NewsMan Dies In Shooting At Houston AirportA man sparked a panic at a busy Houston airport terminal on Thursday when he pulled out a gun and shot at the ceiling, then either shot himself or was killed by a security officer who confronted him. Houston police spokesman Kese Smith said the man who died was 30 years old, but did not identify him. No other people were injured in the incident, he said. Smith said the man fired at least one shot at the ceiling. He was then confronted by a Homeland Security officer nearby, who fired his weapon. "The Homeland Security Officer and the suspect fired shots simultaneously. The suspect was struck and (was) treated by responding paramedics who pronounced him dead in an ambulance," Houston police said in a statement.
LinkNTSB To Investigate Newark Taxiway CollisionAn SAS wide-body jet clipped the tail of a smaller regional plane as they were taxiing for departure at Newark airport, but no injuries were reported, US federal officials said on Thursday. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation of the Wednesday evening accident involving a Scandinavian Airlines A330 carrying 252 people and an ExpressJet plane with 31 passengers.
LinkRolls-Royce Aero Boss Makes Surprise ExitRolls-Royce has announced the surprise departure of Mark King as head of its key aerospace business, after only four months in charge of the newly merged division. King, who had spent 27 years at Rolls, was previously head of its civil aerospace business and became chief of the combined civil and military aero division in January. Rolls gave no reason for his departure. A company spokesman said it was King's personal decision to leave, but did not say if he would get a payoff and declined further comment.
LinkSukhoi Su-35 and 787 among the stars at Paris 2013 Flying displays by the Sukhoi Su-35 in its overseas debut and the back-in-service Boeing 787 will be among the highlights at this year's Paris air show. Boeing and Qatar Airways are expected to bring examples of the Dreamliner to the 50th edition of the biennial industry spectacular, say organizers. However, the show will not feature the Airbus A350 and Bombardier CSeries, even though both types are due to make their flying debut around that time. The Lockheed Martin F-35 will be another notable absentee among soon-to-be-certificated programs.
LinkUSAF awards FlightSafety contract for KC-46 training system The US Air Force awarded FlightSafety Services a $78.4 million contract on 1 May to develop an aircrew training system for the Boeing KC-46 tanker. The award includes an initial obligation of $1 million, while the remaining amount will be incrementally funded, the service says. "This is a vital step in the development of the KC-46A," says Maj Gen John Thompson, the USAF's program executive officer for tankers. "We have reached an award that is the product of a disciplined, meticulous and transparent source selection and delivers real value for the warfighter."
LinkFrench White Paper sets equipment course for 2025France plans to allocate a total of €364 billion ($479 billion) to its defence budget between 2014 and 2025, with the sum and a broad equipment breakdown having been outlined in a new White Paper published by Paris on 29 April. Initiated by President François Hollande in July 2012, the Livre Blanc process represents the first strategic defence review to have been conducted by the nation since 2008. Of the planned total spend, some €179 billion will be allocated for the 2014-2019 period to be covered by France's next law on military planning. Firm details of this should emerge "during the autumn", according to the publication. By comparison, France's defence spending for 2013 is valued at €31.4 billion.
LinkPinnacle Airlines becomes subsidiary of DeltaPinnacle Airlines emerged from bankruptcy on Wednesday as a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. Pinnacle also plans to move its headquarters from Memphis, Tenn., to Minnesota this month. As part of the deal, Delta invested $52 million into Pinnacle.
LinkAirlines adjust ticket-change feesAmerican Airlines changed its fee for ticket changes on most domestic and international tickets to $200, matching United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and US Airways.
LinkAmerican to roll out expedited check-in at JFK airportAmerican Airlines plans to offer "flagship check-in" to premium customers at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. "We remain focused on modernizing and building an exceptional travel experience for our premium customers at every step of their journey," said American's chief commercial officer Virasb Vahidi. The check-in service offers an expedited security line.
LinkDelta unveils preview of high-tech airport loungeDelta Air Lines is offering a preview of its lounge under construction at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The carrier has created a replica of the high-tech lounge in a building in Lower Manhattan. "Whatever a 21st century passenger needs, it's there," said Gail Grimmett, Delta's senior vice president New York.
LinkBoeing begins marketing 777X to customersBoeing has started marketing the updated version of its 777, known as the 777X, to customers. "Boeing is taking the next step -- engaging in the marketplace, discussing more details and offering the airplane to customers," said Karen Crabtree, a Boeing spokeswoman.
LinkGlobal airline traffic increased by 5.9% in March, IATA saysGlobal airline traffic rose by 5.9% in March on a year-over-year basis, according to the International Air Transport Association. "Mature markets are seeing relatively little growth while emerging markets continue to show a robust expansion," said Tony Tyler, IATA director general and CEO.
LinkTSA adds 8-lane checkpoint at Miami airportThe Transportation Security Administration added an eight-lane security checkpoint at the Miami International Airport. "It really smoothes out that international arrival and domestic connection process that so many thousands of passengers do every day," said Mark Hatfield, MIA federal security director in the TSA.
LinkDFW to lower airline landing fees after exceeding revenue projections Dallas/Fort Worth Airport plans to lower landing fees for airlines for the rest of its fiscal year because it has generated $13.5 million more in revenues than it had projected. Tuesday, the airport staff told board members that it expects to reduce the landing fees by $9 million for June through September. Fees would drop by 69 cents to $2.36 per 1,000 pounds of maximum gross landing weight of an aircraft. About $4.5 million of the additional revenues came from one-time rental and land impact fees from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority for the construction of a rail line into Terminal A.
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