Author: Metropolitan Airport News

The scholarships will benefit 287 students studying at 177 universities across 39 states, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. The American Airlines Education Foundation yesterday awarded more than $750,000 in scholarships to 287 children of employees, an increase of 35 percent compared to 2015. Each recipient will receive a $2,500 scholarship and first generation college students will each receive an additional one-time award of $1,000. Scholarship recipients were honored at a reception at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas. “I am very honored and grateful for the scholarships my three daughters have received from the American Airlines Education Foundation,” said Lisanne…

Parking Discounts Available at JFK and Newark Liberty Airports More than 5.5 million people will travel by air, car and rail using Port Authority facilities during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend, traditionally one of the busiest travel periods of the summer. The Port Authority is taking proactive measures to ensure travelers have a safe and enjoyable experience while using the agency’s facilities. Customer assistance will be provided by Port Authority staff through website alerts, Twitter updates, online parking reservations and customer care representatives stationed at the agency’s airports. Airports From Wednesday, June 29, through Monday, July 4, the…

Air Serbia, the national airline of the Republic of Serbia, made history this morning as it launched a five-per-week transatlantic service between Belgrade and New York. The long-awaited first flight – JU500 – was met with great fanfare as it touched down in New York at 12:00 p.m., reconnecting Serbia and the United States with a non-stop Serbian-operated air service after a break of 24 years. The Airbus A330 aircraft, with the airline’s bold colours and iconic double-headed eagle painted on its tailfin, was welcomed to John F. Kennedy International Airport by a traditional water cannon salute after the 11-hour…

For thousands of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement and the culmination of a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice. Today, customers on United flight 408 from Newark Liberty to Chicago O’Hare will get a surprise screening of the premiere of Destination: Team USA, a documentary produced by United Airlines and Tribeca Digital Studios. The film’s director, Adam Hootnick, Team USA hopeful Dartanyon Crockett and producers from Tribeca will be onboard for the screening. This film focuses on five athletes in particular, for whom the opportunity to represent…

Etihad Airways’ equity partner Air Serbia today launched flights to the United States, a milestone achieved with the support of, and in collaboration with, several of Etihad Airways equity partner airlines. Air Serbia, in which Etihad Airways has a 49 per cent stake, launched its five-times-a-week scheduled flights between its Belgrade hub and New York JFK International Airport, marking a return of direct air links between Serbia and the USA after a 24-year absence. The route is being operated with an Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Etihad Airways, together with three of its seven equity partners – Jet Airways, Alitalia and airberlin –…

Airline introduces 737-800 aircraft showcasing Heart interior with widest 737 economy seat in the market, bold new Employee-designed uniforms, and Heart galley Southwest Airlines Co. is bringing the Heart of their Employees front and center with the announcement of the carrier’s first-ever Employee-designed uniforms and Boeing 737-800 aircraft Heart interior featuring the new Heart galley and seat. “Introducing our new uniform designs and fully branded 737-800 Heart interiors into the fleet is an accomplishment directly resulting from our hardworking Employee design teams,” said Gary Kelly, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer for Southwest Airlines. “Southwest continues to enhance our unique…

As the July 4 Independence Day holiday approaches, the Transportation Security Administration wants to remind travelers that fireworks and sparklers are not permitted on airplanes. Fireworks and sparklers are flammable and are manufactured from explosive materials. They are considered hazardous and forbidden on aircraft in checked baggage or carry-on bags. This applies to all varieties including, but not limited to: aerial repeater fireworks, aerial shell fireworks, bottle rockets, chasers, firecrackers, flying spinners, fountains, ground spinners, missiles, parachute fireworks, poppers, Roman candles, skyrockets, smoke fireworks, snakes, snaps, sparklers, strobes and wheels. Travelers are responsible for the items that they pack in…

Diverting jet fuel tax revenues to fund surface and other infrastructure projects violates federal law and puts New Jersey at risk of losing federal resources Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today urged New Jersey lawmakers to reject proposed legislation to increase the effective rate of the jet fuel tax, making it almost 18 times its current level. A4A warns that any attempt to divert jet fuel tax revenue to fund roads, highways, bridges or any other non-aviation infrastructure projects, violates federal law and puts the state at risk of losing federal resources.…

Following last week’s announcement of being the only airline awarded service to all nine Cuban destinations, Silver Airways has become the first U.S. airline to again sell regularly scheduled flights to Cuba with tickets for sale now at silverairways.com. Silver Airways, which operates more routes within Florida and between Florida and the Bahamas than any other airline, will be the first U.S. carrier to start service to Cuba with the inaugural flight departing Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Santa Clara, Cuba (SNU) on September 1, 2016. This will be the first regularly scheduled flight from the U.S. to Cuba in over…

AFGE says Congress must lift arbitrary workforce cap and fund 6,000 additional security officers The American Federation of Government Employees, the union representing Transportation Security Officers at our nation’s airports, says recent Congressional actions to reduce passenger wait times are a good step but that the permanent solution remains hiring an additional 6,000 full-time screeners. Congress on Monday approved shifting $28 million within the Transportation Security Administration’s current budget to convert 2,784 part-time officers to full-time positions and accelerate the hiring of 600 additional officers by the end of the fiscal year. This follows a similar action in May that…