Airport News - North America.

For more airport news, data and analysis, please go to: http://www.airguideonline.com/order_formsubs.htm Aug 21, 2006

Airports, airlines report big increase in checked bags. The number of checked bags jumped 25% at Pittsburgh International Airport after new security rules took effect. Industry observers say more checked bags means a greater risk of lost baggage, higher costs for airlines and potential fare increases. Passengers are checking more bags, but airlines do not have specific numbers yet, according to the Air Transport Association. Airlines have increased staffing to accommodate the increase in checked bags. Aug 15, 2006

US clarifies new security rules. The US Dept. of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration late Sunday revised aviation security requirements put into place following last week's disclosure of the plot to bomb transatlantic flights and lowered the threat level for flights coming from the UK.While the ban on liquids, aerosols and gels in carry-on luggage remains in effect, exceptions will be made for up to 4 oz. of nonprescription liquid medication, glucose gel for diabetics, solid lipstick and baby food. Removal of footwear at all security checkpoints is now officially mandatory, TSA said. This last requirement is largely a cosmetic change, however, since even prior to the current crisis, passengers traveling within the US were cajoled into removing their shoes by TSA officials in contradiction of official policy in Washington. Aug 15, 2006

Airports in the US recovered quickly. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta said security checkpoint wait times were back to normal by lunchtime Friday and it was advising passengers that they could now arrive at the airport just 1 hr. prior to departure. Dallas/Fort Worth International said there were "minimal delays" on its 1,900 daily flights and that checkpoint lines averaged fewer than 10 min. Friday even as the airport's Dept. of Public Safety put additional units, dogs and explosives detection officers on duty. Aug 14, 2006

By Thursday evening in the US, airlines and airports said they already were approaching normalcy. American Airlines said the number of itinerary changes or cancellations was "virtually insignificant from a statistical standpoint" and that the majority involved service to London. Aug 14, 2006

US Cuts Threat Level For UK-US Flights. The US Department of Homeland Security on Sunday scaled back the threat level for commercial airline flights from Britain to the United States from Red to Orange, or High. Aug 14, 2006

US operations near normal as investigation progresses. US airports approached normalcy on Friday, which was "just like any other summer day," according to an Air Transport Assn. spokesperson, as UK Home Secretary John Reid said authorities now believe all the main players in the alleged plot to bomb aircraft flying transatlantic routes to the US have been arrested.Reid added that airport security will remain in a "critical" state to "err on the side of caution" in case some conspirators are still at large. UK authorities said they worked closely with Pakistan on the case, with the alleged plotters under surveillance for at least a month, and some reports suggested the counterterror operation had been ongoing for several months. Authorities in the US and UK said the attacks were possibly just days away from being carried out when the arrests were made Thursday. Aug 14, 2006

Laptop Lane

Laptop Lane has been acquired by the US-based Regus Group, the world's largest provider of outsourced workplaces, which sees it as a new expansion, an "office on the go" solution for business travelers. Laptop Lane airport business centers offer fully equipped, private offices with PC workstations, Internet access, phones with long distance and conference-call capabilities, printing, copying, faxing, and package shipping. Each Laptop Lane location also has a retail outlet that sells a variety of business and travel-related accessories. Laptop Lane operates 14 business centers and retail outlets at eight airport locations across the United States, including Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare, Seattle, Dallas-Fort Worth, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Oakland, and Philadelphia. http://www.regus.com http://www.wayport.com/laptoplane Aug 19, 2006

Los Angeles airport

Glitches suggest serious problem at Los Angeles airport. Four air traffic control glitches in one month suggest that something serious is awry at Los Angeles International Airport, the Los Angeles Times editorial board writes. The Federal Aviation Administration maintains the system and has not yet explained why the problems occurred. Investigators should determine the cause of the problem before someone is hurt or killed, the board writes. Aug 17, 2006

FAA promises to fix glitch at Los Angeles airport. The Federal Aviation Administration says it will fix a glitch that has caused delays at Los Angeles international Airport. FAA officials deny charges of systemic maintenance problems at the airport and say they will keep a full-time technician at LAX to maintain the equipment. Aug 16, 2006

Los angeles airport closes runway to prepare for A380. Los Angeles International Airport has closed one of its runways to prepare it for the Airbus A380 superjumbo jet and to improve safety. The Federal Aviation Administration expects the project to cause delays of up to 25 minutes during peak hours. Aug 14, 2006

Los Angeles airport Flight Evacuated After Suspicious Item Found. An Alaska Airlines flight carrying 125 people was evacuated on landing at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday after reporting a suspicious package on board, authorities said. Police using bomb-sniffing dogs quickly determined that item was not explosive, LAX spokesman Harold Johnson said, but were still investigating. Johnson said crew members on Flight 281, which was inbound to Los Angeles from Guadalajara, notified airport police that an item on board didn't belong to any of the passengers. The plane landed normally at 8:57 a.m. but taxied to a remote area of the tarmac. Passengers were evacuated and taken to a terminal on buses as police examined the item. Aug 14, 2006

San Francisco airport

San Francisco airport launches cargo screening program. San Francisco International Airport has launched a bomb detection program but the Transportation Security Administration has not certified any machines to screen cargo. An Air Transport Association spokeswoman says airlines favor the current approach and additional research into new technologies, but feel that canine screening deserves far more support. Aug 15, 2006

St. Louis airport

Bomb-sniffing dogs inspect cargo packages at St. Louis airport. Lambert-St. Louis International Airport this month became the first airport to use bomb-sniffing dogs to inspect cargo packages. To encourage cargo inspections, the Transportation Security Administration is boosting reimbursements to airports that maintain bomb-sniffing dogs. Aug 14, 2006

United Airlines

Unruly Passenger Forces Emergency Landing In Boston. A Washington-bound United Airlines flight from London made an emergency landing in Boston on Wednesday after a woman suffering from claustrophobia became unruly, but there was no apparent terrorist threat, police and security officials said. Flight 923, carrying 182 passengers and 12 crew, was escorted by fighter jets to Boston where it landed without incident, said US Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Amy Von Walter. Police said they arrested one person but declined to say who it was. Aug 16, 2006