The Ghost Town of Los Angeles -- Manchester Square is a small neighborhood that borders Los Angeles International Airport. Over the last 15 years, airport officials have purchased properties in the area, razing houses as part of a plan to build a rental car parking lot. "You don't like to have to condemn people," Diego Alvarez, director of modernization and development for Los Angeles World Airports, tells filmmaker Kelly Loudenberg, "but that may be the reality if people don't want to sell to us." Kelly Loudenberg/The Atlantic

Volaris to offer weekly flights between LAX and Mexican city of Leon -- Volaris is offering four new weekly flights from the Mexican city of Leon to Los Angeles International Airport starting June 8, the airline and city officials announced Thursday. The Mexican airline will operate between from Leon, in Guanajuato, to LAX, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The flights leave at 8:30 a.m. from Leon and arrive in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. From LAX, the flight leaves at 11:20 a.m. and arrives in Leon at 4:20 p.m. City News Service

Fewer firefighters at Santa Barbara airport? -- Santa Barbara City Council got a first look at a plan to cut the number of firefighters contracted to be on call at the airport in case of catastrophic event. By cutting the crew from nine to six and reducing the number of engines from six to three, airport administrators estimate they could save $600,000 a year. Driving the proposed reduction is the 26 percent drop in flights and passengers at the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport over the past 10 years, coupled with large payments needed to cover the $53 million the new airport building cost. Nick Welsh/Santa Barbara Independent

Virginia senators 'prepared to be jerks' to protect Dulles Airport -- U.S. Sen. Timothy Kaine said Thursday he and fellow Democratic Sen. Mark Warner are "prepared to be jerks" to protect Dulles International Airport and slow the growth of Reagan National. Kaine, speaking during the Dulles Matters seminar sponsored by the Committee for Dulles, said he may hold up the Federal Aviation Administration's upcoming reauthorization if his fellow members of Congress decide to push for more domestic flights at Reagan that breach the longstanding 1,250-mile perimeter. Michael Neibauer/Washington Business Journal

Airport worker 911 call : 'I'm trapped in this plane' -- The ramp worker who allegedly fell asleep and got stuck in the cargo hold of an Alaska Airlines flight first tried calling 911 in an effort to get the plane to return for a landing. When that failed, he started banging on the ceiling of the cargo hold. The man's calls to 911 dropped before he could convince dispatchers of his situation - that he was trapped in the cargo area of an Alaska Airlines flight that had just departed for Los Angeles. Ben Mutzabaugh/USA Today

Alaska Airlines bans baggage worker who got trapped in cargo hold -- A contract baggage handler who became trapped in the belly of an Alaska Airlines jet on takeoff from Seattle after falling asleep in the plane's cargo hold this week has been banned from all future work at the airline, a company spokeswoman said on Thursday. The employee of Menzies Aviation, which is contracted to provide ground services for Alaska Airlines, made news on Monday as an unintended stowaway on Flight 448 when he woke up from a nap inside the sealed baggage hold to realize the plane was already airborne. Victoria Cavaliere/Reuters

The incredible longshot bet on airlines -- Oil prices have been rising in the past two days but airline stocks are doing something surprising-they're rallying, too. And one trader is making a longshot bet that a major airline will see enormous gains in the next month. Airlines stocks have benefited from the collapse in crude. In the last six months alone, the price of oil has fallen 32 percent while the NYSE ARCA Airline index is up 32 percent. But over the last few days, oil has bounced back in a big way yet airlines haven't sold off. Lawrence Lewitinn/CNBC

American-US Airways mechanics, ground workers one step closer to union contract -- The National Mediation Board has granted single-carrier status for American and US Airways mechanics and ground workers, moving the workers another step closer to getting a new contract. Andrea Ahles/Fort Worth Star-Telegram

British Airways parent IAG quits European airline trade group in policy spat -- British Airways parent International Consolidated Airlines Group SA has pulled out of a major European airline trade body as the battle over how to deal with Middle East growth carriers escalates. IAG ceased its membership in the Brussels-based Association of European Airlines because "on some important policy issues is not aligned with the other AEA legacy airlines," the London-based airline group that also owns Spanish carrier Iberia said in a statement. Robert Wall/Wall Street Journal

Bill Shuster admits 'private and personal relationship' with airline lobbyist -- House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster is dating a top lobbyist for the leading U.S. airline trade association, an organization that spends millions of dollars trying to influence his panel. The Pennsylvania Republican is currently at the center of high-stakes negotiations to enact the most sweeping overhaul of the Federal Aviation Administration in decades. John Bresnahan, Anna Palmer & Jake Sherman/Politico 

Delta wins, travelers lose as the airline cuts flights abroad due to strong U.S. dollar -- Although the increasing strength of the U.S. dollar sounds like good news for travel (it can save you a bunch of money abroad, after all), it's actually causing problems for U.S. airlines as fewer people abroad are willing or able to lay out the cash for tickets. As a result, Delta Airlines will cut back on flights to Japan, Africa, India, the Middle East, and Brazil by as much as 20%, and cease all Moscow flights starting in the fourth quarter - the equivalent of 3% of its global capacity. Mike Dunphy/Road Warrior Voices

Emirates Airline wants documents made public that U.S. airlines, lobbying group sent to U.S. government -- Emirates Airline filed a request Thursday that the U.S. government make public any information that United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines and their coalition have submitted to support their allegiations that Emirates and two other Gulf carriers are getting massive subsidies from their governments. Terry Maxon/Dallas Morning News

Report: In-flight Wi-Fi of more interest to foreign fliers -- Interest in in-flight connectivity and related products and services is significantly higher outside the U.S. despite the fact that fewer Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft are operating internationally as compared to within the U.S., says a new study from aero-communications service provider Gogo. Not only are air travelers outside the U.S. and Canada more likely to carry their own Wi-Fi-enabled devices on a plane, they are also more willing to pay for the services, compared to travelers in the U.S. Bennet J. Wilson/USA Today

Metro halted Crenshaw rail line construction after safety violations -- All construction on the $2.1-billion Crenshaw Line was halted for four days recently after transportation officials witnessed a series of safety violations that escalated in severity, officials told The Times.The shutdown began Thursday and work resumed Monday. It was the first construction suspension of its kind in Metro history and comes as the light-rail line's contractor, Walsh/Shea Corridor Constructors, is ramping up heavy construction. Laura J. Nelson/Los Angeles Times

New Long Beach councilman Supernaw brings needed fiscal sense -- Voters got it right in Tuesday's special election when they chose Daryl Supernaw to represent the 4th District on the Long Beach City Council. Supernaw, a lifelong resident of the district and longtime volunteer, will bring a strong fiscally conservative voice to the City Council, which tilts to a more liberal, pro-union stance. That should make for a council that creates better-thought-out policy - not one in which all members are listening to the same campaign contributors. The Editorial Board/Long Beach Press-Telegram