American Man Fraudulently Obtains $1.75 Million Worth Of Delta SkyBonus Points

A 52-year-old travel agent has been indicted by the FBI on charges of wire fraud related to Delta’s SkyBonus scheme. He is thought to have defrauded the airline out of $1.75 million between March 2014 and April 2015. A 52-year-old dual American and Ukrainian citizen has been charged on 12 counts of wire fraud by the FBI. According to reports by the New York Times, the charges against Gennady Podolsky relate to a 13-month scheme in which he conspired to fraudulently acquire points through Delta… (simpleflying.com) Mais...

KLM Will Replace Amsterdam To Brussels Flights With A Railway Partnership

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has teamed up with NS Dutch Railways and French-Belgian high-speed train operator Thalys to replace flights between Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) and Brussels. Starting in March of next year KLM will replace one of its daily flights between Brussels Airport (BRU) and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS). Over the past few months, KLM has been working with NS Dutch Railways and Thalys to come up with a way to replace flight between the two European capitals with trains. (simpleflying.com) Mais...

Crisis-hit Boeing readies huge effort to return 737 MAX to the skies

As Boeing Co sets its sights on winning approval to fly its 737 MAX within weeks, following a six-month safety ban, engineers around the world are rolling out plans for one of the biggest logistical operations in civil aviation history. (www.reuters.com) Mais...

Austrian Airlines uses an autonomous drone for airframe inspection

Vienna, Austria - Austrian Airlines inspects the airframes of its Airbus planes with an autonomous drone for structural damage. Drones are a big problem for airports and airlines, but a European carrier uses it for a good reason. Austrian Airlines is examining the exterior of its Airbus planes for structural deterioration via a drone developed by French startup Donecle. The technology is very new and will be tested by the end of this year. If successful, the drone has the potential to become a… (airlinerwatch.com) Mais...

Seven activists from a group planning to use drones to disrupt flights in and out of Heathrow airport have been arrested

London police deployed Friday a sweeping security cordon around Heathrow Airport and made seven arrests to thwart climate activists’ efforts to shut down Europe’s busiest travel hub using toy drones. (www.airlive.net) Mais...

32-Year-Old Caught At Airport In Bizarre Disguise, Impersonating 81-Year-Old

The disguise was impressive – a snow-white beard, oversized glasses, and a wheelchair. Jayesh Patel’s odd plan had one flaw though: the 32-year-old still looks nothing like the 81-year-old he tried to impersonate. (newyork.cbslocal.com) Mais...

The TSA is worried about the suicidal thoughts of its airport screeners

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is concerned about its employees’ emotional well-being following the suicide of a 40-year-old officer who jumped to his death from a balcony inside the Orlando International Airport earlier this year. (qz.com) Mais...

Caribbean Airlines to extend 737 leases in the wake of MAX grounding

In the wake of the continued 737 MAX grounding, Trinidad and Tobago’s Finance Minister Colm Imbert has announced that Caribbean Airlines will be extending the leases on its current fleet of 12 Boeing 737-800s. (www.gatechecked.com) Mais...

Fake hostage situation at Daytona airport had red flags, sheriff says

A man supposedly calling from the lobby of the Daytona Beach International Airport threatened to kill three British Airways flight attendants Monday. Problem: BA doesn't fly to Daytona Beach, and the airport wasn't open when he called anyway. The FBI is investigating. (www.news-journalonline.com) Mais...

U.S. House panel wants Boeing CEO to allow employee interviews on 737 MAX crashes

Congress on Thursday asked Boeing Co’s chief executive to make several employees available for interviews as part of a congressional probe into the design, development and certification of 737 MAX aircraft involved in two crashes that killed 346 people. (uk.reuters.com) Mais...

India to Follow Europe’s Lead in Making Own Call on 737 Max

Now India, too, wants to make its own checks on the Boeing 737 Max before allowing the plane to fly in the country again, after European regulators this week said they would make their own call. India plans to start its own assessment only after the FAA, the certifying authority of U.S.-made jets, declares the aircraft fit to fly, the person said, asking not to be identified discussing a private matter. The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation doesn’t expect Boeing’s best-selling plane… (skift.com) Mais...

Pictures: First A350-900 of Fiji Airways appears in full livery

Toulouse, France - The first Airbus A350-900 of Fiji Airways has been spotted out of the paint shop with full livery at the Toulouse factory of the European aircraft manufacturer. After getting its engines installed, the aircraft will begin flight tests. In total, Fiji Airways has two A350-900 on order with Airbus. The airline expects to take delivery of the first copy in November 2019. The second A350-900 will join the Pacific carrier's fleet in November, after one month the first… (airlinerwatch.com) Mais...