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Long Beach Airport named a Top Ten airport by Conde Nast Traveler -- Long Beach Airport has been named a Top 10 airport in the United States by readers of Cond� Nast Traveler magazine for the second consecutive year, city officials announced Tuesday. Cond� Nast voters cited the glamour of the historic main terminal, along with the easygoing nature of the passenger concourse, which made LGB stand out among its peers. Other honorees included three LGB destinations: Salt Lake City International, Austin-Bergstrom International and Portland International. Long Beach Press-Telegram Cond� Nast Traveler
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Holiday drone sales soar, Airport Police union demands more regulation -- The union representing Los Angeles Airport Police officers called Tuesday for more regulation of drones, with holiday sales of the unmanned flying machines expected to push the number of units sold above the 1 million mark. The demand came one day after the Federal Aviation Administration began a drone-registration database. The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers called the database "a positive step," but "not enough." City News Service
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Santa Monica celebrates 80th anniversary of DC-3 flight -- Last week the Museum of Flying at Santa Monica Airport celebrated the 80th anniversary of the first flight of the Douglas DC-3, a flight that took off from SMO on December 17, 1935. A ceremony was held at the newly renovated DC-3 monument right outside the main entrance to the museum. The monument was first dedicated in 2009 and features an actual DC-3, which was donated to the city in 2004 by David G. Price, mounted atop three concrete pillars. Pia Bergqvist/Flying
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Oakland lands Dreamliner flights to London on Norwegian Air -- Fast-growing European low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle will add nonstop service from Oakland to London Gatwick. The flights, which will be flown on the airline's Boeing 787 Dreamliners, begin May 12. The carrier's three weekly flights will give Oakland its first-ever regularly scheduled airline route to London. That's a boost for Oakland International as it seeks to grow its stature in a competitive Bay Area that's also home to the busy San Francisco and San Jose airports. Ben Mutzabaugh/USA Today
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Miami airport Skytrain shut down after derailment -- An employee was on board the elevated light-rail train car, but was not injured, according to the airport. The accident happened at 2 a.m. during a maintenance run. Two of the four cars involved were damaged. "One car went onto the roof of Concourse D and the other car is off the rail," Miami-Dade aviation spokeswoman Suzy Trutie said in an email update. The mile-long Skytrain people mover opened in 2010 and connects gates in Concourse D. Michael Vasquez/Miami Herald
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Airports go festive to lift harried holiday travelers' spirits -- With more than 38 million passengers expected to fly on U.S. airlines this holiday season, the forecast calls for full planes, busy terminals and cranky travelers. But airports are doing what they can to ease the strain, offering roving Santas, entertaining elves, live music and even free gifts and prizes. Probably the king of airport holiday promotions this week is at JFK International Airport's Terminal 7, where travelers whose flights are delayed can win prizes through the "Delight my Delay" campaign. Harriet Baskas/NBC News
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Blast kills one at Istanbul airport, investigation launched -- An overnight explosion at an airport in Istanbul killed one person and damaged three planes hundreds of meters apart, Turkish media said, triggering a security alert as authorities sought to determine if a bomb was responsible. The blast at Sabiha Gokcen, the city's second airport and located on its Asian side, occurred shortly after 2:00 a.m. (midnight GMT), local budget carrier Pegasus said, fatally wounding a cleaner on one of its planes. Daren Butler/Reuters
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Trespasser sneaks past JFK security, threatens worker -- A trespasser got past JFK Airport security and wandered onto the tarmac outside a busy terminal, where he warned a worker, "You better not say s-t!" before getting away, sources said Monday. The frightening incident happened at around 7 p.m. on Dec. 13, and forced airport officials to suspend all operations for roughly 45 minutes as authorities tried to find the mystery man in the dark. The intruder got onto airport property by scaling an 8-foot fence topped with razor wire. Philip Messing/New York Post
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New Orleans airport's new $807 million terminal to begin construction Jan. 4 -- Construction of an $807 million terminal at Louis Armstrong International Airport, a project hailed as the most important construction for the city since the Superdome in 1975, is set to begin in less than two weeks after the New Orleans Aviation Board approved final construction costs on Monday (Dec. 21). Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who has pushed for a reimagined airport to open in time for the city's tricentennial celebrations in 2018, ceremoniously signed a $598 million contract with construction manager Hunt-Gibbs-Boh-Metro. Katherine Sayre/The Times-Picayune
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How FedEx handles millions of packages during the Christmas season -- Boosted by an increase in online sales, FedEx and UPS are expected to deliver a combined 947 million packages between Black Friday and Christmas Eve. And if operations at the FedEx distribution center in Hawthorne are any indication, the flow of Christmas gifts, office supplies, legal documents and other goods is still moving hard and heavy. Kevin Smith/San Gabriel Valley Tribune
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Virgin America expects positive industry capacity reductions in Dallas during early 2016 -- Virgin America is welcoming competitive capacity reductions in early 2016, in one of its most challenging markets of 2015 - Dallas Love Field. Southwest's massive push from the airport, started in late 2014 and continuing through 2015, has resulted in a weak revenue environment, affecting all airlines that serve the greater Dallas market. Just as capacity growth in Dallas begins to moderate, Virgin America is planning 13% to 16% capacity growth in 2016, after culling its growth of supply in 2014 and part of 2015. CAPA Centre for Aviation
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Spirit and Allegiant get 25% of fares in fees, Southwest gets near zero -- A new report revealed how much ultra-low-fare carriers depend on ancillary revenue -- and how little Southwest cares about it. The report compiled by Stifel airline analyst Joseph DeNardi showed that in general, baggage and change/cancellation fees provide airlines with between 4% and 5% of the average fare. The outliers are Spirit , which derived 28% of its average fare from fees; Allegiant , which derived 25% of its average fare from fees; and Southwest, which derived almost nothing from fees. Ted Reed/The Street
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Alaska Airlines will phase out 'combi' planes -- In 2017, Alaska Airlines will phase out its five Boeing 737-400 "combi" planes that move cargo and passengers primarily around Alaska. The five combi planes have flown around the state -- Seattle is the only stop they make Outside -- since 2007. Each has space for 72 passengers in the back half of the plane and 6,000 pounds of cargo in the front. Annie Zak/Alaska Dispatch News
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Delta Air Lines asks judge to dismiss Dallas hunter's lawsuit over carrier's trophy-shipping ban -- In October, the Dallas hunter who paid the Dallas Safari Club $350,000 for a trip to Namibia and a permit to kill an endangered black rhino sued Delta Air Lines when the carrier refused to transport his trophy back to the States. Two months later, Delta has finally responded by asking a federal judge to toss the case, insisting it has no "duty" whatsoever to transport something just because a "would-be shipper" wants it put on a plane. Robert Wilonsky/Dallas Morning News
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U.S., European aviation authorities at odds over cybersecurity -- U.S. and European aviation authorities are at odds over one of the industry's hot-button issues: devising ways to protect an array of aircraft from potential cyberattacks. Regulators and committees of experts on both sides of the Atlantic are considering beefing up standards for onboard electronics to shield airliners, business jets and small private planes from such threats. There is general agreement on updating software and implementing future safeguards for large commercial planes, including enhanced separation of cabin entertainment and passenger Internet access from any safety-related systems. Andy Pasztor/Wall Street Journal
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Egypt moves to boost safety and tourism after October jetliner crash -- Eyptian officials said Tuesday that the country's push to send a global message of safety after an October plane crash killed 224 people includes extensive security reviews of two of its biggest airports by a newly hired British firm. Tourism Minister Hisham Zazou said the safety review was not a direct consequence of the Oct. 31 crash of Russian Metrojet Airbus A321 in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, but rather a precautionary measure based on growing security threats worldwide. Amro Hassan/Los Angeles Times
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FAA fines Boeing $12M for fuel tank, other violations -- Boeing has agreed to pay $12 million for failing to meet a deadline to submit service instructions that would enable airlines to reduce the risk of fuel tank explosions on hundreds of planes, among other violations, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday. Boeing must also take a series of actions to improve the safety certification of its planes and its aircraft production quality control, the FAA said in a statement. The settlement is the second largest for regulatory violations in the history of the FAA. Joan Lowy/AP
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City attorney demands faster relocation of residents near Porter Ranch gas leak -- he Los Angeles city attorney's office sought a court order Tuesday to move Porter Ranch residents into temporary housing more quickly to avoid fumes from a massive natural gas leak. With 2,684 families of the northwest San Fernando Valley community awaiting relocation, the city wants a "special master" appointed to oversee the task, which is currently in the hands of Southern California Gas Co. The gas company owns the well in Aliso Canyon that has been leaking massive amounts of methane since Oct. 23. Alice Walton/Los Angeles Times
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