Commercial AviationBoeing Warns Of Engine Icing Risk On 747-8s, 787sBoeing has advised airlines about a risk of engine icing problems on its 747-8 and 787 Dreamliner planes with engines made by General Electric, urging 15 carriers to avoid flying them near high-level thunderstorms. The warning led Japan Airlines to pull 787s from two international routes. Other affected airlines include Lufthansa, United Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways. "Boeing and JAL share a commitment to the safety of passengers and crews on board our airplanes. We respect JAL's decision to suspend some 787 service on specific routes," a Boeing spokesman said.
LinkEasyJet French Pilots' Union To Strike MondayThe French pilots' union SNPL called a one-day strike against easyJet for Monday, accusing the British budget airline of not adequately sharing with employees record profits it announced earlier in the week. EasyJet said it did not plan to cancel flights, but warned of possible delays. Ninety percent of easyJet pilots in France belong to SNPL and easyJet operates at 16 French airports. EasyJet, Europe's second-largest low-cost carrier after Ryanair, announced on Tuesday that pretax profit rose 51 percent in the financial year ended September.
LinkFCC Head Opposes Cellphone Use On PlanesA day after his proposal that in-flight phone calls be allowed on airliners, the head of the US Federal Communications Commission said on Friday he personally opposed cellphone use on planes but the decision would be up to airlines. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler triggered a storm of criticism on Thursday when he said the agency was considering letting passengers use mobile phones for calls and text messaging during flights. Experts warned that passengers would not welcome the prospect of listening to their neighbors chatter during flights. Airlines expressed concern about the proposal, and the union representing flight attendants said passengers rejected cellphone use and urged the FCC not to proceed.
LinkCross-Country Storm Threatens US Holiday TravelA dangerous storm that brought snow and drenching rains to the southwestern United States blamed for several road deaths is threatening Thanksgiving travel for millions of people in the eastern states, forecasters said. The storm is expected to bring heavy rain to the Southeast on Tuesday and then turn north and move up the East Coast, possibly disrupting travel through Wednesday, according to meteorologists at AccuWeather. "If the storm hugs the coast and develops to its full potential, it could be a flight nightmare, not only for travelers in the East, but also throughout the nation," AccuWeather's Evan Myers said.
LinkBoeing Invites Sites To Bid On 777 WorkBoeing has invited more than a dozen US locations to compete in a bidding process to determine where its new 777 will be built, a company spokesman said. The company issued the request for proposals on Friday and requires that submissions be in by mid-December, a spokesman said in a statement. A decision on the site selection is expected early next year. The spokesman declined to name the locations under consideration. But people familiar with the discussions said that South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, Utah, California, Kansas, Missouri and Washington state are among the possibilities.
LinkUnited looks into purchasing Boeing 777X jetsUnited Continental Holdings is considering purchasing Boeing 777X jets to compete with Middle Eastern carriers. "We’re going to look at it. We haven’t made a decision," CFO John Rainey said. Three Gulf carriers ordered a total of 225 777X jets at the Dubai Airshow.
LinkAmerican to start flying Airbus A321 Transcontinental aircraft in JanuaryAmerican Airlines recently received its first Airbus A321 Transcontinental aircraft. American will start flying the jetliner on its New York-Los Angeles route in January, and on its New York-San Francisco route in March.
LinkJetBlue offers PreCheck to passengersJetBlue Airways announced the carrier has joined the Transportation Security Administration's PreCheck program. The trusted traveler program will allow expedited security screening at 22 JetBlue locations. JetBlue is requiring PreCheck passengers to check in through its mobile app, but will expand the program in 2014 to include paper boarding passes.
LinkSouthwest looks for "fun-luving" attitude in new hiresSouthwest Airlines looks for an upbeat attitude in new hires, along with a "warrior spirit" and a "servant's heart." Ginger Hardage, the airline's chief communications officer, said the airline looks for "fun-luving" people to join the team at Southwest, which trades under the ticker symbol of LUV. "We want people who are proud to be here, people who have a fun and luving attitude and don’t take themselves too seriously," she said.
LinkDelta uses customer feedback to set voice communications policyFederal Communication Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler is considering lifting the ban on using cellphones in-flight. Delta Air Lines said it will continue to ban cellphones, based on customer feedback. "Delta has years of customer feedback on the impact on the customer experience and voice communications and the overwhelming sentiment is to continue with a policy that would not allow voice communications while in flight," the airline said in a statement. Meanwhile, American Airlines and United Airlines said they would study the issue first. "If everyone starts doing it and it becomes culturally acceptable, we'd have to consider it," said Southwest Airlines spokesman Brad Hawkins.
LinkDulles informs travelers of TSA wait timesWashington Dulles International Airport deployed a video system in 2012 to inform travelers of wait times at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. The system from Blue Eye Video relies on security cameras in place, as well as some additional cameras installed for the service.
LinkInnovations in in-flight entertainment create options for travelersTravelers will soon have a variety of options for in-flight entertainment, writes Abhishek Singh, product manager, Travel & Hospitality, at Infosys. Depending on the airline and business model, travelers can use their own electronic device for in-flight entertainment, borrow a device, or use seat-back airline entertainment. "We are about to usher in the era of truly personalized in-flight entertainment where passengers can do what they want, when they want, how they want, share with who they want and on whichever screen they want in order to entertain themselves," Singh writes.
LinkCost of Fla. airport's modernization plans jumps to $4.1BTampa International Airport has a $2.5 billion master plan to upgrade its facilities in the coming years, and it revealed Thursday that it will also need to spend an additional $1.6 billion to preserve its existing infrastructure. At the moment, the airport has only committed to the master plan's initial phase, which is worth $943 million and involves the construction of a rental car facility.
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