Smoke on flight deck forces Allegiant flight to divert -- An Allegiant flight from McAllen, Texas, to Los Angles was forced to land in Arizona Thursday afternoon when smoke was reported on the flight deck. Flight 305 with service from McAllen Miller International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport departed McAllen at 2:05 p.m., according to Allegiant. The flight diverted to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport after the appearance of smoke on the flight deck. The flight landed safely in Phoenix-Mesa at 2:27 p.m. MST. KSNV-TV Las Vegas

New aviation chief: Double-decker Blue Line could carry express train to O'Hare -- An express train from downtown to O'Hare International Airport could be built on a second level of track above the CTA's Blue Line, providing a first-of-its-kind "double-decker" service down the middle of the Kennedy Expressway, Chicago Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans said. In a wide-ranging interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's new aviation chief bubbled with ideas about how to improve service to and at O'Hare - an airport she described as "busting at the seams" and having "a lot of needs." Fran Spielman & Rosalind Rossi/Chicago Sun-Times

Congo's President inaugurates new airport terminal, tower -- Congo's president on Thursday inaugurated a new airport terminal building and control tower at the capital's airport, nearly 60 years after it first opened. The new terminal is meant for international fights and has an annual capacity of 1 million passengers, said airport commander George Tabora at the ceremony. The 10,000 square meter terminal building can deal with about 500 new passengers during rush hour, said Congo's airline authority director-general Abdallah Bilenge. Saleh Mwanamilongo/AP

Michelle Obama to open 2015 Special Olympics in Los Angeles -- First lady Michelle Obama will travel to Los Angeles next month to kick off the Special Olympics World Games, organizers announced Thursday. Obama, long an advocate of physical fitness and healthy lifestyles, will take part in the opening ceremonies July 25 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics. "Her vision of wellness, fitness and inclusion of all in sport is at the heart of Special Olympics," Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver said. John Rogers/AP

Measles infects traveler at airport gate -- A traveler got infected with measles by passing a sick baby at an airline gate, researchers reported Thursday. Measles is the most infectious virus known and experts frequently point out it's possible to catch it just by entering a room where a patient's been within two hours. This case is a real-life example of it happening. The Minnesota traveler was diagnosed last May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports in its weekly update on disease. Maggie Fox/NBC News

Air travelers must commonly navigate a range of fees -- As a record 222 million people prepare to fly on U.S. airlines this summer, here's a reminder about some of the fees fliers will face. AP

American Airlines hopes Qatar stays in oneworld - CEO -- American Airlines' CEO has said he hopes Qatar Airways doesn't carry out its threat to leave the airline alliance oneworld, in spite of the ongoing row over subsidies between US and Gulf carriers. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker, on two occasions in the past month, has threatened to quit the oneworld airline alliance which it joined in 2013. Complaining about it business being inhibited by restricted terminal access at New York's John F. Kennedy airport, Al Baker said at the recent Paris Air Show, "We are only committed to oneworld provided the spirit in which we joined oneworld exists. Neil Halligan/Arabian Business

Southwest Airlines: Wall Street still doesn't get it, analyst says -- A veteran airline analyst said  Southwest Airlines is among the best bets airline investors can make. Shares in Southwest have sold off as investors consider whether the airline, which said it will grow capacity about 7% during the rest of the year, is growing too fast. "In our view, the Southwest story is misunderstood," wrote Imperial Capital analyst Bob McAdoo, in a report issued Wednesday. "Southwest shares may be the most attractive of the big four U.S. carriers over the next several months." Ted Reed/The Street

Senators: Gulf airline subsidies are 'distorting the market' -- A group of 21 senators said Thursday that Middle Eastern airlines that have come under fire for allegedly receiving subsidies from their government owners are "distorting the market" for international flights from U.S. airports. Unions that represent employees of the largest U.S. airlines, known collectively as the Big Three, have alleged Middle Eastern airlines such as Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates Airlines received more than $42 billion in subsidies since 2004. Keith Laing/The Hill

Pilot union, airlines and academics debate how to prevent pilot shortage -- Pilots, airlines and academics are wrestling with how to recruit more trainees into the industry, out of concerns that a shortage looms over the next two decades. The projected shortfall is debatable because pilots fall in love with the occupation in elementary school and are expected to keep pursuing the profession. But the explosive growth in travelers and planes projected over 20 years prompted the Air Line Pilots Association to explore how to expand recruiting and training during a full-day conference Thursday in Arlington, Va. Bart Jansen/USA Today

South African Airways long-haul turnaround continues with Accra-Washington launch & A340 extensions -- South African Airways is continuing attempts to turn around its long-haul operation by switching, in Aug-2015, the stopover point on some of its Washington Dulles flights from Dakar in Senegal to Accra in Ghana. SAA expects strong local demand for the new Accra-Washington leg compared to virtually no local demand for Dakar-Washington, which should result in a significant improvement in its US operation. CAPA Centre for Aviation

Turkish Airlines adds non-stop service between Atlanta and Istanbul -- Atlanta's long wait for non-stop service to Istanbul is over. Turkish Airlines will begin daily service to the city next year, on May 16. The city was quietly added to the carrier's network last week. News of the addition was first picked up by route-tracking website Airline Route on June 15. Turkish had been openly considering Atlanta for the better part of a year, with CEO Temel Kotil saying last September that the carrier wished to add the city to its network. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindren/USA Today

Key countries call for tribunal for Malaysia Airlines crash -- The five countries investigating last year's shooting down of a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine are calling for an international tribunal to prosecute those responsible. Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Thursday that her government is committed to working with Malaysia, Ukraine, Netherlands, Belgium, "and the broader international community to secure justice for the families of the victims. "The means for achieving this are currently being discussed by relevant countries," she said. Edith M. Lederer/AP

Boeing to slow production of its iconic 747 -- Boeing confirmed Wednesday that it would be reducing production of its iconic 747 jumbo jet to one per month starting in March of 2016. The airplane, one of the most recognizable in the world with its signature upper-deck hump, has struggled mightily in recent years as a dearth of orders has threatened to shutter the program. Rates have already dropped several times in recent years, settling at the present rate of 1.5 jets rolling off the line per month. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/USA Today

DWP to unveil plan to capture storm runoff -- It may not rain much in Los Angeles County, but when it does, a single storm can send up to 10 billion gallons of water surging into a vast network of storm channels with a single destination: the Pacific Ocean. For decades, environmental activists such as Andy Lipkis have argued that this ritual flushing of stormwater was a form of profligacy Los Angeles could ill afford. Monte Morin/Los Angeles Times

1,100 shared bikes coming to downtown Los Angeles -- A bikesharing program that will make 1,100 bikes available for short-term use in downtown Los Angeles is set to begin in 2016, under an $11 million contract awarded today by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The bicycles will be available from 65 stations around downtown Los Angeles, including Union Station and other downtown rail stations, the Los Angeles Convention Center, Grand Central Market, Pershing Square, the Arts District and the University of Southern California area. City News Service