Author: Metropolitan Airport News
Metropolitan Airport News
Produced by a team of aviation professionals and enthusiasts, our mission is to inform and update the more than 68,000 employees who work on the metropolitan New York airport properties, as well as the many others that provide goods and services in the surrounding communities.
JetBlue unveiled a reimagined version of its popular Mint experience, which first disrupted the market with a fresh take on premium travel at an “unpremium” price in 2014. JetBlue’s first complete redesign of Mint again sets a new standard – this time on transatlantic flights – featuring 24 private suites with a sliding door for every Mint customer, a custom-designed seat cushion by Tuft & Needle, and countless design touches that help every customer feel at home in the air. As part of the refresh, JetBlue will also introduce its latest innovation, the stunning Mint Studio, which will offer the…
From small town Mayor to Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the Department of Transportation in the Biden Administration. The industry is hopeful that the appointee will be able to tackle critical initiatives related to safety, climate, infrastructure and more to bring the industry back better than ever post COVID-19. Transport Workers Union of America International President John Samuelsen offered, “Secretary Pete Buttigieg is more than up to the task of leading the Department of Transportation at this critical time. He has proactively built relationships with unions and other stakeholders — relationships…
Philanthropist George T. McDonald, a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has died after his battle with lung cancer. As Founder and President of the Doe Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides thousands of individuals with the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and incarceration to rebuild their lives, Commissioner McDonald was a tireless advocate for the homeless and brought great humanity, passion, and dedication to his mission. As a commissioner, he was always challenging us to think critically about how infrastructure can work for the benefit of the traveling public. His enthusiastic and…
Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport – one of the world’s most modern and efficient air terminals – is now the home of “This is New York,” a virtual reality (VR) experience. This interactive journey will allow customers at the terminal to experience New York City’s landmarks and destinations – from a safe distance. “This is New York” is a VR experience dedicated to highlighting the hidden and monumental destinations within the five boroughs of New York City, including the Queens Unisphere, the Staten Island Ferry, Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Prospect Park Boathouse, and the 191st Street Subway Station. The…
Norwegian Air Shuttle will exit the low-cost long-haul market to focus on services within Norway and to “key European destinations.” The carrier said ongoing COVID-19 travel restrictions mean that “future demand remains highly uncertain” for its flights to the US and Asia, making its long-haul operations no longer viable. The carrier has 2,160 pilots and crew working at subsidiaries in the UK, U.S., Italy, Spain and France whose jobs will go; 1,100 of those staff are at Norwegian’s London Gatwick base. In a Press Release dated January 14th, Norwegian’s Board of Directors has outlined a simplified business structure and dedicated…
One quick-thinking flight attendant saved a teenage girl from human trafficking after noticing that something was wrong with the young passenger on her Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to San Francisco. “Something in the back of my mind said something is not right,” Shelia Frederick, 49, from Alabama, told 10 News as she recalled the encounter from 2011. The girl, who seemed to be around 14 or 15 years old and “looked like she had been through pure hell” according to Shelia, was traveling with an older man who wouldn’t let her talk and answered all of Shelia’s questions for…
Forwarders globally will soon be able to conduct real-time eBookings, access live rates, and see available capacity with Qatar Airways Cargo via the service of WebCargo, a Freightos Group company, providing critical agility as supply chains contend with COVID-19’s impact and disruption. Rollout will begin with France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa and Spain on 7 February 2021. As part of the launch, Qatar Airways Cargo will be offering the most competitive rates on WebCargo by introducing a discount scheme to forwarders*, resulting in an average saving of USD0.06/kg for the first 20,000 shipments booked via the platform in these…
AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), one of the leading all-cargo carriers and part of Volga-Dnepr Group, commences 2021 relying on its weight & balance system (ABC WBS). The platform, which was designed, tested and rolled out within the toughest months of 2020, is aimed to minimize ground flight operations time, maximize load control and ramp activities, as well as maintain on-time performance through automatic schedule monitoring. ABC WBS makes all the calculation in an accurate and safe mode, eliminating the human error risk and producing the required Weight & Balance documentation for each flight, such as Loading Instructions (LIR), Report Forms, Loadsheets…
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported the final daily figure of estimated travel volume for calendar year 2020, closing a year that tested the agency’s ability to innovate and quickly implement modifications across more than 440 federalized airports nationwide to address the pandemic. Between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2020, the agency screened a total of approximately 324 million passengers throughout its airport security checkpoints. That figure represents just 39 percent of the approximately 824 million total passengers screened in 2019. “In 2020, TSA implemented significant operational changes across its entire security checkpoint environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The…
Huntley Lawrence has been named Acting Chief Operating Officer & Director of Aviation effective January 19, 2021. In his new role as Acting Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Lawrence is responsible for working with the Port Authority’s Aviation, Port, PATH, Tunnels, Bridges & Terminals, and the World Trade Center — as well as the Operations Services Department. Huntley has served as Director of Aviation, successfully leading the world’s busiest airport system through an unprecedented investment in the airport facilities. Under his tenure, major components of a Whole New LaGuardia have now been opened and significant progress is being made on the…