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Emirates becomes official airline of the Dodgers -- Emirates Airlines announced a partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. The deal will make Emirates the official airline of the Dodgers. Emirates will have new signage by home plate and the foul poles at Dodger Stadium. "Baseball is a sport that unifies many communities across the U.S. The spirit of competition and fair play, the continuous drive to excel, and ability to foster a shared passion and connection with its fans - these are all values we share at Emirates," said Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline. CBS LA
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Southwest Airlines ground workers approve new contract, 20% raises -- Southwest Airlines Co.'s ground workers narrowly approved a tentative agreement providing for raises and work rule improvements, after a five-year, often difficult contract battle. The deal includes pay raises of more than 20 percent over the five-year life of the contract, the union representing the workers said. Transport Workers Union Local 555, representing the Dallas-based airline's12,000 ground staff, said on Friday that 50.4 percent cast a "yes" vote in favor of the contract. Bill Hethcock/Dallas Business Journal
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Virgin America CEO: Dallas is weak spot but we love West Coast and Airbus A321 -- Virgin America CEO David Cush said Dallas remains a weak spot for the airline but the weakness is being offset by growth in other markets and also, over the long term, by new Airbus A321neo aircraft that will begin to arrive in 2017. In fact, the entire U.S. airline industry is engaged in a systematic effort to hedge against future oil price increases, using today's profits to invest in a new generation of more fuel-efficient aircraft, Cush said. Ted Reed/The Street
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What's Virgin America, Inc.'s next move in Hawaii? -- During the run-up to its IPO in late 2014, Virgin America made no secret of its interest in flying to Hawaii as soon as it got the right airplanes. Last April, the chic low-cost carrier followed through, announcing daily flights from its main base in San Francisco to both Honolulu and Maui. Virgin America started the San Francisco-Honolulu route in early November. The San Francisco-Maui route followed in early December. Not surprisingly, demand for Virgin America's Hawaii service has been strong. The Motley Fool
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United Airlines tells pilots it may retire all of its Boeing 747s by 2018 -- Want to fly on a United Airlines Boeing 747? You better hurry. United told pilots on Friday that it may retire all of its 747s faster than expected, with the last one leaving the fleet as soon as 2018. In the past, executives suggested the 747s could stay at United into 2020, or even later. "We are contemplating an accelerated retirement plan for the 747s, Howard Attarian, United's senior vice president for flight operations, said in a message to pilots. BrianSumers.com
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Justice Dept. scrutinizes top U.S. airlines over mail cargo -- The U.S. Justice Department has started an investigation into whether top airlines have complied with contracts to carry mail cargo for the U.S. Postal Service, the three biggest U.S. passenger carriers said this week. Delta Air Lines Inc and American Airlines Group Inc have each received a civil investigative demand from the U.S. regulator about the Postal Service mail they carry, spokesmen for the companies said Friday. Jeffrey Dastin/Reuters
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Airline bookings to Latin America fall after U.S. warning on Zika -study -- Feb 19 Airline bookings to parts of Latin America and the Caribbean have slipped globally since a U.S. public health agency warned pregnant women against travel to areas where the Zika virus is spreading, travel data analysis company ForwardKeys said Friday. Bookings to regions hit by the mosquito-borne virus fell some 3.4 percent from a year ago between Jan. 15, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel advisory, and Feb. 10, the report found. Jeffrey Dastin/Reuters
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United Airlines flight attendants say 'wow!' to what's coming -- Thousands of United Airlines flight attendants are about to have a big load lifted from their shoulders. Literally. If a Federal Aviation Administration validation process that began on Feb. 9 goes well, FAs working for the Chicago-based carrier expect to trade out their unwieldy, five-pound, 800-page hardcopy Flight Attendants Operations Manual for a digital version that FAs can readily access via their Link devices. Already, feedback from United FAs indicates the change could make life on the job much less taxing. Lewis Lazare/Chicago Business Journal
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Airlines sue Portland over utility fees -- The Air Transport Association of America-which represents airlines such as Alaska, American, United and JetBlue-is suing the city of Portland over utility fees the airlines say they shouldn't have to pay. Under city rules adopted in 2012, the city's Bureau of Environmental Services charges the Port of Portland, which runs the airport, fees for offsite stormwater management and Willamette River Superfund cleanup. The port then passes the fees on to the airlines. Beth Slovic/Willamette Week
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Only the Swiss could create a video this precise about what makes an airline tick -- Getting safely (and relatively comfortably) from point A to point B is all that matters to most passengers, but that seemingly simple task actually requires a painstaking process that begins years before a flier ever steps aboard a plane. In an attempt to illustrate the complexity of running a global carrier, Swiss International Airlines crafted a fascinating video that showcases every detail of the airline's operations. Ramsey Qubein/Road Warrior Voices
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Plane lands safely at Van Nuys Airport without nose gear -- A small airplane landed safely at Van Nuys airport on Saturday night without the use of its frontmost landing gear. The LA Airport Police Department said that at about 11 p.m., the 6-passenger Beachcraft airplane touched down at the airport without the use of its "nose gear," or the landing gear that is deployed from underneath the nose of the plane. Photos showed the aircraft tilting forward on grass next to the runway. No injuries were reported. CBS LA
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American Airlines re-launching Dallas flights from Santa Barbara Airport -- After a 7-year hiatus, on June 2 American Airlines will resume non-stop service from Santa Barbara to the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) airport. The Santa Barbara Municipal Airport last offered direct flights to Dallas/Fort Worth from 1983 to 1993, and then again from 2004 to 2009. "We are thrilled about this renewed service, and know that passengers throughout the region will look forward to, once again, flying directly to Dallas," said Santa Barbara Airport Director Hazel Johns. Joshua Molina/Noozhawk
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Sub-standard construction materials, overcrowding at Bangkok airport: IATA -- The International Air Transport Association has warned that Bangkok's main Suvarnabhumi Airport is a safety risk, with "serious" overcrowding soon to become a critical issue. The aviation body added that the airport needs urgent expansion, the Nation daily reported yesterday. Thailand is under pressure to improve its aviation standards after the United States Federal Aviation Administration downgraded its safety ratings in December last year. The Straits Times
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How the Boise Airport's Big City Coffee shop went sour -- Sarah Fendley finds complaints in her inbox weekly, sometimes two a day. The emails are from people who thought Fendley's popular Linen District restaurant, Big City Coffee, owns and operates the Big City cafe in the Boise Airport. It does not. Big City was one of three restaurants that signed contracts in 2014 to let some of their menu items be sold under their names. That was part of a deal Mayor Dave Bieter said was meant to showcase some of Boise's best-known restaurants. But the employees and food at the airport location actually are under control of a contractor hired by Boise officials to manage the airport's bars and eateries. Local business owners and employees say the contractor - Delaware North Cos. of Buffalo, N.Y. - has mismanaged the airport's restaurants.
Audrey Dutton & Zach Kyle/Idaho Statesman
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Developer ups pressure on Indianapolis airport to move ahead on project -- The company that has proposed developing a $500 million medical complex on land owned by the Indianapolis International Airport put pressure on airport officials Friday morning to make a quick decision on the project, warning that it would "explore other options." Later in the morning, it softened its tone. The Indianapolis Airport Authority announced late Thursday that it would take more time to vet the proposal, postponing a planned vote on the matter at its Friday morning meeting. Indianapolis Business Journal
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Epic-looking guard dog of Michigan airport takes Reddit by storm -- A border collie wearing a ski mask held up social media sharing site Reddit.com Sunday morning. The dog in question was Piper, a Border Collie that chases birds off of the grounds at the Traverse City Airport - officially known there as Cherry Capital Airport K-9. Besides being photogenic, the dog plays an important role in airport safety, as part of the airport's Wildlife Hazard Management Plan. Stephen Kloosterman/ Muskegon Chronicle
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FAA bill won't hit House floor this week -- Hold yer horsese: Maybe it's premature to say that the AIRR Act is running out of steam. But here's the truth: Even though Congress wasn't even in session last week, it turned out to be a rough few days for the FAA reauthorization bill. Despite earlier hopes from some for a swift path to the House floor, the legislation will not be taken up by the House in the upcoming week, Politico's Kathy Wolfe and Heather Caygle reported. Instead, the House Transportation Committee is "still working with related committees," a House leadership aide told Heather. Martine Powers/Politico
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Virgin Galactic unveils new spacecraft, Richard Branson acknowledges 'soul searching' after crash -- Virgin Galactic has unveiled a new spaceship just over year after that craft's predecessor crashed during a test flight, killing one of its two pilots. The Long Beach company unveiled the new ship, VSS Unity, at Mojave Air & Space Port Friday. Virgin Galactic said it would continue to pursue the goal of putting tourists into space despite the October 2014 crash of its SpaceShipTwo, which was caused when one of the pilots prematurely deployed tail surfaces. Garrett Rein/Los Angeles Business Journal
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Hotels: Happy to house gas-leak refugees, glad to see them go -- For Los Angeles hotels, the announcement Thursday that the Porter Ranch-area gas leak had been officially sealed was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it means lots of hotel rooms will be emptied out as gas-leak refugees return home. On the other, it will give hoteliers options to serve other guests - often at higher rates. Elyse Glickman/Los Angeles Business Journal
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Hotels and online travel sites clash over booking scams -- A battle is heating up between online travel sites and U.S. hotels over the best way to book your hotel room. Like most things in business, the feud comes down to money. The American Hotel and Lodging Assn., the trade group for hotels in the U.S., is pushing for legislation to crack down on fraudulent online booking sites that trick travelers into paying for hotel rooms but have no relation to the hotels. The group says the scams cost travelers up to $1.3 billion a year. Hugo Martin/Los Angeles Times
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| Transportation Network Companies |
Commercial carpooling (although it's illegal) is growing in L.A., Uber and Lyft say -- A bill legalizing commercial carpooling stalled in the California Legislature last summer, but that hasn't stopped Californians from embracing the transportation option now offered by companies such as Uber and Lyft. Friday marked a year since Uber launched its carpooling service, UberPool, in Los Angeles. The San Francisco company said that in that span, UberPool accounted for 25% of all Uber trips taken in L.A. Tracey Lien/Los Angeles Times
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Kalamazoo rampage among the worst Uber incidents -- The Kalamazoo, Mich., shooting rampage is one of the most serious episodes of violence allegedly involving drivers with the Uber ride service, which has become a popular alternative to traditional taxi service, especially among young adults. Since the San Francisco-based company's start in 2010, Uber drivers have been accused of kidnapping, rape, assault and theft involving their passengers. Yet there have been few - if any - that have been on the scale of the bloodshed that occurred Saturday night in Kalamazoo. JC Reindl/Detroit Free-Press
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| LA Mayor Eric Garcetti quietly fundraising for 2024 Olympics bid -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is helping fundraise for the city's Olympic bid, in some cases turning to groups with a stake in City Hall decisions for donations to the committee seeking the games. The mayor has personally helped raise more than $1 million since last fall for the Los Angeles 2024 Exploratory Committee, city filings show. Garcetti secured $350,000 from Los Angeles-based Westfield Property Management and $10,000 from Southern California IBEW-NECA., which represents electrical and construction workers. Dakota Smith/Los Angeles Daily News |
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1984 LA Summer Olympics
United Airlines Commercial
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Critics launch effort to recall L.A. City Councilman Paul Krekorian -- A recall effort is being launched against Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian, who represents the San Fernando Valley neighborhoods of North Hollywood, Valley Village and Studio City, by critics who argue that he has favored business interests over community requests. Those critics sent a notice this week to Krekorian that they were sponsoring a recall petition - one of the first steps in the process of trying to oust a council member. Emily Alpert Reyes/Los Angeles Times
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L.A. are united against one housing measure - and divided by another -- The bruising political fight over housing construction in Los Angeles just got way more complicated. For months, labor unions and business groups have been working together to defeat a ballot proposal, known as the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative, that's been billed as a crackdown on real estate "overdevelopment." But that alliance came under serious strain last week, after union leaders revealed they had, without the support of business groups, submitted a competing measure for the Nov. 8 ballot, one that puts new hiring and affordable housing requirements on real estate projects. David Zahniser/Los Angeles Times
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