Airports

Two Southwest Airlines jets clip wings on tarmac at Burbank airport -- Two Southwest Airlines jets clipped wings Saturday morning as one plane was being pushed back from the terminal at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, airport and airline officials said. Nobody was injured and the two Boeing 737s were taken out of service for inspection. Passengers were being moved to other flights. The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. Photographs posted online showed one plane's winglet -- the vertical tip on the main wing -- touching the horizontal stabilizer at the rear of the other plane. Alan Zarembo/Los Angeles Times

Honolulu-bound jet diverted to LAX after toilets malfunction -- A Honolulu-bound jetliner had to divert to Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday after three of the six toilets onboard malfunctioned, authorities said. American Airlines Flight 005, a Boeing 767-300 with 212 passengers and 10 crew members, landed at LAX at about noon, said airline spokeswoman Alexis Aran Coello. The wide-body jet took off from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport at 10:38 a.m. local time on a scheduled 81/2 hour nonstop flight to Hawaii. Carla Rivera/Los Angeles Times

Delta to add 3 daily Tucson-to-LAX nonstops -- Delta Air Lines will start non-stop service between Tucson and Los Angeles International Airport with three flights daily, starting Dec. 19. Seats on the flights are available for sale starting Saturday, according to Tucson Airport Authority. All three flights are timed for passengers to make convenient connections to other West Coast cities, the airport said. Also, the first departure of the day will connect with flights to Hawaii, the mid-day departure offers connections on Delta and partner airlines to Asia and Europe, and the evening flight will offer more connections to Europe as well as connections to destinations in Latin America. Arizona Daily Star

7-Eleven to bring Big Gulps to LAX -- Los Angeles International Airport will become the first airport in the nation later this month to add a 7-Eleven convenience store. The store will open June 24 in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, offering many of the same snacks and drinks offered at neighborhood stores. That includes the giant 32-ounce Big Gulp. (Don't try to get that through the security checkpoint.) One major difference is that most neighborhood 7-Eleven stores are open 24 hours a day. This one will be open 6 a.m. to midnight. Hugo Martin/Los Angeles Times Kelly Taylor/Fox11

Check out Virgin Atlantic's swanky new clubhouse at LAX -- Flying with Virgin Atlantic is always an experience. And for their customers traveling in and out of Los Angeles International Airport, the airline recently launched a brand new clubhouse that will coddle and relax.  "We've always been focused on offering services that are conducive to the lifestyle in Los Angeles, from being the first airline to offer limo service to launching the concepts of onboard bars and seat-back entertainment," Virgin Atlantic North America senior vice president Chris Rossi said in a statement. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

LAX approves contract to upgrade airport Wi-Fi -- Travelers flying in and out of Los Angeles International Airport should soon get free wireless speeds that would be four times faster than the current service in the terminals. The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners voted Thursday to award a $5.9-million contract to Boingo Wireless Inc. to upgrade, manage and operate the Wi-Fi network at the airport. The contract still needs the approval of the Los Angeles City Council. Airport officials say the upgraded service can begin within 45 days. Hugo Martin/Los Angeles Times

Street paving near LA/Ontario International Airport may cause delays -- Travelers are being advised to arrive early at LA/Ontario International in the next couple of weeks due to a road closure. One of the roadways near the main entrance to ONT at North Way, east of Archibald Avenue, will be closed from Monday through June 21 for asphalt repavement. North Way, which leads to the terminal areas and adjacent parking lots, is being repaved and resurfaced for safety and reduced emergency repairs in the future. Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Woman who vanished from Atlanta airport for days found safe at local hospital  -- Lost - now found. A 32-year-old woman who vanished Sunday from the bustling airport in Atlanta has been found at a local hospital "and is in good health," police said. Anna Giannini left Milan, Italy, and landed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport around 5:10 p.m. before a scheduled connecting flight to Albuquerque. But she never showed in New Mexico, her final destination, and worried family members contacted police, who issued a missing person alert Wednesday. Sasha Goldstein/New York Daily News

Southwest Airlines to launch flights between Orange County and Puerto Vallarta --The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board has announced plans by Southwest Airlines to offer daily nonstop flights between John Wayne Airport in Orange County and the International Airport Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, starting June 18. Puerto Vallarta is the ninth international destination for Southwest. Southwest Airlines will also offer daily nonstop flights between Denver International Airport in the U.S. and Puerto Vallarta, starting in November, subject to approvals by the relevant government agencies. Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board Press Release

State troopers come through with pizzas for stranded Atlantic City fliers -- For at least the second time in a week, delivery pizza has been called on to lessen the suffering of stranded airline passengers. The latest comes from Atlantic City, N.J., where two New Jersey state troopers came to the rescue after a canceled Spirit Airlines flight left more than 100 passengers stranded in the Atlantic City International Airport. The cancellation happened Sunday night, leaving passengers stuck at the airport after most concessions at the small airport had closed. Ben Mutzabaugh/USA Today

Airlines

American Airlines CEO cites capacity growth risks -- American Airlines Group Inc Chief Executive Doug Parker voiced concern on Sunday about the risk that capacity growth among airlines could depress profits, but told Reuters that in contrast with past cycles, the rise in capacity "feels different." Asked about investor concerns that capacity increases at U.S. airlines are starting to exceed growth in demand, Parker said, "the real question is, is this a one-time catch up for fuel prices being lower or is this airlines behaving like airlines used to and just increasing capacity because times are good. Alwyn Scott/Reuters

Korean Air sees no drop in U.S. bookings because of MERS -- Korean Air Lines Co Ltd has seen some concern from U.S. customers about the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in South Korea but bookings from the United States have not been affected, an executive at the airline said. The Seoul-based airline has received calls from U.S. customers asking about the safety of travel to the region, although sales numbers suggest demand is steady, said John E. Jackson, Korean Air's vice president of passenger marketing and sales for the Americas. Jeffrey Dastin/Reuters 

Only a few airlines challenge Etihad's growth: CEO -- Etihad Airways chief executive James Hogan on Sunday played down concern of broadening opposition to the growth of Middle East airlines even as he warned that pricing in major markets was exceptionally weak. It is "only a handful of people" challenging the growth of Etihad and its neighbors Emirates Airline and Qatar Airways, Mr. Hogan said in an interview on Sunday. Robert Wall/MarketWatch

Ultra-low-cost carriers set their sights on expansion -- Ultra-low-cost carriers with thin-cushion seats and a long menu of passenger fees reap hefty profits, and that is why fliers can expect a major expansion in such low-fare carriers in the next few years. Denver-based Frontier Airlines, the latest carrier to convert to an ultra-low-cost format, announced last week that it had ordered 12 new Airbus aircraft, including 10 jets that can hold as many as 230 passengers each. Frontier already has back orders for an additional 89 planes with Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer. The current fleet has 55 planes. Hugo Martin/Los Angeles Times

10 Free airline amenities that make flying fun again -- With all the airline fees adding up, it's hard to remember what perks you get as a passenger. However, there are still some airlines that show their appreciation for customers, dishing out amenities that make them stand out from the rest. These airlines have come up with everything from free alcoholic beverages and DirecTV to slippers and playing cards. Want to catch a surprise Imagine Dragons flight? Dying to flirt with that person you met at the gate? These amenities aren't just available to first-class passengers either - they're available to all passengers throughout the cabin. Jessie Fetterling/Time Money

Texan convicted of disrupting Southwest Airlines flight -- A 25-year-old Fort Worth man was found guilty Friday of interfering with a flight crew and forcing a Southwest Airlines plane to make an unscheduled landing. After a four-day trial, a federal court jury in Amarillo deliberated less than three hours before returning a guilty verdict against Zachary Marshall Ziba. He could receive up to 20 years in prison and be fined up to $250,000 when sentenced on Aug. 14. Ziba was aboard a Jan. 18 flight from Denver to Dallas when he became disruptive, intimidated a flight attendant and used profanities, prosecutors said. AP

United Express flight crew puts out fire in plane while in mid-air, makes emergency landing --The crew on a United Express flight put out a fire in the cockpit in mid-air Friday and performed an emergency landing, airline officials said. The small Dash 8 turboprop commuter plane with 36 passengers took off from Newark Liberty International Airport and reported the fire about 12:15 p.m. near Bradley, about 15 miles north of the plane's destination in Hartford, said Joel Raymond, a spokesman for the airline. Avianne Tan/Good Morning America

Why airfares are dropping in Chicago -- Led by American Airlines, the big carriers in the Chicago market are cutting fares, providing a break to leisure and business travelers alike, though perhaps at the expense of shareholders. At O'Hare International Airport and its other hubs, American is reducing ticket prices to keep lower-cost, discount airlines from stealing customers. In Chicago, American wants to thwart Southwest Airlines, the dominant carrier at Midway International Airport that is adding flights to Latin America this fall. Micah Maidenberg/Crain's Chicago Business

Lufthansa CEO sees good May traffic as new seats lure fliers -- A positive trend in April traffic at Germany's Lufthansa continued in May with new business class and premium economy seats attracting passengers, Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said on Sunday. Lufthansa said last month its April passenger numbers rose 6.7 percent to 9.14 million, though the load factor, or proportion of seats sold, dropped 1.4 percentage points to 78.1 percent. It is due to publish May traffic figures on Wednesday.  Victoria Bryan/Reuters 
Aviation Security

Security experts say TSA is due for an overhaul -- The Transportation Security Administration is on the ropes again - reeling from news that undercover federal agents had a 95% success rate at sneaking fake bombs past airport security checkpoints. In response, the head of the Department of Homeland Security has "reassigned" TSA's acting administrator. But security experts suggest bigger changes are needed such as making huge investments in new screening technology and overhauling the entire agency. Hugo Martin/Los Angeles Times

The TSA's 95% failure rate: Be careful what you ask for when demanding that Congress "do something" -- Melvin Carraway didn't deserve to be fired. Of course, he didn't deserve to be in the position from which he was fired either. Last week Carrway was "reassigned" from his job as acting administrator of the Transportation Security Administration. That came in response to intense criticism of the TSA following release of a report showing that it failed to stop 95 percent of the weapons that inspectors attempted to sneak through airport screening stations as part of their regular audit program. Dan Reed/Forbes 
Aviation Safety

Social media new x-factor in safety investigations, IATA chief says -- One of the unexpected lessons from the apparently intentional crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 was how quickly social media can influence policy-makers charged with making changes. "We are nowadays in a world where communication is extremely rapid with direct communication," Tony Tyler, CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said Thursday. "Airlines almost are seeing things on their television screens ... quicker than their internal systems are able to communicate with them." Alan Gomez/USA Today

Tourism

California tourism chief backs Gulf carriers in Open Skies row -- The president of a tourism association in California has backed Gulf carriers in the ongoing dispute with US rivals over alleged subsidies and violations of the Open Skies pact. Ed Fuller, president and CEO of Orange County Visitors Association (OCVA) of California, declared his support during a recent visit to the UAE. The visit was made as part of a promotional push to attract increased visitors from the UAE and surrounding Gulf States to Orange County. Arabian Business.com

Airplanes

Boeing to offer aircraft financing if trade bank shuts -- Boeing Co. said it may temporarily provide financing for some aircraft purchases by airlines caught up in the uncertain future of the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. if Congress fails to extend the bank's mandate before it expires at the end of June. The plane maker's customers are the biggest users of Ex-Im Bank, whose guarantees secure billions of dollars in commercial funding. And Boeing, as one of the most vocal proponents of reauthorizing the government-backed corporation, would have no option because rival Airbus Group SE is able to rely on European export credit agencies to support some of its jet sales. Doug Cameron/Wall Street Journal

Rail

Claremont council to review deal for a Foothill Gold Line station -- The City Council is expected to review a cooperative agreement later this month with the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority which will outline the working relationship between the construction authority and Claremont, said Habib Balian, executive director of the authority. Balian updated the council, during a meeting last month, on the progress being made with the light-rail project and the proposed station in Claremont. Liset Marquez/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

First phase of bullet train is cut due to Bakersfield, Shafter disputes -- State bullet train officials have cut eight miles of track from an initial 130-mile section of construction in the Central Valley as a result of legal disputes with local cities. Instead of ending in the outskirts of Bakersfield, the rail work will now stop just north of Shafter. A still-pending legal battle also could eliminate a proposed elevated structure that would have carried high-speed trains through Shafter's downtown. Dan Weikel & Ralph Vartabedian/Los Angeles Times

Hospitality

Hotels say sustainable moves could stick around -- California's persistent drought might be turning lawns brown across Los Angeles, but some hotel operators are seeing green. From recycling laundry water to serving meals on disposable plates that aren't washed, hotel executives are not only cutting water use but they are generating savings that, in some cases, pay for the changes and even help feed new business opportunities. Carol Lawrence/Los Angeles Business Journal

Aviation Data & Analysis
Latin American Airlines Report 3.8% More Passengers in April
Courtesy Oliver Wyman PlaneStats
City Government

Will L.A. put money behind wage theft crackdown? -- L.A. City Council members are poised to create a new office to enforce local wage laws, part of a larger push to require a $15-per-hour minimum wage by 2020. How much that office will cost, and whether it will experience the same funding woes that have befallen other city agencies, is an unresolved question. A UC Berkeley research team told the council that its new Wage Enforcement Division would need 25 investigators to match the efforts of San Francisco, which it views as having the best-developed program on enforcement. What the council approved, for the time being at least, is $500,000 - enough for five analyst positions for the fiscal year that starts July 1. David Zahniser/Los Angeles Times

Ezell Ford: Protesters gather at Eric Garcetti's house, call for action -- Protesters descended upon Mayor Eric Garcetti's home early Sunday morning, calling for the mayor to take action over last summer's fatal shooting of Ezell Ford. About a dozen people held pictures of the late 25-year-old as they stood on the sidewalk outside Getty House, the official mayoral residence in Windsor Square, and outlined their demands. The demonstrators, part of the Black Lives Matter movement, called on Garcetti to fire LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and hold a public forum to discuss the investigation into Ford's death. Kate Mather/Los Angeles Times Brenda Gazzar/Los Angeles Daily News

L.A.'s tech industry is booming, but how big is it? -- Nearly everyone believes that tech in Los Angeles is booming. But measuring that growth is a murky business, with no consensus among the city's officials, economists, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists on where to begin, what regions to include or what even constitutes a tech job. Among the points of contention: Should Uber and Lyft drivers be counted as tech workers?  Andrea Chang/Los Angeles Times

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