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News from August 2024
An American Airlines passenger expressed dismay when the individual seated next to him in first class was observed "blatantly watching porn" as the plane awaited takeoff. The incident has raised questions about appropriate behavior and content consumption on flights.
A visionary pioneer in homebuilt design and a popular couple whose fatal crash saddened the entire experimental community are among six inductees to EAA's 2024 Sport Aviation Halls of Fame. The inductees are Zenith Aircraft's Sebastien Heintz for the Homebuilders Hall of Fame; Linda Meyers Morrissey, Aerobatics; Frank Strickler, Warbirds; Dave and Jeanne Allen (posthumous), Vintage; and Dave Goulet, Ultralights (posthumous). The ceremony will be held Oct. 16 in EAA's Eagle Hangar at the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh.
Delta will charge 425,000 SkyMiles one-way from Atlanta to Santiago, Chile in business class on April 17th.
A fully autonomous Cessna Caravan shuttled components to support a major military exercise between nine different airports across two states earlier this month. The Caravan, operated by Xwing, which was acquired by Joby earlier this year, covered 3,900 miles with the human monitor pilot onboard never touching the controls. Exercise Agile Flag 24-3 is one of a series of mobilization drills that qualifies new recruits in command and control roles.
From August 28 to September 8, 2024, Air France, the official partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, will showcase its products and services in Paris. The airline is taking over SPOT24, a new multi-purpose venue located at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, near many Paralympic event sites. SPOT24 also serves as the visitor center for 'Paris je t'aime,' the city's tourist office.
September 1 Rent Day marks a significant change for Bilt Mastercard users. It is the final occasion where cardholders can earn double points on up to 10,000 points, including tax payments. Starting October 1, the bonus will be capped at 1,000 additional points, and tax payments will no longer count.
Airline agents are filling out baggage tags by hand as a cyberattack continues to plague SeaTac Airport's computer systems. The attack was apparently launched on Saturday against the Seattle Port Authority, which runs the airport. It led to numerous delays and cancellations over the weekend. As of Monday, there was no end in sight and no prediction on when operations would return to normal.
A cabin crew website recently explored the appropriateness of pressing the flight attendant call button, revealing varying responses based on airline, flight phase, and class of service. Asian or Middle Eastern carriers generally accommodate such requests, while U.S.-based attendants often disapprove.
A Southwest Airlines tug crashed through a wall and into an employee break room at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Monday. A social media user commented, “did someone say there’s fresh doughnuts in the ready room!!?”
SpaceX has postponed the launch of a private mission, originally scheduled for earlier this week, to Wednesday. The Polaris Dawn mission aims to achieve the first civilian spacewalk and will take four private citizens to an altitude of 870 miles. Two crew members are expected to exit the Crew Dragon capsule while more than 400 miles from Earth. The delay was due to a leak in the umbilical that loads liquids aboard the rocket. The rescheduled launch is set for Wednesday at 3:38 a.m.
Two Delta Air Lines maintenance workers died on August 27, and a third was seriously injured when a tire reportedly exploded while being changed at the airline’s Atlanta Technical Operations Maintenance facility (TOC 3). Airline tires are typically inflated with nitrogen to around 200 pounds per square inch of pressure.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported yesterday that a federal jury has convicted a pilot of twice making false statements to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on his application for a Class 1 medical certificate. The case, dating back to June, involves pilot Olukayode Ojo, 36, of Dallas, Texas. Ojo was found guilty on August 16 on two counts of making false statements.
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards has introduced a new promotion offering four methods to expedite progress towards elite status. Members can log into their Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards account, navigate to 'my account,' and register for the offer under promotions.
Washington, Pennsylvania-based business aviation charter provider Skyward Aviation has joined the Air Charter Safety Foundation’s (ACSF) Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). Founded in 1993, Skyward Aviation aims to identify and reduce potential flight safety concerns through this self-reporting platform.
Piper Aircraft announced today that its single-engine turboprop M700 Fury has received type certification from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA). This certification includes flight into known icing (FIKI) capability. The first delivery in Canada is scheduled before the end of Q3 this year. Approvals and initial deliveries are anticipated soon from the European Union Aviation Safety Association (EASA), the U.K., and Brazil.
The Atlanta airport, known for its dual roles of serving political interests and supporting Delta Air Lines, recently faced criticism for a social media post following a tragic incident. On Tuesday, two Delta employees were killed in a tire explosion at an airport maintenance hangar. The airport expressed condolences on Twitter using Delta's corporate slogan "keep climbing."
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A United Airlines passenger on a flight from Los Angeles to Chicago O’Hare utilized an empty middle seat beside his window seat by setting up a second laptop on the tray table. This unconventional use of space led another passenger to speculate if he had purchased the extra seat for work purposes, noting, “I think I found myself more impressed than annoyed.”
Opened in 1994, the 31-mile long Channel Tunnel (informally, the Chunnel) under the English Channel is traversed 15 times daily by Eurostar’s non-stop high-speed rail service between Paris and London.
Vietnam Airlines has announced a status match offer for travelers. As a SkyTeam member and partner with Delta Air Lines, this offer is expected to attract significant interest.