Northwest meets Wed. on bankruptcy: Pilots
Northwest meets Wed. on bankruptcy: Pilots — The board of Northwest Airlines will meet on Wednesday to decide whether the company will file for bankruptcy protection, the airline’s pilots association said on Tuesday evening. This follows a more than 50 percent plunge in Northwest’s stock to an all-time low on bankruptcy fears on Tuesday, after the company missed several payments. (Reuters)
Ophelia strengthens into hurricane off U.S. coast — Thousands of people fled their homes in North Carolina’s barrier islands on Tuesday as tropical Storm Ophelia strengthened into a hurricane again and wobbled toward the southeast U.S. coast. (Reuters)
FAA warned on al Qaeda in ’98, 9/11 panel said — American aviation officials were warned as early as 1998 that Al Qaeda could “seek to hijack a commercial jet and slam it into a U.S. landmark,” according to previously secret portions of a report prepared last year by the Sept. 11 commission. The officials also realized months before the Sept. 11 attacks that two of the three airports used in the hijackings had suffered repeated security lapses. (The New York Times)
ATA pilots continue negotiations after authorizing strike — The union representing 800 ATA pilots and flight mechanics has voted to authorize a strike, but its spokesman said Tuesday that renewed negotiations with the bankrupt airline were under way. (AP)
Lawmakers to address gas pricing – in January — Upset at the rise in Maryland gas prices since Hurricane Katrina, Maryland legislators said yesterday they will take up anti-price-gouging bills when the General Assembly meets in January. (The Baltimore Sun)
JetBlue becomes first to fly roomy new Embraer jet — Brazilian jet maker Embraer Tuesday delivered its first Embraer 190 to JetBlue Airways, giving it a plane analysts say could reshape the aviation industry by bringing affordable air travel to smaller cities long shunned by budget carriers. (Reuters)
Casino vessel sold for $3.8 million — The gaming ship once operated by St. Tropez Casino Cruises was sold in a courthouse auction Tuesday to a giant ship-management company for $3.8 million. (The Miami Herald)
American offers lifetime deal on lounges — American Airlines is offering lifetime entry to its airport lounges for the first time since 1997, but it isn’t cheap. The carrier said Tuesday that through Dec. 31 it will charge $5,500, with a $200 discount for customers who are already members of American’s Admirals Club. (AP)
American space tourist ready for U.S.-Russian launch next month — A U.S. scientist paying $20 million to hitch a ride to the international space station said Tuesday he hoped to do some research in optics and medicine while in orbit, and he had no anxieties about his mission. (AP)
Cendant to buy Wyndham hotel franchise in U.S., Mexico — Leisure conglomerate Cendant Corp. on Wednesday moved into the upscale hotel market by agreeing to buy the Wyndham brand and franchise system, which includes more than 100 hotels in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, for $100 million. (Reuters)
American, United face off at O’Hare — Fresh trench lines are being dug between the world’s top two carriers, American Airlines Inc. and United Airlines Inc., at O’Hare International Airport. Since Delta Air Lines Inc. sharply reduced its Dallas/Fort Worth operations in January, O’Hare has served as the nation’s last major battleground between two traditional carriers over a transcontinental hub. (Dallas Morning News)
Berlin airport closed for WWII bomb blast — Berlin’s Tegel airport was temporarily closed on Wednesday to allow the controlled explosion of a 1,000-pound (454 kg) U.S. World War Two bomb unearthed during construction work, police said. (Reuters)
Delta files for Ch. 11 — Delta Air Lines Inc., which has struggled to avoid bankruptcy for several months, on Wednesday filed for Chapter 11 protection, brought down by high oil prices and steep competition from low-cost carriers. (Reuters)
Bipartisan bill would require better mileage — A bipartisan group of House lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a bill that would require automakers to boost the fuel efficiency of new vehicles to an average 33 miles per gallon over the coming decade from the current 25 mpg. (Reuters)
Airlines ask Congress for jet fuel tax relief — U.S. airlines once again asked Congress for help Wednesday, saying taxes and fees imposed after the Sept. 11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina and record-high fuel costs were pushing some of the nation’s oldest carriers into bankruptcy. (AP)
Carrie Charney, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.