Indianapolis airline founder and leader J. George Mikelsons dies at 87
Mikelsons founded and operated the nation’s largest charter airline service and one of the country’s largest airlines, both based in Indianapolis.
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What fliers should know about new refund rules for airlines
New federal rules for airlines will go into effect later this year, giving travelers a better picture of the full cost of flights before they book—and getting them an easier refund if things go awry.
United Airlines says regulators plan to increase oversight of company following issues
Among the most recent problems, a chunk of outer aluminum skin was discovered to have fallen off the belly of a United Boeing 737 after it landed in Oregon. Earlier this month, a United jet suffered an engine fire during takeoff from Houston, and a tire fell off another United jet as it left San Francisco.
Southwest plans to reduce capacity, reevaluate outlook on delivery delays from Boeing
Boeing has been facing mounting pressure lately amid multiple government investigations. On Monday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that Boeing needs to make a “serious transformation” regarding its safety and manufacturing quality.
JetBlue, Spirit end $3.8B merger plan after federal judge blocks deal
Spirit CEO Ted Christie said he was disappointed that the airlines could not combine and create a new challenger to the nation’s four biggest airlines.
American Airlines raising bag fees, changing frequent-flyer program
American easily led the industry by bringing in $1.4 billion in bag fees in 2022, the last year for which U.S. Transportation Department figures are available.
Flight attendants hold airport rallies to protest lack of new contracts, pay raises
Three separate unions representing flight attendants at major U.S. airlines picketed and held rallies at 30 airports Tuesday as they push for new contracts and higher wages.
Delta was most punctual airline in 2023; Minneapolis-St. Paul had best record for airports
Most U.S. airlines were more punctual last year than in 2022, despite major challenges over the year with weather and technical glitches.
Pilots at Southwest ratify contract that will boost pay by nearly 50%
Southwest Airlines said the five-year deal gives its pilots “industry-leading compensation” and has a new process for assigning pilots to flights during unusual events.
JetBlue’s $3.8B buyout of Spirit Airlines blocked by judge citing threat to competition
The Justice Department said if JetBlue were allowed to buy Spirit, it would especially hurt travelers who depend on Spirit’s low fares.
FAA probes potential flaws in Boeing’s manufacturing process
The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that it is launching an investigation into whether aerospace giant Boeing followed rules to ensure the aircraft that it built were safe for operation.
Alaska Airlines cancels flights on certain Boeing planes through Saturday for mandatory inspections
The development came as signs indicate some travelers might try to avoid flying on Max 9 jetliners—at least temporarily.
United, Alaska find loose hardware on Boeing jets grounded after blowout incident
The situation will no doubt compound the woes at Boeing, which has struggled to rebuild its reputation since an earlier model of the Max was grounded after two crashes killed 346 people several years ago.
Inspections to begin on grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 jets
The FAA’s emergency airworthiness directive grounding the planes affects 171 aircraft. Two airlines in the United States—Alaska Airlines and United Airlines—have Boeing Max 9 aircraft in their fleets.
IPhone survives 16,000-foot fall from Alaska Air flight
Unlocked and with hours of battery life, the screen showed an email from Alaska Airlines about a baggage claim for the flight, based on the rescuer’s photos.
Boeing jetliner that suffered inflight blowout was restricted because of concern over warning light
Alaska Airlines decided to restrict the aircraft from long flights over water so the plane “could return very quickly to an airport” if the warning light reappeared, according to a federal offoicial.
Alaska Airlines again grounds all Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners as more maintenance may be needed
The airline again grounded all of its Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners on Sunday after federal officials indicated further maintenance might be required to assure that another inflight blowout like the one that occurred Friday doesn’t happen again.
Holiday travel mostly nice, with some naughty disruptions on Southwest Airlines
For this holiday season, U.S. airlines prepared for massive waves of travelers by hiring thousands of pilots, flight attendants and other workers.
Ready, set, travel: Holiday rush to airports, highways now underway
Cross your fingers: Flight cancellations are the lowest they’ve been in five years. The busiest days on the road will be Saturday and next Thursday, Dec. 28.
Southwest Airlines reaches $140M settlement over holiday meltdown last year
The airline will pay a $35 million fine as part of a $140 million settlement to resolve a federal investigation into a debacle in December 2022 when the airline canceled thousands of flights.