Huge fire breaks out at Istanbul airport
Huge fire breaks out at Istanbul airport — A huge fire engulfed the cargo section of Istanbul’s Ataturk International airport on Wednesday, blocking air traffic and causing hundreds of panicked people to flee, television reports said. (AP)
LAX, TSA working to ease summer travel bottlenecks — A special task force of federal security screeners has begun taking up positions at Los Angeles International Airport to help cover the coming rush of summer travelers. (Daily Breeze)
RV ownership at record high — A growing number of Baby Boomers have pushed the number of RV owners to record levels, including some who hit the road full time while continuing to pursue their careers. (AP)
Sioux Falls is safest driving city — Motorists in Sioux Falls — where the streets are laid out sensibly and the traffic enforcement is strong — are the nation’s safest and Midwest cities account for half of those in the top 10, an insurance study shows. (AP)
Ryanair boss offers ‘Full Monty’ to Polish airline — Polish national airline LOT said this month that managers at cut-price competitor Ryanair would “drop their trousers” for extra publicity. It turns out LOT spokesman Leszek Chorzewski was right. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary says he’ll walk naked through Warsaw if LOT removes the fuel surcharge on its tickets by the end of this month. (Reuters)
Bus service offers rides for as little as $1 — A new bus service offers fares as low as $1 for a trip to Chicago and other Midwest destinations, although the inexpensive price comes with some inconveniences such as hard-to-find bus stops and buses that sometimes run late. (AP)
Drunken cruise liner captain fired in Seattle — A Celebrity Cruises captain suspected of drinking shortly before the ship sailed from Seattle for Alaska was charged Monday with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol. (Reuters)
In Galicia on my trip around the world — One of the keys to getting around the world cheaply: persuading everyone and her mother to share their network of friends and families in faraway places. That, and a willingness to show up at a stranger’s doorstep with a smile and a bottle of wine. This week’s stop: Galicia in northwest Spain.
Officials look to balance aesthetics and security — Some of the imposing barriers are beginning to vanish from Washington, D.C. landmarks as federal officials balance aesthetics with the need for stricter security measures in wake of the Oklahoma City bombing and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. (AP)
United plans flights to Kuwait — United Airlines plans to become the only U.S. Airline offering nonstop flights between the United States and Kuwait. Pending foreign government approval, United will start three weekly flights from Dulles International Airport to Kuwait. It says it will start the service in late October. (Washington Business Journal)
Retired pilots object to pact — A group that represents some retired Delta Air Lines Inc. pilots asked a bankruptcy court judge Tuesday to reject the carrier’s latest wage concession agreement with its pilots union. The Delta Pilots’ Pension Preservation Organization said the agreement reached last month would set the stage for drastically reducing certain pension benefits of the airline’s 5,800 retired pilots. (AP)
Britain’s surf capital draws die-hard wave riders — Despite Britain’s often harsh conditions and inconsistent swells, surfing now ranks as one of the fastest-growing sports, with more than 500,000 taking to the waves each year at spots from the northerly Orkney Islands to the southern Isle of Wight. (Reuters)
Carrie Charney, Christopher Elliott, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.