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In rememberance of the 14th anniversary of 9/11/01, Eye on L.A. Aviation once again pauses to remember and honor the airline employees killed in the hijackings and crashes of AA11, AA77, UA93 and UA175:
American 11 (BOS-LAX crashed into North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. EDT)
Captain John Ogonowski, First Officer Thomas McGuinness, and Flight Attendants Barbara Arestegui, Jeffrey Collman, Sara Low, Karen Martin, Kathleen Nicosia, Betty Ong, Jean Roger, Dianne Snyder and Madeline Sweeney.
United 175 (BOS-LAX crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m. EDT)
Captain Victor J. Saracini, First Officer Michael Horrocks, and Flight Attendants Robert Fangman, Amy Jarret, Amy King, Kathryn Laborie, Al Marchand, Michael Tarrou and Alicia Titus.
American 77 (IAD-LAX crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. EDT)
Captain Charles Burlingame, First Officer David Charlebois, and Flight Attendants Michele Heidenberger, Jennifer Lewis, Kenneth Lewis and Renee May.
United 93 (EWR-SFO crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m. EDT)
Captain Jason Dahl, First Officer Leroy Homer, and Flight Attendants Lorraine Bay, Sandy Bradshaw, Wanda Green, CeeCee Lyles and Deborah Welsh.
We shall never forget.
Click here to listen to audio from the morning of Sept. 11, 2001
Click here to read a minute by minute recounting of the events of 9/11/01.
For a listing of 9/11 observances in the Greater Los Angeles Area, click here. |
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LAX Press Conference 9/11/2001 - Photo by Amy Willard
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At ground zero, 9/11 anniversary now both public and private -- After years as a private commemoration, the anniversary of Sept. 11 at ground zero now also has become an occasion for public reflection on the site of the terror attacks. An estimated 20,000 people flocked to the memorial plaza on the evening of Sept. 11 last year, the first year the public was able to visit on the anniversary. The plaza will open three hours earlier after Friday's 14th anniversary ceremony, where victims' families will gather for what has become a tradition of tolling bells, observing poignant moments of silence and reading the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror strike. Jennifer Peltz & Jonathan Lemire/AP
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9/11 White House emails capture history through modern lens -- It started out as just another day at the White House. The president was out of town, the staff was shaking off summer doldrums and the main policy meeting was about an initiative called "Communities of Character" to be held in Karl Rove's office in the afternoon. Then everything changed. A series of White House emails released by the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum provide a fresh look into the horrific events of that day, 14 years ago on Friday, that transformed the country, the world and a presidency. Peter Baker/New York Times
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A new 9/11 memorial to Flight 93: 'Our loved ones left a legacy for all of us' --
As Americans mark the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, thousands will gather at long-established monuments at Ground Zero in New York, at the Pentagon in Virginia and at other sites honoring the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives in the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history. But those who come to the national monument in Shanksville, to honor the passengers who kept 9/11 from becoming even more catastrophic, will find a work still in progress. The stunning concrete-and-glass visitors center and museum are finally open, but landscaping and other finishing touches are still underway. Kevin Sullivan/Washington Post
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Construction at LAX begins Monday, expect delays -- Travelers planning to catch flights at Los Angeles International Airport this month should plan for construction-related delays resulting from road repair work scheduled to begin Monday, officials said Thursday. The upper-level departure level roadway is slated to undergo major repair work for deteriorating concrete, surface cracks and other wear-and-tear, part of a $32.4 million project that will be completed in 2016. City News Service CBS LA Ashley Bailey/KPCC LAWA News Release
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CBS2 investigation uncovers dozens of car service drivers parking in spaces for disabled at LAX -- A CBS2 hidden camera investigation has found disabled parking spots filled at LAX with private car service vehicles, but are drivers taking advantage of the prime parking spaces? Investigative Reporter David Goldstein caught up with some of the drivers seen lifting suitcases, loading them into the luxury vehicles and seemingly walking with ease to and from LAX while chauffeuring passengers. CBS LA
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Bomb squad gives all-clear after unattended bag spurs evacuations at LAX -- An unattended bag at Los Angeles International Airport prompted the evacuation of a section of a terminal before a bomb squad gave the all-clear. Passengers had been evacuated to the lower level of Terminal 8 at LAX because of the bag on Thursday afternoon. The incident unfolded near Gate 81 just before 5 p.m. after a person alerted airport police to the bag left in the men's restroom. CBS LA Melanie Eversley/USA Today
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The story behind elderly couple's romantic airport reunion that melted millions of hearts -- An elderly couple's sweet reunion at the Los Angeles International Airport was caught on video that went viral on social media. Now, the couple has identified themselves and is sharing their even sweeter love story. The video, which had over 23 million views on Facebook Wednesday morning, shows 80-year-old Bernard Mills waiting for his 75-year-old wife, Carolyn Ogden, with a bouquet of pink flowers and candy. When she arrives, they share a romantic embrace, multiple kisses and wide smiles. Avianne Tan/ABC News
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Alaska Airlines asks State Supreme Court to reverse SeaTac minimum wage decision -- There's a new twist in the legal battle over the city of SeaTac's $15 minimum wage ordinance. Alaska Airlines and other businesses are now asking the Washington Supreme Court to reverse its recent opinion, in which five of nine justices ruled that SeaTac's minimum wage applies to workers at Sea-Tac International Airport. The plaintiffs list a number of reasons why the court should reconsider, including their argument that SeaTac's minimum wage ordinance conflicts with federal labor law because the city law tries to do too much. Ashley Gross/KPLU
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Pre-flight spas: A beautiful alternative to the airport bar -- Increasingly, airports are vying to be your go-to beauty destination. As they transition from transportation hubs to full-on shopping malls with chic boutiques, name-brand retailers and restaurants affiliated with celebrity chefs, more airports also are welcoming spa and salon businesses that help passengers glam up, too. Lauren Lipton/Wall Street Journal
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FAA contractor faces at least 10 years in prison for Chicago-area fire -- A former Federal Aviation Administration contractor faces a decade in prison and millions of dollars in fines when he is sentenced Friday for setting the September 2014 fire at a Chicago-area air-traffic control facility that disrupted thousands of flights. Brian Howard, 37, of Naperville, Ill., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts: willful destruction of an air navigation facility and using fire during a federal felony. Bart Jansen/USA Today
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American Airlines, Delta Air Lines to end interline agreement -- American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are ending their interline agreement that allows them to sell tickets on each other's flights as of Tuesday. "We have been unable to come to terms on an agreement with Delta and, as a result, have mutually agreed to end our interline agreement effective Sept. 15," American spokesman Casey Norton said Thursday evening. "From that date, neither airline will offer interline services to each other, including the ability to rebook passengers at discounted rates on the other carrier when flight disruptions occur." Terry Maxon/Dallas Morning News
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Surf Air sells 2,000 memberships -- Members-only airline Surf Air announced Thursday selling the 2000th membership for its "all-you-can-fly" business model. The Santa Monica startup more than doubled its members since the start of the year when it had about 850 members. The 2000th membership was sold to David Ritterbush, chief executive of potato and veggie chip maker Pop Chips, in Playa Vista. Surf offers daily nonstop flights from Burbank Bob Hope Airport to San Carlos in the San Francisco area, and Truckee/Lake Tahoe. Mark Madler/San Fernando Valley Business Journal
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Airline consolidation hits smaller cities hardest -- The U.S. airline industry has undergone a dramatic transformation in the past seven years. Whether that's brought pain or gain for fliers depends largely on where they live. A Wall Street Journal analysis of industry and government data shows that while airline service and prices have changed little across the country's major gateways as a whole, carriers have cut flights and raised fares at many smaller and medium-size airports. Jack Nicas/Wall Street Journal
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These airlines had the worst on-time arrival record in July -- Most airlines improved their punctuality in July from the previous month. Spirit Airlines was the least punctual major airline in July, capping off a three-month streak of placing at the very bottom of on-time arrivals among other U.S. airlines. Only 68.7% of the airline's planes arrived on time during July, compared to an industry average for the month of 78.1%. Frontier Airlines ranked second-lowest for the month, with 71.4% of arrivals occurring on time, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Report released Thursday. Claire Groden/Fortune
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| United Airlines introduces new domestic premium cabin seats (and more) -- An eerie quiet pervaded United Airlines world headquarters at Chicago's Willis Tower late Wednesday in the immediate wake of the abrupt resignation of United CEO Jeff Smisek. How do I know? I was there. Still, a handful of United executives and representatives from British aviation design firm PriestmanGoode were packed into a small conference room at headquarters for the big reveal of United's new premium cabin seat - a reveal that was planned, it appeared, before the surprise Smisek announcement late Tuesday. Lewis Lazare/Chicago Business Journal USA Today |
Singapore Airlines named best global airline for business travel -- The results of Fortune and Travel + Leisure's second annual survey of the Best in Business Travel. Singapore Airlines is ranked the best among international carriers in the Best in Business Travel survey again this year, two years in a row. For our second annual survey, Fortune partnered with Travel + Leisure to ask readers about their habits and brand preferences while traveling for work. Travel + Leisure/Fortune
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British Airways jet that aborted takeoff had multiple engine breaches -- Federal accident investigators said on Thursday that they found multiple breaches in the engine of a British Airways aircraft that was forced to abort its takeoff on Tuesday at the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, suggesting the airplane had suffered an uncontained engine failure. The National Transportation Safety Board said that it also found pieces of the high-pressure compressor spool on the runway, and that it planned to take the engine apart to determine what might have caused the failure. Jad Mouawad/New York Times
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United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek's golden parachute adds to fliers' frustration -- As if you didn't have enough reasons to hate flying, along comes Jeff Smisek. He resigned as chief executive, president and chairman of United Airlines this week amid a corruption probe by federal investigators. Smisek denied any wrongdoing. Because he quit instead of being sacked, he's entitled to his full severance package, which is, to put it mildly, pretty darn impressive. David Lazarus/Los Angeles Times
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United's board decided several weeks ago to replace CEO Smisek -- United Continental Holdings Inc.'s board decided several weeks ago to replace Jeff Smisek as chief executive, people familiar with the matter said. The airline announced Mr. Smisek's ouster on Tuesday, partly because it needed time to negotiate his exit package, one of the people said. The information offers the first sense of the timing for the board's decision to replace Mr. Smisek with Oscar Munoz, president of railroad operator CSX Corp. and a longtime United board member. Joann S. Lublin & Susan Carey/Wall Street Journal
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United Airlines needs better customer service to thrive -- United Airlines disappointed me long before CEO Jeff Smisek was caught in a corruption investigation. I resented the mismatch between Smisek's marketing campaign offering a fantastic flying experience with what actually happened at the airport and on the plane. Smisek promised that following the acquisition of Houston-based Continental Airlines, the new United would perform like a well-tuned symphony orchestra. United promised to be the friendly skies again. Chris Tomlinson/Houston Chronicle
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United Continental unravels image from former CEO Jeff Smisek -- Jeff Smisek, the ousted United Continental Holdings Inc. boss, was one of the airline industry's most publicly recognized executives, largely because his visage appeared thousands of times daily introducing the safety video United shows to passengers before takeoff. Now, among the challenges the airline faces is disentangling its image from that of the silver-haired Mr. Smisek, who abruptly resigned Tuesday as chairman and chief executive following a company investigation related to a federal probe of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Susan Carey/Wall Street Journal
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United's CEO, ousted under a cloud, leaves with lifetime free flights and parking -- When Jeff Smisek stepped down as United's chief executive earlier this week amid a federal corruption probe, he didn't walk away empty handed. He will receive at least $21 million in cash and stock, fly free for the rest of his life and keep his company car. Then there is the parking. He can park free in downtown Chicago and at airports in Houston and Chicago - for the rest of his life. The full value of Smisek's exit package could be even higher - he's still eligible for the incentive pay that accumulated before his resignation. Thad Moore/Washington Post
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Inquiry's trail: From George Washington Bridge to United's executive offices -- It was a traffic jam that, in the end, rerouted the career of the chief executive of the world's fourth-largest airline, and how one led to the other is a tale of power, politics and New Jersey wheeling-dealing. Until Tuesday, Jeff Smisek was the chief executive of United Airlines. Mark Sokolich is the mayor of the borough of Fort Lee, N.J., which was gridlocked two years ago this week after allies of Gov. Chris Christie ordered lanes to the George Washington Bridge closed. Kate Zernike & William K. Rashbaum/New York Times
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Transportation Network Companies
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In California, Uber loses another round in driver debate -- Ride-hailing giant Uber lost another battle in the incendiary debate over whether or not its drivers should be considered employees. Officials at California's Employment Development Department (EDD) recently determined that an ex-Uber driver qualified as an employee of the company, not an independent contractor, and as such was entitled to unemployment benefits. To be sure, it's one decision by one state agency and only applies to one individual. But an administrative law judge backed the decision on appeal, and Uber ultimately decided not to fight further. Davey Alba/Wired
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