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| Brussels Terrorist Attacks |
Brussels shows vulnerability of airports to terror attacks -- The airport attack in Brussels highlights one of the most vulnerable stages of aviation security: the time travelers spend between the curb and the checkpoint. As travelers wait first to check luggage and then go through metal detectors, they crowd together in areas that are usually lightly patrolled and accessible to nearly anyone. "We ignore it," says Isaac Yeffet, a former head of security for the Israeli airline El Al who now runs his own firm, Yeffet Security Consultants, based in the New York area. "We are careless." Scott Mayerowitz & David Koenig/AP
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After Brussels, Democrats to push for tighter airport security in FAA bill -- Senate Democrats will push for a package of airport security measures as part of a must-pass reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration following the terror attacks in Brussels that targeted the city's airport and subway system. The new effort was announced on Tuesday by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who was in Washington during the two-week Senate recess to meet with Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. Seung Min Kim/Politico Also: TSA won't make airport security report deadline - due the day of Brussels bombings
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Before Brussels, LAX was repeatedly a target of terrorism -- The deadly terrorist bombing at the Brussels Airport is a grim reminder of how Los Angeles' own airport has been targeted by terrorism over the years. LAX was targeted in two elaborate terrorism bombing plots as well as two shooting incidents. Here is a summary of those attacks from the files of The Times. Shelby Grad & Richard Winton/Los Angeles Times
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Should airports extend their security perimeters? -- Security efforts have been stepped up at airports across Europe and the United States after a terrorist attack in a check-in area of the Brussels Airport in Belgium killed and injured dozens Tuesday. For decades, security checkpoints have been in place for people wishing to access the plane and gate areas of airports. An additional layer of security was added after the 9/11 attacks, when general access was further restricted only to passengers able to show boarding passes for a flight. Bart Jansen & Ben Mutzabaugh/USA Today
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Expect to see more police at LAX, Union Station after terrorist attacks in Brussels -- Following terrorist attacks that killed dozens in Brussels and injured scores more, extra law enforcement officers were out at some of Los Angeles' transportation hubs and high-profile sites Tuesday in a show of force to reassure the public. Taking no chances, sheriff's deputies swept Union Station and had extra personnel posted at a metro station downtown and in Willowbrook, while police at Los Angeles International Airport made themselves more visible, officials said. Richard Winton & Kate Mather/Los Angeles Times Darsha Philips & Christina Salvo/ABC7 City News Service
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Airport, Metrolink officials ask travelers to be vigilant following attacks -- Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says there is no "specific, credible intelligence" of any plots against the United States like those carried out in Brussels. As a precaution, the Homeland Security Department is stepping up security at major U.S. airports and rail and transit stations around the country. Officials from the Ontario International Airport and Metrolink are asking travelers to be vigilant following the terrorist attacks in Brussels on Tuesday. Brian Rokos & Anne Millerbernd/Riverside Press-Enterprise
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Terrorist attacks in Brussels: What you need to know if you're planning to fly to Europe -- Travelers who have plans to fly to Belgium and other European cities after three deadly terrorist bombings Tuesday may be able to change or cancel flights without penalty. More than 34 people died, and more than 80 were injured after two bombs went off at Brussels Airport and a third bomb exploded at the Maelbeek metro stop in the city. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Mary Forgione/Los Angeles Times
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Global airlines waive fees in wake of Brussels attack -- U.S. and global airlines are waiving rebooking fees for Brussels passengers in the wake of Tuesday's terror attack there. American, Delta, United and Air Canada are among the global carriers that have issued rebooking policies for customers ticketed to fly to the city. A number of European carriers had issued similar policies. All global carriers serving Brussels that had not already done so are likely consider doing the same. As for the waivers already in place, details vary by carrier. Ben Mutzabaugh/USA Today
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After Brussels attack, don't be stupid: Our view -- Madrid, London, Paris and now Brussels. The latest monstrous attack against European civilians peacefully going about their daily lives took place Tuesday, killing dozens of people in the Belgian capital's airport and one of its subway stations. Early reports said the attacks included at least one person deranged enough to detonate himself in a crowd of travelers and a claim of responsibility by the Islamic State, the successor to the al-Qaeda terrorists who flew airplanes into buildings in the United States 15 years ago. The Editorial Board/USA Today
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No specific threats to U.S. as authorities boost security nationwide -- U.S. authorities tightened security measures at transportation hubs and landmarks across the country Tuesday in the wake of Brussels' deadly terror attacks even as they assured Americans they knew of no credible or specific threats. There is no evidence of any plot for similar attacks against U.S. targets, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement. The agency is monitoring developments in Brussels and working with regional counterparts, he added. Matthew Diebel/USA Today
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UPS expands at Ontario Airport -- UPS has built a new sorting facility and begun work on expanding its existing building at Ontario International Airport. The new 416,000 sq ft building processes urgent, time-definite packages and will feature automated sorting capabilities. Meanwhile, work is underway at the expanded ground sorting facility, which will be retrofitted with automated sorting systems and have twice the package processing capacity. The existing UPS ground sorting facility will increase in size by around 15% to nearly 900,000sq ft and will process twice the amount of packages per hour as it does at the moment. Air Cargo News
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New names pitched to Bob Hope Airport officials in effort to attract more passengers -- A South Pasadena branding firm told Bob Hope Airport officials the possible benefits of having Los Angeles in its name. However, some residents do not want any of it. The company Anyone Collective was contracted by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Authority to develop a brand name for the airfield in an effort to attract more passengers nationwide to the local airfield. Firm officials told the board's operations and development committee during a meeting Monday that Los Angeles was searched online by Americans an average of 671,560 times a month when it came to travel and tourism. Anthony Clark Carpio/Burbank Leader
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MTA pushes ahead with proposed pedestrian bridge linking Metrolink station and Bob Hope Airport -- 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 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 last week that the $15.8-million project is in the design phase, expected to be completed in June. Anthony Clark Carpio/Burbank Leader
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Parking rates could go higher, lower at Bob Hope Airport -- Bob Hope Airport is looking to implement a new parking strategy in an attempt to recoup revenue lost due to the increasing use of transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft. The operations and development committee of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority board decided during a meeting Monday to recommend to commissioners a plan that would raise or lower rates at all public lots by no more than $3, depending on the real-time parking needs of the airfield. Anthony Clark Carpio/Burbank Leader
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Montclair International Airport: An idea that just never got off the ground -- It took no less than Charles A. Lindbergh to scuttle the very first try to build a regional airport in the Inland Valley. In the space of a few moments in 1927, Lindbergh effectively killed plans for the airport considered by officials from Ontario, Pomona, Upland, Claremont, Chino and Pomona College. And he did it without even setting foot in the area. Had the plans gone forward, today you might leave on vacation from Montclair International Airport. Joe Blackstock/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
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Feb. strong month for tourism in CV -- Record crowds at signature Coachella Valley events like Modernism Week pushed up hotel occupancy in February. It wasn't just hotel lobbys that were a buzz last month. Palm Springs International Airport was also crowded as the airport broke a February passenger record. "So, I would like to say that it looks like we're back on track," Bob Elsner, chairman of the Palm Springs Airport Commission, told his board last week, as he relayed the February data showing 254,685 fliers used the Coachella Valley airport, up 5.8 percent from the same month last year. Skip Descant/The Desert Sun
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Passenger who made terrorism comments removed from United jet in San Diego -- Passenger who made comments about terrorism was removed from a United Airlines jet before takeoff at Lindbergh Field on Tuesday morning, officials said. He made no threats but his general statements about terrorism "made some people nervous," San Diego Harbor Police Lt. John Forsythe said. "There was no violation of the law. He had some mental issues. We interviewed him and took him to a hospital for mental health evaluation." Pauline Repard/Los Angeles Times
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AAAPO reemphasizes calls for more proactive airport security -- This past weekend's incident at LAX in which 70 pounds of cocaine was found in the carry-on luggage of a flight attendant who fled the airport without her luggage and left her Gucci shoes when she was randomly selected for screening reinforces the need to require that an airport police officer be within 300 feet of a TSA screening checkpoint; real-time police access to airport security cameras and all airport employees screened. LAAPOA
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American Airlines must compete for new daytime routes to Tokyo's Haneda Airport -- With newly available daytime slots at Tokyo's Haneda Airport heralding a potential transformation in U.S. air service to the Japanese capital, the Department of Transportation announced Tuesday it will take a "completely fresh look" when awarding routes to U.S. airlines. American, Delta, United and Hawaiian airlines each fly once-a-day routes to Haneda, a popular destination for business travelers because of its proximity to downtown Tokyo compared to Tokyo's Narita Airport. Conor Shine/Dallas Morning News
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'System malfunction' swamps Japanese airports with stranded fliers -- Major Japanese airports were crammed with thousands of passengers unable to take domestic flights Tuesday due to problems with airline computer systems. The delays began in the morning, with major Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways posting a notice on its website apologizing for delays and cancellations due to a "system malfunction." The airline said Internet check-in, seat selection, new reservations, changes to reservations and payments were not available for domestic flights. AP
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Southwest Airlines heads back to bargaining table with pilots and mechanics this week -- After striking labor deals with two of its unions last month, Southwest Airlines is back at the bargaining table this week with negotiators from its pilots and mechanics unions, two groups that have gone nearly four years without a new deal. Both groups are scheduled to begin separate meetings with Southwest on Tuesday with a federal mediator present. Talks are expected to last through Thursday for both groups. Conor Shine/Dallas Morning News
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United Airlines pilot leaders say hedge funds 'want to smash and grab from United's coffers' -- Not only are United union leaders continuing to voice opposition to board picks by two activist hedge funds, but also their language is getting stronger. In a letter to the pilots, the 35 leaders of the master executive council of the United chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association voiced strong support for CEO Oscar Munoz and suggested that former Continental CEO Gordon Bethune shouldn't tarnish his legacy by trying to return to United. Ted Reed/TheStreet
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US-Cuba: US regulators must weigh likely demand in a hotly contested race to resume flights -- The forging of a new bilateral air services agreement between Cuba and the US has resulted in numerous airlines vying for available frequencies between the two countries. Service requests are wide-ranging - full service airlines, LCCs, ULCCs and smaller airlines such as Silver Airways are competing to seize on an opportunity to serve Cuba. CAPA Centre for Aviation
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Once again, travel is the target - can airlines keep bouncing back? -- This is the time of year when millions of travelers are making summer vacation plans. Analysts expected record numbers to book flights to international destinations. Their outlook was so optimistic because global passenger traffic had shot up 7.1 percent in January, compared with last year, according to the International Air Transport Association. "The record load factor is a result of strong demand for our product," Tony Tyler, CEO of the trade group, said in a statement earlier this month. Marilyn Geewax/NPR
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Chunk of ice falls from sky, mysteriously hits Colton townhome -- Colton resident Megan Clement says a large chunk of ice mysteriously fell out of the clear blue sky and slammed into her townhome shortly before 10 a.m. Monday morning. "I heard like a loud bang hitting [what] sounded like the wall or the outside of the house, and I thought maybe one of the trees fell," she said. Once outside, Clement didn't find a fallen tree. She found chunks of ice, which she saved, and contacted Eyewitness News using #abc7eyewitness. Leticia Juarez/ABC7
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Former L.A. City Council aide, wife acquitted of embezzlement in corruption case -- A jury Tuesday acquitted a longtime Los Angeles lobbyist and former L.A. City Council aide accused of corruption, rejecting charges that he and his wife participated in a scheme to help an elected water board member siphon thousands of dollars in public money for personal use. After more than two days of deliberation in a Torrance courthouse, jurors found Robert Katherman Jr., 69, and his wife, Marilyn, 67, not guilty of felony counts of misappropriation of public funds and embezzlement. Marisa Gerber/Los Angeles Times
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L.A. City Council OKs 2 controversial high-rises in Hollywood -- The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan Tuesday for two residential high-rises next to the Hollywood Palladium, setting the stage for a protracted legal battle with the politically active nonprofit group next door. On a 12-0 vote, the council backed a zoning change, a height district change and other approvals for the Palladium Residences, two towers expected to rise as tall as 30 stories on Sunset Boulevard near a Metro Red Line subway stop. David Zahniser/Los Angeles Times
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Garcetti's top homelessness advisor leaves post after 18 months -- Greg Spiegel, Mayor Eric Garcetti's top homelessness policy advisor, has left his post after 18 months, saying he felt he had accomplished his goal of making "a major impact" on the problem. The city and L.A. County adopted sweeping plans last month to end homelessness. "Eighteen months ago there wasn't a clear strategy for addressing homelessness," Spiegel said Tuesday. "On Feb. 9 we passed as comprehensive a strategy as anywhere in the country." Gale Holland/Los Angeles Times
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