CommercialSome Denver Flights Diverted As Tornadoes Touch DownFive tornadoes, accompanied by icy hail, touched down in the Denver area on Wednesday, forcing the city's airport to divert dozens of flights. Denver-area residents rushed for cover as three twisters hit the eastern suburb of Aurora within a half-hour period, while two more touched down in nearby areas, said meteorologist Jim Kalina of the National Weather Service's Boulder office. A tornado watch for Denver was scheduled to remain in effect until 8 pm local time, the Weather Service said. But Kalina was not expecting any more tornadoes.
LinkBoeing Wants To Be More Like AppleBoeing chief executive Jim McNerney said the company wanted to be more like Apple in the way it innovates, rather than doing a "moon shot" development every 25 years. Speaking in Seattle at an annual conference with analysts, McNerney also said Boeing's job was to improve execution and productivity to cut costs and boost margins. Building up technology and doing "a big a moon shot" every 25 years is the "the wrong way to pursue this business," McNerney said. "We want to be more like Apple" by bringing out products more quickly.
LinkFokker proposes giant window to Boeing Business JetsHigh net worth individuals are used to viewing the world through panoramic windows from penthouse apartments or luxury yachts – but when they step on their business jets they are restricted to peering through tiny windows. But according to Dutch firm Fokker Services all of that is about to change.
The VIP completions and refurbishment provider has teamed up with Boeing Business Jets to propose the SkyView panoramic window which is larger than three windows on a next generation Boeing 737.
LinkEva Air receives two Boeing 777-300ERs with Panasonic IFETaiwan’s Eva Air has taken delivery of two Boeing 777-300ERs – the carrier’s 16th and 17th – as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. The two aircraft feature Panasonic Avionics’ latest eX3 inflight entertainment system, which includes high definition video touch screens at every seat and wi-fi connectivity. Eva is also the first user of the eX3 IFE system, says Boeing.
LinkAlaska Air helps boy losing sight see Northern LightsBen Pierce, 9, is gradually losing his eyesight but will be able to check off an item from his bucket list. "Alaska Airlines would like to invite you and your entire family to Alaska to view the Northern Lights," said Capt. Chris Cece to the Pierce family. Alaska offered to fly Pierce, his five siblings and his parents to Alaska to view the spectacle free of charge. The carrier is also paying for accommodations in Alaska.
LinkAmerican to debut CRJ-900s with PSA AirlinesAmerican Airlines plans to deploy its first CRJ-900s on its regional subsidiary, PSA Airlines. American also owns two other regional carriers, Envoy Air and Piedmont Airlines. "All three play a very important role in achieving regional feed that is really important for our regional customers," said Kenji Hashimoto, senior vice president of regional carriers for American.
LinkSouthwest COO: Our model appeals to business travelersRobert Jordan, chief operating officer of Southwest Airlines, said the airline's business model appeals to business travelers and frequent fliers. "So, it is kind of funny that folks think automatically of Southwest as a leisure airline [when] we carry more business customers than any other domestic carrier here," said Jordan.
LinkJetBlue names former American Airlines exec to VP roleJetBlue Airways has appointed Capt. Charles Roberts as vice president of flight operations. Roberts previously worked for American Airlines for 28 years, where he held several leadership roles. In addition, Roberts also has military and police experience.
LinkBest airports to surf the InternetTravelers seeking the best airports for complimentary Wi-Fi should put Dallas-Fort Worth on their list, one reviewer says, because not only has the airport offered free wireless for several years, it also offers fast connection speeds. Other top airports for free surfing: Helsinki Airport, Changi Airport in Singapore, Seoul's Incheon Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol.
LinkColumnist: United's premium access offers very pleasant flying experienceWhen columnist James Kendrick booked a recent business trip, he opted for premium access on his United Airlines flight. He was surprised and pleased when his boarding pass indicated he could use faster-moving Transportation Security Administration PreCheck lanes at the airport. "When I downloaded the boarding pass for the first flight ... I also got prescreened by the TSA. It said so right on the boarding pass and this turned the early boarding into a very pleasant flying experience," writes Kendrick.
LinkExperts discuss cabin operations and safety at IATA conference Incidents involving unruly passengers on board aircraft rose in 2013. Preliminary data show that last year saw a spike in such events, with IATA member airlines reporting 8,217 incidents, up from 5,220 in 2012. The vast majority of unruly passenger incidents involve some form of verbal confrontation. But a significant percentage also involve physical assaults and even sexual abuse. The FBI is researching the latter in the US “because they report that an average four times every month a passenger is accused of an act of physically touching up the person next to them on board, usually while the passenger is asleep,” aviation security expert Philip Baum said today in Madrid during a workshop at IATA’s first ever Cabin Operations Safety Conference.
LinkPassengers sign up for N.J. airport loyalty program Atlantic City International Airport is rewarding repeat passengers with a loyalty program. The program offers perks such as reserved parking, discounts on retail purchases and promotional items. More than 2,100 customers have enrolled since “iFlyACY” began in November.
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