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.
American Airlines announced that Jessica Tyler has been named President of Cargo and Vice President of Airport Excellence, leading the teams responsible for the success of the cargo business and delivering operational and customer service excellence for both airports and cargo. This new appointment and role are part of American’s recent right-sizing of its management and support staff as the company rebounds from the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As the company navigates the next several years, this new organization will retain separate airport and cargo functions but also benefit from the blending of the talent and expertise of…
On July 1st, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing completed the required re-certification flight tests on the 737 MAX, taking the plane a step closer to FAA approval to return to service. An extensive to-do list must be accomplished before the plane can receive clearance to fly passengers again, a milestone now expected no sooner than mid-September. During three days of testing this week, FAA pilots and engineers evaluated Boeing’s proposed changes to the automated flight control system on the aircraft that was implicated in two fatal crash flights. The software called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) has…
JetBlue announced it is adding 30 new domestic routes to serve customers in markets where leisure and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) travel is showing some signs of strength. With business travel facing a less certain recovery timeline, the new routes offer JetBlue the opportunity to generate revenue, bring aircraft back into service that would otherwise sit idle, and add more flying opportunities for JetBlue crewmembers. Each market was identified as one in which JetBlue’s award-winning service and low fares will benefit travelers as well as support the airline’s cash position. The expanded service focuses on: Growing relevance in JetBlue’s…
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced the agency’s new “Stay Healthy. Stay Secure” campaign just days before the Independence Day holiday weekend. The campaign focuses on airport checkpoint modifications to help contain the spread of COVID-19, comply with CDC guidelines and support healthy and secure summer travel to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. During the past several weeks, TSA has seen an increase in the number of travelers coming through airport checkpoints and is monitoring the growth closely for staffing and security purposes. Passengers processing through the security checkpoint at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and…
JFKIAT, the operator of Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, in partnership with XpresSpa’s new brand XpresCheck and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, launched the first COVID-19 screening and testing location in a U.S. airport. The pilot program is now open to all JFK terminal employees, airline employees, and airport workers. The new XpresCheck has the capacity to screen up to 500 employees per day and will ensure that JFK workers have convenient access to testing at the airport. The XpresCheck at JFK is a new modular site constructed in the Arrivals Hall at…
This June, GatewayJFK went door to door across the district to distribute over 6,000 masks, face shields, and safety information to offices, warehouses, and restaurants in the vicinity of Rockaway Blvd. in Southeast Queens. Along with the masks, GatewayJFK distributed posters for businesses to display that inform and encourage employees to prevent the spread of the virus, practice good hygiene, and follow standard safety practices. Posters are available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Urdu, and Hindi and are available for download. Masks were provided by the NYC Department of Small Business Services, and face shields were donated by the Queen’s Chamber…
FAA and Boeing test pilots will start intensive testing of the updated version of the Boeing 737 MAX flight control software on June 29th. The three days of testing will involve various flight configurations to test the effectiveness of the rewrite of software for the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). The system was a major factor in two fatal crashes of the MAX, one in Indonesia in late 2018 and another in Ethiopia in March of 2019. The report says Boeing pilots have already logged hundreds of hours testing the new software and these tests will be the first flight…
On June 26th, Vice President Mike Pence met with airline executives and led a discussion on aviation matters as they relate to recovery from COVID-19. The airline industry has faced significant health and economic challenges over the course of this pandemic, and the discussion was focused around how airlines can bring back business safely as America continues to responsibly reopen. A source familiar with the matter said that Pence gave his blessing to a “compromise solution” for contact tracing during a preliminary meeting with airline executives. Airlines had initially balked at the government’s demand that they collect detailed contact information…
June 28th marks the 81st anniversary of the first regular trans-Atlantic passenger service via Pan Am’s Boeing 314 ‘Dixie Clipper’. The aircraft left Port Washington, New York with 22 passengers on the southern route to Horta, Lisbon, and Marseilles. In 1939, the cost of the trip was US$375 for a one-way ticket or US$675 for a round trip. Southern Railway executive William J. Eck received a silver cigarette case for being the first paying passenger on the 20:50 minute route. Also, among the passengers were famous “first flighter” Clara Adams, who was on the first leg of a record-breaking, round-the-world flight; United…
From the South China Press* newspaper published on June 3rd comes the news that the U.S. government would bar Chinese airlines from flying passengers to U.S. destinations starting on June 16th in retaliation for Beijing’s refusal to let American carriers resume service to China. Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requested permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) for U.S. carriers to resume flights to the country. But the CAAC merely extended an order that limited all domestic and foreign carriers to international flight schedules in place as of March 12th. In doing so, CAAC was…