U.S. Airways Plane Emergency Landing
There were tense moments at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport this afternoon. The cockpit of a U.S. Airways plane in the air started to fill with smoke causing it to land. No one was injured. The plane was headed to Philadelphia, but about 45 minutes into the flight, something went wrong. Everyone on board got out safely.
Passenger Lisa Ehrenreich of Monroe, New York says, “First we thought it somebody had lit a cigarette, that kind of smell. But then it got kind of smoky in the cabin and i think we all just decided to stay very calm.” Enrenreich was one of 32 passengers on the plane. It took off from Newburgh, New York at 12:48 Thursday and was headed to Philadelphia.
Carol Chambers of Poughkeepsie, New York described what it was like inside the plane. “The atmosphere, first it was a little bit of surprise, first you sniff it and you’re like I smell smoke. Then you ask the next person, do you smell smoke? And then they confirm it, and we alerted the stewardess,” said Chambers. It’s not clear why the plane started smoking. Emergency crews were on scene when it landed. Passengers like Sarah Meritt of Rock Tavern said the flight crew handled the incident well.
They just told us it was full of smoke and we were coming to Wilkes-Barre. They were very calm and smooth about it but immediately after saying that we hit turbulence and I have to say it’s the first time I felt fearful on a flight,” said Meritt.
The passengers we talked to were headed to warm weather vacations. They tried to smile but knew their plans could be on hold for a while. We tried to ask about the cause of the smoke, but airport officials didn’t make themselves available to the media. The passengers all tried to either take a late connecting flight to Philadelphia, or take a bus down to that airport.
American Airlines Launches Flights to Chicago
American Airlines has launched nonstop flights between Lehigh Valley International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport, giving Lehigh Valley travelers a second option to reach a major midwest hub for domestic and global travel.
The three daily flights to and from Chicago will be through American Eagle Airlines, the regional affiliate of American.
“We are looking forward to the start of American Eagle’s nonstop service to Chicago,” said David Haines, Chairman of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority board, which oversees the airport. “Customers can now enjoy convenient connections on American Eagle to destinations throughout the American Airlines global network.”
American announced the new service last year and began the flights Thursday. The new flights give local travelers a second option for reaching the Windy City.
United Airlines offers four nonstop flights between LVIA and O’Hare.
Cathay Pacific Aircraft Emergency Landing at Hong Kong International Airport
Cathay Pacific aircraft with flight number CX 780 emergency landing at Hong Kong International Airport at around 13:45 local time on Tuesday. The plane suffered damage to the aircraft a flat tire on landing and caught fire. This event led to eight people were injured.
An emergency evacuation of passengers was initiated after the aircraft landed on the north runway of the airport, with six aircraft tires blown out after the landing.
Out of altogether 309 passengers and 13 crew members on board, four male and four female passengers were injured during the evacuation and were sent to hospital for medical treatment. Two were sent to Yan Chai Hospital and have been discharged, while six remained in Princess Margaret Hospital.
The Civil Aviation Department has formed a team to investigate the emergency landing, and investigators are collecting data and will conduct interviews with passengers and crew, said Director of Civil Aviation Norman Lo at a joint press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
A preliminary report will be submitted in a month, he said.
All four tires on the left of the aircraft and two on the right deflated, and they were designed to deflate in emergency situations to prevent them from bursting, Cathay Pacific Airways’ Chief Executive Tony Tyler said.
The incident closed the north runway for two and a half hours when a total of 125 flights operated from the south runway for landing and take-off and only 35 flights suffered minor delays.
Airline Has Launched Cheap Flight Tickets Sales For Summer Season
Leading discount airlines have launched a new round of airfare sales for summer, but travelers may have to act fast and be flexible on dates to grab the best deals.
Sales from JetBlue Airways, Frontier Airlines and AirTran Airways end this week.
Frontier is touting fares as low as $98 roundtrip between Denver and West Coast cities including Long Beach, Calif., Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., and $78 to Albuquerque, N.M. Those prices cover trips through June 9 but don’t include taxes and fees, tickets must be bought at least 14 days before flying, and the cheapest seats are only available for travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
JetBlue says through June 16 it has $58 round trips in California, including Long Beach-San Francisco and Long Beach-Oakland. On the East Coast, it’s offering $78 round trips between New York and Washington, and between Boston and New York or Baltimore. Long-distance flights include $238 roundtrip between Los Angeles and Boston and between Long Beach and Washington.
However, dates are limited, there’s a 14-day advance-purchase requirement, there are blackout dates that vary by city, and the cheapest seats are offered only for travel on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
AirTran’s sale resembles one it ran earlier this month and covers travel through Nov. 16 – an unusually long span. The lowest prices apply for flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, but there are 28 blackout dates including around the Easter, Memorial Day and July 4 holidays. Tickets must be bought 10 days before travel.
AirTran’s lowest price is $88 roundtrip between Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C., with other fares including $188 roundtrip between New York and San Francisco, and $258 between Atlanta and Los Angeles.
As usual with these types of fares, the airlines don’t say how many seats they’ll sell at these prices, and fare watchers say some airlines are already blocking out much of July, when they expect to command a premium for tickets.
JetBlue’s sale ends Wednesday; AirTran’s on Thursday; and JetBlue’s on Friday.
Those sales fit this year’s unusual pattern – many midweek sales that often run just a day or two – says Tom Parsons, CEO of discount travel Web site BestFares.com. The best prices are also for midweek travel, he says.
“There is some strategy this year,” Parsons says of shopping for deals. “Be flexible. If you can fly midweek, odds are better you’ll get one of the cheaper fares.”
Parsons also says it pays to buy tickets midweek, after competing airlines have matched the fare sales launched by discount carriers. Fares sometimes rise by $100 or more over the weekends, he says.
Continental Airlines Proposes Three Major Airports In New York Exemption New Tarmac Rule
According to Continental Airlines, carriers serving New York’s three major airports should be temporarily exempt from new federal rules that fine airlines for tarmac delays.
In a Department of Transportation filing, Continental Airlines said delays from John F. Kennedy International Airport’s runway closure and construction impact all major airports in New York City.
Due to New York’s complex and interconnected airspace, Continental said “delays and delay mitigation strategies at one New York area airport adversely affect and inconvenience air carriers and passengers at another New York area airport.” Bad weather and conflicting runway approaches could cause “exponential increases” in the number of delays occurring at the other New York airports, said Continental.
Earlier last week, JFK’s top two carriers, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways, asked for a temporary exemption from the new tarmac rule due to the “sizable effect on traffic flow” the construction and closure of JFK’s main runway has on operations at the airport.
Continental says that if exemptions are given to Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways, Continental’s request should be granted too — “Fundamental fairness dictates” that airlines serving Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia airports should receive the same relief.
According to the Associated Press, the Federal Aviation Administration expects delays at JFK will average about 50 minutes during peak times and 29 minutes at other times during runway construction. The construction is expected to end June 30.
Effective April 29, airlines could face fines up to $27,500 per passenger for flights kept on the tarmac greater than three hours. Last week, Continental Airlines chief executive Jeffrey Smisek said the airline plans to cancel flights rather than risk fines under the new regulations. Other carriers are expected to act similarly to dodge hefty fines — about $4 million for an average full Boeing 737 kept on the tarmac for 3+ hours.
American Airlines recently joined the list of carriers asking for an exemption, and filed with the DOT on Monday. American, who has a hub at JFK, said they support JetBlue and Delta in their requests, but only if exemptions apply to all carriers at JFK. Any scenario under when which some but not all carriers at JFK would be subject to the tarmac delay rule would be unworkable, unfair and confusing to consumers,” said American in its DOT filing.
If carriers at New York airports do not receive exemptions from the tarmac rule, especially JFK based carriers, flight cancellations will rise. The more flight cancellations, the fewer re-bookings available for future flights. If and when a storm covers the New York area, flight cancellations could easily strand passengers at airports under the new rule.
