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New airline debuts at LAX with nonstop flights to Paris -- France's budget airliner, XL Airways, debuted at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday, beginning nonstop flights to Paris three times a week. The flights will be aboard the Airbus A330 aircraft, airline officials said. The French airline will be operating out of Terminal 2. The airline's first flight from LAX to Paris took place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to LAX spokeswoman Katharine Alvarado. City News Service
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Southwest Airlines files application to offer nonstop service between Los Angeles and three Mexico beach destinations -- Southwest Airlines Co. today filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to extend the carrier's low fare reach into M�xico markets with new international service from Los Angeles International Airport. Southwest is proposing new service to M�xico: twice-daily flights to Canc�n and San Jos� del Cabo/Los Cabos, and once daily service to Puerto Vallarta to begin Nov. 6, 2016, contingent upon route authority approval by the end of this month. Southwest Airlines Press Release Media Alert: Southwest scheduled to begin service in Long Beach
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Man with a gun arrested after appearing to try to scale fence at LAX -- A man with a gun who appeared to be trying to jump a perimeter fence at LAX was arrested Wednesday night after leading police on a brief car pursuit in an possible attempt to flee. At 7:40 p.m. a contract employee saw a man trying to scale the perimeter fence onto airport property and notified police, according to Los Angeles Airport Police spokesman Rob Pedregon. Responding officers saw the man throw a handgun before jumping into a Mazda sedan and fleeing from police. Ryan Bourgard & Kelly Goff/NBC4
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LAX modernization update: June construction activities expected to cause passenger impacts -- The modernization of Los Angeles International Airport continues with over $3 million spent each day on 25 major construction projects. The construction, part of a multi-billion-dollar capital-improvement program underway throughout LAX, will result in a modern airport that significantly improves the overall guest experience. Travelers using LAX in June and during the remainder of the busy summer travel period, will need to plan ahead to navigate the sidewalk and vehicle lane closures and in-terminal work. LAWA News Release
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Museum program salutes Boeing centennial -- A century of service by America's leading aircraft manufacturer will be featured in a presentation by the Boeing Centennial Committee on Tuesday, June 28, at 10 a.m. at the Flight Path Museum in the LAX Imperial Terminal, 6661 W. Imperial Highway, Los Angeles. Admission and parking are free. Boeing's 100 years have included the manufacture of both military and civilian aircraft, including the B-247, the first truly modern airliner; the legendary B-17 and B-29 bombers of World War II; the pioneering B-707 jetliner; the iconic B-747 jumbo jet; and today's B-787 Dreamliner. Flight Path Press Release
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New York airport's $4 billion renovation financing deal closes, begins lease -- A $4 billion project to renovate New York's delapidated LaGuardia Airport finalized its financing on Wednesday, marking the start of a 34-year lease on one of the most complex public-private partnerships in the United States. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the critical regional transportation hub, reached financial close on the deal with LaGuardia Gateway Partners, a consortium of Vantage Airport Group, Skanska and Meridiam. Hilary Russ/Reuters
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More proof that flying out of NYC airports is awful -- Inhumane TSA lines are just the beginning for long-suffering air travelers in the New York area - as JFK, La Guardia, and Newark Airports are among the worst in the country in summertime delays, a new study has found. And the situation is not expected to improve anytime soon, say officials at the Global Gateway Alliance. All three airports came in at or near the bottom of GGA's survey that tracked delays at 29 major airports every summer from 2011 to 2015. Danielle Furfaro/New York Post
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Gate skirmish: Qatar Airways super jumbo jet will require maneuvering to gate -- When Qatar Airways brings in a super-jumbo jet to Atlanta to celebrate its launch of flights Wednesday to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the arrival will require some unusual maneuvering to get passengers on and off the plane. Behind the atypical debut are flight scheduling issues and some unresolved friction between two competing airlines. The Middle East carrier will operate its new daily Atlanta-Doha route with Boeing 777s, but announced in late April that it will bring in the super-jumbo Airbus A380 just for the June 1 inaugural flight. Kelly Yamanouchi/Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Best airports for national park lovers -- The National Park Service turns 100 in August, but festivities marking the milestone are already underway around the country in many parks, historic sites and, yes, airports. And while few travelers would dare to compare time spent at an airport to the proverbial walk in a park, there are many airports close to national parks, some that take their inspiration from national parks and national parks with strong aviation connections. Harriet Baskas/USA Today
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Airline industry profits 'to jump 12% in 2016' -- Global airline industry profits are expected to jump by almost 12% in 2016, the International Air Transport Association said. Lower oil prices will help airlines achieve profits of $39.4bn this year, compared to $35.3bn in 2015, the body said in its quarterly report. North American airlines will account for more than half of the industry's profits, it said. However, IATA predicts a slowdown in passenger demand. It expects 6.2% growth in 2016, down from 7.4% in 2015. BBC
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Airline industry chief says terrorists won't halt travel boom -- The global airline industry association's head said terrorist attacks on aircraft, airports and tourist destinations of the kind that have ripped through Europe and parts of northern Africa in the past year won't stem surging travel demand. While such outrages have an impact on the industry and people's perceptions, the effect is generally localized and temporary, International Air Transport Association Chief Executive Officer Tony Tyler said Wednesday in an interview. Christopher Jasper/Bloomberg
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Hawaiian Airlines looks to add additional Asian destinations -- Hawaiian Airlines may tap additional destinations in Asia once the introduction of new Airbus planes frees up long-haul airplanes currently tied up serving the U.S. West Coast, the carrier's Chief Executive Mark Dunkerley said. The carrier starting next year will receive the first of 16 Airbus Group SE A321neo narrowbodies, which will be used to serve West Coast destinations. Robert Wall/Wall Street Journal
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United flies further into China -- United Continental Holdings Inc. recently added nonstop flights to the Chinese city of Xi'an and plans to roll out service to Hangzhou in July, part of a high-stakes bet to expand its leading position in the country. The big commitment to linking some of China's second-tier cities directly to the U.S. is made possible because the current U.S.-China air treaty doesn't include as many limits on the number of flights to secondary cities, compared with the two largest Chinese markets. Susan Carey/Wall Street Journal
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LATAM is latest airline to bolt Venezuela -- Venezuela is losing service on South America's biggest airline as the economic crisis in that country worsens. The latest carrier to say it won't do business in the country is LATAM Airlines, which blamed the "difficult macroeconomic scenario" affecting the region. LATAM - formed by the merger of LAN of Chile and TAM of Brazil - is now South America's largest airline. LATAM is just the latest to bolt Venezuela. USA Today
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Flight crew says woman's shorts are too short to fly -- A Seattle burlesque dancer says she was asked to change her clothes before boarding a flight from Boston back to Seattle because JetBlue crew told her the outfit she was wearing was inappropriate. Maggie McMuffin was returning home from a performance on the east coast when the incident happened earlier this month. She was wearing a tiger sweater with striped black and white shorts and thigh-highs. Heather Graf/KING-TV Seattle
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American Airlines brings back wings for kids -- As a little kid, it was always fun to get a pair of wings from a pilot or flight attendant, particularly if it was your first flight. On Wednesday, American Airlines reinstated the practice of giving out wings to its youngest passengers. "Our pilots and flight attendants have worn wings for more than eight decades," the company said, noting that the airline had not given out wings for several years. Andrea Ahles/Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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American Airlines waives change fees at DFW Airport as severe weather strands 1,800 passengers -- Thunderstorms left 1,800 American Airlines passengers stranded at DFW International Airport Tuesday night, and with more severe weather forecast through the week, the airline is waiving change fees for travelers who want to skip the storms. The travel alert issued by American Airlines applies to passengers traveling to, from or through DFW between Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets must have been purchased prior to June 1. Conor Shine/Dallas Morning News
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New FAA flight paths bombard Pacifica with noise -- Fifteen years ago, plane fly-overs were common, but infrequent enough that they didn't bother most residents. Today, a virtual conga line of airplanes parades overhead - 200 to 250 per day. Nights of sleep deprivation have become the new normal for parts of Pacifica, according to about 30 residents attending a meeting on aircraft noise last month in the city's Council Chambers. Many complained about the racket, some reporting suffering physical and mental problems. Mike Moffitt/San Francisco Chronicle
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New GAO report adds fuel to John Thune's TSA fire -- The timing couldn't be more ripe for the Government Accountability Office's new report on airport perimeters and access control security, which suggests that TSA urgently needs to update its formal strategy on dealing with airport security risks. Senate Commerce Chairman/FAA-reauthorization-bill cheerleader John Thune was quick to follow up on the report, declaring that the solutions espoused by the report are the exact kinds of fixes found in the Senate's version of the wide-ranging aviation bill. Martine Powers/Politico
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Lawmaker presses TSA to use private screeners to cut wait times -- Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) is demanding answers from the Transportation Security Administration about recent spikes in airport wait times and urging the agency to use more private screeners. In a letter to TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger on Wednesday, Black questioned why the agency has not awarded more contracts to private businesses through its screening partnership program to tackle the massive security lines that have resulted from recent reductions in staff. Melanie Zamora/The Hill
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Airbus examines live data streaming to end riddle of lost planes -- Airbus Group SE is exploring ways of having its commercial aircraft stream more data on a live basis in order to help with the investigation of crashes. Real-time transmissions would leave air-accident probes less dependent on recovering aircraft flight recorders, which can be challenging to find when planes are lost over the ocean. Airbus is speaking with airlines about available options, though the greatest challenge would be the cost of the bandwidth required for constant transmissions, Charles Champion, the company's executive vice president for engineering, said Tuesday at a briefing in Hamburg. Andrea Rothman/Bloomberg
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| Transportation Network Companies |
Uber turns to Saudi Arabia for $3.5 billion cash infusion -- In its quest to build a global empire, Uber has turned to the Middle East for its biggest infusion of cash from a single investor. Uber said on Wednesday that it had raised $3.5 billion from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the kingdom's main investment fund. The money was part of the ride-hailing giant's most recent financing round and continued to value the company at $62.5 billion. The investment does not cash out any of Uber's existing investors. Mike Isaac & Michael J. de la Merced/New York Times
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Senate approves backup cash for L.A. Olympics bid -- The state Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would have the state cover up to $250 million in liabilities if Los Angeles' bid to host the Summer Olympics in 2024 is approved and the effort goes over budget. Sen. Kevin De Le�n (D-Los Angeles) downplayed the likelihood the state would be required to write a check, noting that the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles were a financial success and boosted the California economy. Patrick McGreevy/Los Angeles Times
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News of UCLA shooting arrives as L.A. City Council discusses gun violence -- Wednesday's murder-suicide shooting at UCLA took place on the same day that the Los Angeles City Council was staging a ceremony commemorating National Gun Violence Awareness Day. One activist who attended the City Hall event said it was the second time in the past year that council members have interrupted a discussion of gun violence to announce that a shooting had just taken place elsewhere in Southern California. David Zahniser/Los Angeles Times
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Garcetti endorses Janice Hahn in race for county supervisor -- With less than a week to go before the election, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced his endorsement Wednesday of Janice Hahn in the race to replace Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe. Hahn, who was one of Garcetti's colleagues on the Los Angeles City Council before running for the position she now holds in Congress, is one of three candidates running for the county post. Abby Sewell/Los Angeles Times
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New PAC created to combat Donald Trump's 'anti-immigrant policies' -- Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Wednesday the creation of a political action committee aimed at combating "anti-immigrant policies" being espoused by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. The Building Bridges, Not Walls committee plans to encourage Californians to register and vote in the presidential election, but also reach out to immigrant voters in "swing states" and encourage them to vote as well. City News Service
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