US Magistrate
Karla Spaulding sided with prosecutors and let
stand the charge against Brown of attempting
to put an explosive or incendiary device on an
aircraft. Brown was returned to the Seminole
County Jail where he is being held without bond
because Counts, without explanation, waived the
scheduled bond hearing. Afterward, Counts would
only say he would reschedule a bond hearing for
Brown "if circumstances change." Brown was
stopped at the airport by officers who said he
acted suspiciously while preparing to check his
bag. He variously told Boaz that he planned to
explode a tree stump on his cousin's land in
Jamaica, and that he wanted to show his friends
the kind of improvised explosive device he had
seen while serving in Iraq. Newspaper reports
said Brown was a US Army veteran who had worked
for a military contractor in Iraq last year and
who had struggled with depression since the
murder of his mother in 2005. His lawyer
declined to comment on that. Apr 4,
2008
States
receive extension for complying with Real
ID. DHS has granted all states extensions to
meet requirements for producing new drivers
licenses. The extension will allow residents to
continue using their current licenses to board
commercial airplanes. Apr 3, 2008
DHS gives
Maine ultimatum on complying with Real ID.
The Department of Homeland Security said Maine
has until today to agree to comply with the
government's Real ID program. Otherwise, the
state's driver's licenses may be rejected as
invalid at U.S. airports next month. Maine is
the only state that has not received an
extension on the regulations. US Dept. of
Homeland Security gave Maine until 5 p.m. today
to agree to requirements of a federal law or
face the prospect of the state's residents being
unable to use their driver's licenses as valid
identification at airports from May 11. A US law
enacted in 2005 compels states to issue licenses
with multiple federally approved security
features. Apr 2, 2008
Outdated air
traffic control system creates risks. The
nation's aging air traffic control system
experiences constant failures, consultant
Michael Boyd writes. He also notes air traffic
control "wastes fuel massively" and the FAA's
NextGen program will not address the problem.
Apr 2, 2008
The nation's
aging air traffic control system experiences
constant failures, consultant Michael Boyd
writes. He also notes air traffic control
"wastes fuel massively" and the FAA's NextGen
program will not address the problem. Apr 2,
2008
Stars still
get perks, special treatment when they fly.
Airlines still provide celebrities, politicians,
sports heroes and dignitaries with private
lounges and special entryways in terminals, the
Wall Street Journal's Scott McCartney writes.
For example, American Airlines quickly escorts
famous individuals through the airport with its
"Five Star" service. Observers also note that
airlines benefit from celebrity customers.
"Airlines definitely want celebrities on
planes," said Nancy Suey Castles, director of
public relations at Los Angles International
Airport. Apr 1, 2008
States should
not micromanage airlines. A federal court's
decision to strike down New York's passenger
rights law was the right decision, the
Washington Post editorial board writes. The
board notes that states should not be allowed to
micromanage airline operations. "Ideally, rules
on how many hours one could be trapped on an
airplane and what kind of amenities must be on
hand when delays become excessive should come
from the airlines themselves," the board writes.
Apr 1, 2008
The TSA is
providing airlines with specific rules for cargo
screening. The TSA said it will regulate
cargo shipments under a new voluntary program
funded by the industry. TSA officials noted that
companies that decide not to participate in the
voluntary program may face delays at the
airport. Apr 1, 2008
Increase in
carry-on bags frustrates some travelers.
Some travelers say they often are forced to
check their carry-on luggage because there is no
available space in the overhead bin. Many
travelers who stopped taking carry-on bags with
them after the TSA banned liquids and gels are
now traveling with carry-on bags again. In
addition, strong demand for travel has led to
packed planes and more carry-on bags. Mar 31,
2008
The TSA is
making the first significant changes to airport
checkpoint screening since the 1970s as part
of an effort to make screening calmer and
more relaxed for travelers. It is testing the
changes at Baltimore-Washington International
Thurgood Marshall Airport, where mauve lights,
soothing music and smiling employees will greet
passengers. "A chaotic, noisy, congested
checkpoint is a security nightmare. Chaos gives
camouflage," TSA Administrator Kip Hawley said.
"A chaotic environment puts subtle pressure on
(screeners) to rush the job. Mar 31,
2008
TSA launches
test program aimed at calming security
checkpoints. The TSA is making the first
significant changes to airport checkpoint
screening since the 1970s as part of an effort
to make screening calmer and more relaxed for
travelers. It is testing the changes at
Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood
Marshall Airport, where mauve lights, soothing
music and smiling employees will greet
passengers. "A chaotic, noisy, congested
checkpoint is a security nightmare. Chaos gives
camouflage," TSA Administrator Kip Hawley said.
"A chaotic environment puts subtle pressure on
(screeners) to rush the job." Mar 31,
2008
American
Airlines, Southwest Airlines
American
Airlines' cancellations may have helped
Southwest Airlines a little." We had more room
to fly around the storms and no air traffic
control issues," Mike Tyson, one of Southwest's
chief dispatchers, said Wednesday. Tuesday's
storms prompted Southwest to cancel about 80
flights and to delay others for several hours.
But because the Dallas-based carrier flies
point-to-point, the interruptions were mostly
limited to its Dallas Love Field headquarters
and a few nearby airports. Even so, there were
frustrations for passengers. A more than
five-hour halt for take-offs and landings by
federal air traffic controllers created a
snowballing backlog of flights.The baggage
system at Love Field was unable to keep up; some
passengers reported waiting longer for their
luggage than they had spent in the air. The
operational glitches continued Wednesday
morning, but officials said things were back to
normal by lunchtime. Looking back, Mr. Tyson
said, the carrier should have spread the
backlogged flights over a longer period to avoid
overwhelming airport crews and systems." We were
prepared that it was going to be a lot of rain,
but we were a little bit surprised at the
intensity," he said. Mar 31, 2008
Los Angeles
International
Travelers with
visions of Waikiki, sandy beaches and island
cruises were stranded Thursday at Los Angeles
International Airport and across the nation as
low-fare carrier ATA Airlines Inc. abruptly
grounded all flights and ceased operations. A
single sheet of paper posted at an empty ticket
counter at LAX delivered the bad news for
travelers on the carrier's three scheduled daily
flights from Los Angeles to Hawaii. Passengers
scrambled -- with limited success -- to make
alternative arrangements. The Indianapolis-based
airline became the second U.S. carrier this week
to end passenger service. On Monday, Aloha
Airlines ended flights, grounding the only
carrier offering nonstop flights from Orange
County to Hawaii. Flying to Hawaii is likely to
be harder to book and more expensive as the peak
summer season approaches. With less competition,
airlines will have an easier time passing along
fare increases to travelers on what is one of
the more popular routes for Southern California
travelers, experts said. Apr 4, 2008
Orlando
Airport, Air Jamaica
The liquid
packed in an Air Jamaica passenger's suitcase
could have caused a disastrous explosion if it
had ignited in mid-air, an FBI agent said on
Thursday at a hearing for a man charged with
trying to take bomb parts on a plane. The
32-year-old Jamaican man was arrested at Orlando
Airport on Tuesday as he prepared to check his
luggage for a flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica.
The FBI said the suitcase contained two
galvanized pipes, end caps with holes drilled in
them, two prescription bottles containing air
gun pellets, a model rocket igniter, batteries,
lighters, lighter fluid and two plastic vodka
bottles of nitromethane, a liquid used as an
industrial solvent and race car fuel. Assistant
US Public Defender Clarence Counts argued that
the liquid and other bomb components, which Boaz
acknowledged were unassembled and packaged
separately, did not endanger the flight. Apr 4,
2008
Orlando
Airport, Air Jamaica
Brown, the
arrested a Jamaican man, is scheduled to make a
first appearance on Wednesday in US District
Court in Orlando on charges of carrying a weapon
or explosive on an aircraft. The Transportation
Security Administration said a "behavior
detection officer" keeping watch for suspicious
activity singled out Brown for closer
inspection. Airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell
said Brown was detained while preparing to check
his luggage for his flight. His luggage was
searched, he was taken into custody by Orlando
Police and then turned over to the FBI, which
announced the charges late on Tuesday.
Passengers were evacuated from a section of the
airport terminal around the Air Jamaica, Air
Canada and Air Frontier ticket counters and 11
flights were delayed, Fennell said. Apr 2,
2008
Orlando
Airport, Air Jamaica
The FBI arrested
a Jamaican man on Tuesday Apr. 1 on charges he
tried to board a plane at Orlando Airport with
pipe bomb components and instructions in his
checked luggage. The agency identified the man
as Kevin Brown, 32, who was ticketed for Air
Jamaica flight 80 from Orlando to Montego Bay,
Jamaica. In a search of Brown's luggage, agents
found two galvanized pipes, end caps, two small
containers of air gun pellets, batteries, two
containers of an unknown liquid, a laptop
computer and bomb-making literature, according
to a statement from Steven Ibison, special agent
in charge of the FBI's Tampa division. Initial
record checks indicated Brown was in the United
States legally, the FBI said. Apr 2,
2008
Radisson
Hotels
Radisson Hotels
& Resorts has opened the 204-room Radisson
Suites Hotel Tucson Airport, in Arizona. It was
converted as part of a plan to bring it under
the Radisson brand, and includes a renovation to
all guestrooms &endash; which all feature a
bedroom and separate living room with well-lit
work tables - and public areas which began in
October 2007. Situated at the entrance to Tucson
International Airport, it has numerous amenities
for business travellers. It features nearly
12,000 sq ft (1,115 m) of function space and can
accommodate meetings or parties from ten up to
300. The 4,788 sq ft ballroom provides seating
for up to 250 guests and can be divided into the
three equal sections. In addition, it features
five smaller conference suites which are
designed for smaller meetings, and complimentary
high-speed wireless internet is available
throughout the building. Apr 2, 2008
San
Francisco
San Francisco
International Airport has installed a new layer
of defense against bioterrorism. The Biowatch
Indoor Reachback Center is designed to expedite
the first response in the event of a bioterror
event at the airport. Apr 3, 2008
Bioterror
response plan set up at San Francisco
International Airport. San Francisco
International Airport has installed a new layer
of defense against bioterrorism. The Biowatch
Indoor Reachback Center is designed to expedite
the first response in the event of a bioterror
event at the airport. Apr 3, 2008
Tampa
airport
Tampa officials
discuss new airport security measures. Tampa,
Fla., airport officials and TSA officials are
discussing a program to improve security that
includes adding new scanning technology,
reconfiguring the security area and changing
some checkpoint procedures. The discussion
arrives as the TSA tests a program aimed at
reducing passenger stress in Washington-area
airports. Apr 4, 2008
