Category Archives: Delta Airline News

Airline Sued After Flyer Gets Blood Clot During Delay

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The medical community is buzzing about a man who is suing Delta Airlines, claiming that a delayed 12-hour international flight caused a dangerous blood clot because he was not allowed to move from his seat. NY1’s Cheryl Wills filed this report.

Jorge Pajares filed a lawsuit in November claiming that his flight was delayed for six hours and flight attendants would not allow him move from his seat. As a result, he claims that he felt numbness and pain in his legs, which turned out to be a life-threatening blood clot. Although travelers have unsuccessfully tried to sue airlines before, cardiovascular surgeon Dr. David Greuner says this case may have merit.

“The only reason that this man may have a case is because apparently he was prevented – and this is hear-say – prevented from actually getting up and walking after he had problems with his legs and was complaining of leg pain,” he says.

The passenger suffered from a condition known as Deep Vein Thrombosis, or DVT, which is the clotting of the blood, usually in the legs. It can be deadly if not treated quickly. Doctors say frequent fliers are especially at risk.

“There are a couple of issues with flying. One is that you are immobile for a prolonged period of time, usually in a constrained area. Number two, being up at that altitude dehydrates you and robs your body of fluid,” says Dr. Greuner.

That loss of fluid makes your blood thicker and more prone to clot. Some symptoms of deep vein thrombosis include swelling in one or both legs, pain or tenderness in one or both legs, discolored skin in the affected leg, visible surface veins and leg fatigue.

Doctors say there are ways people can try to prevent DVT during long flights.

“Get up as much as you can least once an hour. You should definitely stay hydrated and avoid alcohol,” says Dr. Greuner.

Senior citizens and people who are obese are at increased risk for DVT. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that up to 600,000 Americans may be affected by the condition.

NY1 reached out to Delta for a response. A spokesperson told us the company does not comment on litigation.

Female Delta Airlines Passengers Claim Discrimination After Being Asked To Change Seats For Religious Reasons

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Two female Delta Airlines passengers are claiming discrimination after a group of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men asked them to move from their assigned seats. Israel Radio reported on December 26 that Delta Flight 468, bound for Tel Aviv, was delayed for more then 30 minutes at New York’s JFK Airport last week when several Haredi men would not sit in their seats because they would have to sit between two women. The two women refused to exchange seats, reportedly claiming that they were discriminated against due to the men’s religious beliefs.

According to About, a person who abides by the Jewish law that prohibits touch is considered a shomer negiah. The term “negiah” translates to “observant of touch” — a concept that forbids physical contact between men and women unless they are with their immediate family, including their parents, grandparents, spouse, children or grandchildren.

“The laws of negiah are typically followed by Orthodox Jews, with varying levels of observance. Some Orthodox Jews follow the laws with strict modesty and take measures to avoid accidental contact, such as avoiding sitting next to a member of the opposite sex on a bus, airplane, or other similar seating situation. Others are more lenient, only avoiding purposeful contact.”

This is the second time in three months that women on a flight originating in the U.S. have been asked to move due to other passengers religious beliefs, with the last incident taking place on an El Al flight from New York to Tel Aviv in September.

According to Mail Online, passengers aboard the September El Al flight reported that several ultra-Orthodox Jewish men stood in the aisles of the plane and refused to sit in their assigned seats. The crew aboard the plane reportedly told passengers that they were not required to change seats, but the flight would not depart until everyone was seated.

“People stood in the aisles and refused to go forward… Although everyone had tickets with seat numbers that they purchased in advance, they asked us to trade seats with them, and even offered to pay money, since they cannot sit next to a woman. It was obvious that the plane wouldn’t take off as long as they keep standing in the aisles.”

Delta Airlines has yet to issue a statement about last week’s incident involving two women who refused to move from their seats due to the religious beliefs of the Haredi men who would not sit next to them.

[Image: The Daily Banter]

Delta Airlines flight delayed after Jewish passengers refuse to sit next to women

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  • Delta Airlines Flight 468 was set to fly from JFK Airport to Tel Aviv
  • Flight was delayed by 30 minutes due to seating issue
  • Female passengers reportedly refused to move, claiming discrimination

By

Sarah Gordon for MailOnline


Published:
06:16 EST, 30 December 2014

|
Updated:
19:32 EST, 30 December 2014

A Delta Airlines flight from New York’s JFK Airport to Israel was delayed by half an hour when a group of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men refused to sit next to female passengers.

Delta Flight 468, bound for Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, was reportedly held up due to several Haredi passengers refusing to to sit in their assigned seats, which were in between two women.

The delay was prolonged when the two female passengers involved reportedly refused to move to accommodate the men’s request, claiming discrimination.

Delta Airlines Flight 468 was reportedly delayed for half an hour over the seating issue

Delta Airlines Flight 468 was reportedly delayed for half an hour over the seating issue

According to Israel Radio, the stand-off was eventually resolved when an American travelling to Israel offered to change seats.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews cannot touch members of the opposite sex unless they are close relatives or a spouse. 

It is not the first time an international flight has been delayed due to issues about seat arrangements.

In September, passengers flying with Israeli airline El Al from New York reported a delay when Haredi passengers refused to sit next to women and reportedly went as far as offering them money to move.

An El Al flight was delayed in September due to a similar issue, when ultra-Orthodox passengers refused to sit next to women on the plane

An El Al flight was delayed in September due to a similar issue, when ultra-Orthodox passengers refused to sit next to women on the plane

Fellow passengers reported men standing in the aisles and refusing to take their seats on the flight to Israel, which was due to land in time for the Jewish New Year.

Amit Ben-Natan, a passenger who was on board the plane, said: ‘People stood in the aisles and refused to go forward.’

‘Although everyone had tickets with seat numbers that they purchased in advance, they asked us to trade seats with them, and even offered to pay money, since they cannot sit next to a woman. It was obvious that the plane wouldn’t take off as long as they keep standing in the aisles.’

Passengers claimed that despite the El Al flight crew informing travellers that they did not have to agree to switch, the plane’s captain announced the flight would not be going anywhere until everyone was seated.

Haredim are known as ultra-Orthodox Jews and cannot touch members of the opposite sex unless they are close relatives or a spouse

Haredim are known as ultra-Orthodox Jews and cannot touch members of the opposite sex unless they are close relatives or a spouse

Once the flight had departed, one passenger claimed the ultra-Orthodox traveller sat beside her stood in the aisle for the journey rather than return to his assigned seat.

After passengers branded the flight ‘an 11 hour-long nightmare’, El Al promised to look into the issue and take action if passengers were in breach of 

The airline stated: ‘The company will examine the complaints and if some passengers are found to have acted out of line the company will examine its future steps.’ 

Following the flight, female passenger Sharon Shapiro, from Chicago, launched a petition to stop ultra-Orthodox passengers ‘bullying, intimidating and discriminating against women’. 

MailOnline has contacted Delta Airlines for comment about delay to flight 468 on December 20.

 

 

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Delta Employee Charged With Smuggling Guns Aboard Flight Headed For New York From Atlanta

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A Delta Airlines baggage handler is facing federal charges he helped put 18 firearms on a plane at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, WSB-TV, Atlanta, reported Monday. The station obtained an FBI affidavit indicating the employee helped another man smuggle the guns aboard a flight to New York’s Kennedy International Airport Dec. 10.

The complaint identifies the Delta employee as Eugene Harvey.

Harvey allegedly used a “buddy pass” to bypass Transportation Security Administration Security checkpoints to smuggle the guns aboard, WSB said. The complaint charges Harvey with smuggling 18 guns aboard the flight. It also says an undercover officer received 129 guns in all, including AK-47s and AR-15 assault weapons. However, it was unclear whether the remainder of the guns also were smuggled aboard, WSB said.

WSB said the charges were filed late Monday afternoon.

International Business Times was unable to reach Delta by phone for comment.

Travelers are barred from bringing firearms and other weapons aboard flights.

“Travelers may only transport unloaded firearms in a locked, hard-sided container as checked baggage. The container must be completely secured from being accessed. All firearms, ammunition and firearm parts, including firearm frames, receivers, clips and magazines are prohibited in carry-on baggage,” TSA rules state.

In 2013 TSA reported it had discovered 1,813 firearms in carry-on bags at checkpoints, an average of five a day, with Atlanta topping the list for most firearms intercepted at 111. TSA reported last week, it had detected more than 2,100 guns at airport checkpoints so far this year, eclipsing the 2013 total. One of 29 loaded guns seized last week was found in Atlanta.

Unruly passenger forces Delta plane to land in Albuquerque

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – Authorities say a disruptive passenger forced a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles to land at the Albuquerque International Sunport between 6 and 7 p.m. Thursday.

Airport spokesman Daniel Jiron told the Albuquerque Journal (http://bit.ly/1HJ84bv) that Sunport police arrested the passenger, who was traveling on Delta Flight 81, once the plane landed.

Jiron tells the Journal that he doesn’t know the nature of the incident that made the pilot feel he had to land the plane.

He adds that the FBI was called, which is standard in cases like this.

The man was not charged and did not get back on the plane. The plane left for Los Angeles around 8 p.m.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Shares mostly higher in quiet holiday trading

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By The Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) – Shares were mostly higher in quiet trading Friday in Asia, as most markets in the region and across the globe were closed for Christmas holidays. China’s Shanghai Composite Index extended gains in the second day of a rebound from this week’s earlier sell-off.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock index edged 0.1 percent higher to 17,818.50 and South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.1 percent to 1,948.41. The Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.5 percent to 3,116. 99. Southeast Asian markets were mixed. U.S. markets looked set for gains when they reopen Friday, with Dow futures up 0.2 percent and SP future 0.1 percent higher.

JAPAN DATA: Shares recovered lost ground on expectations of further government stimulus after Japan’s inflation rate eased slightly in November, hindering efforts to attain the 2 percent target seen as essential for putting growth back on track. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was due to announce fresh stimulus on Saturday after taking office for a third term.

CHINA’S BOUNCE: The Shanghai benchmark rose Friday on bargain hunting of major transport and property development shares after rebounding by 3.4 percent Thursday following two days of selling that cost it more than 5 percent due to worries that regulators might act to cool surging share prices.

ENERGY: The price of benchmark U.S. crude oil ended at $56.14 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The benchmark fell $1.28 to close at $55.84 a barrel in New York on Wednesday. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, gained 20 cents to $60.44 a barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: The U.S. dollar edged lower to 120.21 Japanese yen from its previous close of 120.33. The euro was unchanged at $1.2213.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Unruly Passenger Forces Delta Plane to Land in Albuquerque

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Authorities say a disruptive passenger forced a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles to land at the Albuquerque International Sunport between 6 and 7 p.m. Thursday.



ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Authorities say a disruptive passenger forced a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles to land at the Albuquerque International Sunport between 6 and 7 p.m. Thursday.

Airport spokesman Daniel Jiron told the Albuquerque Journal (http://bit.ly/1HJ84bv) that Sunport police arrested the passenger, who was traveling on Delta flight 81, once the plane landed.

Jiron tells the Journal that he doesn’t know the nature of the incident that made the pilot feel he had to land the plane.

He adds that the FBI was called and will decide whether what to do with the passenger and when the flight may resume course for Los Angeles.

US charges 5 over airline gun smuggling conspiracy

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New York (AFP) – Five Americans have been charged in connection with a plot to sell 153 guns and smuggle them into New York in carry-on bags on 17 commercial flights, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The airline security breach put hundreds of travelers at risk and was allegedly aided by a Delta Airlines agent in Atlanta, who carried the weapons past security checks, officials said.

Former Delta employee Mark Henry, 45, carried bags full of guns and ammunition on 17 flights from Atlanta to New York from May to December, said the Brooklyn district attorney’s office.

He and three other defendants have been charged in a 591-count indictment in Brooklyn that includes first-degree criminal possession of a weapon, which is punishable by up to 25 years.

A fifth man, Delta ramp agent Eugene Harvey, 31, was arrested in Georgia and arraigned in court on Monday, they added.

Chief culprit Henry was denied bail for his alleged role in the conspiracy to sell assault weapons, 9mm handguns and Glock pistols to an undercover NYPD detective in Brooklyn.

Prosecutors say Henry bought 10-20 guns at a time, mostly through a website, picked them up from sellers in Georgia and then flew to New York with the guns stashed in his luggage.

He allegedly boarded the two-hour flights at nominal cost by using his mother’s privileges as a retired Delta employee.

Henry was himself a former Delta employee from 2007 to 2010.

Delta said Tuesday that it was cooperating with the investigation.

“We take seriously any activity that fails to uphold our strict commitment to the safety and security of our customers and employees,” it said.

District attorney Ken Thompson warned the guns could have been used to shoot and kill residents and police officers in Brooklyn.

“In this age of terrorism, it is simply unthinkable that anyone would breach the security of our nation’s airports to smuggle guns and ammunition, including assault weapons, on commercial airliners and jeopardize countless lives all to make money,” said Thompson.

Two police officers were shot dead in broad daylight in Brooklyn on Saturday by a disturbed 28-year-old whom officers said had a clear anti-police bias and who earlier shot his ex-girlfriend.

Travel headaches for some into Christmas Day

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CHICAGO (AP) — Travelers setting out for the holidays could face trouble, with anticipated Christmas Eve snow around the Great Lakes states and heavy rain expected along the East Coast.

National Weather Service meteorologists predicted rain that would turn into snow for some parts of Missouri to Michigan, with several inches expected Wednesday in portions of Illinois. Officials at both airport hubs in Chicago readied for the potential of holiday delays and cancellations, particularly with more people expected to fly this year.

“I would definitely make plans about possibly staying put or doing something else,” said Chicago-area meteorologist Charles Mott. “Same for the roads. If you’re not going to fly, the roads are not going to be getting any better.”

About 4.2 million passengers are expected through O’Hare and Midway international airports during an 18-day holiday travel period ending Jan. 6, said Chicago Aviation Department spokeswoman Karen Pride. That would be a 3 percent increase at O’Hare and a 9 percent jump at Midway compared with last year. Pride urged travelers to allow plenty of time and monitor airlines closely.

On Tuesday, a storm system developed in the Gulf States, generating tornadoes that left four people dead, damaging some buildings and leaving thousands without power. It was expected to drop rain along the East Coast.

The severe weather caused some delays at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — though airport spokesman Reese McCranie said in an email he was not aware of any cancellations. He said the airport did not expect a ground stop.

Elsewhere, a blast of cold and snowy conditions affected travel Tuesday.

In Nevada, the National Weather Service says a strong cold front will move through the western part of the state Wednesday night into Thursday on the heels of record-high temperatures.

The heaviest snow is forecast after 4 p.m. Wednesday, with up to 10 inches expected on mountain passes by Thursday morning.

Dozens of flights in and out of Philadelphia International Airport were canceled and others saw delays of about two hours due to bad weather and low clouds.

In eastern Colorado, Interstate 70 was shut down into Kansas for eight hours because of strong winds and blowing snow. Farther west, blowing snow also led to part of U.S. Highway 285 being closed at some points Tuesday.

Parts of western South Dakota saw snow accumulations of a foot or more through Tuesday morning. Higher elevations in the Black Hills got close to 2 feet.

But not all winter enthusiasts were so lucky.

Snow isn’t expected in other parts of South Dakota until Friday. Sioux Falls resident Alana Amdahl said she’s disappointed about the lack of snow projected for Christmas.

“We live in South Dakota for a reason,” said Amdahl, 27. “We don’t have palm trees to put Christmas lights on, we have evergreens. Of course, we need snow. It can melt after the new year.”

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Follow Sophia Tareen at http://twitter.com/sophiatareen .