Council approves plans for Westchester shopping, office area -- The City Council approved a plan Tuesday that lays out a blueprint for redeveloping a 340-acre plot north of Los Angeles International Airport as a commercial and office district near downtown Westchester. The council voted 12-0 to approve the LAX Northside Plan, which calls for restaurants, retail shops, recreation and open space, an office park and a three-mile walking path to the beach at Playa del Rey. Councilman Mike Bonin is expected to detail the plan at an event in Westchester later Tuesday afternoon. My News LA LAWA Press Release
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Virgin America further expands Hawaii service: Flights from LAX to Maui launch -- Virgin America on Tuesday began nonstop daily flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Kahului Airport with connecting flights from most Virgin America markets, further adding to the airline's Hawai'i routes following the launch of LAX - Honolulu last month. Hawai'i remains the 'most wanted' destination by Virgin America's Elevate frequent flier program members and continues to be the number one tourism destination from the West Coast, with over 3.5 million visitors in 2015. Virgin America Press Release
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World's landmarks light up to remember victims of Orlando shooting -- Landmarks around the world donned rainbow colors in solidarity with the victims killed in a mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub. In Los Angeles, the lights atop the U.S. Bank building were changed to reflect the rainbow, while the pylons at Los Angeles International Airport flashed intermittently, a change that had already been made in honor of LGBT Month. CBS LA
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Biden praises plan to revamp 'Third World' LaGuardia Airport -- Two years after likening LaGuardia Airport to a "Third World country," Vice President Joe Biden commended a $4 billion redevelopment project for it at a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday. Biden joined Gov. Andrew Cuomo to announce the overhaul of the aging and cramped facility. The plan calls for the remaking of the airport's footprint and a new 1.3 million-square-foot, 35-gate central terminal, which officials said should be completed by the end of 2021. Verena Dobnik/AP
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Law signed naming John Glenn International Airport -- Gov. John Kasich today signed into law a bill changing the name of the Port Columbus International Airport to the John Glenn Columbus International Airport. The same law also designates a portion of State Route 2 in Cuyahoga County as the Governor Richard F. Celeste Shoreway. Glenn, a Democrat, is a former U.S. Senator and astronaut. Celeste, also a Democrat, was a two-term governor. Senate Bill 159, sponsored by Sen. Jim Hughes, R-Columbus, takes effect in 90 days. Alan Johnson/Columbus Dispatch
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Hong Kong Airport hikes fees on top of new passenger levy amid stalled traffic -- Aircraft landing and parking fees in Hong Kong will go up from September as the city's Airport Authority seeks more funding options for its proposed Third Runway. The double-digit hike is expected to worsen passenger traffic at the Hong Kong International Airport as passengers already face an extra levy of up to HK$180 per flight from August. The government said on its website on Tuesday afternoon that it would gazette the new schedule of charges proposed by the Airport Authority on Friday and the same would be effective from September 1. Sijia Jiang/South China Morning Post
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Airline fees make comparison shopping a nightmare -- We're used to airline fees by now, but that doesn't mean we like paying $50 round-trip for a checked bag. The cost isn't the worst of it, though; it's the sheer, unadulterated confusion. You want the best deal, but sometimes you want a few extras and are willing to pay. Confusion sets in as you add the fees in an effort to compare the total cost of a trip; first there's the difficulty in finding all the fees, then the confusion over pricey bundles that often include things you want but also things you don't want. Rick Seaney/USA Today
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United Airlines works to start anew as its rivals work to widen their competitive advantages -- The US global network airlines Delta and American regularly receive accolades for the execution of their respective merger integrations. Assessment of the merger between United and Continental has been different, even from the airline's own executives, who admit the integration was more challenging and took longer than anyone had anticipated. CAPA Centre for Aviation
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Members sound off as American makes drastic changes to its loyalty program -- Recent changes to AAdvantage, the loyalty program used by American Airlines, have rankled its members, who are taking to social media to rant. The changes center around a fundamental shift in how the airline measures and awards elite status. Last week, American became the last of the big three legacy carriers to add a revenue-component to its requirements to its calculation for elite status, requiring 2017 members to spend a requisite amount of cash on the airline each year in order to qualify. Grant Martin/Skift
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Latin American airlines scrutinize purchasing to weather downturn -- Latin American carriers are adapting and reconsidering their purchasing strategies to cope with the unstable economies that continue to plague the region. This trend is evident in actions by airlines and the Latin American airline association, ALTA. The worsening currency exchange rate against the U.S. dollar in Colombia is having a negative effect on Avianca TACA and is the company's biggest challenge. To combat this, it has converted all contract terms with suppliers into U.S. dollars to create a more stable cost base. Inside MRO
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FAA joining the chief data officer movement -- The Federal Aviation Administration is looking to hire its first chief data officer. In a June 10 job posting, the FAA notes that the new leadership role will require thinking about data both offensively and defensively: The agency wants to use and share its data in new ways, while also minimizing the risk that valuable data might be hacked. The CDO will work with leadership of FAA's NextGen modernization push, as well as the Air Traffic Organization's chief operating officer and the CIO within FAA's Office of Finance and Management. FCW
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Republicans insist there's still time for FAA bill conference -- There's still plenty of time ... right? We're down to 16 working days left in the House until the FAA authorization deadline, but Rep. Sam Graves isn't feeling pressed. Chatting with MT on Monday night, he said he talked to Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster recently about plans to put forth a House bill to conference with the Senate, and he's optimistic that whole process can get done by July 15. "It's possible. That's what we're looking for," he said. Martine Powers/Politico
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Congress OKs funds to add TSA screeners -- Long security lines at airports will get a little more relief. Congress approved the latest $28 million shift in funding for the Transportation Security Administration, as security officials said long checkpoint lines of spring have largely disappeared. The congressional approval allowed TSA to move funding from accounts where it isn't needed urgently before the end of the fiscal year in September so that it could be spent on day-to-day operations. Bart Jansen/USA Today
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Delta's faster TSA lanes are actually working -- The airport security experiment has improved efficiency by 30 percent in a single month. Delta Air Lines has put its money where its mouth is. Instead of complaining about unacceptable TSA wait times (well, it did a little of that too), the airline invested $4 million in TSA staffing and had the bright idea to introduce two "innovation lanes" at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport in May. While an airport with a zero-minute wait time this summer may be a pipe dream, Delta and the TSA's work in Atlanta is making a difference. Meredith Carey/Conde Nast Traveler
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Airline worker caught with gun at Detroit Metro raising security questions -- A spokesperson for Detroit Metro Airport says there is an ongoing investigation into why a worker brought guns to the airport. At the airport, workers don't go through the same security screenings that passengers go through. At many airlines they simply need to show their badge. Recently, Delta decided to step up security at Detroit Metro Airport. Last Wednesday, just over a week after Delta started screening all employees, sources tell 7 Action News the new security unit screening workers found a worker trying to bring a loaded gun into the airport. Kim Russell/WXYZ Detroit
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Airbus hushes the A320's 'barking dog' -- Airbus has modified its A320neo to cut down the characteristic 'barking dog' noise generated by the A320's power transfer system during ground manoeuvring. The noise has been a familiar feature of the A320 family and originates in the power-transfer unit, a bi-directional device enabling the green and yellow hydraulic systems to pressurise one another. It typically activates when the differential pressure between the two systems exceeds 500psi. David Kaminski-Morrow/Flightglobal
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Drones fly at California Capitol to fight for rules 'that work' -- The monotonous buzz of tiny drone propellers filled the air on the Capitol lawn Tuesday. Drone pilots stood to the side, swiveling mounted cameras with subtle flicks of their thumbs. "Drone Day" featured demonstrations, company booths, and University of California, Merced engineering students to promote one message: Don't over-regulate our drones. Rachel Cohrs/Sacramento Bee
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