New York smoke forces ground stop, delay at LaGuardia and Newark airports

By early afternoon, the FAA ordered ground stops at LaGuardia Airport in Queens and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, with NYC-bound flights being held on the ground at their airport of origin. The FAA sent out a message saying, "Boston to the New York metro area to Philadelphia and the DC Metro area, are all experiencing some smoke." (www.fox5ny.com) More...

Spirit's Inaugural A321neo Flight Lands in Chicago

American low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines recently completed the inaugural revenue service of its brand-new Airbus A321neo. The flight operated on June 7th, 2023 from Fort Lauderdale to Chicago. (aeroxplorer.com) More...

Canada wildfire smoke again slows flights in the Eastern U.S.

Smoke from Canada wildfires could disrupt flights in the Eastern U.S. again Thursday after hundreds were delayed a day earlier due to decreased visibility, the Federal Aviation Administration said. “The FAA will likely need to take steps to manage the flow of traffic safely into New York City, [Washington] DC, Philadelphia and Charlotte [North Carolina] due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke,” the agency said. The FAA briefly halted inbound traffic to Philadelphia International Airport… (www.cnbc.com) More...

Alaska Airlines trades water ballast for e-waste on Nome cargo flights

Alaska Air Cargo is hauling recyclable electronics out of Nome, Alaska, to provide weight balance on its empty return flights. (www.freightwaves.com) More...

Delays Caused at Bush Airport Following Woman on Runway

Two runways at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport were closed for 15 minutes yesterday evening around 20:30 ET after a woman managed to enter the runway area and cause delays. (aeroxplorer.com) More...

Why you’ll never fly in an airplane with those double-decker seats

Regular travelers know all too well just how uncomfortable airplanes have gotten over the last few years. Seats are narrower and offer less legroom than they have in years past, and as prices rise, thanks to the perfect storm of inflation and corporate greed, flying economy feels more like some form of modern torture to be endured than a luxurious experience. Add in the terrifying double-decker and standing-room-only seat configurations that airliners and designers are attempting to sell to the… (arstechnica.com) More...

Southwest Airlines Employee Accused Of Selling Nearly $1.9 Million In Fake Travel Vouchers

Since flying isn’t already miserable enough, a customer service agent for Southwest Airlines allegedly decided to up the ante and is now charged with fraudulently creating and selling travel vouchers worth over $1.87 million, according to USA Today. The soon-to-be-former employee was working for Southwest at Midway Airport in Chicago when he allegedly devised a scheme to use fake customer names to fraudulently generate vouchers without the airline’s knowledge or approval. (jalopnik.com) More...