Travel

Air Traffic Controller: Newark Airport Is “Not Safe”

The Daily Beast reports: An air traffic controller warned Friday that Newark Liberty International Airport is unsafe for travelers due to staff shortages, according to MSNBC correspondent Tom Costello. “He said, ‘It is not safe. It is not a safe situation right now for the flying public,’” Costello said of his conversation with the air traffic controller, which he described …

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State DMVs See Last-Minute Rush To Get “Real IDs”

The New York Times reports: Some have logged on late at night. Others have driven for hours. And some have just given up. All in the hunt for a coveted appointment for a Real ID. Starting on Wednesday, travelers in the United States will need a Real ID, passport or other federally recognized document to board domestic flights, a requirement …

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United Removes Newark Flights From Daily Schedule After Air Traffic Controllers Walk Out Over Tech Issues

CNBC reports: United Airlines will cancel 35 roundtrip flights a day from its schedule at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after thousands of passengers faced hourslong delays this week, CEO Scott Kirby said Friday, blaming the disruptions on air traffic controller staffing shortages and the FAA’s technology problems. More than 300 flights in and out of Newark were …

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FAA Offers Bonuses To Boost Air Traffic Control Staffing

Spectrum News reports: During a news conference Thursday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the department will offer financial incentives for air traffic controllers eligible for retirement who stay on the job, as well as bonuses for those who complete the FAA Academy and controllers who agree to work in “harder to fill” locations. Federal officials are looking to address a …

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Airlines Warn: Europe To US Bookings Are Plummeting

The Daily Mail reports: Two major airlines have warned that European tourists are avoiding visiting the US this summer. Air France and Lufthansa reported weaker demand for transatlantic bookings from Europe to the US in the first quarter of the year. “We know there are a lot of customers that are holding back in buying tickets for a little more …

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Delta Flight Catches Fire On Orlando Runway [VIDEO]

USA Today reports: A Delta Air Lines flight caught fire on the ground in Orlando and was safely evacuated. According to the airline, flight 1213 was scheduled to travel between Orlando and Atlanta on Monday when flames were spotted in one of its engine tailpipes. A Delta spokesperson said there were 282 customers, 10 flight attendants and two pilots aboard …

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Southwest Engine Fire Forces Emergency Landing

Houston’s ABC affiliate reports: The Houston Fire Department said that at about 11:15 a.m., the plane departing from Hobby was returning due to a reported engine fire. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire, including a small grass fire that ignited near the runway. The Boeing 737 was headed to Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico, according to the FAA. …

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“Rabbit Strike” Causes Emergency Landing [VIDEO]

Denver’s ABC affiliate reports: An unusual animal encounter causing a scare in for passengers on a United Airlines flight. A rabbit somehow made it into the right engine of flight UA2325 from Denver to Edmonton on Sunday. The possible wildlife strike happened as the Boeing 737 with 159 people on board was taking off. “There was a loud bang and …

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Planes Bump On DCA Runway, House Reps Onboard

Washington DC’s Fox affiliate reports: A plane hit another plane’s wing while on the runway at Reagan National Airport Thursday afternoon, according to members of Congress who say they were onboard. Two American Airlines planes clipped wings at Reagan Airport, according to the FAA. One flight was bound for JFK International Airport and the other was headed to Charleston International …

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Portugal Issues Warning On Travel To United States

Newsweek reports: Portugal is now one of a growing number of European countries that have updated travel advice for the U.S. as America’s stricter immigration and enforcement practices under President Donald Trump have caused global concern. It comes following a number of U.S. border-entry incidents, including a French scientist being denied entry after border officials searched his phone and found …

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United Flight Strikes Kite Near Washington DC Airport

Washington DC’s CBS affiliate reports: A United plane made contact with a kite while attempting to land at Reagan National Airport Saturday afternoon, witnesses told WUSA9. The pilot of United Airlines Flight 654 from Houston can be heard over air traffic radio, giving details about the kite to an air traffic controller. “You were telling me those details about the …

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Major US Airlines Reduce Flights As Tourism Sags

Reuters reports: U.S. airlines were flying high less than two months ago on talk of a new golden age, as strong travel demand and tight industry-wide capacity raised the prospect of a multi-year profit boom. But President Donald Trump’s broad tariffs and a crackdown on government spending have upended that optimism. Tourists and companies have reduced spending amid rising economic …

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Delta Flight Has “Close Call” At DC Airport [VIDEO]

CNN reports: A close call between a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and a US Air Force T-38 jet, often used by the military for training, sounded alarms in the cockpit of the passenger plane Friday. Delta 2983 was departing Reagan Airport around 3:15 p.m. and heading to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport …

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Southwest Flight Mistook MCO Taxiway For Runway

NBC News reports: A Southwest Airlines flight nearly took off from a Florida taxiway on Thursday before an air traffic controller stopped the potentially dangerous departure, officials said. The incident involving Flight 3278 unfolded at Orlando International Airport at 9:30 a.m. as the plane attempted to depart for Albany, officials said. Southwest Airlines said its crew “mistook the surface for …

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Heathrow Closed By Fire, Travel Disrupted Globally

The BBC reports: Heathrow Airport will be closed throughout Friday after a fire at an electrical substation halted all flights with local residents evacuated from their homes and schools shut. Almost 5,000 homes remain without power after two explosions and a fire at the substation in Hayes, west London, and 150 people have been evacuated from surrounding properties. Emergency services …

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Wing Of Airliner Clips Runway During LGA Landing

ABC News reports: The wing of a Delta plane struck the runway as it was coming in for a landing at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening, according to the FAA. At approximately 10:10 p.m. on Sunday, the plane’s “left wing struck the runway while landing” and the pilots then “executed a go-around,” according to the FAA. A go-around is a …

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VIRAL VIDEO: Man Knocks Out Dulles Gate Agent

Washington DC’s CBS affiliate reports: A Frederick man punched a United Airlines gate agent at Dulles International Airport Thursday night, hospitalizing him. The shocking swing was caught on camera in a video shared with WUSA9. Christopher Stuart Crittenden, 54, from Frederick, Maryland, was arrested Thursday, and charged with assault and disorderly conduct according to Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. In the …

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Airliner Catches Fire At Denver Airport, Minor Injuries

ABC News reports: An American Airlines plane caught fire at Denver International Airport in Colorado on Thursday, sending passengers down emergency slides and onto the wing of the aircraft. Twelve were people being taken to the hospital with minor injuries, airport officials said. The Boeing 737-800 plane was diverted to Denver shortly after departing from Colorado Springs, Colorado. While the …

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Man Attacks Flight Crew And Swallows Rosary Beads

ABC News reports: Court records say a passenger on a small regional flight to Miami attacked a flight attendant, kicked and punched the seat of the person in front of him and swallowed rosary beads as pilots returned to the airport in Savannah, Georgia. The passenger was traveling with his sister, who said her brother told her before the violent …

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Southwest To Begin Charging For Checked Bags

NBC News reports: It’s happening: Southwest Airlines will start charging passengers to check bags for the first time. It’s a stunning reversal that shows the low-cost pioneer is willing to part with a customer perk executives have said set it apart from rivals in more than half a century of flying in hopes of increasing revenue. Southwest’s changes come after …

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