Airports

Jetliner makes emergency return to LAX after fuel spill at terminal -- A Honolulu-bound jetliner that leaked hundreds of gallons of fuel at a passenger terminal before takeoff returned to Los Angeles International Airport on Monday afternoon after a fuel warning light activated in the cockpit, sources said. Hawaiian Airlines Flight 3, an Airbus A330 with 300 people on board, turned around shortly after departure from LAX and landed safely about 2:30 p.m. A warning light indicating a possible fuel leak prompted the pilots to return, although the plane's instruments did not indicate any fuel loss, according to the airline. Dan Weikel/Los Angeles Times Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Hacked off: LAX-dependent cabbies hem in area businesses -- Taxis have been flooding LAX lately, overwhelming the airport's parking system and spilling out onto the streets of Westchester and the Century Boulevard corridor - causing headaches for businesses and hotels in the area. Why the sudden surge of taxis? Passenger traffic is booming at Los Angeles International Airport, and regulations there have made it one of the only places in town where taxicabs still have an edge over increasingly ubiquitous ridesharing services Uber and Lyft. Howard Fine/Los Angeles Business Journal

Signature Van Nuys builds new customs facility -- Pilots arriving at Los Angeles-area airports from outside the U.S. will breathe a sigh of relief beginning May 21 because they will be able to clear customs at a dedicated clearance facility at the Signature Flight Support FBO at Van Nuys Airport instead of having to land at Los Angeles International Airport first. Since 2007, when customs support for general aviation airports in the Los Angeles area was withdrawn, pilots have had to land first at LAX then make short hops to their final destinations. Matt Thurber/AIN Online

Ground transit takes off -- As airlines cut back flights out of Santa Barbara Airport, the Santa Barbara Airbus has made up the ground. Many travelers face less-than-convenient itineraries or premium ticket prices to fly between smaller cities, which have them exploring other options. Major airlines have been scaling down as fuel prices spiked, flight occupancy dipped and carriers merged. This is especially true for smaller airports in the Tri-Counties. Both Frontier and American Eagle dropped out of the Santa Barbara Airport over the past year. Alex Kacik/Pacific Coast Business Times

Airport baggage handlers accused of smuggling marijuana -- Almost a dozen Bay Area residents, including three who worked as baggage handlers for Southwest Airlines at Oakland International Airport, have been charged in a conspiracy to use the handlers' special security access to ship marijuana throughout the United States, federal prosecutors announced Monday. Fourteen defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, according to the Department of Justice. Natalie Neysa Alund /Bay Area News Group

Monsters invade San Francisco International Airport -- We've all dealt with ghoulish behavior by fellow travelers, but now true monsters have invaded San Francisco International Airport. Unlike the line cutters and seatback recliners we recoil from, these monsters are cool and classic, with names like The Mummy, Dracula and Frankenstein. And, through November 2015, the SFO Museum is hosting an exhibition of monster memorabilia with real movie props, original artwork, themed novelty toys and other creature collectibles. Harriet Baskas/USA Today

Dogs will help travelers de-stress at Charlotte airport -- Travelers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport have the chance to calm down with furry new volunteers: The CLT Canine Crew is now roaming the terminal. The new program features eight certified therapy dogs and their handlers, who will visit Charlotte's airport between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on a rotating basis. The dogs wear blue and yellow "Pet Me" vests, and they're all non-barkers. "These dogs are rock stars," said interim Aviation Director Brent Cagle. "Their basic job is to welcome customers." Ely Portillo/Charlotte Observer

Cleveland to Europe: Airport director says push is on for transatlantic flight -- Next stop, Europe? After putting their campaign to attract a new transatlantic flight on hold for a year to deal with the crisis of United Airlines' downsizing, airport leaders are ready to renew efforts to land nonstop service from Cleveland across the pond. It's a push that Cleveland Hopkins director Ricky Smith hopes will land a flight to Europe by 2017. One industry analyst is even more optimistic: "Service to London is not an if, it's a when," said Michael Boyd, chairman of the Boyd Group International, a Denver-based aviation consulting firm. Susan Glaser/Cleveland Plain Dealer

Surgeon General calls out Atlanta Airport's smoking lounges -- The U.S. Surgeon General has called on the city of Atlanta to make Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport completely smoke-free. Currently, smoking is allowed in designated smoking lounges in each of the airport's terminals.  A tweet, posted by Dr. Vivek Murthy, shows him standing in front of an airport smoking lounge sign. His face is stoic. His thumb points down. The tweet reads:"#MadMen ended, and this should, too. World's busiest airport can be its healthiest. Make #ATL airport tobacco-free!" Jim Burress/NPR Atlanta

MSP airport not yet voting on $15 minimum wage -- A small victory today for workers and supporters of a $15 per hour minimum wage at the airport. After much discussion, the Metropolitan Airport Commission decided to wait 30 days before voting on any kind of increase. It was standing room only inside the commission chambers as dozens waited their turn to talk wages. For these airport workers, $15 per hour is what they feel they need to live. Many said they work so much just to exist, they have no time for life. Reg Chapman/CBS Minnesota

Airlines

Rahm Emanuel reverses position on policy that would affect Chicago-based United Airlines -- In a move that shows why Chicago's called "clout city," United Airlines may have used its political influence to strong-arm Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) into reversing his stance on an air-travel measure he previously supported. The Open Skies policy allows international airlines to fly to the U.S. without any governmental interference in establishing routes, airfare and other operational factors, as a means of promoting economic competition, tourism and trade. Marina Fang/Huffington Post

Struggling start-up airline turns to crowdfunding for cash -- A start-up airline that has failed multiple times to get off the ground since the 1990s is now turning to crowdfunding in its latest attempt to begin service. In making its pitch for your cash, Avatar Airlines claims it's "poised to revolutionize the airline industry as 'the ultra-low fare' leader with no baggage fees (up to two) and fares as low as $19" on 581-seat Boeing 747-400 aircraft. Avatar began the crowdfunding campaign earlier this month, but stepped up effort Monday with a media push. Ben Mutzabaugh/USA Today

American Air execs, 17 months into merger, are just getting started -- Speaking to an investor conference on Thursday, American Airlines Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr seemed to say that the airline's management team, which took over in 2013, is just getting started on the changes it wants to make. So far, Kerr said "the focus has been on integrating the airline and not necessarily efficiency projects." He noted, "We need to invest in product, that hasn't been done for a long time." Ted Reed/The Street

Delta, United, American wary as labor unrest roils small airlines -- Tension is growing between airline management and workers. That's worrisome for an industry better known for bankruptcies and failures than it is for long-term stability. Two smallish carriers, Larry Ellison-owned Hawaii Island Air and Sun Country Airlines, in recent weeks have either cut service or threatened to do so in response to pilot squabbles. Lou Whiteman/The Street

Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants Protest at HK Airport -- Several hundred Cathay Pacific flight attendants were camped inside Hong Kong's airport on Tuesday after union members voted for industrial action to protest their treatment by the airline. Union member Ada So said more than 600 union members cast votes, with most in favor of taking action. They are protesting a cut to some cabin crew allowances, pay discrepancies for junior staff renewing their contracts and loss of legal support for workers involved in court cases such as civil action stemming from a passenger assault. AP

Aviation Security

TSA, HHS speed up move to cyber dashboards -- The hope and expectation of the Homeland Security Department's continuous diagnostics and mitigation (CDM) program hasn't diminished as the cyber program has rolled out over the past year. No bid protests nor miscommunications and have stymied the program, which Congress funded at $183 million in 2014 and the White House asked for another $103 million in 2016. But two recent agency procurements make one wonder if patience is running short among agencies. Jason Miller/Federal News Radio

Former head of TSA, Hoosier native calls transition to Anderson University 'fascinating' -- The former head of the Transportation Security Administration, and number two in line at the Federal Bureau of Ivestigation, called his transition to Anderson University "fascinating" in an interview Monday with FOX59. "I've loved interacting with the students," John Pistole said, who took over as the university's fifth president in March.The job, Pistole jokingly said is one he's wasn't qualified to get. In fact, he almost didn't even tell his wife about the initial offer. Matt Smith/Fox59

Alleged airline hack may expose transit vulnerabilities -- An alleged hacking incident on a plane has raised questions about the prospect of someone remotely taking over the cockpit controls, which some industry and security experts fear is more possible than many would hope. "Aviation is becoming more and more vulnerable as you add things like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and now we have streaming sat-com [satellite communications] coming into your airplane," said Stephen Ganyard, a former Marine Corps fighter pilot and ABC News consultant. Meghan Keneally/ABC News

Travel

If Amtrak were an airline -- This past week, ever since an Amtrak train derailed near Philadelphia, there have been numerous calls by congressmen and pundits to re-privatize rail in the United States, or at least to try to run Amtrak for profit. (Incidentally, since that crash, which killed eight people, an estimated five hundred and forty Americans have died in car accidents.) So just what would it look like if Amtrak were run by the standards of its competitors in the airline industry? It turns out that the critics are right. Tim Wu/The New Yorker

Aviation Data & Analysis
European Airlines Report 1.4% More Passengers in March
Courtesy Oliver Wyman PlaneStats
Economy

L.A. employers are optimistic, but investing more in technology than hiring, survey finds -- Employers in Los Angeles County are in growth mode, but it's a trajectory built on equipment and technology investments rather than hiring, according to a new survey. The eighth annual poll from the Los Angeles County Business Federation found that two-thirds of participants believe that business conditions will improve this year from 2014. Tiffany Hse/Los Angeles Times Kevin Smith/Los Angeles Daily News

City Government

Tuesday's LA runoff election to leave City Council more diverse -- Part of Hollywood will go to the polls Tuesday to elect its next Los Angeles City Council representative, leaving the city's governing body more diverse no matter who wins. The residents of Council District 4 will choose between David Ryu, a community health administrator, and Carolyn Ramsay, who worked for outgoing councilman Tom LaBonge. The district encompasses parts of Hollywood, North Hollywood, the Miracle Mile and all of Griffith Park. Conan Nolan/NBC4

Workers march through downtown to City Hall in support of anti-wage theft bureau -- Dozens of garment, car wash, restaurant and other workers marched through the downtown area to Los Angeles City Hall on Monday to back the creation of an anti-wage theft bureau and adoption of strong enforcement measures aimed at preventing employers from stiffing workers out of their wages. The council is set to take up the wage theft measure on today, along with a plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020. City News Service

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