LAX passenger traffic keeps climbing -- Los Angeles International Airport continued its record pace in April, according to figures released Friday. Last month, 5.9 million passengers moved through the airport, an increase of 3 percent of the same month last year. International traffic ticked up 4.2 percent to 1.6 million passengers, while the number of domestic travelers increased 2.7 percent to 4.4 million. Mail was the big mover last month, with a 22.3 percent increase in mail cargo compared to the same month a year ago. Other air cargo climbed 7.4 percent from a year ago. Los Angeles Business Journal LAX Statistics

LAX neighbors catch break on crush of cabs --The wave of cabs flooding streets around Los Angeles International Airport has receded, to the delight of nearby business owners who had noticed taxis hogging street parking in the area. Now, they want to make sure their newly cleared streets remain that way. Over the past two weeks, measures were taken to stem the taxi tide. The airport is now allowing cabs to queue on streets within airport property rather than in front of businesses. But as the city prepares to allow ridesharing companies to pick up fares at LAX - and with no sign that tourism in the region is abating anytime soon - some want to make it clear that the work is not yet d Mattt Pressberg/Los Angeles Business Journal 

Allegiant will resume flights from Cedar Rapids to Los Angeles -- Travelers will be able to fly nonstop between Cedar Rapids to Los Angeles beginning Wednesday, June 3, when Allegiant Air resumes seasonal service. Las Vegas-based Allegiant will offer two weekly flights to Los Angeles through the summer. Flights are scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. Allegiant offered similar service last summer that ended on Sept. 8. George C. Ford/The Gazette

Van Nuys Airport now welcomes international traffic -- Private airplanes arriving from outside the country can now land at Van Nuys Airport, thanks to the re-opening of a customs station after nearly 10 years, a local congressman announced today. International flights had been required to go through Los Angeles International Airport first before heading to the Van Nuys Airport, where the customs station closed in 2006. Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Panorama City, said the customs station at the Van Nuys Airport re-opened May 21 and is now processing international flights ahead of schedule. City News Service

Westfield debuts video sneak peek of new LAX remodel -- In partnership with Los Angeles World Airports, Westfield is giving a sneak peek of the transformation coming to Terminal 6 at Los Angeles International Airport with the release of an exclusive new video. Inspired by Los Angeles' iconic Sunset Boulevard, the new design will feature 14 L.A.-based brands and 13 new airport firsts anywhere, and unite the terminal's existing disjointed buildings into a seamless, cutting-edge consumer experience, according to a company release. Fast Casual

Virgin Atlantic's playful LAX lounge (photos) -- Virgin Atlantic revealed more photos of it's brand new $2.5 million Clubhouse at Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 2. [More...] Here's a closer look at the fun space that seems to us like a cross between a lounge and a colorful kiddie playroom. What do you think? Please leave your comments on the TravelSkills.com blog. Chris McGinnis/SF Gate/TravelSkills.com 

Inside American's new Boeing 787 Dreamliner parked at LAX -- American Airlines brought its Boeing 787 to Los Angeles for the first time on Thursday. There's no scheduled service to L.A. yet - American is only flying passengers between Dallas and Chicago - but the goal was to familiarize LAX ground staff with the aircraft. I was impressed with American's 787. No, it doesn't compare with Etihad or Emirates, but the cabin is warm and inviting. It feels different than American's other aircraft, and a bit more luxurious. BrianSumers.com 

Ontario airport's international traffic continues to grow -- International passenger traffic continues to see a sizable growth at LA/Ontario International Airport, with one Mexican carrier adding a fourth flight to Guadalajara next month. Domestic travel through ONT was essentially flat during April, up less than 1 percent. According to April passenger figures released by Los Angeles World Airports on Friday, international traffic increased 74 percent from the same month in 2014. AeroMexico and Volaris, which offer 11 nonstop weekly flights to Mexico, served 11,714 passengers in April. Liset Marquez/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin ONT Statistics

Norma Burleson named to Ontario's Volunteer Walk of Fame -- Norma Burleson, an Ontario resident who has volunteered 4,724 hours in the past 17 years for the Travelers Aid of the Inland Empire, was honored Friday by the City Council at the 22nd annual Volunteer Walk of Fame. Burleson, a retired budget analyst who arrives each Monday morning at 5:45 a.m. at the LA/ Ontario International Airport to help travelers board their planes and field questions, received a bronze star during the special ceremony that acknowledges outstanding city volunteers. Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Pre-clearance operations at Tokyo's Narita airport to help visitor industry, Hawaii Tourism Authority says -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's announcement to open pre-clearance operations at Narita would help the tourism industry and bring relief to Honolulu International Airport, the Hawaii Tourism Authority says. Japan Airlines last flew to Kona in 2010, and it has not been able to accommodate new international flights because of an outdated Federal Inspection Service site. Jason Ubay/Pacific Business News

Sinkhole: D/FW Airport runway closes again, then reopens -- A main runway that handles the biggest planes flying in and out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport closed for a second time Friday morning after continuing heavy rains made repairs to the drainage system that caused the concavity more difficult than anticipated. And another sinkhole has opened on airport property, although the second one isn't causing any runway closures or otherwise affecting flights, airport spokesman David Maga�a said. Bill Hethcock/Dallas Business Journal

Workers prepare for opening of new Wichita airport terminal (VIDEOS) -- Homer Taylor needed to find the TV guy. Taylor, a minority owner of Taylor Foodservice, was responsible for the design and construction of the six new food service options at the new Wichita Eisenhower National Airport, which was set to open in less than a week, and the TV deliveries were already an hour late. "We are behind a little bit," Taylor said. Oliver Morrison/Wichita Eagle

Airplane passenger's suicide note, threats stall San Francisco flight: witness  -- An unhinged passenger scribbled a suicide note aboard a San Francisco flight and threatened to take innocent bystanders with him when he died, fellow passengers said. The man's frightened seatmate read the troubling message over his shoulder and warned the crew as the Virgin America flight prepared for takeoff. "He started writing extremely fast - with anger," Vicki Riffe told the Daily News on Thursday, just hours after the terrifying ordeal. "I was scared to death." Doyle Murphy/New York Daily News

FAA proposes fining Allegiant Air for alleged drug-testing lapses -- Federal regulators are proposing a $266,375 civil penalty against Allegiant Air for allegedly violating drug and alcohol testing regulations. The government claims Allegiant failed to include 25 employees that it hired or transferred into safety-sensitive positions in its random drug and alcohol testing pools. Eleven of the employees had safety-sensitive duties when they weren't in the required random pools, the Federal Aviation Administration alleges. Alison Grant/Cleveland Plain Dealer

Passenger jet nearly collides with drone in midair; lasers target planes -- A passenger jet nearly collided midair with a drone at 2,700 feet as it approached New York's LaGuardia Airport on Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration says. The crew of Shuttle America Flight 2708 reported climbing 200 feet to avoid a collision as the plane made its final approach to the airport around 11 a.m., according to Newsday. The jet, with 70 to 78 passenger seats, was arriving from Washington, D.C., and landed safely without any reported injuries. Yamiche Alcindor/USA Today

Muslim chaplain from NU claims racist remarks on United flight -- A Muslim chaplain from Northwestern University said a United Airlines flight attendant made derogatory comments to her after she requested an unopened can of Diet Coke on a flight from Chicago to Washington D.C. Tahera Ahmad, an associate chaplain and director of interfaith engagement, relayed the alleged incident on Facebook while she was on the flight Friday night. She told her followers she was in tears following the exchange, which she said prompted a passenger to swear at her and also make anti-Muslim remarks. Rummana Hussain/Chicago Sun Times

Why Alaska Airlines CEO had a 'massive pit' in his stomach after signing Seahawks Russell Wilson deal -- Alaska Air Group had never had a prominent athlete sponsor but when quarterback Russell Wilson completed his successful first season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013, the company decided it was time. This was before the Seahawks went to the Super Bowl, and before Wilson was a household name. His skill and likability intrigued Alaska CEO Brad Tilden and Joe Sprague, the company's senior vice president of communications and external relations, and they decided to push ahead with the deal. Rachel Lerman/Puget Sound Business Journal

American Airlines names executive to head regional carrier Piedmont Airlines -- American Airlines said Friday that it is appointing US Airways executive Lyle Hogg as president of its Piedmont Airlines subsidiary. Hogg has been vice president of flight operations for US Airways. "Hogg will report to Piedmont chief executive officer Steve Farrow, who previously held both the CEO and president titles," American said. "Farrow plans to retire from Piedmont in early 2016, and today's announcement is part of Farrow's leadership succession plan for the regional carrier." Terry Maxon/Dallas Morning News

Shannon Okinaka officially named Hawaiian Airlines CFO -- Hawaiian Airlines officially appointed Shannon Okinaka as its executive vice president and chief financial officer, according to an 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Hawaiian Airlines, a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings Inc., officially appointed Okinaka to the position on May 21. She had been serving as senior vice president and interim CFO since Jan. 12 after replacing Scott Topping. Jason Ubay/Pacific Business News

Spirit Airlines robot responds to questions on social media -- Most major airlines now employ a team of workers to respond to passenger complaints and questions that appear on social media sites such as Twitter. Florida-based Spirit Airlines, the ultra-low-cost carrier, is taking a different tack. Spirit has instead put a robot in control of its Twitter operation to automatically respond to questions. "A big social media team costs money, so we put our feed on autopilot to save you cents on every ticket," the airline explains on its Twitter site. Hugo Martin/Los Angeles Times

Airlines must pay more for lost bags and bumped fliers -- Inflation is no fun when it increases your everyday expenses. The good news is that rising inflation means that airlines must pay you more for losing your luggage or bumping you from your seat. To keep up with inflation, the U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced that it was raising the maximum that carriers must pay passengers whose bags are lost or damaged. The top payout will increase to $3,500 from $3,400 on domestic flights. Hugo Martin/Los Angeles Times

SkyMall is back! -- Is SkyMall the comeback kid of the retailer industry? You bet your 100-watt hand-held garment steamer with travel pouch and accessories ($29.99) it is. On Twitter, SkyMall said that folks can purchase products online at SkyMall.com and is expected to be back on planes by the year's end, according to the Huffington Post. The eccentric catalog announced early this month on social media that "we have new owners who are working on bringing it back."  The former parent company of the airline catalog, Xhibit Corp., filed for bankruptcy in January, citing a funding crisis. Jessica Durando/USA Today

San Fernando leaders confront state officials over bullet train route -- Finding a route into the Los Angeles Basin for the California bullet train is proving far more difficult than it seemed a year ago, as opposition is surging in wealthy and working-class communities alike. The depth of opposition became more apparent Thursday evening when protesters in the city of San Fernando took over an open house meeting held by the California High-Speed Rail Authority. They demanded that state officials answer questions about the project's impact on their community. Ralph Vartabedian/Los Angeles Times

DWP complaints keep pouring in -- Never thought I'd say this, but I'm beginning to feel a little sympathy for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Why? Because I'm getting bombarded with ratepayer complaints, just as the ginormous utility has been for the last couple of years. And like the DWP, I can't keep up. The good news is that nobody has topped the Van Nuys couple who got a $51,000 water bill, so I won't have to pay up on my promise to deliver a low-flush toilet to anyone who bested them. But there has been no drought of emails from irritated customers. Steve Lopez/Los Angeles Times