North American cruise lines, their employees and passengers generated $35.1 billion in gross output in the U.S. last year, a 12 percent decrease from the year before, according to an annual report prepared for CLIA by Business Research & Economic Advisors.

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. suffered delays on its route network due to a change in the configuration of the system for processing pilot and flight attendant rosters, leading to some crew members reaching their flying-hour limit early last week. Operations were back to normal by the end of the week and the company expects a continuous improvement in its regularity and punctuality indicators throughout the next few days.

A change by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in the rating of Mexico’s civil aviation authority prohibits U.S. airlines from offering codeshare service on any Mexican airline. As required by this change, Delta will remove its code from AeroMexico flights, but will work proactively to re-accommodate any customers affected.

Monday’s shooting of a teenage Carnival Victory passenger on St. Thomas brings to 44 the number of homicides in the U.S. Virgin Islands for 2010, according to statistics compiled by the St. Thomas Source from police reports. The teen was reportedly caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between gangs.

Departing and arriving travelers at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica, faced long immigration lines, and hundreds missed flights and connections in the wake of a job action by the airport’s immigration officers last week, according to reports from Jamaica.

At least two more cruise lines suspended shore excursions on St. Thomas that travel through the Coki Point Beach area, where a Carnival Cruise Lines passenger was killed on July 12.

The Hon. John Maginley, chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), welcomed the extra time provided by the British government to consider future plans for aviation taxation, but said he was concerned that the discriminatory tax bands remain in place and the planned Air Passenger Duty rises scheduled for November appear set to go ahead.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon is waging a public relations campaign to improve his country’s image in the eyes of tourists and foreign investors as an increasingly violent drug war threatens to strangle its economy.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects the airline industry to return to profitability this year, projecting a $2.5 billion net profit in 2010. But while the industry in totality is expected to return to profitability after one of its worst years in history, Europe remains the one region that will continue operating at a loss, with expected losses of $2.8 billion, according to IATA, making the new German air tax one more factor affecting the revival of the industry.

Costa Rica is cracking down on an unauthorized stem cell clinic that has attracted hundreds of foreigners seeking relief from degenerative diseases and serious injuries.