After two incidents where planes nearly hit each other at JFK Airport, the FAA is offering ways to increase runway safety. One is to use a system of warning lights (sort of like traffic lights) that will change color to let pilots know when runways can cross--the near hits at JFK occurred on its perpendicular runways--and will be installed at JFK and LaGuardia. The FAA is also offering a $100K salary incentive for veterans air......

Air traffic controllers say two planes were within 100 feet of colliding at JFK Airport this past weekend. The FAA is investigating (it hasn't heard of such an incident yet), and a spokesperson for one of the airlines allegedly involved said the claim from air traffic controllers was "false." However, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association says the incident occurred on Saturday, between two passengers planes on runways perpendicular to each other. According to the......

At this year's CitySol event, which took place over the weekend, Baltimore resident Dan Deacon (pictured) was set to perform after making a last-minute announcement following another New York show last week. BrooklynVegan notes that Deacon was a no-show, however, "thanks to some airline screwup that sent his equipment to Cincinnati." See, in order to play the solar-powered show, Deacon had to first unleash no small amount of greenhouse gas. After playing McCarren Pool last......

American Airlines is cutting five American and 37 American Eagle flights from LaGuardia airport starting in September, as part of the airline's attempt to control costs in the wake of rising fuel prices. American will also be cutting dozens of American and American Eagle flights at its hubs in Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth. Among the cutbacks is the termination of American Eagle operations in Albany, prompting Governor David Paterson to ask the airline to "take......

Yesterday, American Airlines started charging customers $15 for the first checked bag, a controversial but necessary move given rising oil prices (American, like many other airline carriers, also charges $25 for the second checked bag). Though full fare, gold/platinum frequent fliers, first and business class customers, are exempt from the fee, American expects 25% of its customers to be affected by the charge. And those fliers were not happy. One traveler at LaGuardia told the......

Senator Charles Schumer, longtime critic of area airports, seized upon a study that shows delayed flights mean $4.9 billion is lost in the local economy. The Senate Joint Economic Committee's researchers released a report yesterday (working weekend!) which has some wild stats, like how delayed flights consume an additional 740 million gallons of jet fuel and how 20% of domestic flight time is wasted in delay. Also: "78% of flight delays in 2007 occurred before......

A business consultant is accused of "falsely claiming there was a bomb in her suitcase" after she was unable to get onto her JetBlue flight at JFK Airport last week. According to the complaint filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court, Rosalinda Baez was trying to argue her way onto the plane after the jetway closed. Baez allegedly told a flight attendant, "What if I had a bomb in my bag? Well, I have a bomb in......

Photograph of American Airlines ticket holders at Laguardia Airport yesterday by Frances Roberts/AP American Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights today, causing more chaos for its would-be passengers. NY1 reported lines looked less messy today, suggesting people called ahead. But yesterday, it was a terrible mess. From NY1:"It's a little irritating that they are offering coffee to everybody, in exchange I'm missing a whole day of meetings in Texas," said one traveler. "I don't......

American Airlines canceled 500 flights in order to inspect its MD-80 planes. Two weeks ago, American had canceled hundreds of flights for inspections for this issue, but on Monday, the FAA found issues, which American says are "related to detailed, technical compliance issues and not safety-of-flight issues." The concern is over a bundle of wires in the plane's wheel wells (the landing gear could damage the wires, then affecting the backup hydraulic systems). More cancellations......

Just the kind of thing needed for everyone to continue questioning in the current air traffic control situation at area airports. Two planes almost collided on Sunday at JFK Airport. Senator Charles Schumer said that an air traffic controller said, "That was the closest I have ever seen two airplanes get together." According to the NY Times (also, see image at right), a "37-seat commuter jet" almost collided with a "Boeing 747 cargo jet on......

Realizing that air traffic congestion is terrible and will be even worse next week during Thanksgiving holiday, President Bush announced that the FAA is working on new ideas, plus military airspace will be opened up for five days to civilian planes. If using military airspace (the "Thanksgiving Express Lane") works well this time around, it may reopened for the Christmas holidays. The other measures the President announced were: FAA will focus on preventing delays......