Airports
Judge approves $2.4M settlement over underground storage tanks at LA airports -- A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has approved a $2.4 million settlement between the state water board and Los Angeles World Airports over allegations of improper monitoring of underground tanks that store hazardous materials at several area airports, the water board announced Monday. The state Water Resources Control Board began investigating LAWA in 2011 after alleged violations were discovered during inspections of nine underground storage tank facilities at Los Angeles International, LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys airports. Sarah Favot/Los Angeles Daily News
Low-cost FlyAway business service between LAX and Van Nuys Orange Line Busway begins -- A new, low-cost FlyAway bus service boarding location for Los Angeles International Airport on the south side of Victory Boulevard just east of Woodley Avenue, is began operation on Monda. The stop is located just a short distamce from the existing Woodley station along the Orange Line Busway, in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Lake Balboa. LAWA Press Release
Traffic Advisory: Road restriping at an entrance to LAX to cause nightly lne closures from midnight to 6 a.m. Tuesday through Friday -- Los Angeles International Airport officials advise motorists that road restriping will cause nightly lane closures on the 96th Street Bridge, Sky Way, and the southbound Sepulveda Ramp beginning Tuesday, December 8 through Friday, December 11, 2015.  Restriping work and lane closures will occur between 12 midnight to 6 a.m. for the next four early-morning periods.  These streets comprise one of the four ingresses/egresses to the LAX Central Terminal Area. LAWA Press Release     
Study touts benefits of international airport at Camp Pendleton -- Cal State San Marcos will unveil research this week that examines the feasibility of building a new international airport on the Camp Pendleton Marine base. Glen Brodowsky, a marketing professor at Cal State San Marcos, said three study projects have looked at airport options for the region and the latest one explores the economic impact of a new international airport on Camp Pendleton. "In no way does this replace, but rather augments the air travel opportunities in the region," he said. Alison St. John/KPBS
Southwest Airlines to announce new nonstop service at Burbank Bob Hope Airport -- Southwest Airlines is bringing more nonstop service to Burbank Bob Hope Airport, connecting customers to more destination than ever before. Join Southwest Airlines and Bob Hope Airport for a special announcement at 9 a.m. PDT Tuesday unveiling its newest nonstop route not currently served by any other airline. Southwest Media Alert
AAAPO urges greater oversight of drones and reemphasizes need for all airport employee screening -- Recent warnings by an anti-terror expert regarding the use of drones as weapons to bring down aircraft and the worldwide increase in terrorist activity, particularly as it relates to aircraft and airports, reinforce  calls by the American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) for stricter oversight of drones and heightened security at our nation's airports. With the holiday season upon us, experts are predicting drones will be a favorite gift, and sales are expected to top one million. AAAPO
When will Sacramento get light rail to the airport? Not soon -- It's hard to pin down when Sacramento leaders first talked about running light-rail trains from downtown to Sacramento International Airport. The concept was definitely on the books in the early 1990s. Some at Sacramento Regional Transit say they had it on their hope-to-do list as far back as the early 1980s. The 13-mile line has proven to be one of the most difficult public projects to pull off in recent Sacramento history, even though many residents say it's the rail link they want most. Tony Bizjak/Sacramento Bee
Seniors to Orlando International Airport: Hands off the moving walkways -- Dave Kozlowski and his wife, who fly a couple of times a year out of Orlando International Airport, were dismayed to learn that four moving sidewalks may be torn out of the main terminal early next year. "If we find a moving walkway, we're on it," said Kozlowski, 71. Like more than a dozen other seniors who contacted the Orlando Sentinel by phone and email, Kozlowski said the sidewalks help older people - especially those who are not moving as quickly as they once did - navigate what can often be a crowded place. Dan Tracy/Orlando Sentinel
How Congress can fix LaGuardia Airport -- Donald Trump thinks about as much of his home airport as he does of Rosie O'Donnell. He called LaGuardia Airport in Queens, N.Y., a "third-world dump" back in 2011. What makes it worse is Christopher Ward, then the executive director of the New York-New Jersey Port Authority, which operates all three New York-area airports, agreed with him. Brian McNicoll/The Hill
Airlines
Air France flight diverted to Montreal after threat -- An Air France flight from San Francisco to Paris was diverted to Montreal after an unspecified anonymous threat, and the passengers have landed and disembarked safely, an airline official said Tuesday. At least 15 fire trucks and police cars met the plane, and Canadian authorities were verifying the aircraft, passengers and baggage. Air France said an investigation will be carried out into the origin of the threat, and promised to send passengers safely to their destinations. AP
Air France-KLM puts lost sales at $54 million after Paris attacks -- Air France-KLM has put the financial cost so far of the Paris terror attacks at 50 million euros ($54 million) in November, while business has continued to suffer in December. "The impact was pretty much concentrated on the local traffic to and from Paris," Pierre-Francois Riolacci, the Franco-Dutch airline's Chief Financial Officer, said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. Inti Landauro & Robert Wall/Wall Street Journal
The Delta Air Lines paradox: Stellar fundamentals against a bemusing anti globalisation stance -- Delta has enjoyed many first mover benefits that have allowed the airline to leave its large US rivals in the rearview mirror as the merged entities of American and United are still working to fully exploit their projected synergies. As a result, Delta has adopted unconventional and aggressive business strategies including buying an oil refinery, hinging aircraft orders on tentative pilot deals, opting to operate a fleet with a higher average age and engaging in a battle with its long-standing partner Alaska Air Group for supremacy in Seattle. CAPA Centre for Aviation
Emirates Airline attacks EU attempts to target airline state subsidies -- Emirates Airline has hit out at European Commission plans to use aviation negotiations with Gulf countries as a way to challenge alleged illegal state subsidies to the Middle East region's airlines. The commission on Monday announced a package of measures aimed at tackling unfair competition and creating a level-playing field for European airlines. This included a plan to use EU-wide negotiations with particular countries to address competition concerns. Tanya Powley/Financial Times
Frequent fliers, consider: Is airline elite status worth the trouble? -- As we enter the final weeks of 2015, frequent fliers begin asking a familiar question: "Will I be able to hold onto my airline elite status for another year?" Before you answer that question, ask yourself this one: Is airline elite status worth the trouble? Airline loyalty programs, including those of major legacy carriers United and Delta, have undergone seismic changes in the last two years that have included the inception of additional elite-qualification requirements. American will change its loyalty program in 2016. Eric Rosen/Los Angeles Times
Was American the wrong airline for Spirit to engage in a fare war? -- It's not enough that Doug Parker and Scott Kirby are ultimately responsible for American Airlines' share price. Now the top two American executives seem to be in control of Spirit's share price as well. Spirit shares rose 19% last week, closing Friday at $43.01. The gains came as two analyst reports suggested American may be cutting back on its aggressive response to Spirit's incursions into American routes. Even with last week's gains, Spirit shares are still down 43% year to date, worst among the major airlines, in response to the American pressure. Ted Reed/TheStreet
Alaska Air Group's November traffic up, load factor slips -- Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, posted a significant rise in air traffic for Nov 2015. Traffic - measured in revenue passenger miles (RPMs) - came in at 2.8 billion, up 13% year over year. On a year-over-year basis, consolidated capacity (or available seat miles/ASMs) expanded 13.7% to 3.42 billion. Meanwhile, the load factor (% of seats filled by passengers) decreased to 81.7% from 82.3% in Nov 2014 as capacity expansion outpaced the increase in traffic. Zacks
American Airlines claims competitive edge in youthful fleet -- Robert Isom, executive vice president and chief operating officer of American Airlines, believes the company's fleet renewal policy, which aims for an average fleet age of less than 10 years by 2017, will allow the company to enjoy a maintenance vacation in coming years. Speaking at the Credit Suisse Annual Industrials Conference Thursday, Dec. 3, Isom touted the airline's successful continued integration with US Airways and looked forward to fleet renewal to remain competitive. Juliet Van Wagenen/Avionics Magazine
Lessons in humility from America's favorite airline -- The Great Teams in sports and business all know that cockiness precedes a fall, and that a modest approach to competition always breeds success. Southwest Airlines-the world's largest low-cost airline and regularly ranked No. 1 in customer satisfaction by the U.S. Department of Transportation-thrives on humility. The airline stands out in a crowded field by remaining true to its values, which competitors have tried-and failed-to duplicate. Don Yaeger/Forbes
These top-rated airlines are making notable moves -- Airline stocks are flying to new altitudes, with some of the industry group's standouts seeing notable gains Monday as the market sells off. Let's take a look at four such stocks: Hawaiian Holdings, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Air Group. Hawaiian hit a new all-time high in intraday trade, rising 2.6%. Volume was tracking above average. Shares have surged 53% since breaking out of a cup-with-handle base in early October. Alissa Williams/Investor's Business Daily
Travel
New app Skypicker will find you the cheapest international flight -- You expect to find the cheapest flights on travel sites like Kayak-but that's not always the case. A startup called Skypicker hopes to capitalize on the discrepancy to sell some of the lowest airfares online. Looking for cheap airfare online is a sport-one with winners and losers, loyalties and trick plays. It's important to know all the rules: like the fact that not all airfares are surfaced on well-known websites like Kayak, Orbitz, and Expedia. Brian Sumers/Conde Nast Traveler
Strategies abound for handling "unruly" airline passengers -- Just in time for holiday travel, one government official has delivered some frank words on an issue gaining more attention in the aviation world: drunk airline passengers. For some passengers, "their holiday begins in the airport bar, whether they arrive at the airport at 7 in the evening or 7 in the morning," said UK aviation minister Robert Goodwill at a British airport conference last month, according to a script of his comments. Kelly Yamanouchi/Atlanta Journal-Constitution
$46 shuttle ride turns into $4,600 credit card charge -- Next time you sign a credit card receipt, pay attention to the amount on the bill. A local woman says she learned that the hard way, after her 40-minute shuttle ride ended up costing her more than $4,000. The shuttle ride from Long Beach to Los Angeles International Airport took roughly 40 minutes. The charge was $41 and Morehead told the driver to add a $5 tip. She put the charge on her credit card and signed the receipt from the driver's handheld Square credit card processing device. KOMO-TV Seattle
Amtrak faces prospect of private competition -- Amtrak's cross-country service has long been a drain on the national passenger railroad's finances. Now, some of the money-losing routes that link major U.S. cities and cut through rural America could be headed for private hands. A major transportation spending package signed into law by President Obama on Friday would start a pilot program that envisions private-sector rail companies running up to three of Amtrak's 15 long-distance lines-provided they reduce the need for taxpayer support. Andrew Tangel/Wall Street Journal
FAA
Next stop for lawmakers after highway bill: Aviation funding -- The next stop for lawmakers now that they have passed a new five-year highway bill is a new funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration. Lawmakers are expected to pivot quickly to the FAA bill, which is currently set to expire on March 31. The measure, which includes funding for air traffic controllers, is expected to contain a controversial proposal to privatize some functions of the nation's flight navigation system. Keith Laing/The Hill
Why new FAA hiring practices for air traffic controllers are being investigated -- While the Federal Aviation Administration intends to hire 3,200 additional air traffic controllers over the next two years, its quixotic hiring practices have done the opposite, keeping out veterans and highly qualified aeronautics school graduates from Mount San Antonio College, according to professors, students and even members of Congress. Steve Scauzillo/San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Homeland Security
Homeland Security plans yet another threat alert system -- Following the deadly San Bernardino and Paris terrorism attacks, the Department of Homeland Security will revamp how the government informs the public about the threat of such an attack. "We need to do a better job of informing the public at large what we are seeing, removing some of the mystery about the global terrorist threat, and what we are doing about it and what we are asking the public to do," Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Monday at a security forum in Washington. Brian Bennett/Los Angeles Times
Congress ready to slap on new travel restrictions to fight terrorism -- Congress and the White House are poised for a rare agreement in the fight against terrorism with legislation that would slap new travel restrictions on foreign visitors to the U.S. who have recently been to Syria, Iraq, Iran or Sudan. The bill was given added urgency following the San Bernardino terror attack, even though the proposed changes to the 30-year-old visa waiver program would not stop visitors like shooter Tashfeen Malik, the Pakistani-born woman who entered the U.S. under a separate fiancee visa program in 2014. Lisa Mascaro/Los Angeles Times
Airplanes
Airbus jetliner orders top 1,000 through November -- Airbus Group SE on Monday said it has booked more than 1,000 jetliner orders in the first 11 months of 2015, though it faced a high bar to meet its commitment for plane deliveries this year. Airbus, in its monthly update on business, said it had delivered 556 jetliners this year through November after shipping 61 aircraft last month. The plane maker needs to deliver 73 planes before the year-end to match last year's total. The company previously said this year's deliveries should be ahead of last year's. Robert Wall/Wall Street Journal
Boeing to roll out 737 Max jetliner with little fanfare -- Boeing will roll out the first of its 737 Max jetliners this week with none of the fanfare that accompanied previous launches such as the 787 Dreamliner, even though the company's success is just as intricately tied to the fortunes of the new plane. The Dreamliner launch in 2007 attracted 15,000 guests, video feeds to 40 countries, a live band and Tom Brokaw as master of ceremonies. Doug Cameron/Wall Street Journal
Aviation Data & Analysis
87% of Flights Leaving Canada Head to US, Caribbean and Central America
Courtesy Oliver Wyman PlaneStats
City Government
L.A. city attorney sues SoCal Gas over gas leak affecting Porter Ranch -- Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer announced Monday he was suing Southern California Gas Co. over how it has handled a natural gas leak that has sent sickening fumes into the Porter Ranch area, spurring hundreds of families to leave their homes. The lawsuit alleges that the company failed to immediately report the leaking well at its Aliso Canyon facility and was not properly prepared to stop it, resulting in a "public nuisance" from foul odors that caused nausea, headaches and nosebleeds and made large areas of Porter Ranch "unlivable." The leak has lasted for more than a month. Emily Alpert Reyes/Los Angeles Times
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