Travel

Door Section From Airliner Found In Oregon Backyard

The Messenger reports: A portion of an Alaska Airlines plane’s fuselage that blew away mid-flight on Friday was located Sunday night in Portland, Oregon, according to an National Transportation Safety Board official. A school teacher only identified as “Bob” found the door plug portion of Flight 1282 in his backyard, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters Sunday night. “So, thank …

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FAA Grounds Boeing Max Planes After Panel Blow Out

CNBC reports: The Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday ordered airlines to ground more than 170 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for inspections, a day after after a panel on one blew out in the middle of an Alaska Airlines flight. The emergency airworthiness directive will affect planes worldwide and applies to U.S. airlines and carriers operating in U.S. territory. Images …

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Airline Grounds Planes After Window Panel Blows Out

ABC News reports: An Alaska Airlines flight returned to Portland, Oregon, soon after takeoff after it “experienced an incident,” prompting the airline to temporarily ground its Boeing 737-9 fleet, the airline said Friday. Six crew members and 171 passengers were on board Flight 1282 bound for Ontario, California, the airline said. The cabin became depressurized shortly after takeoff and the …

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Passengers Help Restrain Screaming Man [VIDEO]

Miami’s ABC affiliate reports: According to a source, the passenger was set to board American Airlines flight 9948 at 10 p.m. Friday from Rio de Janeiro to arrive at Miami International Airport early Saturday morning when he was heard screaming for “help” and “they’re killing me” in Spanish. Exclusive video obtained by Local 10 News shows that the man was …

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MTA Says NYC’s 6 Train Saw 140M Riders This Year

Gothamist reports: Using data from Jan. 1, 2023 through the end of November, the MTA announced some of its most popular stops and stations of the year. The MTA said the station with the most MetroCard swipes was Flushing-Main Street, which clocked 6.3 million people using the traditional payment system. Meanwhile, the Grand Central Terminal subway station had a record …

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US Flight Makes “Drifting, Bouncing” Landing In London

ABC News reports: An American Airlines flight was seen drifting, dipping and bouncing as its crew struggled to make a safe landing at Heathrow International Airport in London Wednesday morning. American Airlines flight 134 from LAX to Heathrow was hit with a strong cross wind at about 11:40 a.m. local time as it tried to make a safe landing on …

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Holiday Air Travelers See Fewest Delays In Five Years

The Hill reports: As Americans begin traveling for the holidays in numbers not seen in years, few airport delays have been reported so far. So far, 1.2 percent of U.S. flights have been canceled this year, the lowest cancellation rate in five years. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Thursday that his department made improvements over the last year and applauded …

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LaGuardia TSA Stops Man With 17 Bullets In Diaper

Gothamist reports: Authorities said a security checkpoint X-ray machine at LaGuardia Airport wiped an Arkansas man of his luggage after his bag triggered an alarm, prompting officers to unwrap 17 9mm bullets that had been “artfully concealed” inside of an otherwise clean disposable baby diaper, the TSA said. The man first told officials he didn’t know how the deadly diaper …

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Christie’s Niece Charged In Drunken 2022 Flight Fight

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: Just over a year after former New Jersey governor and presidential candidate Chris Christie’s niece, Shannon Epstein, was kicked off a flight at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and accused of drunkenly biting, kicking and spitting on deputies who tried to arrest her, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney Office formally filed charges against her …

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Alaska Airlines To Buy Hawaiian Airlines In $1.9B Deal

Bloomberg News reports: Alaska Air Group Inc. agreed to buy rival Hawaiian Holdings Inc. for $1.9 billion in cash and debt, challenging the Biden administration’s aggressive stance on mergers that has already derailed one partnership between carriers. Alaska will pay $18 per share in cash in a deal that includes about $900 million of Hawaiian’s debt, according to a statement …

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Southwest Passenger Opens Emergency Exit And Flees

New Orleans’ CBS affiliate reports: The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said a man at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, allegedly escaped through the emergency hatch and ran out onto the tarmac Sunday night. The plane was still parked at the terminal and had yet to push back from the gate for takeoff. Witnesses told media that the …

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Eastern Storms Likely To Snarl Thanksgiving Travel

The New York Times reports: It’s going to be an unsettled lead-up to Thanksgiving in much of the eastern United States, as a large, moisture-loaded storm system sweeps across the region. The storm could slow air and ground transportation on Tuesday and Wednesday, two of the busiest travel days of the year. A storm system that is developing over the …

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“Vulture” Investment Firm Closes Greyhound Stations

Axios reports: Greyhound bus stations nationwide are closing and relocating outside central business districts after being acquired by an investment firm that rose to infamy for its acquisition and gutting of American newspapers. Greyhound has long been the brand most closely associated with intercity bus travel in the United States. Its stations, often architecturally and culturally significant, occupy prime downtown …

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Pilot Charged With Threatening To Shoot Flight Captain

NBC News reports: A California pilot has been indicted for threatening to shoot a flight’s captain if he diverted a flight due to a passenger medical issue. Jonathan J. Dunn was indicted on Oct. 18 for interfering with the crew of a commercial airline flight, the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General said in a news release. …

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Federal Charges For Pilot In “Magic Mushrooms” Scare

From the Justice Department: An off-duty commercial airline pilot, who was arrested on Sunday after he attempted to shut down the engines of passenger plane in flight, has been charged in federal court. Joseph David Emerson, 44, of Pleasant Hill, California, has been charged by criminal complaint with one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. According to …

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Pilot Who Tried To Crash Plane: I Was On Mushrooms

The Guardian reports: An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to cut the engines on a regional jet mid-flight on Sunday told police after his arrest that he believed he was having a nervous breakdown, thought he was dreaming when he pulled fire handles in the cockpit, and that he had experimented with psychedelic mushrooms recently as his mental health …

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Off-Duty Pilot Charged With Attempt To Crash Plane

The New York Times reports: An off-duty pilot who was in a jump seat in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight has been charged with more than 80 counts of attempted murder after he tried to disrupt the engines during a flight on Sunday, prompting the plane to divert to Portland, Ore., the authorities said. Flight 2059, operated by …

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JetBlue Plane “Tips Backwards” At JFK Airport [VIDEO]

New York City’s ABC affiliate reports: Passengers at JFK Airport had a scary experience Sunday night as the nose of a plane lifted upward toward the sky. The plane had just landed from Bridgetown, Barbados. Citizen app video shows the front of the plane lifted up, while the tail stayed on the ground. JetBlue says the plane tipped backwards because …

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State Dept Issues “Worldwide Caution” For US Travelers

USA Today reports: The U.S. State Department issued a worldwide travel advisory on Thursday, urging Americans overseas to exercise increased caution. The travel advisory cited “increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.” The State Department recommended U.S. citizens stay vigilant in locations popular with tourists, …

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Major Airlines Suspend Flights To Israel After Attack

Reuters reports: Major international air carriers have suspended or reined in flight services to or from Tel Aviv after a surprise attack by Hamas militants on Israel over the weekend, saying they were waiting for safety conditions to improve. Israel’s national carrier El Al was the exception, adding more flights to bring reservists back from around the world to assist …

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