TSA to unveil new security procedures
TSA to unveil new security procedures — The Transportation Security Administration will announce changes in screening procedures at the nation’s commercial airports Friday, allowing passengers to take small scissors and tools on planes but increasing random passenger checks and the thoroughness of pat-down searches. (CNN)
Delta again seeks pilot pay cuts after $1.14 billion loss — Delta Air Lines said Thursday it lost a stunning $1.14 billion in just the first six weeks of its Chapter 11 case and called again for immediate pay cuts for its pilots. (USA Today)
New Comair scheduling computers not ready — Comair’s new crew scheduling system won’t be fully operational until as late as May, but company officials say improvements to the existing computer system will preclude the types of problems that forced the airline to shut down last Christmas Eve. (The Enquirer)
Airport strike talks break down — Talks to avert strike action at Birmingham International Airport broke down on Thursday leaving passengers facing disruption over Christmas. (BBC News)
Bedbug boom based on increasing foreign travel — Sixty years after near-eradication, the little bloodsuckers are infesting homes and hotels from New York to San Diego. Why the outbreak? Increased world travel and changing pest-control practices. (USA Today)
Early storms mean an early start — With temperatures dropping and snow falling in spots across North America recently, it can be hard to believe it’s still fall. But even if winter is still a couple of weeks away, ski season has arrived. (The New York Times)
Feds want more airline data – this time to control epidemics — As if the airline industry didn’t have enough to worry about, it may be asked to maintain a passenger database so that federal health officials can warn travelers of potential outbreaks of communicable diseases. (InformationWeek)
Safe bet: Las Vegas marathon will be one of a kind — Consider it a test question. Which of these is out of place: showgirls, slot machines, 36 Elvises, a mass wedding ceremony or 15,000 runners? The answer is none of them, since the place is Las Vegas. (USA Today)
Feds investigating Continental bag screening at Newark — Federal officials are investigating whether luggage for a Continental Airlines flight out of Newark Liberty International Airport was improperly screened, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration said Thursday. (AP)
Airport site’s future worries neighbors — Four of the communities that surround the proposed site of an airport in eastern Will County, Ill., have expressed concerns about the land if the facility is not built. (Chicago Tribune)
America West flight diverted after security scare — An America West Airlines flight was diverted to Kansas City on Thursday after a threatening message was found in the lavatory, airline and Homeland Security officials said. (Reuters)
Delta cuts about 160 flights to Cincinnati airport — Delta Air Lines on Thursday eliminated about 160 flights, or nearly 26% of its schedule, at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. (AP)
United to pay $21.6 million in back taxes — The city and county of Denver has reached a settlement with United Airlines to collect $21.6 million in back taxes. If approved, the deal reached Thursday assures that the city can collect the taxes incurred between July 2000 and June 2004. (Denver Post)
MTA slaps oaf riders — The MTA begins its crackdown on bad behavior Monday with a series of new rules prohibiting everything from rollerblading on the subway to putting your feet up on an empty seat. (New York Post)
Dogged by dispute, Berlin rail station takes shape — After more than 10 years of work, the round-the-clock project, which will become Europe’s largest railway station, is on budget and on time, German rail chief Hartmut Mehdorn said, to open at the end of May. (Reuters)
Carrie Charney, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.