|
|
Pilots seeing red over hot new trend in holiday laser light display -- Laser light displays, a hot new trend for the holidays, are sold-out at many stores in the Southland, but some say they could pose a danger to pilots and passengers alike. The infomercial for Star Shower promises a hassle-free shortcut, but now some pilots say the lights are akin to laser pointers that are illegal to point at aircraft. "It's very scary and it's potentially damaging to eyes," Ron Jameson, a pilot, said. An American Airlines pilot reported getting beamed with a laser while trying to land in Dallas and it was connected to a Christmas light display 22 miles away. Serene Branson/CBS2
|
|
U.S. Senate panel approves airport security enhancement bill -- The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee approved a bipartisan bill on Wednesday to address potential insider security threats at U.S. airports, amid heightened concerns over Islamic State violence including the October bombing of a Russian airliner. The Airport Security Enhancement and Oversight Act, which now goes to the floor of the Senate for a possible vote, directs the Transportation Security Administration to conduct random physical inspections of airport workers with access to secure areas. It also calls for enhanced worker screening and more covert government tests to assess security procedures. Reuters
|
Cargo facility near LAX evacuated due to suspicious package probe -- A cargo facility for El Al Israel Airlines near Los Angeles International Airport was temporarily evacuated Wednesday morning due to a suspicious package investigation. Los Angeles Police Department's bomb squad and LAX police responded to the cargo facility at 5758 Century Blvd. on the eastside of LAX around 6:30 a.m. Police declared the scene all clear around 7 a.m. ABC7
|
Cellphone accessories set off airport bomb scare -- Two cases of cellphone accessories packaged for shipping prompted a bomb scare at the Southwest Airlines cargo terminal at Lindbergh Field Wednesday morning, authorities said. A fire official initially said the cases contained Christmas ornaments, but later learned that was not correct. A bomb-sniffing dog reacted to a package with an Amazon shipping label at the facility on Harbor Drive east of the passenger terminals, a San Diego County Regional Airport Authority spokeswoman said. Pauline Repard/San Diego Union-Tribune
|
After judge voids lease,TSA move to Alexandria from Arlington in jeopardy -- A federal court decision blocking the lease for the Transportation Security Administration's new headquarters in Alexandria has city officials worried about the future of its southwest area, where the relocation of the federal agency was expected to launch lucrative redevelopment. Federal Judge Charles Lettow last month voided the lease that the federal government signed with the owner of the Victory Center, a vacant building near the Van Dorn Street Metro station. Patricia Sullivan/Washington Post
|
Southwest Airlines offers international service to Costa Rica -- Southwest Airlines Co. plans to boost its growing portfolio of international routes by offering nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport and Daniel Oduber Quir�s International Airport in Liberia/Guanacaste, Costa Rica, beginning in April 2016. Dallas-based Southwest expects to operate the service daily from LAX Terminal 2, next to the carrier's domestic operation in LAX Terminal 1. Bill Hethcock/Dallas Business Journal BrianSumers.com Also: Southwest Airlines opens schedule for summer travel
|
Bob Hope Airport sees increase in passengers -- After two flat months, the number of passengers traveling through Bob Hope Airport rose in October compared to the same month a year ago. The hike of more than 3.6% compared to October 2014, was reported Monday during a Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority meeting. It follows plateaus in September and August, but six months of increases before that. There were 343,508 passengers this past October, compared to 331,476 in October 2014, surpassing airport projections for the month by more than 4,400 passengers. Chad Garland/Los Angeles Times
|
13 flights diverted from LAX due to fog -- More than a dozen flights were diverted from Los Angeles International Airport due to heavy fog in the area Wednesday evening. LAX officials said due to low visibility, 13 flights were diverted to Ontario International Airport. All 13 flights landed safely at Ontario, will three later taking off and landing at LAX. Passengers on one of the flights were bused from Ontario to LAX. Officials said low-visibility conditions at LAX were expected to continue through the night. ABC7 Also: Heavy fog has an impact on travelers at John Wayne Airport, LAX
|
$120-million bridge lets travelers walk from San Diego to Tijuana's airport -- It's a rare convenience along an international boundary better known for maddening and unpredictable bottlenecks: A pedestrian bridge that soars over one of the most heavily fortified spots on the border and delivers travelers into the main terminal of Tijuana International Airport. The enclosed, 390-foot Cross Border Xpress opened Wednesday, signaling a new era in cross-border travel and easing the way for more Southern Californians to use the airport as a gateway to destinations across Mexico. Richard Marosi/Los Angeles Times
|
Alaska Airlines adds second Seattle flight at Sonoma County Airport over the holidays -- Alaska Airlines is adding an extra daily flight to Seattle over the holidays, another temporary boost in operations from the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in order to capture an expected increase in demand. Two daily nonstop flights will operate to Seattle from Dec. 17 to Jan. 3, an airport spokeswoman said this week. Alaska previously added an extra flight to Seattle for part of the summer and switched to an extra fourth flight to Los Angeles during September and October. Robert Digitale/Press Democrat
|
Reno Airport Authority CEO up for $46,000 bonus, 5 percent pay raise -- Saying she's met every performance goal in the past year, a committee of airport board members are recommending a $46,000 bonus and a 5 percent salary increase for CEO Marily Mora. Mora, who was named CEO in May 2013, has increased air service, improved economic development and cultivated a better relationship with the general aviation community in the past year, according to an assessment by the compensation committee of the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority Board. Anjeanette Damon/Reno Gazette-Journal
|
House bill would prevent airlines from charging fees for bathrooms -- A House Democrat has filed a bill to prevent airlines from charging passengers for the use of bathrooms on planes. The measure, from Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), would prohibit airlines from adding bathroom fees to the � la carte charges that have become popular in the aviation industry in recent years. Lipinski's bill, known as the Comfortable and Fair Flights Act of 2015, would also allow passengers to change flights for free if bathrooms on their scheduled flights are out of order, and require airlines to issue refunds for bag fees if luggage is delayed by two or more than hours. Keith Laing/The Hill
|
Airlines expect 38M passengers for winter holidays -- Airlines expect 38 million passengers for the winter holidays, a 3% increase from a year earlier based on the growing economy and lower fares, according to the trade group Airlines for America. About 73,000 more travelers are expected each day from Dec. 18 through Jan. 3 than during the comparable period last year, according to the group of most of the largest airlines. The rate of growth matches what airlines enjoyed during the Thanksgiving holiday. Bart Jansen/USA Today
|
American, United plan additional fare classes -- Airlines are busy trying to woo customers at both ends of the spectrum. American Airlines announced Wednesday that it plans to create a "premium economy" service for international passengers that's designed to be not quite as fancy as business class, but a step up from economy. The new service, set to begin late next year, would offer wider seats with more legroom, on-demand entertainment, noise reducing headphones, priority check-in and boarding and complimentary booze for long international flights, among other upgraded amenities. Corilyn Shropshire/Chicago Tribune
|
Free snacks are back at United Airlines. Yes, in economy -- Free snacks are back at United Airlines. Yes, in economy. The Chicago-based carrier announced Wednesday that it's restoring that once-common airline perk beginning in February. "We're refocusing on the big and little things that we know matter to our customers and shape how they feel about their travel experience," Jimmy Samartzis, United's vice president of food services and United Clubs, says in a statement. Ben Mutzabaugh/USA Today
|
United Airlines to stop flying to Dubai -- United Airlines on Wednesday said it will cancel flight service between Washington and Dubai starting in late January, meaning no U.S. passenger carrier will fly direct to the Gulf states. The move comes after the U.S. government awarded a government contract for travel on the route in 2016 to rival JetBlue Airways Corp and its codeshare partner Emirates, which will operate the Washington-Dubai flights, parent United Continental Holdings Inc said in an Internet posting. Reuters
|
Flight canceled on United? Here's how a new computer system will help you. -- No one likes it when an airline cancels a flight. But United Airlines is rolling out a new sophisticated computer system that should make it easier for you to reach your destination. You may think this is old news. Like most airlines, United has long had an automated system to automatically rebook passengers. But that system, United admits, was not effective. United recently told employees that fewer than 20 percent of passengers actually flew on the new itinerary suggested for them. Brian Sumers/BrianSumers.com
|
Happy 2nd Anniversary, American Airlines and US Airways -- It's been two years of marriage for American Airlines and US Airways. The two carriers merged their companies on December 9, 2013 and a lot has happened since then. The new American has successfully integrated its two reservation systems, merged its frequent flier programs and negotiated new contracts with its pilots and flight attendants unions. The Fort Worth-based company has also built a new integrated operations center and announced plans to build a new headquarters facility, less than a mile from its current location. Andrea Ahles/Fort Worth Star-Telegram
|
|
|
|
| Transportation Network Companies |
Uber drivers get big boost in lawsuit against company -- In a major setback for Uber, a federal judge on Wednesday dramatically expanded the scope - both in potential financial damages and in the number of people affected - of a class-action lawsuit by California drivers seeking to be reclassified as employees. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen ruled that even drivers who accepted mandatory arbitration in their Uber contract should be included in the case, saying that clause was unenforceable. That means the majority of the 160,000 people who have ever driven for Uber in California are now part of the class. Carolyn Said/San Francisco Chronicle
|
L.A. to pay $15 million to settle suit filed by family of girl killed at NoHo crossing -- The Los Angeles City Council agreed Wednesday to spend $15 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that the city knowingly ignored the dangers of a North Hollywood intersection that lacked a stoplight before a car struck two sisters crossing the street there, killing one and severely injuring the other. The two girls were walking in a crosswalk at Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Archwood Street on the evening of Nov. 2, 2010, when they were hit by a Jeep Wrangler. Emily Alpert Reyes/Los Angeles Times
|
L.A. allocates $12.4 million to aid homeless people ahead of El Ni�o storms -- Los Angeles leaders on Wednesday allocated $12.4 million for emergency relief to get homeless people off the streets before the anticipated El Ni�o winter storms bear down on the city. The vote to commit the funds, which include $10 million in short-term rent subsidies for veterans and other homeless people, and $1.7 million for emergency shelter beds, marks the first time in city history that elected leaders have dipped into the general fund for homeless aid, Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference. Gale Holland/Los Angeles Times
|
|
|
|
|
|
