FAA warned before 9/11
FAA warned before 9/11 — In the months before the Sept. 11 attacks, federal aviation officials reviewed dozens of intelligence reports that warned about Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, some of which specifically discussed airline hijackings and suicide operations, according to a previously undisclosed report from the 9/11 commission. But aviation officials were “lulled into a false sense of security,” and “intelligence that indicated a real and growing threat leading up to 9/11 did not stimulate significant increases in security procedures,” the commission report concluded.
Passengers sue cruise line over scrapped voyage — Passengers who missed out on the trip of a lifetime when the cruise liner Aurora was forced to cancel its round-the-world voyage are planning legal action against the ship’s owners. Eight passengers from Yorkshire plan to sue P&O Cruises for the disappointment caused by the company’s decision to abort the world cruise.
Are jets polluting the sky? — Gazing into a clear blue Wisconsin sky, David Travis was amazed by what he did not see: not one fluffy airliner contrail. Not that day or in the two days that followed the 9/11 terror attacks, when commercial airliners in the United States were grounded. For Dr. Travis, a climatologist at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, that tragedy had a tiny silver lining. A sky without jet contrails became a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see if the skinny, man-made clouds really did affect climate, as he had long suspected.
So long, 747? — Boeing Co. is assessing whether to prolong the life of the 747 — in a modified, enlarged version — to compete with Airbus SAS’s new super-jumbo A380, a company executive said yesterday. If the company fails to find one or two well-established customers for the new version by summer, it will begin plans to cease production of the signature aircraft.
How accurate are hotel ratings? — When you’re getting ready to check in, how often do you check out the hotel’s rating? According to AAA Travel, a property’s rating says a lot — the more diamonds, the more amenities. AAA uses a diamond rating system. Five diamonds is the highest, most upscale ranking.
Another laser zaps pilot — The captain of an American Airlines jet reported a laser beam penetrated the cockpit as the plane prepared to land at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The pilot was examined after Sunday night’s incident and doctors found no permanent damage to his eyes. His first officer was flying the plane, which landed safely.