Mar 10th, 2011 at 2:00PM: Yesterday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a directive instructing the removal of oxygen masks from every single commercial aircraft in the United States.
The reason? A "potential security threat".
No specifics were mentioned, but apparently, the oxygen generator used in the airplane bathroom could somehow be used in terrorist attacks - and this was serious enough to order every ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
FederalAviationAdministration posts
FAA orders removal of all airplane bathroom oxygen masks
Mar 10th, 2011 at 2:00PM: Yesterday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a directive instructing the removal of oxygen masks from every single commercial aircraft in the United States.
The reason? A "potential security threat".
No specifics were mentioned, but apparently, the oxygen generator used in the airplane bathroom could somehow be used in terrorist attacks - and this was serious enough to order every ...Rural flight funding could end under GOP reign: House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee criticizes subsidies
Feb 14th, 2011 at 12:30PM: A proposal discussing rural flight funding will be introduced today by House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica. It could end the $200 million federal program that subsidizes rural air service by 2013, coverage in Bloomberg states.
The proposal, part of a $59.7 billion package, is part of a funding plan for the Federal Aviation Administration. Republican lawmakers such as Mica ...Airlines had fewer runway close calls, down 50%
Oct 12th, 2010 at 3:00PM: The federal fiscal year just came to a close, and that means it's time for a look-back by government agencies. Well, the FAA has some good news for us: runway near-misses fell 50 percent, registering a second consecutive year of drops. There were six serious runway incursions in fiscal year 2010, the FAA says, down from 12 in fiscal year 2009.
This represents incredible progress from 2000, in ...Cracks on American Airlines Boeing 767 planes "cause for concern"
Jun 22nd, 2010 at 3:30PM: Experts from American Airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing are working overtime to inspect all Boeing 767 aircraft in the AA fleet.
The inspections were ordered after cracks were detected on a 767 which regulators say could have resulted in the loss of an engine.
During the past two weeks, inspectors found problems on three of the planes, promoting calls for "additional ...American Airlines is being watched by the FAA
Jan 3rd, 2010 at 1:00PM: Three strikes have led to increased federal attention for American Airlines. The last month hasn't been kind to the airline. In two instances, planes bumped wingtips with during landings in Charlotte, North Carolina and Austin, Texas and another overshot the runway in Jamaica. The FAA released a statement on Friday indicating that it would review these situations in case they're symptoms of a ...Northwest to disappear this year
Jan 1st, 2010 at 12:00PM: Remember Eastern? Pan Am? Well, the next one to join the list of airline has-beens will be Northwest.
Northwest Airlines may have made it to the beginning of 2010, but won't see another New Year's Eve. The carrier, which was acquired by Delta in October 2008, has received permission from the FAA to ditch the Northwest name and operate the whole deal as Delta. The cutover process for "legacy ...White House pushing for answers to airline industry woes
Nov 14th, 2009 at 12:00PM: The Obama Administration is taking a closer look at the airline industry with the hopes that something can be fixed. Transportation Secretary Roy LaHood is pulling together a panel that will investigate the problems the industry faces and hopefully come up with a solution. But, I don't think anyone's breath is being held.
The airlines are always swamped with criticism, with consumers unhappy ...Drunk pilot arrested in London
Nov 13th, 2009 at 1:00PM:
After (another) pilot was found drunk in London this week, the issue of pilot inebriation has become a frequent discussion topic. Since 1997, 11 commercial pilots, on average, have tested positive for alcohol every year. According to FAA regulations, pilots can't fly with a blood alcohol content of above 0.04 percent (it's 0.02 percent in Great Britain). Last year, 13 pilots tested ...
Jackson Hole Airport to undergo runway work
Apr 13th, 2009 at 12:00PM: Jackson Hole Airport is likely to close for around four days next month because of runway work. The closure is scheduled to begin at 5 PM on May 25, 2009 (Memorial Day), with the four-day estimate coming from the contractors hired by the airport. If the hired help can get the work done according to schedule – and when was the last time that happened? – the airport could reopen as early ...Pilot sues flight attendants over safety
Feb 23rd, 2009 at 12:30PM: Three Phoenix-based flight attendants are in the unusual position of defending themselves from pilot-instigated litigation. Of course, they deserve it. I mean, what would you do when people responsible for passenger safety report safety concerns to federal regulators? Either you can fix a problem or you can sue. Since the pilot is obviously a proud American, he chose the latter course. And, he's ...Air Traffic Control in crisis: Federal Aviation Administration recruitment looks to high schools to fill jobs
Jul 23rd, 2008 at 4:40PM: Confronted with an exodus of veteran air traffic controllers who are hitting retirement age, the Federal Aviation Administration is busy recruiting -- at, among other places, high schools. The FAA is busy wooing recent high school grads to come right on board, so to speak, and begin training to be controllers. They'll go through three months of training before becoming "controllers in training." ...National Transportation Safety Board: Runway collisions the biggest danger out there
Apr 25th, 2008 at 8:00AM: Forget all this talk about airplane safety inspections. What we should really be worried about, the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board tells the New York Times today, are runway collisions. "Where we are most vulnerable at this moment is on the ground," Mark Rosenker tells the Times. "To me this is the most dangerous aspect of flying." The article details efforts to drastically ...FAA update: Flight delays continue, airline inspections could continue through June
Apr 10th, 2008 at 8:40AM: There are a few factors at work behind the widespread disruptions, cancellations and plane groundings at airlines like American, Delta and Alaska. One of them is U.S. Representative James Oberster (D - Minnesota). He is the chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which is demanding the tougher scrutiny of airline upkeep that we see the Federal Aviation Administration ...Airplane safety: Is globalization a bad thing?
Mar 4th, 2008 at 2:00PM: Still catching up on the Sunday papers, I just stumbled onto a piece in the Washington Post's business section reporting that the U.S. Dept. of Transportation is taking the Federal Aviation Administration to task for using shoddy parts in some of today's biggest plane models. The folks over at Transportation are taking umbrage with the fact that many of these parts used to be made exclusively in ...
