Less than three months since the last shutdown ended, the air travel sector faces yet another funding lapse and the strong potential for flight disruptions.

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Major U.S. airlines on Thursday urged Congress to pay air traffic controllers in the event of a partial government shutdown after the industry suffered a major disruption during a 43-day standoff last year.

Joining Alaska Airlines (which ranked 15 th) in the top 25 ranking of the safest full-service airlines are Delta Air Lines (23 rd) and American Airlines (24 th ), which formed the three U.S. carriers in the listing. Among the low-cost airlines, the top five safest were found to be HK Express, Jetstar Airways, Scoot, flydubai, and easyJet.

Boeing continues to log major orders.The aerospace giant and Air India announced Thursday that the airline has ordered 30 additional 737 MAX jets.

Air France has resumed its Dubai service after temporarily suspending it due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, the airline said. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened strikes on Iran over the crackdown on the protest movement that recently erupted across the Islamic republic.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Passengers aboard an already-delayed American Airlines flight were stuck for nearly three hours at a Pennsylvania airport, until after 3 a.m., because of an equipment malfunction and an apparent lack of airline staff to help the passengers off the flight another way.

Filling a longtime void, the Taiwan-based Star Alliance partner airline will fly four times a week from Washington Dulles International (IAD) in Virginia.

Airlines in India and South Asia will need nearly 3,300 new aircraft over the next two decades as passenger air traffic in the region is projected to grow at an average of seven per cent annually, Boeing said.