airline industry

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Continental Scuttles Merger With United

Execs scared by low earnings, sinking shares

(Newser) - Continental Airlines scuttled merger talks with United Airlines today and likely triggered other deals in the plunging industry. United's $357 million first-quarter losses and a plan to lay off 1,000 workers scared away Continental execs, the New York Times reports. Now United parent UAL will likely scramble to cut...

Air Safety Experts Most Worried About Runways

Ground incidents increase over last six months

(Newser) - FAA-mandated wiring fixes have grounded thousands of flights lately, but the runway is no safe place for planes, New York Times reports. Serious runway incidents nearly doubled to 15 over the past six months, compared with the same period a year ago. “Where we are most vulnerable at this...

Delta Posts $6.39B 1Q Loss
 Delta Posts $6.39B 1Q Loss 
EARNINGS REPORT
Apr 23, 2008 7:46 AM CDT

Delta Posts $6.39B 1Q Loss

Rising fuel costs bring airline to massive downturn despite sales increase

(Newser) - Staggering fuel prices overwhelmed a 12% sales increase and pushed Delta Air Lines to a $274-million loss in the first quarter, which ballooned to $6.39 billion on a $6.1-billion non-cash charge reflecting a decline in its market value. Excluding special items—including the bankruptcy-related charge—the airline lost...

Air France-KLM Pulls Offer for Alitalia

Berlusconi scrambles as bankruptcy looms for Italian carrier

(Newser) - Air France-KLM has withdrawn its offer to buy Alitalia, leaving the cash-poor Italian carrier with few options. In a tersely worded statement, the world's largest airline said its Alitalia overture—which had been opposed by Alitalia's unions—was "no longer valid." With no suitors forthcoming and cash reserves...

Airline Blames Feds for Grounded Planes

Safety guidelines unclear and unfair, company says

(Newser) - American Airlines is tired of taking the heat for 2,000 flight cancellations that travelers endured last week, the New York Times reports. The once-contrite company is now criticizing the FAA, saying its new safety guidelines are unclear and unfair. “We don’t know what the rules are,”...

Plane Trips Grow Longer
Plane Trips Grow Longer
Apr 18, 2008 11:33 AM CDT

Plane Trips Grow Longer

Carriers add up to 50% to flight times as congestion adds to ground, air delays

(Newser) - Air travel is the slowest it's been in the past 20 years, thanks to increased congestion both on the runway and in the air. A flight from Las Vegas to New York took 4 hours, 37 minutes in 1988, but that same route now requires over 6 hours, reports USA ...

Bumped From Your Flight? Airline Could Owe You $800

Feds double amount passengers can receive over overbooked planes

(Newser) - Passengers who get bumped off overbooked flights will be eligible for up to $800 for their inconvenience, the Los Angeles Times reports. The US Department of Transportation today doubled the amount passengers can receive, with the exact figure depending upon the ticket price and how long it takes passengers to...

United and Continental May Be Next to Merge

Delta-Northwest deal likely to spark more consolidation

(Newser) - The Delta-Northwest merger will create the world's biggest airline—but that title could fall before the ink is even dry on the deal as industry pressures force other carriers into shotgun weddings, the Houston Chronicle reports. Analysts believe United and Continental would be a good match and a deal between...

Delta, Northwest Close to Merger After Revived Talks

But pilot dispute could put deal on the skids

(Newser) - Delta and Northwest Airlines are readying a merger that could be announced as soon as Tuesday, reports the Wall Street Journal. But disputes over the deal’s financial terms and handling of pilot seniority threaten to scuttle the union. Negotiations between the two carriers broke down last week but were...

Tips for Grumpy Fliers
 Tips for Grumpy Fliers 
Apr 11, 2008 12:06 PM CDT

Tips for Grumpy Fliers

There are some things passengers can do to take control of their airport fates

(Newser) - With customer complaints up 60% and operational performance at an all-time low, it's not a good time for the airline industry—or its passengers. CNN offers these tips to fractious fliers:
  1. Research, research, research: Check out airline performance at FlightStats.com or FlightAware.com before buying your ticket, book a
...

American Airlines Cancels 570 Flights for Tomorrow

Company says it expects to be back in full operation by Saturday

(Newser) - American Airlines plans to cancel another 570 flights tomorrow, providing little relief for passengers in a jam after three consecutive days of massive snarls, the AP reports. The airline, however, said it was making progress getting wiring up to snuff on its MD-80s and planned to have the entire fleet...

Key Inspector Says FAA Crackdown Long Overdue

Agency's renewed inspection efforts long overdue, sweeping changes needed

(Newser) - The Federal Aviation Administration is too lax, and its recent toughening-up long overdue, the Transportation Department’s inspector general Calvin Scovel told senators today. The agency should not rely, as it has until recently, on airlines to voluntarily disclose safety oversights, and shouldn’t provide loopholes for the appropriate penalties...

Flight Chaos to Continue as FAA Gets Tough

Crackdown will continue through June 30

(Newser) - Air travelers should brace themselves for several more months of chaos: the wave of FAA audits that began March 30, producing more than 2,000 canceled flights this week, will continue through June 30. In an effort to toughen enforcement of safety standards, the agency has moved to relying less...

American to Cancel 900 More Flights Today

Continued passenger misery ahead as safety work continues

(Newser) - American Airlines expects to cancel 900 more flights today as the airline works to bring its MD-80 aircraft up to FAA standards, the New York Times reports. Thousands more travelers will be stranded at airport hubs, and the problem could spill into tomorrow. American is just the latest airline to...

1,000 American Flights Now Grounded Amid Inspections

FAA concerns over wiring issues prompt second voluntary round of cancellations

(Newser) - American Airlines has now canceled more than 1,000 flights as it inspects wires in its 300 MD-80 aircraft, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Federal Aviation Administration raised concerns about recent inspections of the wiring, the same issue that grounded more than 400 flights last month. The process, which...

Thousands Stuck as Asian Budget Airline Folds

Hong Kong airline becomes 4th carrier to go bust this month

(Newser) - Thousands of passengers have been stranded in Hong Kong, London, and Vancouver with the collapse of Asian budget airline Oasis, the New York Times reports. In a sign that the industry's woes are spreading rapidly, the Hong Kong-based airline joins three US budget carriers to have gone under this month...

Cheap Flights, Passenger Perks Lost in Transit

Soaring fuel prices mean airline fees, shakeups here to stay

(Newser) - The days of discounts and perks on major US airlines have disappeared from the horizon, possibly forever, Marketwatch writes. The stratospheric fuel prices that caused three airlines to shut down last week alone are forcing airlines to boost their bottom lines any way they can. Capacity is being cut back...

Skybus Airlines Goes Bust
Skybus Airlines Goes Bust
Apr 5, 2008 5:37 AM CDT

Skybus Airlines Goes Bust

Low-cost Ohio carrier with $10 fares is airline industry's third casualty in a week

(Newser) - Anybody who wondered how Skybus could make money with its famous $10 airfares can stop: they didn't. The Ohio-based airline has become the latest US carrier to go bankrupt in the face of soaring fuel costs and a sluggish economy, the Columbus Dispatch reports. It made its last flight yesterday...

FAA Too Cozy With Airlines, Whistle-Blowers Say

Lawmakers cite agency's 'complacency' in letting safety risks fly

(Newser) - An overly cozy relationship between airlines and the federal agency tasked with inspecting them has lawmakers worried in the wake of hearings yesterday on Capitol Hill, the Chicago Tribune reports. Federal Aviation Administration officials let serious safety issues fly, ignoring maintenance and inspection regulations, safety specialists, government overseers and whistle-blowers...

Northwest Hikes Fares, Cuts Flights

Big carriers scurry to boost bottom line as small airlines go bust

(Newser) - Northwest Airlines is jacking up fares and fees and scaling back domestic operations, the Wall Street Journal reports. The airline, trying to deal with soaring fuel costs and a slowing economy without instituting pay cuts, also plans to freeze hiring. Northwest will keep adding international flights, but will add fuel...

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