Delta, Northwest file for Chapter 11
Delta, Northwest file Chapter 11 — In a historic move, Delta and Northwest airlines  saddled by high jet-fuel and labor costs and huge debts  filed for bankruptcy protection Wednesday. The twin filings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York put four of the seven largest U.S. airlines  Delta, Northwest, United and US Airways  in Chapter 11 at once, an unprecedented level of misery for the industry. (USA Today)
Difficult times have battered airlines — The slide into bankruptcy protection of two of the USA’s largest airlines is more a result of the carriers’ bad assumptions and slowness to act than the recent rise in fuel prices or the devastating terror attacks four years ago. (USA Today)
Savvy low-fare shoppers add to airlines’ woes — As Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines and other major carriers fall into bankruptcy and disarray, Ellen Creager keeps having this guilty twinge: Are passengers partly to blame for the unstable state of air travel? (Detroit Free Press)
Airlines’ bankruptcies shouldn’t affect travel — Customers of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines won’t see an immediate difference in the companies’ Nashville operations despite bankruptcy filings in New York by both carriers yesterday afternoon, air travel analysts said. (The Tennessean)
Ophelia hammers North Carolina coast — Hurricane Ophelia raked the Carolinas early Thursday with high winds, heavy rain and a punishing surf as the storm paralleled the Outer Banks. The Category 1 hurricane may never make landfall, the National Hurricane Center said, but the northwest eyewall of Ophelia was expected to remain over the Outer Banks for the next 24 hours. (CNN)
Metro: North Terminal will be built — Detroit Metropolitan Airport officials don’t expect short-term changes in operations following Wednesday’s bankruptcy filing by its largest carrier, Northwest Airlines Corp., but the carrier’s reorganization could impact long-term bond obligations for the planned $418 million North Terminal project. (Detroit News)
Mississippi secures use of cruise ship for some evacuees — Gov. Haley Barbour, frustrated by how long it was taking to obtain temporary housing for hurricane evacuees, said late Wednesday that Mississippi had secured the use of a small cruise ship to house hundreds of evacuees willing to live on it. (AP)
Hamilton says nation still not prepared for disasters — The federal government has made insufficient progress toward improving communications, determining who’s in charge in an emergency, prioritizing spending and other changes needed to make the nation safer, former Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton said Wednesday. (Gannett News Service)
Fuel efficient cars in fashion as pump prices soar — Near-record pump prices are spurring the global car industry to roll out smaller, more efficient cars that lighten the fuel burden for customers as expectations grow that high oil prices are here to stay. (Reuters)
Parts of New Orleans to reopen — For the first time since Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast on August 29, significant areas of New Orleans will be reopened, beginning this weekend, Mayor Ray Nagin said Thursday. (CNN)
Nolan Ryan stopped for having pocket knife in bag — Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan was stopped Tuesday as he tried to board a plane at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with a knife in his carry-on luggage, an official said Wednesday. (Dallas Morning News)
Industry’s costs up, revenue down — Delta Air Lines’ descent into bankruptcy court is a double-edged sword for a troubled industry. Other airlines  namely AirTran and American  are expected to gain if Delta further shrinks while in Chapter 11 and cedes some domestic routes to competitors, as some analysts predict. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Lost bags? Delays? Best, worst airlines — With the Chapter 11 filings from Delta and Northwest, fully half of all seats in the airline industry are on carriers operating under bankruptcy protection — not a comforting thought as you get ready to plan your next trip. (CNN/Money)
No smiling for passport photos in Germany — Germans were ordered Thursday to stay serious when having their photographs taken for new passports, wiping away any grins, smirks or smiles so that biometric scanners can pick up their facial features. (AP)
Russian woman delivers baby on plane — A Russian woman traveling on an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Los Angeles gave birth on the plane, the carrier said Thursday. (AP)
Carrie Charney, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.