six of the seven continents in his Cessna 182Q before flying to Antarctica. He flew to King George Island, an island off the coast of Antarctica that Chile claims as its territory, on June 28 and was detained at the airport there, according to CBS News. Prosecutors alleged that Guo was cleared to fly to Punta Arenas but not continue onto the island, according to La Tercera. The newspaper reported that Guo's defense filed a letter pointing to WhatsApp communications between Guo and officials at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, where a "senior DGAC official expressly responds to Ethan Guo that he can land" at the airport on King George Island for "safety reasons." 'While already in the air, he began to experience a series of complications,' Karina Ulloa, one of Guo's lawyers, told CNN. She added that Guo was on an exploratory flight to ensure the ability to fly the route. La Tercera quoted another of Guo's lawyers, Jaime Barrentos, as saying, "the prosecutor's office made decisions with partial information provided by DGAC." Guo said hardest part of flying is 'paperwork' In a profile before the flight with The Patriot Ledger – a part of the USA TODAY Network – the Milton, Massachusetts native foreshadowed the logistical roadblocks he would encounter. 'Flying isn't easy. It's harder than driving a car, but the hardest part is the logistics and paperwork," said Guo, who told the paper that he would be submitting the necessary permits and documents for each country on the flight. Guo began flying at 13 and already holds a record as the youngest person to fly to all 48 contiguous states, a feat he accomplished at 17, not long after earning his pilot's license. Guo had attempted the flight around the world in 2023 in the additional hope of becoming the youngest person to complete the global trek. That journey, though, was grounded before it started. On his approach to the Memphis airport in September 2023, his plane encountered a partial power failure at 12,000 feet. Contributing: David R. Smith – The Patriot Ledger
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Intolerable': Airlines slam passenger disruption caused by French air traffic controller strikes
A strike by French air traffic controllers (ATC) entered its second day on Friday with flight delays and cancellations continuing for thousands of passengers. Airlines have slammed the industrial action, which comes during one of the busiest months of the year for air travel. Budget airline Ryanair has called on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take urgent action. Tens of thousands of passengers affected by French airport strikes In response to the walkout, the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) has asked for a reduction in airport capacity across the country. Airlines for Europe (A4E) said on Thursday that a total of 1500 flights have been cancelled on 3 and 4 July, affecting over 300,000 passengers. Late on Thursday, Ryanair said it has been forced to cancel 400 flights on Thursday and Friday due to the strike, including some flights over France to the UK, Spain, Greece and Ireland. It could disrupt travel for more than 70,000 passengers. Easyjet has also said it has had to cancel 274 flights during the walkout. Ryanair says European families are 'held to ransom' by strikes The industrial action comes on the eve of the school summer holidays in France, when air traffic peaks. These dates are some of the busiest of the year, according to DGAC, as many head off on their summer break. Ryanair has lambasted the move. 'Once again, European families are held to ransom by French air traffic controllers going on strike,' CEO Michael O'Leary said in a statement. He highlighted that the strike is also affecting all flights passing over French airspace, meaning passengers who are not landing or leaving from France are also experiencing disruption. 'It is not acceptable that overflights over French airspace en route to their destination are being cancelled/delayed as a result of yet another French ATC strike,' O'Leary said. 'It makes no sense and is abundantly unfair on EU passengers and families going on holidays.' The airline has called on Ursula von der Leyen to take urgent action to reform the EU's ATC services by ensuring that they are fully staffed for the first wave of daily departures and protecting overflights during national ATC strikes. 'These two splendid reforms would eliminate 90 per cent of all ATC delays and cancellations, and protect EU passengers from these repeated and avoidable disruptions due to yet another French ATC strike.' Airline association calls strikes 'intolerable' Airlines for Europe (A4E) has also hit back over the disruption caused by the French ATC strike. 'Tens of thousands of travellers in France and across Europe have seen their summer getaway grounded as French air traffic controllers walk out,' the group said in a statement. 'Already in 2025, French ATC has proven to be one of the weakest links in Europe's ATC system, posting some of Europe's worst delay records.' ATC capacity-related delays in June 2025 reportedly jumped 115 per cent compared to June 2024. 'European Transport Commissioner Tzitzikostas has repeatedly pressed member states to fix poor-performing ATC and it is high time they stopped the excuses and took action,' the A4E statement continues. Related Rescue fees, infant charges and group bookings: Which European airline has the highest hidden costs? EU to ban airlines from charging extra for hand luggage: What does this mean for passengers? The group is calling for various measures to prevent future disruption to passengers in France and across Europe: Mandatory arbitration before ATC unions can threaten strike action A 21-day advance notification of strike action. Provision of a 72-hour advance individual notification of participation in industrial action Protection of overflights, while ensuring this is not at the expense of departures and arrivals in the country where the strike originates A right of redress with Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) for the impact of disruption 'This strike is intolerable. French ATC already delivers some of Europe's worst delay figures and now the actions of a minority of French ATC workers will needlessly disrupt the holiday plans of thousands of people in France and across Europe,' said Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of A4E. 'There is intense discussion about passenger rights in the EU right now, yet policymakers have done little to fix ATC to help them attain the most basic right: reaching your destination on time.' Solve the daily Crossword
