In the unsigned opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans ruled that the Biden administrations Department of Transportation failed to comply with public-comment requirements laid out in the Administrative Procedures Act before issuing the full-fare rule in April 2024. 
In particular, the public did not have a chance to comment on one of the studies used by the DOT to justify the rule. 
"Given that DOT relied upon the study to justify its cost-benefit analysis, the procedural defect compromised the entire regulation. Thus, we must vacate the entire rule," the court wrote. 

ASTA is strongly opposed to the bills, HB 900 and HB 978. ASTA CEO Zane Kerby said he sent the committee a letter explaining the trade groups opposition.
Kerby argued that consumers would seek travel advisors in states where they dont have to pay additional taxes.
"Plainly, any additional tax would put travel agencies in Virginia at a competitive disadvantage with advisors in other nearby states," Kerby said. "Ultimately, this would have a negative effect on their business and their financial bottom line."

Unite Here president Gwen Mills highlighted findings from the report during a Washington, D.C. roundtable on Feb. 11. The union represents 300,000 hospitality workers at hotels, casinos, restaurants and airports in the U.S. and Canada.
Mills said that "scenes of violence on the streets in our major cities and anti-immigrant rhetoric" are discouraging domestic and foreign travel.
Travel to the U.S. was already down well before Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers started clashing with protestors in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities. It certainly hasnt helped, though. ICE raids and protests in Minnesota have prompted several European nations -- including France, Ireland, Germany and Finland -- to issue travel advisories for Minneapolis and St. Paul.

A partial government shutdown began Saturday after congressional Democrats and President Donald Trumps team failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the department through September. Democrats are demanding changes to how immigration operations are conducted after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis last month.
The shutdown impacts TSA, the agency responsible for screening passengers and bags at airports across the country. Travelers with airline reservations may be nervously recalling a 43-day government shutdown that led to historic flight cancellations and long delays last year.
TSA officers are expected to work without pay while lawmakers remain without an agreement on DHSs annual funding. TSA officers also worked through the record shutdown that ended Nov. 12, but aviation experts say this one may play out differently.