Airports
Bob Hope Airport will be branded 'Hollywood Burbank Airport' --  Bob Hope Airport officials voted 8 to 1 on Monday to change the airfield's branding name to Hollywood Burbank Airport in an effort to increase recognition with passengers outside of Southern California, especially those east of the Colorado Rockies. The airfield has been named after the famous comedian since 2003 the famous comedian since 2003. "Bob Hope isn't doing it," Commissioner Don Brown said. "The name of the airport - Bob Hope - is just not. We've been told by our travel agencies here and been told by the airlines that we've got to do something, and the name Bob Hope just doesn't identify with this airport." Anthony Clark Carpio/Los Angeles Time Bob Hope Airport News Release BrianSumers.com City News Service Dana Bartholomew/Los Angeles Daily News KTLA CBS LA
After 50 years at LAX, Coast Guard helicopters have to find new home -- After 50 years in an out-of-the way hangar at LAX, one of L.A.'s largest active duty military units is leaving the county, pushed out by the airport's expansion plans. Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles, located between two of the airport's main runways, is headed for Point Mugu in Ventura County, which officials say is actually a more central location for the 350 miles of coastline patrolled by the unit. John Ismay/KPCC
Kanye West: Judge erases LAX paparazzi case -- Kanye West is a blank slate, criminally speaking -- a judge signed off on erasing his conviction for that paparazzi beatdown at LAX. According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge approved Kanye's request to expunge the case. You'll recall he pled no contest in 2014 to misdemeanor battery for the incident. As we reported, Kanye's been a model citizen ever since ... putting in more than the 250 community service hours that were required, and staying on the straight and narrow for his 24 months of probation. TMZ
San Francisco OKs settlement after deadly 2013 airport crash -- San Francisco city leaders have approved a $3.45 million settlement from Asiana Airlines involving a fiery 2013 airport crash that killed three people and injured nearly 200 others. The city attorney had called the proposed settlement the final chapter in the tragedy caused when Asiana Flight 214 clipped a seawall on an approach to San Francisco International Airport and burst into flames on the runway. The vote Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors was unanimous and without comment. AP
Additional concourse boosts Salt Lake City airport rebuild price tag to $2.6 billion -- Redevelopment of Utah's largest airport is getting even more expansive. Salt Lake City International Airport officials Monday announced plans to build a $740 million concourse north of the existing terminal to accommodate projected growth in passenger traffic and to replace aging facilities built in the 1960s. The new North Concourse will add 30 gates in two phases. Jasen Lee/Deseret News
KC to 'press pause' on airport talks for now, mayor says -- Kansas City will not ask voters to decide on a single-terminal plan for Kansas City International Airport any time soon, Mayor Sly James said Tuesday. The city's internal polling indicated there was a lack of support for the single-terminal plan among Kansas City residents. James said a survey of 800 people indicated that less than 40 percent were inclined to vote for the new airport right now. Any significant change to the airport requires approval of Kansas City voters. Michael Mahoney/KMBC
Aviation Security
600 passengers miss flights in 1 day in Charlotte - and problem may get worse -- Security lines at airports are getting longer - much longer - and wait times could reach epidemic levels when air travel peaks this summer, according to airlines, airports and federal officials. Charlotte Douglas International Airport has been cited as a prime example of the problem. A combination of factors - fewer Transportation Security Administration screeners, tighter budgets, new checkpoint procedures and growing numbers of passengers - is already creating a mess at airports around the country. Jad Mouawad/New York Times
New security at Brussels Airport causes delays, missed flights -- New security checks at Brussels Airport, where suicide bombs killed 16 people, are creating huge queues and causing passengers to miss flights, a situation even the airport operator described as "bizarre". Belgium's main airport reopened part of its main departure hall on Monday, bringing capacity up to about 80 percent from 20 percent when operations initially restarted a month ago, after the attack on March 22. Reuters
TSA to shut down security checkpoint at Atlanta airport for upgrades -- If you're heading to the airport on Wednesday, you might want to pack your patience. Channel 2 Action News has learned that the TSA will close the south security checkpoint for a redesign to speed the screening process. Critics told Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant that they aren't convinced it will work. "It's too much for me," said passenger Renee Sanks. "I've been flying out of this airport for 30 years and (I've) never seen anything like this," passenger Bob Newsome told Diamant. WSB-TV Atlanta
Airlines
Southwest Airlines planning new flights to Mexico, CEO Gary Kelly says -- Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said the company plans to expand its service to Mexico under a revised bilateral agreement with the U.S. that was ratified by the Mexican Senate last week. "This is major progress and certainly welcome news," Kelly said in a Monday message to employees. "We have plans in the works for additional service to and from Mexico, so we'll look forward to making those announcements just as soon as this agreement becomes fully effective." Conor Shine/Dallas Morning News
Southwest Airlines announces continuation of its culture leadership legacy -- Southwest Airlines Co promoted Cheryl Hughey to Managing Director Culture. Hughey will continue to lead the Culture Services Teams responsible for recognition, appreciation, and celebration of Southwest's more than 50,000 Employees. Hughey has led the Culture Services Department for the past five years, which has included supporting Culture initiatives across the system, providing guidance to Southwest's Companywide Culture Committee, and leading the charge to foster ownership of the Southwest Culture within a continually growing Employee base. eTurboNews
JetBlue's FlyBabies promotion should remind everyone to be nicer to moms -- As the mom of a 1-year-old, I can personally attest to the fear of flying with a baby. Indeed, I'm so scared of getting on a plane with my daughter that I haven't tried it just yet, and I even missed one of my best friend's weddings last year in part because I couldn't imagine flying with my colicky 6-week-old. Happily, in honor of Mother's Day, JetBlue Airways recognized this common parenting pitfall with an amazing new ad. Katherine Don/Romper
Airlines are becoming rational businesses and passengers are benefiting -- Cheap oil helped U.S. airlines make unbelievable improvements in net profits last year, but Bureau of Transport Statistics data shows they've also become better retailers. And flyers are benefiting from lower fares. While total numbers of baggage fees and reservation charges have brought in dollars - $3.8 billion and $3.0 billion, respectively - they represented only 2.26% and 1.78% of airline revenue in 2015. The largest contributor to airline revenue $27.4 billion was transport-related revenue (16.22%). Marisa Garcia/Skift
Enrique Mendez joins HNTB -- Enrique Mendez, RA, AIA, joined HNTB Corp. as aviation project director-architecture and associate vice president. He is based in the firm's Dallas office and will serve as the firm's Southwest Airlines client service leader for airline integration assignments. Mendez brings nearly 40 years of experience in professional design, construction, capital improvement and capital program management. His architectural expertise includes project and program development, team direction of corporate-private projects and stakeholder program objectives. HNTB Press Release
LATAM Airlines makes Washington 5th U.S. city -- LATAM Airlines launched service Monday connecting Washington Dulles to the company's hub in Lima, Peru. LATAM moved to add the nonstop route after seeing strong connecting demand for Washington-Lima travel via its Miami hub, Pablo Chiozza - LATAM's SVP for USA, Canada and Caribbean - says in an interview with Today in the Sky.  LATAM Airlines is the only carrier to fly nonstop between the cities, starting the route with a schedule of three flights a week. Ben Mutzabaugh/USA Today
In rare move, Southwest cuts airfares, Delta boosts them -- In an unusual move, Southwest has slashed some fares while Delta has raised them, a signal that airlines may be starting to resist the lockstep price matching that has long defined the industry. Last week, Southwest cut one-way domestic fares for trips booked within a seven-day window by $5. Meanwhile, Delta increased some of those last-minute fares, often purchased by business trekkers, by $5 one way. Both moves were notable, fare watchers say, because, outside of a short-term sale, airlines seldom slash fares. Charisse Jones/USA Today
New Delta CEO weighs cutting overseas service as fuel costs rise -- Ed Bastian, Delta Air Lines Inc.'s new chief executive officer, is considering cuts to international service as rising fuel costs and weak foreign economies make some routes unprofitable. "When you have oil prices rising, that takes a thin-margin route to a negative route pretty quickly," Bastian said in an interview on Bloomberg TV. "You start to ask yourself the question, 'Is that the right decision, and do you need to be doing it now?"' Michael Sasso & Erik Schatzker/Bloomberg
Delta gets Mexican OK for Aeromexico joint venture -- Mexico's anti-monopoly commission has approved a plan for a joint venture between U.S. carrier Delta Airlines and Mexico's Aeromexico, with conditions. Mexico's federal commission on economic competition says the two companies can carry on with a new joint venture on flights between their nations. However, they must give up landing slots at Mexico City's highly congested airport. The two airlines would have to give up slots equivalent to those used by Delta in 2015. Dallas Morning News
Delta's New York to D.C. shuttle, bucking tradition, removes midday flights -- Delta Air Lines said it will cut back on its New York La Guardia-Washington Reagan National shuttle flights, ending a longstanding pattern of hourly flights on the shuttle, which during 55 years of existence at two airlines has provided a stage where some of the most intriguing trends in aviation have played out. Over the weekend Delta loaded fall schedules, which take effect in August, that have 12 daily weekday departures, but skip two midday flights. Between 5:50 a.m. and 7 p.m. Ted Reed/TheStreet
Only the cheapest travelers are fighting airline fees -- A low-cost, low-fare carrier such as Spirit Airlines Inc. makes its living on passenger fees. That those fees, known as non-ticket revenue, dropped by more than $2 per passenger in the first quarter, compared to a year ago, might suggest a shift in travelers' tolerance for additional charges. Spirit blames its sagging fee tally on low fares: Travelers seeking out the lowest fares have had plenty of choices, with a raft of bargain flights, some below $50, departing from cities nationwide. Justin Bachman/Bloomberg
How to capitalize on airline yo-yo pricing -- Big news in the air travel industry: Frontier and Southwest lowered airfare prices. No, you won't find anything along the lines of the old Spirit $9 deals. The late April price cuts were relatively modest, with Frontier lowering fares by $7 one-way, Southwest by $5 one-way. Still, while it's not quite unprecedented, it's something that hasn't been seen in several years. Even more interesting, the cuts came in the midst of some fairly frenzied attempts (by other carriers) to hike ticket prices! For travelers, it's a confusing time: When to buy, how to fly? Here are some answers. Rick Seaney/USA Today
Lufthansa first-quarter earnings grounded by pricing pressure -- The outlook for Europe's legacy airlines is not looking bright as they battle their low-cost counterparts. Germany's Lufthansa is the latest airline to curb its growth expectations, after its first-quarter results were less than impressive. Shares were down as much as 7% in morning trading in Frankfurt, after it reported a 0.8% decline in first-quarter revenue. The airline has cut its capacity growth expectations. Lisa Botter/TheStreet
Qantas launches custom postal and courier freight division -- Australian flag carrier Qantas will launch a new cargo subsidiary in July 2016, dedicated to serving the needs of Australia Post, the national postal service provider. The new division has signed a five-year AUD500 million ($378 million) contract from Australia Post and its courier subsidiary StarTrack, the airline said. The Australia Post/StarTrack contract will last until mid-2020, and will see three of Qantas's existing BAe146-300s, two of its Boeing 737-300s, and one 737 freighter rebadged in StarTrack livery for the new venture. Jeremy Torr/Air Transport World
'Drunk and stoned' Qantas pilot loses bid to fly again -- A Qantas pilot sacked after groping a female co-worker's breast while he was drunk and stoned on an overseas stopover has lost a bid to have his dismissal reviewed. The industrial umpire has rejected the pilot's claim that his beer had been spiked with an illicit drug at a pub in Santiago, Chile, before he sexually harassed his co-pilot. Stephen Gregory - a first officer Boeing 747 pilot of nearly 20 years' experience - was sacked for the serious misconduct in February 2014. Nick Toscano/Sydney Morning Herald Also: Qantas unveils sexy new pilot uniforms
Travel
Frequent fliers pick Southwest, Marriott as best loyalty programs -- Millions of frequent fliers this year voted Southwest Airlines and Marriott Hotels as their favorite travel loyalty programs. The honors, known as the Freddie Awards, were handed out last Thursday in a splashy Las Vegas event outside the city's new T-Mobile Arena. Southwest's Rapid Rewards program, which relaunched in 2011, snagged the top spot for North American carriers. It's a program with no blackout dates and no charges for award tickets (other than taxes). Mary Forgione/Los Angeles Times
First-class cabin fuels 'air rage' among passengers flying coach, study says -- If you've felt your blood pressure rise after seeing first-class passengers being served Champagne on the tarmac while you're fighting for overhead space in coach, you are not alone. A new study finds that class division in the skies can have a real and occasionally dangerous effect on passengers in both sections of a plane. Researchers report that the simple presence of a first-class cabin on an airplane is correlated with an almost fourfold increase in the frequency of "air rage" incidents in economy class. Deborah Netburn/Los Angeles Times
Airplanes
Hacking airplanes -- Some airplane security measures we are all too aware of-miniature bottles of shampoo and X-ray scanners, for instance-while others we know almost nothing about, including how airlines protect their in-flight networks and computer systems from interference or attack. In April, Sen. Ed Markey introduced the Cybersecurity Standards for Aircraft to Improve Resilience Act, or Cyber AIR Act, to address precisely this component of aircraft security by requiring the FAA to develop cybersecurity guidelines for the aviation industry and also requiring airlines to report cyberattacks to the government. Josephine Wolff/Slate 
Boeing 737 MAX completes high altitude flight tests in Bolivia -- The Boeing 737 MAX 8 has completed high altitude flight testing in La Paz, Bolivia. Boeing noted the flight test marked the first international trip for its re-engined narrowbody, which began flight testing in January. "The airport's 13,300-ft. altitude tested the MAX's capability to take off and land at high altitudes, which can affect overall airplane performance," Boeing said. 737 MAX program VP and GM Keith Leverkuhn said the aircraft's CFM International LEAP-1B engines and "other systems performed well, as expected, under extreme conditions." Aaron Karp/Air Transport World
Aviation Data & Analysis
Asia Pacific Airlines Passenger Traffic Up 4.5% In March
Courtesy Oliver Wyman PlaneStats
Election 2016
Rivals for Knabe seat face off in Torrance forum -- U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn said Monday that if elected to the seat being vacated by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, she would consider dipping into the county's rainy day fund to pay for initiatives to reduce homelessness. The comment, at a candidates forum in Torrance, drew quick criticism from one of Hahn's rivals in the race for Knabe's seat. Knabe, who has been on the Board of Supervisors for two decades, will be pushed out by term limits at the end of the year. Hahn also said she would push to extend the Metro Green Line train to the terminals at Los Angeles International Airport. Abby Sewell/Los Angeles Times
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