Airport Updates

The Future of Travel: How to Avoid Inclement Weather Delays

2012-02-05T10:22:00.001-08:00

The cold and snowy weather continues to delay travel in Northern Europe, particularly in the UK where Heathrow is seeing as many as 50% of departures cancelled today, Feb. 5.

Someone on CNN just said that London's Heathrow (LHR) has such a tight schedule that even smaller weather delays will cause significant delays. Not surprising since LHR only has two runways!

So the question is whether the ongoing "global weirding" (a twist on Global Warming, I think Thomas Freidman) penned years ago) will cause airports to think of new concepts or whether we should not expect the same degree of timeliness from airlines?

When thinking 50-100 years into the future, some interesting ideas are out there:

- A concept that will emerge is more similar to city buses, where we just hitch a ride on the first available flight, which gives preference to those that arrive early to the airport.

- Or will we see the development of more intercontinental train systems, for example by laying tracks from Scotland to Iceland, Greenland, Canada, etc. Or across Siberia connecting the Far East to Europe?

- The future ideas to generate flights to connect continents by flying Mach 1+ speeds via space, might also be an option, but how does this system prevent increasingly distuptive inclement weather from delaying these future flight?

Before we reach the utopian scify future, the only way for us to hedge against these delays would be to buy travel insurance or more expensive class tickets (particularly for business travelers) to ensure that we can be put on the next available flight.

Until then, bundle up and stay warm unless you're in the southern hemisphere and enjoying the sunshine....

Airport Rating: Billund Airport (BLL)

2012-02-01T03:14:00.001-08:00

Billund Airport in 2007
(Courtesy of Hubertus)

Billund airport (BLL) is one of the most convenient airports in Europe and I am lucky to have this airport as my "home" airport for the time being. Unless you live in one of the big cities, such as Frankfurt, London, New York, Beijing, etc., international travel will require flying through one of the major international hubs (e.g. in the cities mentioned). As a result of intercontinental travel, most people are weary after a long flight from Asia, Africa or the Americas when returning to Old Europe.

So instead of arriving to a confusing and somewhat busy airport such as Copenhagen (CPH), Hamburg (HAM) or Manchester Airport, it is very nice to finally arrive to an easy, quiet and convenient airport such as BLL after a long journey. I don't know the statistics for Billund, but my estimate is that only around 30-40 flight arrive to this airport per day, which has the following benefits:
- Quick and comfortable check-in
- Calm and cozy lounge (The Amlet Lounge) and cafe areas
- Nice and friendly airport staff
- Quick luggage pick-up
- Non-existant taxi q.

The Lounge is especially nice, although the food is somewhat mediocre. However, you are able to rest before a long trip and all the required facilities are there (internet, drinks, clean toilets, nice chairs, news papers). The design of the airport is also according to trendy, yet simple Danish architecture and it doesnt add to the stress that most travelers have before or after a long trip.

The most convenient way of conducting inter-continental travel out of BLL is through Amsterdam (another one of my favorite European airports, but in a different class from BLL) from where you can travel to most continents.

The staff is also unusally service-minded for Danish standards. On a recent trip I had some ticketing difficulties for my son (infant traveler) and they handled the complex matter where courtiously and professionally.

So if you're traveling anywhere in Denmark, except for the greater Copenhagen area and Bornholm, I would recommend flying to BLL rather than CPH (which is a horrendous airport, except for the shopping area, which I never use anyway).

Billund Airport Score: ****1/2 (4.5 stars out of 5)

Opinion: Bulkhead 777 Travel

2012-01-28T12:16:00.001-08:00

Don't you love it when people step on your toes?

Well, that's what happened to me on a recent AA flight and probably to thousands of other passengers on other airlines as well.

On a recent flight from Buenos Aires to Miami, we were sitting in the bulkhead on an American Airlines B777 flight. In the economy class sections, there was no way of getting to the other aile on this flight, except for passing through the galley, or of course, one of the two bulkhead rows. Some flights have an aile in the middle in an area which is also used for the galley, but on this jet this area was used for crew sleeping quarters. As a result, many a passenger accidentally stepped on my toes (I usually take off my shoes on flights as my feet tend to swell).

The bulkhead does not allow passengers for bag space (except for in the overhead compartments) since there is only a wall ahead of us, so we had to put our toddler's toys and various bags with snacks, books, etc. on the floor. When he was sleeping on our laps (which is also an important substitute to a crying baby), it was also inconvenient if people bumped into him during their travails across the bulkhead row. So this made it extra inconvenient for people with kids, in addition to the normal annoyance of people wandering across our already limited space.

So my strategy was to block off the entire row by telling people politely, while our fellow bulkhead passengers followed through by telling people from the other direction.

As we neared our destination, a more aggressive passenger asked for me to move while I was on the floor picking up toys, as he needed to get through to the other aisle. I told him directly, that this wasn't an aisle (camino), only to be abruptly corrected by the AA flight attendant passing through who told me that he was entitled to pass through the aisle if the galley was blocked (which only is a temporary phenomenon that we all know from single aisle flights). This was not the answer I had hoped to hear, and I think this is an awful solution for an airline.

Firstly, let's analyze why most people use the bulkhead as an aisle:
1) To use the toilet on the other aisle as people often don't have the patience to wait for the single toilet in the middle section (flights without the sleeping section usually have more toilets in the middle).
2) Visiting friends or family at the other end of the cabin. A good reason, which we can all understand.
3) Kids playing. Also a good reason, since especially boys usually have ants in their pants and parents appreciate the time they can go out and burn some energy.

So what should the solution be?

In theory, the airlines should ensure there is a cross-aile connecting the two parrallel ailes in order to ensure that people can be brought together.

BUT going through the bulkhead rows is NOT the optimal solution: it only annoys passengers sitting in the bulkhead who -- as mentioned -- don't have the luxury of bag space in the seats in front of them. Furthermore, airlines like to put families with children in this row.

SO the airlines need to make space for a hallway/aisle somewhere in the middle. BUT this probably means 5-7 fewer seats on that given flight, which in turn would hurt the bottomline of already cash-strapped airlines.

In conclusion, we thus have three options:
a) Slightly higher ticket prices (as a result of removing seats)
b) Ticked-off bulkhead passengers.
c) Getting rid of the crew sleeping area

.... why do I have the feeling that option B will prevail, and I can continue whining indefinitely ????

Having unrested and edgy flight attendants is certainly to noone's benefit.

Do you have a good solution for this?

AA: American Affliction -- a legacy carrier files for Ch. 11

2011-11-30T12:05:00.001-08:00

Where is AA heading off to? (Source: TXZeiss)

American Airlines declared Chapter 11 yesterday, following years of financial turmoil incl. billions of $$$ in debt. The airline -- which seems to be one of the last US legacy airlines remaining not to undergo a major M&A deal -- will now try to restructure its organization to reseek profitability. Good luck, my friends! Well, at least the oil price is not too shabby.

What we know so far:
- The airline will reduce routes after the holidays (Yikes, I have a flight with them to South America in Jan! hopefully they will still fly)
- Layoffs are imminent and high labor costs/liabilities are typically the reasons for airlines buckling under
- Older and less efficient jets will probably see their leases expire (might be a good thing in terms of passenger comfort)

What might happen:
- AA to merge with US Airways.

What do you think the future holds for AA?

SDJ: Continental to Resume Sendai-Guam Flights

2011-06-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

SDJ after the tragic tsunami on March 11, 2011

Continental Airlines (CO) announced on June 22nd that they will resume flights between Guam's Antonio B Won Pat Airport (GUM -- my favorite airport code!!) and Sendai Airport (仙台空港 / SDJ), Japan, which is the biggest city in the zone that was struck by the devastating tsunami earlier this year.

Flights will resume on Oct. 2nd, and represents the first major international airline resuming flights to Sendai.

GUM is one of Continental's main hubs, primarily serving the US military and relatives.

And if you are wondering about the merger: United (UA) and CO are expected to fully merge as a single airline (e.g. single website, reservations, etc.) in 2011 when the merged airline has received its single operation certificate from FAA.

You can still donate to the Red Cross for their good help following the tsunami, by clicking here.

Australia: Ash Cloud Update -- Flights to Resume on June 22nd.

2011-06-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Look at those thin lines. They are the ash clouds drifting from the
Southern Cone to New Zeland (and Australia). Courtesy of NASA.

Ash volcano update for Australia:

What's the Scoop: Qantas reports that they will resume flights to and from major airports (incl. SYD, MEL, ADL, CBR) on June 22nd, as the ash cloud is expected to drift away from the Australian continent.

Taking a quick glance at FlightStats.com, flights are currently landing on time at SYD, and predominantly at MEL. At ADL, however, there have been a string of cancellations among flights departing for SYD and MEL on Virgin Australia (DJ), V Australia (VA), as well as Delta (DL) and Etihad (EY).

Advise: Please keep an eye on your flights, since there most certainly will be backlogs from people who were bumped from flights on Monday and Tuesday flights.

Further info: As a help to you, the following information is quite useful (directly copied from Qantas' website for your information, accessed on June 21, 19:26 GMT):

Domestic services

Services to and from Adelaide will resume from 5.00am

Services to and from Canberra will resume from 1.00pm

Services to and from Melbourne will resume from 11.00am

Services to and from Sydney will resume from 2.00pm

Services to and from Hobart will resume from 5.00pm

International services

International Flights from Sydney will resume from 2.00pm. Delays are expected on flights into Sydney

International Flights from Melbourne will resume from 11.00am. Delays are expected on flights into Melbourne

Services to and from Auckland will be suspended from 9.00am local time and to and from Wellington, Queenstown and Christchurch from 10.00am until further notice

Johannesburg destined services will operate with a refuelling stop in Perth until further notice

Buenos Aires services destined for Sydney may be subject to a refuelling stop in Papeete until further notice

Customers are advised to refer to our Flight Status page for the latest up-to-the minute information on specific flights.

Furthermore, Virigin Australia posted the following on their website (see links below):
Key websites: Qantas: http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/disruptions/global/en
Virgin Australia: http://www.virginaustralia.com/servicedisruption/index.htm

Virgin Australia will commence services from:

Adelaide from 07.00am (ACST)

Melbourne from 12.00pm (AEST)

Canberra from 3.00pm (AEST)

Sydney from 3.00pm (AEST)

Return of the Ash: New Flight Disruptions in Australia from the Cordon Caulle Volcano

2011-06-21T04:08:00.000-07:00

Volcano Impact on the Southern Cone
(Courtesy of NASA)

This just in: The ash cloud from the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle in Chile is once again vexing airline passengers in Australia. Here are the highlights.

Status:

The part of the cloud that has struck Australia is now too low for planes to fly under it.

Airline Impact (June 21, 2011):

Qantas (QF) (from Qantas' website) Cancelled flights to/from Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL), Adelaide (ADL), Port Lincoln (PLO), Albury (ABX), Wagga Wagga (WGA), Newcastle (NTL), Mildura (MQL). Individual flights to aother regions of Australia are also affected, as the following flights are cancelled: Perth (PER) from MEL (QF776, QF802, QF768) and from PER to MEL (QF777), as well as Brisbane (BNE) to MEL (QF623, QF625, QF627, QF631), and MEL-BNE (QF624, QF626). Meanwhile, other flights have been diverted to Brisbane, Perth and Papaeete in French Polynesia.
Virgin (DJ) Check out their website for updates on cancelled flights: http://www.virginaustralia.com/flights/index.htm

Airports Affected

Pretty much all airports in Australia, especially the southeastern corner of the country

--------

Conclusion: Expect the volcano to affect all airline traffic in Australia at least until June 22nd.

UA: Continuous Travel Impact from Computer Glitch

2011-06-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Thank god United updated their image! (Photo: Philippe Noret)

For those of you flying on United Airlines domestic flights throughout the weekend, June 18-19, you might see some lingering travel disruptions as a result of a computer glitch on their computer system. The system error was multi-faceted and affected both the reservation as well as airport processing and departure systems. The error reportedly affected both United (UA) and Continental (CO) flights.

At this point, the system is back up and running but backlogs are lingering as the airline is unable to rebook passengers on other flights.

United currently has a travel waiver system in place until end-June 18th for the following airports:

Cleveland (CLE)
Denver (DEN)
Newark (EWR)
Guam (GUM)
Washington Dulles (IAD)
Houston (IAH)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Tokyo (NRT)
Chicago (ORD)
San Francisco (SFO)

Expected travel impact: The system is now up and running, so flights should resume. But expect the situation to be more chaotic than usually, as thousands of passengers are rebooked onto other flights. A good tip is to print boarding passes at home, and travel with "carrion" luggage only ;-)

Eritrea Volcano: Minimal Impact -- mainly ADD and ASM

2011-06-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

Eritrea is the latest country to have one of its volcanoes disrupt airline traffic. I have browsed the news to see what flights and airports are affected by the volcano Nabro (and not volcano Dubbi as previously assumed), which erupted on Sunday, June 12:

Nabro Volcano (Source: NASA)

Good news first: French experts are expecting the volcano to lose strength, diminishing the potential for prolonged delays among regional airlines
Kenya Airways (KQ) Experienced flight delays to and from London (LHR), Amsterdam (AMS), Djibouti (JIB), and Addis Ababa Bole Intl. Airport (ADD),
Luftwaffe ... sorry ... Lufthansa (LH) has cancelled flights to Asmara (ASM) in Eritrea as well as to ADD.
British Airways (BA) has also reported slight delays in a flight to Nairobi (NBO).
While the Chilean volcano incident has caused delays for Ban Ki Moon, another stateswoman (Hillary Clinton) cut her trip to Addis short, fearing that she might get stuck (and thus having to ride a but to another airport ;-) )

Advice: Keep an eye on your flight, but don't expect this to affect most flights in Eastern Africa.

Chile Ash Cloud: Southern Cone, Australia and New Zealand Impact

2011-06-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

The previously reported ash cloud over Chile and Argentina has now spread to Australia and New Zealand!

That's amazing, considering that Chile and Australia are located nearly 10,000km apart.

Australia New Zealand Impact:

The ash cloud from the Chilean volcano Puyehue Cordon-Caulle has now spread to Australia/New Zealand causing widespread delays at the Melbourne and Tasmania. Reports indicate that all Qantas (QF) flights are suspended in and out of Tasmanian airports (incl. Hobart (HBA)), while flights are starting to resume out of Melbourne's Tullamarine (MEL). Adelaide Airport (ADL) is also seeing cancellations.
Jetstar (JQ) is also seeing flights similar to those of Qantas in Australia.
All airports in New Zealand are likely to see delays and cancellations in the coming days, incl. Auckland (AKL), Christchuch (CHC), and Wellington (WLG).

Southern Cone Impact (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay):

Ban Ki Moon - our friendly Korean UN Chief - was also forced to land in Cordoba on his way to Buenos Aires's Ezeiza Airport (EZE), which was also closed due to effects of the ash cloud (he reportedly had to travel in an overnight bus to reach the capital city on time to meet with Ms Kircher and win her support for a second term as UN boss)
Other airports in the region, incl. Newbery in Bs. As. (AEP), and Montevideo's Carrasco Intl. Airport (MVD) are reporting significant delays/cancellations. Bariloche's airport (BRC) , which is located relatively close to the volcano, has seen the worst delays, now lasting a week.
Since all flights to EZE is affected, TAM (JJ), GOL (G3), and others.

Isn't this eerie?

We are seeing such a high number of ash clouds this year. With the Grimsvotn, and now another eruption in Eritrea, did we really have this many ash clouds in the past?

Argentina/Chile: New Ash Cloud

2011-06-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

1960 Eruption of Cordon Caulle. (Source: NOAA)

Just read on BBCNews that another volcano is causing flight delays. This time it's an ash cloud from the Cordon Caulle Volcano in Chile. This is apparently causing lots of headaches among airline travelers in the southern cone.

Update:

So far, flights have been disrupted in Buenos Aires (EZE and AEP) as well as in Barilochi (BRC). While flights are slowly resuming Tuesday (June 7th) night, EZE is reported to be deserted.
Other international airlines have canceled flights to and from Argentina, so check before you go to the airport! It is not clear which airlines, but six airlines are mentioned (My guess is: United, Delta, American, Lufthansa, Iberia and Air France -- but this is just pure speculation).
Flights have been cancelled on Aerolineas Argentinas (AR -- an airline we recommend you to avoid!!) and Austral Lineas Aereas (AUT).

May the ashes be with you. Always.

News Story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13678606

Grimsvotn Air Traffic Impact: Day 4

2011-05-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

Picture by Keith Boardman

Today was a day of mixed reports related to the Grimsvotn ash cloud.

While many TV and radio reports indicated that the ash cloud is abating and will not present as big a threat as last year's cloud, other news media indicate that the cloud still has the potential to wreak havoc in Northern Europe in the coming days.

Scotland is the worst hit with continued cancellations at the country's main airports in Edinburgh (EDI) and Glasgow (GLA). Newcastle also saw cancellations from British Airways (BA), but other airports in the region, incl. Aberdeen (ABZ), continued to see airline traffic disruptions.

However, as the cloud starts to spread to more populated areas of Europe -- such as London -- it is not certain that the smoke and ash is thick enough to deter flights. And according to Icelandic meteorologists, the eruption is now over and the ash cloud will start to recede. Furthermore, the Reykjavik-Keflavik (KEF) Intl. Airport is already back in operation, with most flights back on track, albeit most of them delayed.

According to Eurocontrol -- the European air traffic regulating authority -- approx. 500 flights have so far been cancelled in Europe on May 24th.

Please check with your airline, agent, milkman, what have you, if you are flying to one of the following airports in Scotland, England or Northern Ireland as well as Norway:

Derry (LDY)
Glasgow (GLA)
Prestwick (Glasgow) (PIK)
Edinburgh (EDI)
Durham Tees Valley (MME)
Newcastle (NCL)
Carlisle (CAX)
Kristianstad (KID)
Stavanger (SVG)

Airline Updates (from news reports and the UK Foreign Office -- a great website for updates):

British Airways (BA) gives its passengers the option to refund or rebook their tickets. BA has cancelled the following flights today:

all flights to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh.
all flights to and from Newcastle.

FlyBe (BE) has cancelled 54 flights from airports around Scotland, and has already cancelled the following flights for Wed. May 25th:

BE6890 Kirkwall-Edinburgh
BE6992 Sumburgh-Edinburgh

EasyJet (EZ) has cancelled all flights to Glasgow, Inverness, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen
KLM (KL) cancelled 44 flights to Scotland and Newcastle today, and will cancel the following flights on Wed. May 25th:

from Stavanger (KL 1196)
from Kristiansand (KL 1208)
from Glasgow (KL 1470)
from Edinburgh (KL 1276)
from Newcastle (KL 952)

Eastern Air (T3) has also annoucned flight cancellations on Wed. May 25th:

T3 4700 Durham Tees Valley to Southampton
T3 750 Humberside to Aberdeen
T3 225 East Midlands to Aberdeen

Aer Lingus (EI) has so far cancelled 20 flights to and from Scotland
Brussels Airlines (SN) has cancelled 14 flight to and from Newcastle
RyanAir (FR) has cancelled all of its flights to Scotland for the rest of May 24th.
BMI (BD) has also cancelled flights to/from Scotland

Other Updates:

FC Barcelona will fly to London earlier than scheduled to avoid any delays
Airports in Germany -- incl. Bremen (BRE), Hamburg (HAM), and Berlin (TXL, SXF) -- might also see delays or cancellations starting tonight, as the German air traffic regulators have more stringent rules
Passengers from Glasgow are taking buses to Manchester to catch flights to their end destinations. It is unclear whether these buses are offered by the airlines or airports.

Tip: If you are flying to and from Scotland: try to get a refund and take alternative transportation, if you can, otherwise wait a few days. It really sucks sitting in the airport cafe for more than a few hours. You can also call the airlines hotlines:

More news links:
Daily Mail
BBC News

Grimsvotn Eruption Day 3: Ash Cloud Bound for the British Isles

2011-05-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

While the Grimsvotn Volcano continues to spew a 10 kilometer-tall ash cloud high above the island, Iceland's flagcarrier -- Icelandair (FI) -- announced earlier this evening that they expect the country's main airport, Reykjavik-Keflavik Intl. Airport (KEF) to reopen tonight, with flights resuming tomorrow morning (May 24th).

Earlier today, meteorologists estimated that the ash cloud would hit parts of Scotland, Ireland and England either late Monday (May 23rd) or early Tuesday. Glasgow's LoganAir (LC) -- which flies for FlyBe (BE) -- has already announced that it will cancel 36 flights scheduled to depart on Tuesday (May 24th) morning. LoganAir writes the following update on their website:

"As a result, all flights due to depart between 06:00 and 13:00 hrs tomorrow, Tuesday 24 May, have been cancelled with the exception of inter-isles flights in Orkney which we expect will be able to go ahead as planned. You should not travel to the airport and if you are booked on a flight departing tomorrow afternoon, you should check the website for further updates before setting out for the airport. "

In case the volcano chooses to continue unabated in the coming days, the ash cloud might hit parts of France and Spain on Thursday or Friday (May 26-27), according to meteorologists, although this also depends on the weather and wind forecasts throughout this week.

May 23 Updates (20:20 GMT):

Barack Obama decided to shorten his stay in Ireland -- his first stop on a European tour -- to preempt the possibility of being stuck in Ireland ahead of the G8 summit in France on May 26th.
Flights between Greenland and Denmark are disrupted, and tickets will not be sold for flights before May 27th, writes Bloomberg. Furthermore, air travel above eastern Greenland has been restricted.
Flights connected Norway with Svalbard will be disrupted this evening.
Pep Guardiola is probably concerned that the ash cloud interfere with his travel plans for Wembley, where his Barcelona squad will face Man United on Saturday, May 28th. Even if the teams make it to stadium, the cloud might prevent many travlers from

Volcanic Eruption in Iceland: Oh No. Not another ash cloud!

2011-05-22T12:39:00.000-07:00


Do you see the plume? (Source: NASA MODIS Rapidfire)

But it is happening again. Right now. A 12km-tall plume of smoke has risen from the volcano, which

Mother Earth decided to let Grimsvotn Volcano erupt on Saturday May 21st, emitting a major ash cloud into the atmosphere above Iceland. As a result, the country's airspace has been closed and flight passing through the region are being diverted around the island.

In addition to delays for flights that must take a longer route around Iceland, many are now stranded in Iceland, where the situation remains critical, as few venture to guess whether this will be a repeat of last year's Eyjafjallajokull (gosh! so hard to spell) eruption that caused significant headache for European carriers and airline travelers.

The good news, according to Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson a local scientist who spoke with the BBC, is that the winds are not as strong as during last year's ash debacle AND the ash is coarser, and thus falls more quickly to the ground. Let's hope for the best.

Situation as of May 22nd, 20:10 Zulu:
- The airport will remain closed at least until noon (local) on Monday May 23.
- All of Iceland's airport, including the main Reykjavik-Keflavik International Airport (KEF) are closed on May 22nd.
- Iceland air is offering a full refund for flights on May 22-23

For more information, contact:
Isavia (operator of KEF)
Iceland Air

MSP: Power Outages Causing Delays on May 21st

2011-05-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

New reparts indicate that Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MPS) is experiencing power outages in terminals A, B, C, and D today, May 21st, 2011.

The power outage is yet unknown, but as a result the jet bridges (or "fingers") are out of operation, and passengers must use staircases to enter and exit the airplanes. Approx. 60 gates have so far been affected.

Expect delays for the rest of the day, as much of the airport continues to run on backup power generators.

Link to news article from MPR.

ATL: No Feasible Location for Second Atlanta Airport

2011-05-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes today that Atlanta Jackson-Hartsfield International Airport (ATL) has completed a study aimed at finding a suitable location for a second airport for the sprawling metropolis.

The report didn't have good news: Currently, there is no good / feasible location for a multi-million passenger airport. Out of possible eight locations covered by the study, Dobbins Air Reserve Base would be the best alternative, but could not be used as the civilian aircraft would be sharing the airport with military aircraft; as well as environmental problems.

So for now, we have to suffice with the world's busiest airport getting even busier .... meanwhile, many of us will lose our luggage ...

Interestingly enough, according to the 2010 US census, Atlanta only ranked 40th in the biggest US cities. That is likely because the city is so extremely spread out, that a significant part of the Atlanta metropolitan population live outside the official Atlanta city limits. Not good news for the environment.

DCA: Washington Reagan National Airport Runway to be Resurfaced on 23 May

2011-05-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

Washington DC's Reagan National Airport is scheduled to have one of its runways resurfaced on Monday, May 23rd. Runway 1/19 (the runway you can see running in parallel to the Potomac River in the attached picture) will be shut down for construction between 11 pm and 6 am the following morning.

I have not seen any reports of expected delays. But if you are arriving late on the 23rd, or departing bright and early on the 24th, you might want to the airport with a higher dosage of patience -- just in case the construction takes longer than excepted. It's a small airport, so who knows what can happen (e.g. if the weather is bad).

Bon voyage!

More information on Dr Gridlock's blog on Washington Post.

SIN: CX A330 Makes Emergency at SIN Following Rolls Royce Trent 700 Engine Trouble

2011-05-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

Photo by Calvin Teo

In the early hours of Monday, May 16th, a Cathay Pacific A330 flight (CX715: HKD-SIN-CGK) made an emergency landing at Singapore's Changi International Airport (SIN), following alarms of sparks in one of the aircraft's two Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. The pilots switched off the engine before making the emergency landing at SIN with a single engineer. There were no reports of injuries.

SIN has seen its fair share of emergency landings as a result of Trent engines in recent months.

Although SIN officials shut down the runway that received the flight, the airport was able to proceed without interruptions, most likely due to the limited volume at the time (between 0100 and 0200 hrs), and existing flights could utilize the airport's existing runways (Note to readers: SIN has three runways, but one of them is exclusively used by the Singaporean armed forces).

Dow Jones adds, that in April 2010, another CX A330 flight experienced engine trouble: this time both engines failing, but luckily near the destination in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the entire CX A330 fleet was grounded in 1997, also following technical problems with the Trent 700 engines.

Summary: Not much you can do as a traveler. It's hard to avoid RR Trent engines. I guess the only conclusion is that the CX pilots did a good job landing the plane safely.

SGF: Missori's Springfield-Branson National Airport to Shut down on Aug 12-15

2011-05-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF) will shut down operations for three days between Aug. 12 (1100hrs local) and Aug. 15 (1100hrs local) later this year for runway resurfacing.

The airport has two runways, but SGF must shutdown when the work reaches the intersection between the runways (14/32 & 2/20: link to airport map).

According to OzarksFirst.com, the air would normally serve 6,000 passengers during the duration of the closure.

Tip: Keep an eye on the airport website, in case the work is not finished on time.

JFK: IMF Head Arrested on AF 023 on May 14

2011-05-15T02:32:00.000-07:00

Just read on BBC News this morning that IMF chief and potential French Presidential hopeful, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has been arrested at JFK airport in Queens, New York, and charged with attempted rape, criminal sexual act (what does that mean?), and unlawful imprisonment.

Mr Strauss-Kahn was allegedly taken out of an Air France jet, and Der Bild reports that it was flight number AF 023 (Terminal 1), and according to FlightStats, the flight was only 19 minutes delayed arriving to Paris Chales de Gaulle (CDG) (the world's marathon airport). So our friends at NYPD must have been quite effective and completed their job without much ado.

That's the second time Air France and JFK have been involved in a news-worthy item in as many months, after an AF A380 jet rammed into a smaller commuter jet on the JFK tarmac.

This blog doesn't concern itself with what happens to Mr Strauss Kahn, but is pleased that the incident did not disrupt travel for the other 200 or so passengers on the AF 023.

ATL: Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport Update Infrastructure for A380

2011-05-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

Aerial view of ATL from 2006

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) is planning USD 30mn for upgrades for improved infrastructure to cater for the arrival of the A380 in the foreseeable future;writes the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Although Airbus claims that all airports that have 747 services can also receive A380s, there are apparently benefits from widening taxiways since the distance between the two extreme engines on each wing is greater than in other commerical airlines, increasing the risk of debris from the grassy areas being sucked into the engines.

The upgrade budget pale in comparison with JFK, which spent nearly USD 180mn on upgrades for the A380.The airport will increase airport fees at ATL by USD 4.50 to finance the project.
It is currently not clear whether any airlines will initiate routes to ATL using the A380, so the plan appears to be an example of an airport with a somewhat bad reputation "planning ahead" to prevent future problems. The airport is also completing a new international terminal (which will probably be completed before the end of 2012), so they are in an "expansion mode" anyway.

Currently, only JFK, LAX and SFO have regular A380 flights, but from next month, Washington Dulles (IAD) and Miami International (MIA) will start receiving the big bird.

According to website A380Flights.net, the A380 is currently used on the following routes:
(Note: Not all flights on these routes are necessarily using a380, so check before you book. And please let me know if you see any mistakes. And lastly, big thanks to the good people of A380Flights.net for sharing this):

Current Routes
Singapore Airlines (SQ)	Singapore (SIN) - Sydney (SYD)
Singapore Airlines (SQ)	Singapore (SIN) - London (LHR)
Singapore Airlines (SQ)	Singapore (SIN) - Tokyo (NRT)
Singapore Airlines (SQ)	Singapore (SIN) - Paris (CDG)
Singapore Airlines (SQ)	Singapore (SIN) - Hong Kong (HKG)
Singapore Airlines (SQ)	Singapore (SIN) - Melbourne (MEL)
Singapore Airlines (SQ)	Singapore (SIN) - Zürich (ZRH)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - London (LHR)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - London (LHR)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - Sydney (SYD) - Auckland (AKL)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - Toronto (YYZ)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - Seoul (ICN)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - Paris (CDG)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - Jeddah (JED)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - Beijing (PEK)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - Manchester (MAN)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - Bangkok (BKK) - Hong Kong (HKG)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - New York (JFK)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - Hong Kong (HKG)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - Shanghai (PVG)
Qantas (QF)	Melbourne (MEL) - Los Angeles (LAX)
Qantas (QF)	Melbourne (MEL) - Singapore (SIN) - London (LHR)
Qantas (QF)	Sydney (SYD) - Los Angeles (LAX)
Qantas (QF)	Sydney (SYD) - Singapore (SIN) - London (LHR)
Air France (AF)	Paris (CDG) - New York (JFK)
Air France (AF)	Paris (CDG) - Johannesburg (JNB)
Air France (AF)	Paris (CDG) - Montreal (YUL)
Lufthansa (LH)	Frankfurt (FRA) - Tokyo (NRT)
Lufthansa (LH)	Frankfurt (FRA) - Beijing (PEK)
Lufthansa (LH)	Frankfurt (FRA) - Johannesburg (JNB)
Lufthansa (LH)	Frankfurt (FRA) - New York (JFK)

Future Routes
Singapore Airlines (SQ)	Singapore (SIN) - Tokyo (NRT) - Los Angeles (LAX)
Emirates (EK)	Dubai (DXB) - Johannesburg (JNB)
Air France (AF)	Paris (CDG) - Tokyo (NRT)
Air France (AF)	Paris (CDG) - Washington (IAD)
Lufthansa (LH)	Frankfurt (FRA) - Miami (MIA)
Korean Air (KE)	Seoul (ICN) - Hong Kong (HKG)
Korean Air (KE)	Seoul (ICN) - Tokyo (NRT)
Korean Air (KE)	Seoul (ICN) - Bangkok (BKK)
Korean Air (KE)	Seoul (ICN) - New York (JFK)
Korean Air (KE)	Seoul (ICN) - Los Angeles (LAX)
Thai Airways (TG)	Bangkok (BKK) - Frankfurt (FRA)
Thai Airways (TG)	Bangkok (BKK) - London (LHR)
Thai Airways (TG)	Bangkok (BKK) - Paris (CDG)

CTA: Catania-Fontanarossa Airport Reopens; Delays Possible in Coming Days

2011-05-13T12:31:00.000-07:00

Mr Etna Eruption from 2002

Catania-Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) on Sicily, Italy, reopened following closure on May 12th, as a result of the volcanic eruption of Mt Etna.

As of noon today (May 13th), the airport has been reopened, according to Avionews.

Let's hope this doesn't turn into another ash drama like last year (Eyjafjallajoekull in Iceland), but there's a chance that the eruption could cause further delays or cancellation for flights going to or departing from CTA.

Link: Keep an eye on FlightStats for CTA

CHC: New Terminal Opens at Christchuch International Airport

2011-05-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

Photo taken by Albert Hsu

Not only bad news is worth conveying. Less than 6 months after experiencing a horrible earthquake -- which miraculously didn't cause any fatalities -- Christchurch is back in business with a dashing new airport terminal at Christchurch Intl. Airport (CHC). Writes the Moodie Report.

The upgrades at NZ's second-busiest airport includes a smart new check-in area, a new food court and new retail outlets. Probably not a major improvement to efficiency of travel, but probably makes traveling more enjoyable.

But that's not the end of upgrades to CHC. This week, construction of a new domestic terminal will begin. The original terminal from 1960 will be torn down for improved baggage claim and parking facilities.

Moodie also shares with us the interesting fact that the ownership of CHC is split between Christchurch City Holdings Limited (75% stake) and the central government of NZ (25%).

For More info and pictures of the terminal

VAR: Bulgaria's Varna Airport to Close For 4 Months

2011-05-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Bad news for travelers to Bulgaria's tourist destination of Varna. The city's airport will be shut down for maintenance and repairs between Oct 15th of this year and Feb 28, 2012, writes Bulgarian website Novinite.

Instead, travelers can fly to Burgas Airport (BOJ) situated 100km to the south of Varna.

Inconvenient!

Varna Airport (Wikipedia)

US: New Passengers Rights Rules To be Issued in August

2011-05-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

If you are traveling in the United States, these new rules -- which go into effect on August 23rd -- might mean something for your travel plans later this year.

Here's a list of the main changes (Courtesy of informative article in the Kansas City Star):

Cash for being bumped: Airlines must pay cash (or equivalents) to passengers who are rejected from oversold flights. And emphasis is put on cash, since airlines are now forced to tell passengers that they have the right to demand cash (as opposed to vouchers). For short delays (exact definition not clear), passengers will be paid out four times the price of the ticket, with the ceiling of USD 650. For long delays (also not clear what the "cutoff" time is for this), passengers are entitled four times the price of the ticket, max. USD 1,300.
Waiting on the tarmac: Previous rules for max. limit of time on the tarmac, required domestic flights to let off passengers after 3 hrs. This rule has now been expanded to include international flights, which have a max. of 4 hrs. All flights must also provide food and drinks after 2 hrs.
Luggage fee for lost baggage: Now it is required that airlines return the (annoying) luggage fees if the luggage in question is lost.
Air fares: Airlines must now post the complete price when posting a deal on their websites. So this is hopefully an end to the annoying "surprise prices" when you expect to pay 100 bucks, but have to pay over 200, because the original price failed to show all fees, etc.

This blog takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the above information, since I dont have time to read through the actual DOT regulations (who does?).