Air Force One photo shoot triggers panic in Manhattan
April 27, 2009
A photo shoot involving a 747 used as Air Force One and two fighter jets flying at low altitude led to hundreds of frightened calls from residents and workers in Lower Manhattan Monday morning, triggering memories of 9-11 as many evacuated their offices. Although the shoot was authorized, the normal system of public notification broke down, multiple officials said.
“It scared a couple of million people,” one airport official said. Witnesses told ABCNews.com that they were “shocked” and “running scared” when the planes flew overhead. Elena Zaccario, who works at an office building near Battery Park, said she was too startled to grab her camera until the planes’ third fly-by. “Needless to say, everyone was concerned and upset about not being notified like in previous ‘military fly-overs,”” she said. “Other offices on other floors fled the building in panic. Not acceptable!”
Photo: In this image taken with a cell phone by Jason McLane, the primary presidential aircraft, a Boeing 747 known as Air Force One when the president is aboard, flies low over New York Harbor, followed by an F-16 chase plane during a federal government photo op Monday, April 27, 2009.
Porter Airlines plans to double Bombardier fleet
April 27, 2009
Porter Airlines, the two-year-old Canadian carrier, plans to double its fleet of Bombardier airplanes as it adds more destinations that may include Boston or Washington. Porter will increase its fleet to 18 Bombardier Q400 planes this year, Chief Executive Officer Robert Deluce said in an interview today. Porter “could well have a follow-on order in place” next April, after it gets its full initial order of 20 planes. The Toronto-based airline serves Canadian cities including Ottawa and Montreal, as well as U.S. destinations Chicago and New York with 70-seat turboprop planes made by Montreal-based Bombardier. The airline will start flying to Thunder Bay, Ontario, in June and add to its U.S. flights.
Airlines tumble on swine flu concern
April 27, 2009
Airline stocks tumbled worldwide on Monday, dragging a benchmark U.S. index to its biggest drop since 2001 on concern that the swine flu outbreak will damp travel demand. U.S. carriers reported some cases of suspected flulike symptoms to health authorities, the Air Transport Association trade group said, adding that details weren’t available. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that nonessential travel to Mexico be avoided.
Angolan pilot lands at wrong airport
April 24, 2009
Angola’s flag carrier TAAG Angola said Friday it had suspended a pilot and his co-pilot for landing at the wrong airport in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. The pilot landed the Boeing 737 at Lusaka City Airport when he should have landed at Lusaka International Airport during a regular stopover from Harare to Luanda on April 17, TAAG said in a statement. The state carrier was banned from European airspace in 2007, the same year one of its planes crashed, killing six people on board. The government fired TAAG’s board last year and created a commission to investigate and improve safety.
U.S. airlines cut 27,500 jobs in past year
April 23, 2009
U.S. airlines cut 27,500 jobs in the year that ended in February, a 6.6% drop, the U.S. Department of Transportation said. Passenger airlines employed 391,682 U.S. workers in February compared with 419,200 during the same month in 2008, the agency’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics said. Airline employment, however, is up by 100 jobs nationwide since January 2000. Airlines were hit hard last year by record spikes in jet fuel prices and weak consumer and business spending.
JAL MD-81 scrapes wing on landing
April 23, 2009
A Japanese passenger plane damaged part of its wing on landing at Osaka International Airport. No one was injured but the runway was closed for about an hour to clean up debris. Japan Airlines spokeswoman Mari Yanagawa says 168 passengers and crew were aboard Wednesday’s flight from Niigata. She says the MD81 aircraft tilted during landing, and the landing light and slats were damaged as the left wing rubbed against the ground.
Airplane hijacker captured in Jamaica
April 20, 2009
A gunman forced his way though airport security and hijacked a Canadian jet near Montego Bay, holding six crew members hostage for eight hours before police and soldiers stormed the aircraft on Monday and captured the man. Nobody was killed or injured in the ordeal, which ended with a raid near daylight after talks broke down with a 20-year-old Jamaican hijacker described as “mentally challenged.” The hostage crisis that began around 10:20 p.m. Sunday and ended near 6:40 a.m., when members of the Jamaica Defence Force Counter Terrorism Operations Group stormed the aircraft’s cabin, according to a police statement. The man boarded CanJet Airlines Flight 918 in Montego Bay and demanded to be flown to Cuba, Vaz said.
Airbus A380 coming to this year’s Oshkosh AirVenture
April 18, 2009
“I’m pleased that Airbus chose EAA AirVenture Oshkosh as its first occasion in North America to provide an up-close and personal look at the A380,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA president and AirVenture chairman. “The aircraft will stand out among the impressive lineup of features and attractions coming this year. The A380 represents an amazing feat of aircraft design, engineering, and construction … and it will hold the distinction of being the largest passenger aircraft ever to have filled our sky and rolled onto our ramp,” he said.
The A380 will arrive and perform a flight demonstration to kick off the Tuesday, July 28 air show. After commanding the stage through the remainder of the week on AeroShell Square, AirVenture’s main aircraft showcase area, it will open the air show again on Friday, July 31 with a flight demonstration before its departure.
Delta stopped using India-based call centers
April 18, 2009
Delta Air Lines Inc has stopped using India-based call centers to handle sales and reservations.
Delta said it stopped routing calls to India-based call centers over the first three months of the year. Customers had complained they had trouble communicating with Indian agents.
“The customer acceptance of call centers in foreign countries is low,” Richard Anderson, Delta’s chief executive, said in a recorded message to employees. “Our customers are not shy about letting us have that feedback.”
Delta isn’t pulling back from the use of all foreign call centers. It will keep some Jamaica and South Africa centers, which haven’t generated such vociferous complaints.
Qantas defers A380 and 737-800 deliveries
April 14, 2009
Amid the deepening economic crisis, Australian flag carrier Qantas announced today that it will defer the delivery of Airbus A380 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft, slash capacity, and cut jobs. The airline says that it will defer the delivery of four A380s by 10-12 months and 12 737-800s for an average of 14 months. Additionally, 10 aircraft will be grounded and made available for sale.
