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Airlines are now paying to bolster TSA screening lines -- Over in the quickly-spiraling-out-of-control world that is the airport screening line, things aren't looking good for summertime travel. At a news conference in Chicago's Midway Airport last week, TSA chief Peter Neffenger conceded that there's little the agency can do to alleviate high season loads, despite more funding from congress and an increasingly exasperated traveling public. With few alternatives, at least one airline is taking matters into its own hands. Grant Martin/Skift
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Everything you need to know about this summer's insane TSA lines -- In the past two weeks, thousands of travelers have missed or come dangerously close to missing their flights due to long airport security lines. With waits of up to three hours-and little long-term relief in sight-airlines are spending their own money to solve the TSA problem. Here's what you need to know about the situation. Which Airports Are Not Affected By TSA? For starters, TSA's recent personnel cuts and high turnover rate are partly to blame for the chaos. Christine Wei/Travel & Leisure
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Feds crack down on guns at Atlanta airport checkpoints -- Federal authorities will begin June 1 cracking down on people who bring guns to the security checkpoint at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, even if they have a permit to carry a weapon, according to Britt Johnson, special agent in charge of the Atlanta FBI office. Johnson said Monday the more aggressive approach was necessary because a change in Georgia law two years ago had created a "hole" that had the potential of weapons getting beyond the TSA checkpoint and into restricted areas of the airport. Rhonda Cook/Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Atlanta to revive idea of privatizing airport security screening, says mayor -- Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, on the heels of dismissing the manager of the world's busiest airport, said he wants to take a closer look at privatizing security screening at the Atlanta airport to address the issue of long lines. Reed said at a press conference discussing the removal of Miguel Southwell as general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson International that he was upset about the long lines at the airport, but added that it was a "layering" of factors contributing to his decision on the airport manager. Kelly Yamanouchi/Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Maybe those TSA checkpoint lines would shrink if the airlines stopped charging for checked bags -- The airlines could do something today that might ease your wait in airport security checkpoint lines tomorrow: Stop charging fees for checked baggage. Up until now, the wrath of air travelers has been focused on the Transportation Security Administration, and not without reason. Government watchdogs have documented several critical lapses at the TSA in recent years, such as undercover operatives managing to make it through checkpoints with illegal weapons and phony bombs and inadequate vetting of aviation employees before issuing them security credentials. Fredrick Kunkle/Washington Post
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Forensic expert: Human remains in EgyptAir crash have burns -- A senior Egyptian forensics official says human remains recovered from the crash site of EgyptAir Flight 804 have burns on them and are "very tiny," which suggests an explosion may have taken place in midair on board the aircraft. The official is on the Egyptian forensic team and has personally examined the remains, kept at a Cairo morgue. He spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information. Sam Magdy/AP
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EgyptAir crash: Safety experts voice fears over Flight 804 evidence -- Aviation-safety experts are voicing concerns that Egypt may be mishandling debris collected from the downed EgyptAir plane, potentially compromising evidence that could help determine why the Airbus Group SE A320 crashed. Forensic and chemical analysis of aircraft wreckage can yield vital information for investigators to glean how and why a plane went down. Daniel Michaels, Tamer El-Ghobashy/Wall Street Journal
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United will stop flying between Los Angeles and New Orleans -- United is cutting a handful of underperforming flights, including two that touch Southern California, the airline told employees recently. Effective August 17, United will stop flying from Los Angeles to New Orleans, a route that in the past has catered to the entertainment industry which does a significant amount filming in Louisiana. But it is a crowded route, with American, Delta, Spirit and Southwest all flying between the two cities. Brian Sumers/BrianSumers.com
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Port Columbus airport could soon be renamed for John Glenn -- Port Columbus International Airport could soon get a new name, honoring an Ohio-born hero known for his groundbreaking flights. If things progress as expected this week in the Statehouse, passengers will soon be flying out of the John Glenn Columbus International Airport. What better tribute, some say, for the decorated Marine Corps and Air Force aviator who flew in two wars, broke the transcontinental speed record in 1957 as a test pilot and in 1962 became the first American to orbit the earth. Jim Siegel/Columbus Dispatch
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Heathrow third runway: British steel promise from airport -- Heathrow airport has vowed to use British steel to build its third runway if plans gets the go-ahead. The promise comes as the airport launches its manifesto, which includes pledges for better UK connectivity and 40 more long haul routes. A decision on whether to expand Heathrow or Gatwick is expected after the EU referendum on 23 June. It would come as a boost to the steel industry as firm Tata tries to find a buyer for its struggling UK plants. BBC News
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American Airlines enters the battle for elite passengers -- More coal went into the fire powering the battle for elite airline customers last week after American Airlines launched a campaign giving elite status away to targeted customers. This follows a similar set of efforts from United Airlines over the last month first targeting lapsed elites and then proactively reaching out and giving away status. American's effort appears to be targeted at members of its AAdvantage loyalty program that almost reached a particular level of status in the 2015 travel year but didn't quite make the cutoff. Grant Martin/Skift
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Should discount carrier Norwegian Air fly to the U.S.? Here's what passengers think. -- Affordable. Comfortable. On time. Those are just some of the words Norwegian Air passengers are using to describe the discount airline, which is patiently waiting for a foreign air carrier permit from the U.S. government for its Irish subsidiary, Norwegian Air International. Many customers rave about its low fares, new planes and friendly service. But that's not how some U.S. airlines describe Norwegian Air. Christopher Elliott/Washington Post
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Asia-Pacific airlines report profit upswing in 2015 -- Asia-Pacific airlines saw a move to an overall $6.9 billion in net earnings in calendar year 2015 compared to a collective loss of $1.2 billion during 2014, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA). The organization attributed the upswing to sustained growth in passenger markets, lower fuel prices and carrier operating efficiencies. "Asia-Pacific carriers saw a welcome return to profitability in 2015, after suffering aggregate losses in the previous year," AAPA DG Andrew Herdman said. Jeremy Torr/Air Transport World
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Airlines For America launches 2016 advertising campaign -- Airlines for America, the trade association representing the leading U.S. airlines, has launched its 2016 advertising campaign. We Connect the World reminds flyers and policy makers of the important benefits and value that only the airline industry can offer. The ads feature an airline "ramp marshaller" who personifies the airline industry and enables flyers to reach important destinations. One television ad depicts the marshaller helping a daydreaming professional escape her boring, everyday life for the beach vacation of her dreams. Airlines for America Press Release
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Trophy corporate jets were all the rage, until they weren't -- The private jet Janine Iannarelli is selling for a Russian client has leather seats, wood paneling, a satellite phone and can fly nonstop from Tokyo to Los Angeles. The price has dropped $3 million since September and is still falling. Iannarelli today is hawking the 10-year-old Bombardier Global 5000 for $14.5 million but recommends that her client cut the price further as the market for large-cabin business jets keeps weakening. A new Global 5000 lists for $50.4 million. Thomas Black/Bloomberg
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Expo Line, meet the real world: A car on tracks, a broken-down train -- Los Angeles County commuters who woke up early Monday morning to ride the new Expo Line extension quickly encountered one of the ugly realities of the Los Angeles public transit system: its proximity to traffic. At 5 a.m. Monday, just before the start of morning rush hour, a driver in a Toyota sedan crashed through a fence and onto the light-rail tracks, which run at street level along Exposition Boulevard. Laura J. Nelson/Los Angeles Times
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