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A drone passed 200 feet from a Lufthansa flight landing at LAX -- While approaching LAX at around 1:30 p.m. Friday the pilot of a Lufthansa A380 airplane noticed something unusual flying nearby at 5,000 feet - a drone. The pilot didn't need to take any evasive maneuvers and the plane landed without incident, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor tells KPCC. The close call has rattled nerves. It also highlights a growing problem: near-misses between drones and other airborne entities like airplanes and helicopters. Kellie Galentine/KPCC Joseph Serna/Los Angeles Times Related: Near miss between drone and Lufthansa plane fuels demand for regulation
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Lights out: Cities around the world mark 10th annual Earth Hour -- Cities around the world were turning out the lights Saturday evening to mark the 10th annual Earth Hour, a global movement dedicated to protecting the planet and highlighting the effects of climate change. In Southern California, lights were turned off for an hour beginning at 8:30 p.m. on the Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel, Los Angeles City Hall, the Los Angeles Convention Center, the Los Angeles International Airport pylons, structures at UCLA and USC, bridges at the Port of Los Angeles, and other locations. AP
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LAX ranked among the top 100 world's airports -- just barely -- Los Angeles International Airport has returned to the list of the world's top 100 airports. But just barely. After failing for several years to make a top 100 ranking that is based on a survey of 13.5 million air travelers, LAX broke into the list in 98th position last year and moved up to 91st this year. The world's top airport was Singapore Changi Airport, followed by Incheon International Airport in South Korea and Munich Airport in Germany, according to the annual rankings by SkyTrax. The top U.S. airports were Denver International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and San Francisco International Airport. Hugo Martin/Los Angeles Times
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SkyWest passenger jet loses steering during landing at John Wayne Airport -- Emergency fire crews and a crash unit responded to John Wayne Airport Thursday afternoon when a SkyWest passenger jet lost steering during landing. The incident happened at about 4 p.m. Thursday when the pilots of a 76-person passenger plane out of Salt Lake City realized upon landing that they couldn't steer the plane, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Larry Kurtz. No one was injured in the incident. Paige Austin/Newport Beach-Corona Del Mar Patch
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Metro officials plan pedestrian bridge to connect Bob Hope Airport to nearby train station -- The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is looking to push forward with its planned pedestrian bridge over Empire Avenue, which would connect the Metrolink station south of the Bob Hope Airport to the airfield's transportation center. Don Sepulveda, executive officer for regional rail at Metro, told residents during a community meeting at the airport on Wednesday that the $15.8-million project is currently in its design phase, which is expected to be completed in June. Anthony Clark Carpio/Los Angeles Times
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Concierge 'butler' service lands at San Francisco Airport -- Celebrities, dignitaries, politicians and bigwigs in business often have assistants who arrange VIP treatment at airports. And many airlines offer their best customers special attention that might include a chauffeured ride between gates. At San Francisco International Airport, "regular" people can now have someone take care of those complicated or pesky airport travel details too. Harriet Baskas/USA Today
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Price tag to fix La Guardia Airport jumps to $5.3 billion -- The official price tag for La Guardia Airport's overhaul has risen to $5.3 billion - more than $1 billion higher than previous estimates - as officials grapple with how to pay for major transit projects in the region. The new tally accounts for increased cost estimates related to a looming project to replace La Guardia's Terminal B and redevelopment work that stretches back more than a decade. A capital-spending plan from 2014 pegged the cost of the airport renovation at $3.6 billion, and more recent projections hovered around $4 billion. Andrew Tangel/MarketWatch
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Airport rejects $500M sports medical complex -- The Indianapolis Airport Authority is starting from scratch in its effort to redevelop an old terminal site, effectively killing a proposed $500 million sports medical complex that it seemed set to approve days earlier. The airport authority has canceled its request for proposals for the 130-acre site, rejecting all bids and restarting the process. It made the move at a Friday board meeting. James Briggs/Indiianapolis Star
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Houston Airport chief teed up in Hawaii with company execs who won piece of $1.5B deal -- In the run up to the Houston Airport System issuing bids for an expansion project totaling $1.5 billion, airport director Mario Diaz played golf at a Hawaii resort with two senior executives of a firm that won a key piece of that Houston airport contract, emails obtained by abc13 show. The former director of the Atlanta airport Ben DeCosta helped set up the tee-time, according to the email. Ted Oberg & Trent Seibert/ABC13
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Watch Houston Hobby Airport's new international terminal be built in 90 seconds -- It took nearly two years to build Southwest Airlines' new international terminal at Houston Hobby Airport, but you can watch it go up in less than two minutes. A timelapse video released by EarthCam on Thursday shows a pile of rubble transform into the sleek, glass-encased five-gate terminal over the course of 90 seconds. Conor Shine/Dallas Morning News
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Chicago O'Hare to host cooking competition -- An Iron Chef-like competition will take place in front of a live audience at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport next Tuesday (March 22) at 11 a.m., with contestants vying for prizes that include having their special dish added to the menu at an ORD restaurant. The event - the second annual Channel Your Inner Chef cooking competition - will be held post-security in O'Hare's Terminal 2 and will consist of a 30-minute timed cook-off. Harriet Baskas/USA Today
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Long delays predicted as Australia airport staff strike -- Easter travel plans could be in jeopardy with one of the country's largest strikes set to disrupt thousands of travellers across Australia. International airline passengers are being warned to prepare for long delays as customs and immigration staff strike for 24-hours on Thursday March 24, the day before Good Friday. Sky News AU
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Plane means high times for students -- Aspiring pilots from the Van Nuys youth flight program Kitty Hawk Squadron 3 were given the ultimate gift last month - an airplane. Barak Raviv, philanthropist and financial adviser at Morgan Stanley's Beverly Hills office, donated the single-engine, four-seat Cessna 172 aircraft last month to show his appreciation to the program that helped him land his own pilot's license. Raviv, 40, participated when he was a teenager and said it helped him accomplish his dream of flying. Subrina Hudson/Los Angeles Business Journal
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Heart transplants, mythology, bruised egos & years of frustration: Drama unfolds at United Airlines -- There's likely never been another corporate CEO who has had as unusual a start to his tenure at the top of a major American corporation as United Airlines' Oscar Munoz. Elevated from a board seat to replace an unpopular chief executive who had stumbled into a small scandal, Munoz promptly suffered a massive heart attack after only a whirlwind month on the job. He followed that up with a heart transplant and, upon his return to work with a new ticker, a proxy fight being mounted by disgruntled minority shareholders. Dan Reed/Forbes
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U.S. airlines fight for rights to Cuba -- The gloves are off as U.S. airlines describe why they deserve to fly the first scheduled flights to Cuba in more than 50 years. Two airlines - American Airlines and JetBlue Airways - have proposed more daily flights to Havana than the 20 that the Transportation Department will award. While legacy carriers cite their reliability, low-cost airlines pitch their price. In addition to the 12 passenger airlines, Federal Express would like to fly cargo to Havana five days per week. Bart Jansen/USA Today
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10 ways airlines are improving first-class flights that will make you desperate to upgrade -- Customers have come to expect an increased level of comfort when it comes to business and first class. That's why airlines have introduced innovations to further elevate a luxurious flight experience. Including fully stocked in-flight bars and lounges to lie-flat massage seats, here are 10 things airlines are doing to make flying business and first class more enjoyable. Talia AvakainBusiness Insider
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Are maintenance problems at Allegiant Air the result of an airline growing too fast? -- The takeoff from St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport aborted at high speed, announced by a loud boom from a failing engine. It took more than three hours for Allegiant to find a replacement plane. Airline employees provided little information to passengers, who did not know if they would take off again in five minutes or five hours. A 90-minute wait on a customer service phone line ended when an employee hung up on him. William R. Levesque/Tampa Bay Times
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Alaska Airlines passenger's phone catches fire mid-flight; airline and FAA investigating -- An Alaska Airlines passenger's phone burst into flames on a flight en route to Hawaii, and the airline and the FAA say they are investigating. Anna Crail, a college sophomore, was watching a movie on her flight to spring break when flames began shooting out of her iPhone 6, she told ABC affiliate KOMO-TV in Seattle. "When it started I thought we were going down," Crail, 18, told KOMO-TV. Emily Shapiro/ABC News
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Flight dispatchers reach tentative agreement with American Airlines -- American Airlines reached a tentative contract agreement with its flight dispatchers on Friday. The Fort Worth-based carrier did not release details of the agreement, saying that Transport Workers Union Local 549 will discuss the contract with its members in the coming weeks. "Our dispatchers and ops specialists play a critical role in our airline and today's tentative agreement represents a significant step in the integration process," said Lorne Cass, American's vice president of the Integrated Operations Center. Andrea Ahles/Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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FlyDubai jet crash kills 62 in failed Russia landing attempt -- A passenger jet operated by Middle Eastern budget carrier FlyDubai broke apart while trying to land in high winds in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don Saturday morning, killing all 62 people on board. Flight FZ981 was making a repeat landing attempt in poor weather at about 3:40 a.m. when it crashed and burst into flames, the Rostov branch of the Emergencies Ministry said on its website. Yuliya Fedorinova & Deena Kamel/Bloomberg Business 360 video of Flydubai crash site in Rostov-on-Don Airport
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Special airline discounts that still exist -- Got a last minute emergency and you must fly? Some bereavement (or "compassion") discounts still exist. Ditto for senior fares, military deals plus discounts for passengers too big for a single seat. How good are the discounts? Let's find out by examining the policies of the Big Four (American, Delta, Southwest and United). It is truly a mixed bag. One last thing before we dive in. If you don't know whether a discount exists, ask. Rick Seaney/farecompare.com/ABC News
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'Toxic culture' still bothers American Airlines pilots after meeting with CEO -- After warning of the return of "toxic" labor relations earlier this month, officials from American Airlines' pilots union struck an uncertain tone this week after a meeting with CEO Doug Parker. "It's unclear at this point whether Mr. Parker views the pilot group's involvement in reforming our airline's culture as an essential ingredient, and we came away concerned about the lack of details provided," officials from the Allied Pilots Association said in a message to membership. Conor Shine/Dallas Morning News
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| Transportation Network Companies |
Uber balks at rules proposed by world's busiest airport -- Atlanta's airport - the world's busiest - and Los Angeles officials want to force Uber drivers to get fingerprint-based background checks to pick up passengers, but the ride-hailing service is balking. The debate over the safety of Uber and other app-based ride-booking services intensified last month, when police say an Uber driver went on a shooting spree in Michigan that led to six deaths. Jeff Martin/AP
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Fingerprint checks get 'thumbs up' from LAX Officers -- Support is growing for a proposal to force Uber, Lyft and limousine drivers to get fingerprint-based background checks before they can transport passengers to and from Los Angeles International Airport. The Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers' Association, a union representing police officers and firefighters serving the city's airports, voiced their support Friday for the recommendation put forth by Mayor Eric Garcetti and other officials that rideshare services and limousine firms be held to the same standards as taxi and shuttle companies. Elyse Glickman/Los Angeles Business Journal
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2016 FlyerTalk Awards: The top loyalty programs are ... -- American Airlines, Starwood Hotels and Hertz car rental took home the "Best Rewards Programs" awards for the Americas in the fifth-annual FlyerTalk Awards, announced Monday. It was a repeat performance for all three, which have had a stranglehold on those coveted categories since the FlyerTalk Awards debuted in 2012. The awards are voted on by members of FlyerTalk, a popular online community devoted to frequent-traveler interests. Ben Mutzabaugh/USA Today
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Starwood, Marriott get government approval for Cuba hotels -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International have each been approved by the U.S. Treasury Department to operate hotels in Cuba, clearing the way for the first U.S. hospitality operations in the country in almost 60 years. Starwood on Saturday said it would begin Cuba operations by the end of the year. The company, whose brands include Sheraton, W and Westin, received approval to make Havana's 83-room Hotel Inglaterra part of Starwood's Luxury Collection and reflag the city's 186-room Hotel Quinta Avenida under Starwood's Four Points by Sheraton brand, with both hotels slated for renovations. Danny King/Travel Weekly
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MTA shows what taxpayers will get if they OK a $120-billion sales tax increase -- Now rail routes through Claremont, Van Nuys, Westwood and Artesia would be built first under the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's ambitious $120-billion plan to expand mass transit in Los Angeles. These lines would connect the region's growing transit network to cities that have lacked passenger rail since the demise of the Pacific Electric streetcar network a half-century ago. Laura J. Nelson/Los Angeles Times
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California proposes financial backup for LA Olympic plan -- The leader of the California Senate has introduced a proposal that would provide a $250 million financial backup as part of Los Angeles' 2024 Olympic bid, officials said Friday. A bill introduced by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, would establish an "Olympic Games Trust Fund" that could be used to cover cost overruns or liability resulting from the Games, up to that level. AP
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Villaraigosa appears poised to enter 2018 governor's race -- The presidential contest is dominating national headlines, but the toughest campaign in California might be two years away. The race to replace Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018 is emerging as a potentially historic and crowded competition that could bring the state its first Asian governor, the first Hispanic in modern times or, maybe, the first woman to hold the job. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom started banking cash more than a year ago in advance of a run, and state Treasurer John Chiang sounds like he's getting in. Michael R. Blood/AP
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| | Intrastate airline Southwest "Spreading love all over Texas" - 1976 |
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