airline safety News

How Safe Are Cockpits? Aviation Experts Weigh in After Recent Security Scare

The attempt by an off-duty pilot to shut down the engines of a U.S. airliner in midflight highlights the threat that insiders pose to aviation safety with their ability to go where passengers are prohibited. Events like the one Sunday …

Travel Essentials: Passport, Money, Bluetooth Luggage Trackers?

After returning to New York from Oslo in late May, Harley Hendrix noticed her suitcase containing a cherished Alexander McQueen dress had been diverted to Copenhagen. Also rotting in Denmark: packs of cheese that Hendrix had stuffed into the suitcase …

U.S. Airports’ Outdated Tech Leaves Planes Vulnerable to Runway Near-Misses

A crucial safety system that’s relied on to avoid potentially fatal collisions at major US airports is aging and plagued by outages that have left travelers unprotected for months at a time. At some airports, it hasn’t ever been installed. …

Buttigieg Says Recent U.S. Aviation Close Calls ‘Deeply Troubling’

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Tuesday that a series of aviation close calls was “deeply troubling and deserve our immediate attention.” The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is holding a safety summit on Wednesday with airlines, unions, airports and …

Qantas Mayday Alert, Flight Turnbacks Put Safety Reputation Under Spotlight

Qantas Airways Ltd., the airline whose stellar safety record was made famous by Hollywood, is back in the spotlight after a flurry of mechanical malfunctions. The Australian airline has been hit by a spate of in-flight issues since the middle …

FAA Refers 37 Fights on Flights to FBI as Cases Rise

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Thursday it has referred more than three dozen unruly passengers to the FBI for potential criminal prosecution amid a sharp rise in onboard incidents this year. The FAA and Justice Department said they had …

Insurers, Regulators Warn About Safety of Jets Reactivated After Pandemic Storage

SYDNEY – Regulators, insurers and experts are warning airlines to take extra care when reactivating planes left in extended storage during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing potential pilot rustiness, maintenance errors and even insect nests blocking key sensors. The unprecedented number …

Flight Attendants Say United Airlines Quarantine Protocols Are Unsafe

United Airlines is telling some flight attendants whose colleagues test positive for COVID-19 to keep flying and monitor for symptoms, three employees told Reuters, raising concerns among staff about the policy. “Most of us feel that’s unsafe,” said one of …

Cathay Pacific Collaborates with AXA to Provide Free COVID-19 Insurance to Passengers

Cathay Pacific is collaborating with AXA General Insurance Hong Kong Ltd. to provide free COVID-19 coverage to all passengers. Customers who fly with Cathay Pacific from Dec. 7 to Feb. 28, 2021 will be covered for medical expenses related to …

Momentum Is Building for Pre-Flight COVID-19 Airport Testing

Even as the race to approve and distribute COVID-19 vaccines is entering its final stretch, parts of the travel industry are sprinting to a different finish line: airport testing. In hubs large and small, from JFK to Boston to Frankfurt, …