Airports
John Wayne Airport posts December 2015 statistics -- Airline passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport increased in December 2015 as compared with December 2014. In December 2015, the Airport served 888,156 passengers, an increase of 10.5% when compared with the December 2014 passenger traffic count of 803,492. Total passenger traffic for 2015 was 10,180,258, reflecting an 8.5% increase over 2014, and setting a new record for passengers served in a year at John Wayne Airport. John Wayne Airport Press Release
JetBlue to begin nonstop flights to L.A. from Buffalo in June -- For thousands of West Coast-bound travelers each year, the Monday announcement of JetBlue's plans for the first-ever nonstop flights from Buffalo to Los Angeles could rank as some of the best flying news in a long time. But the news gets even better for those who book their flights Tuesday. They can fly all the way to Los Angeles International Airport from Buffalo Niagara International Airport for $99 when the airline launches the new service June 16. Robert J. McCarthy/Buffalo News
The best and worst TSA checkpoints in the U.S. -- Though 708 million passengers-nearly 41 million more than in 2014-were screened at U.S. airports in 2015, only two percent of travelers had to wait more than 20 minutes to get through airport security, says the TSA in its 2015 Year in Review. So why is it that the checkpoint you're in is always the one with the interminable line? TSA's statistics are based on national averages, and they're skewed somewhat by the fact that expedited screening lanes processed 44 percent of fliers in 2015. Barbara Peterson/Conde Nast Traveler
Santa Monica appeals FAA's ruling to keep airport open -- The city of Santa Monica, Calif., appealed the FAA's December determination in a 2014 Part 16 complaint that essentially "requires the city to keep the historic airport open at least through 2023." NBAA, along with Krueger Aviation, Harrison Ford, Justice Aviation, Kim Davidson Aviation, Aero Film, Youri Bujko, James Ross, Wonderful Citrus and AOPA sent a letter to the FAA's Office of the Chief Counsel in response to the city's appeal. Matt Thurber/AIN Online
It's official, Fredericks will be the boss -- Kelly J. Fredericks, a Rhode Island airport executive, got the final nod on Monday, Feb. 1 to head the authority that will oversee Ontario International Airport when it returns to Inland control. The Ontario International Airport Authority formally approved Fredericks' five-year contract at a morning meeting. He is an at-will employee who can be separated at any time, and the language of his contract can remain until 2021. Richard K. DeAtley/Riverside Press-Enterprise Liset Marquez/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Airlines
Delta flight diverts after alleged 'fist fight' by attendants -- Delta Air Lines has apologized to customers on a flight that diverted after two flight attendants reportedly came to blows. Delta Flight 2598 was en route from Los Angeles to Minneapolis on Jan. 22 and was about 180 miles south of Salt Lake City when the decision was made to divert to Salt Lake City. The Boeing 757 remained on the ground in Utah for about 80 minutes before continuing on to Minneapolis, where it arrived about 75 minutes behind schedule, according to The Aviation Herald. Ben Mutzabaugh/USA Today
Airlines restore tiny perks, like pretzels, to pacify fliers -- After 15 years of near austerity, U.S. airlines are restoring some small perks for passengers crammed into coach. Don't expect ample legroom or free checked bags. But fliers will find improved snacks, a larger selection of free movies and - on a few select routes - the return of free meals. Monday, American Airlines became the latest carrier to add something back. It announced the return of free snacks in the economy section and more free entertainment options on some aircraft. Scott Mayerowitz/AP
United follows trend, lets families board early -- United Airlines is trying to bring back a bit of the friendly skies, allowing families with young children to board early. The move, which takes effect Feb. 15, lets families with children age 2 and under get settled in their seats before the rush of other passengers clamoring for overhead bin space. United was the last holdout. It has forced families to board with everybody else since it revamped its boarding process in April 2012. Policies vary from airline to airline. Scott Mayerowitz/AP
Travel groups urge Congress to study airline competition -- A group of travel organizations is urging Congress to create a national commission to study airline competition, after a decade of consolidation and a year of record profits. A similar commission gauged the industry's health in 1993. But groups including the Travel Technology Association, Airports Council International-North America, the U.S. Travel Association and the American Society of Travel Agents contend that much has changed in the last quarter-century and the industry deserves a new look. Bart Jansen/USA Today
Airlines use wireless networks to deliver in-flight pitches -- Rose Wang, a frequent traveler, is willing to concede that she sort of misses the kitschy SkyMall catalog and its quirky roundup of gadgets, pet accessories and other oddities. But Ms. Wang, who lives in the Washington area and is a consultant to government contractors, is less than enthusiastic about what she perceives as a creeping influx of retail pitches that she encounters while in flight. Martha C. White/New York Times
New app OneGo offers unlimited U.S. flights for a monthly fee -- Love to fly and have thousands a month to spend doing just that? You're in luck. Starting today, OneGo, the first booking app to offer unlimited flights on major airlines for a flat monthly fee, has officially launched. Targeted primarily at business travelers, the app removes the typical hassle of tracking prices, comparing costs, or choosing inconvenient (and often indirect) flights just to save money. Katherine LaGrave/Conde Nast Traveler
Why you're still paying fuel surcharges after the oil crash -- The collapsing price of oil that has upended the global economy has also caused understandable rejoicing at transportation companies, where big savings from cheap fuel will inevitably show up in the bottom line. Yet many of the surcharges that truckers, railroads, and-especially-airlines tacked on during the years of expensive oil have proven resilient. Travelers and other customers are still paying these zombie fuel fees even now, with crude at $32 per barrel. Justin Bachman/Bloomberg Business
Travel
Blizzard snarls Denver flights, aims at Midwest -- More than a third of Monday's flights have been canceled at Denver International Airport as a major winter storm brings heavy snow and blizzard conditions to parts of Colorado. By Tuesday, the storm could affect flights in the upper Midwest as it moves east. Nearly all big U.S. airlines have waived change fees for customers tickets to fly to Denver and other Rocky Mountain airports in the storm's path.. A number of those waivers also extend into other states expected to be hit by the storm, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa, among others. Ben Mutzabaugh/USA Today
Should you avoid travel to areas affected by the Zika virus? -- "I already booked my trip to a destination where Zika is an issue. Can I cancel and not suffer financial penalties?" You can always cancel, but you may suffer some sort of financial penalty, sometimes even if you have trip insurance. The good news is that United and American airlines last week eased restrictions on changes to tickets for Zika-affected destinations. Cruise lines also are easing restrictions. Catharine Hamm/Los Angeles Times
Metro
Metro tunnel-digging machine honors Underground Railroad's Harriet Tubman -- A machine that will soon begin drilling tunnels for a new light rail line through South Los Angeles is named in honor of abolitionist Harriet Tubman, the "conductor" on the Underground Railroad that helped slaves escape bondage. "Harriet" the boring machine was lowered during a ceremony this morning at the Expo construction yard to mark the beginning of tunnel excavation work for the 8.5-mile light rail line from Crenshaw Boulevard to Los Angeles International Airport.  City News Service
Aviation History
'Women's opportunities in flying will improve': Never-before-seen letter from Amelia Earhart offering optimistic advice to 13-year-old aspiring pilot sells for $15,000 -- An inspirational letter from trailblazing US pilot Amelia Earhart to an aspiring teenage pilot has been sold for $15,000.   Written by Earhart in 1933, the previously unpublished letter was addressed to 13-year-old June Pierson, who had contacted the pioneering female pilot for advice on how to enter the aviation industry. Georgia Diebelius/Daily Mail
Aviation Data & Analysis
Network Carrier Domestic Load Factors, January 2005 - May 2015
Courtesy Oliver Wyman PlaneStats
City Government
DWP security chief fired as security vulnerabilities laid bare -- The security chief at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was abruptly replaced last week as the agency's lingering power vulnerabilities are scrutinized by City Hall. Former Security Services Director Patrick Findley was fired on Thursday, according to three City Hall sources familiar with the matter but who were not authorized to speak publicly. His departure came less than a week after this news organization revealed utility officials failed to implement 9/11-era security recommendations. Mike Reicher/Los Angeles Daily News
LA 2024 officials try to impress IOC President Thomas Bach during tour of L.A. - A cold breeze rose up by late afternoon but the soccer players waited around. When Thomas Bach finally arrived at the intramural field on UCLA's campus, the students kicked the ball with him, then let him take a penalty shot. "All of this was very well prepared," a smiling Bach said. It was no accident the president of the International Olympic Committee got to play for a few minutes Monday. Los Angeles represented the final stop in Bach's tour of four cities - including Paris, Rome and Budapest - that are bidding to host the 2024 Summer Games. LA 2024 officials wanted to make an impression. David Wharton/Los Angeles Times
Garcetti reelection fundraising slows in second half of 2015 -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti raised about $7,300 toward his reelection campaign during the second half of 2015, bringing his campaign war chest to more than $2.23 million, according to a report his campaign is filing with city officials Monday. The amount shows a dramatic slowdown in contributions from the first six months of the year, when Garcetti raised over $2.2 million -- a record-setting sum for the first stretch of a mayoral re-election campaign. Peter Jamison/Los Angeles Times
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