By Alwyn Scott

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Transportation said on Tuesday it is looking into a complaint that Delta Airlines Inc used “unfair and deceptive practices” to block development of a second major airport near Atlanta.

The agency’s action comes in response to a complaint filed by county commissioners and a private group trying to develop commercial air service at Silver Comet Field, a small airport about 40 miles from Atlanta. The DOT also received a letter opposing the plan from newly elected county commissioners due to take office in January.

The DOT action is not a formal investigation, as requested by airport proponents. The agency told Reuters it is “looking into the matter” after receiving the complaint in a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx last week.

The developments, which have not been previously reported, are the latest in a long-running dispute over efforts to create an alternative to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Atlanta, the No. 9 U.S. metropolitan area, is the only one of the top 10 without at least one secondary airport, according to Census Bureau and Federal Aviation Administration data.

Last October, the Paulding County Board of Commissioners said it planned to bring commercial air service to Silver Comet Field, in a county northwest of the city.

In 2012 it signed a deal to develop airport infrastructure with Propeller Investments, a New York-based private equity firm. Allegiant Travel Co , a low-cost carrier, has said it intends to serve Silver Comet Field.

Delta has long opposed a second commercial airport in the Atlanta area. Chief Executive Richard Anderson has said it would divide investment and “ultimately be an economic and community failure.” Atlanta’s mayor has also opposed the development.

In the letter to Foxx, Paulding County Commission Chairman David Austin and Robert Aaronson, Chairman of Propeller Airports and a former senior official at FAA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said Delta wants to preserve its dominance in Atlanta.

They said Delta is “interfering” with efforts to develop low-cost air service around Atlanta, even though the Silver Comet plan has been “endorsed by Paulding County, the State of Georgia and the FAA.”

Delta’s actions “are harming consumers and stifling economic development in the region,” they said in the letter.

Paulding County and Propeller officials said, that since the agreement was signed last October, a series of incidents has stalled the project. These include lawsuits challenging the development brought be country residents through an Atlanta law firm did not charge them legal fees.

A detailed chronicle of events filed with the DOT complaint letter also notes break-ins at the homes of a state representative whose district includes Paulding County, and the county commission chairman, who support the project.

In a separate letter last week, three newly elected members of the five-member Paulding County Board of Commissioners asked Foxx and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta to halt commercialization of the airport.

The members, who take office in January, said the current county board “conspired behind closed doors” to start air service at Silver Comet, despite objection by residents who voted in three “anti-commercialization” candidates last May.

Delta said its objections are shared by local property owners, environmental groups and labor unions. The airline declined to comment on the legal backing of local residents who oppose the airport expansion.

“The proposal is a waste of taxpayer dollars, violates the city’s restrictions on the land, and would siphon off increasingly scarce federal funding that’s more needed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport,” Delta spokesman Trebor Banstetter said.

“Metro Atlanta is best served by a single, strong airport at Hartsfield-Jackson,” which has enough room for new airlines to being service, he added. Delta has agreed to work with the airport to accommodate new entrants if necessary.”

(Reporting by Alwyn Scott; Editing by David Gregorio)

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DALLAS — U.S. airlines are raising base fares on many domestic flights even though they are getting a windfall from lower fuel prices.

JetBlue Airways raised fares by $4 per round trip on a small number of routes Thursday, and Delta Air Lines picked up and greatly expanded the breadth of the increase, according to FareCompare.com CEO Rick Seaney and J.P. Morgan analyst Jamie Baker.

The hike got an important boost when Southwest matched it a day later. Other airlines often drop price hikes if they are resisted by Southwest, which carries the most domestic passengers.

A JetBlue spokeswoman confirmed that the airline initiated the increase on its domestic flights. Delta said it had matched and expanded “an industry increase.” United Airlines and American Airlines, which also owns US Airways, confirmed matching the $4 increase.

Higher base fares don’t always result in passengers paying more. Airlines run frequent sales, and they adjust fares on individual flights depending on demand. The last successful broad increase occurred in April.

The increase showed that fear of Ebola hasn’t hurt travel demand, and that airlines have not passed savings from lower fuel prices to consumers, Seaney said.

Oil prices, which show up in the cost of jet fuel, have fallen by about one-fifth since late April. Fuel is the largest expense for most airlines.

The price bumps could ease investors’ concerns that lower fuel prices would be passed along in lower fares, Baker said.

Airline stocks rallied for a third straight day.

— Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. closed up $1.84, or 5.5 percent, to $35.22

— Delta Air Lines Inc. rose $1.65, or 4.8 percent, to $36.04

— JetBlue Airways Corp. climbed 37 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $11.23

— Southwest Airlines Co. gained $1.79, or 5.8 percent, to $32.84

— United Continental Holdings Inc. gained $2.61, or 5.8 percent, to $47.29

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A Delta Airlines flight to Israel was delayed after haredi Orthodox men and women deplaned rather than sit next to members of the opposite sex.

The flight Monday night from New York’s Kennedy Airport arrived more than an hour late on Tuesday afternoon due to the incident, Haaretz reported.

After the haredi passengers decided to leave the plane, their baggage had to be removed, causing the delay.

It is not known if the passengers’ fares were refunded.

In September, an El Al flight that landed in Israel on the morning of Rosh Hashanah eve was delayed in New York after haredi Orthodox men assigned to sit next to women attempted to switch their seats.

The haredi passengers who could not switch their seats stood up immediately upon takeoff and remained in place throughout the flight, crowding the aisles and inconveniencing fellow passengers and flight attendants, Ynet reported at the time.

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ATLANTA, Oct. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — The Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GHCC), the Hispanic leader in economic development in Georgia, will be hosting its Annual Business Summit Expo on Wednesday, November 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 755 Club at Turner Field.

The Expo will feature FREE morning workshops conducted by the University of Georgia’s Small Business Development Center of Georgia (supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration) on topics such as Certifications Overview, Government Contracting, and Doing Business with Large Corporations. The Expo will kick-off its afternoon session with more FREE opportunities by providing business matchmaking, networking and employment opportunities to all attendees.

GHCC members and non-members are encouraged to attend a keynote luncheon at noon featuring Delta Airlines’ Executive Consultant for Latin America Caribbean, Roberto Girotti. Join the GHCC as Mr. Girotti discusses the Latinizing of Delta Airlines in his keynote address. Tickets to the luncheon are available to GHCC members for $40 and $45 for non-members.

“The GHCC and our partners are excited to provide these resources to help strengthen our business community and help open paths for success, opportunities and growth,” said Tisha R. Tallman, president CEO of the GHCC.

For questions, contact Santiago Marquez at 404-929-9998 (Ext 224) or smarquez@ghcc.org.

GHCC Business Summit Expo Schedule

9:15 am – Noon:  
FREE workshops by the Small Business Development Center of Georgia

Noon – 1:30 pm:  
Keynote address by Roberto Girotti, Delta Airlines Executive Consultant

1:45 pm – 4:00 pm:
FREE business matchmaking, networking and employment opportunities

Address: 755 Club Turner Field – 755 Hank Aaron Dr. SW Atlanta, GA 30315

About the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Established in 1984 as the Atlanta Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GHCC) has grown to become one of the largest Hispanic chambers of commerce in the nation with approximately 1,300 members. GHCC provides domestic and international programming and services, and serves as a voice on legislative initiatives impacting our member businesses at the local, state and federal levels. GHCC is also home to the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Development Center and the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee. For more information, please visit www.ghcc.org.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/georgia-hispanic-chamber-of-commerce-hosts-annual-business-summit–expo-546432426.html

A Delta Airlines flight to Israel was delayed after haredi Orthodox men and women deplaned rather than sit next to members of the opposite sex.

The Oct. 20 flight from New York’s Kennedy Airport arrived more than an hour late in Israel due to the incident, the daily Haaretz reported.

After the haredi passengers decided to leave the plane, their baggage had to be removed, causing the delay.

In September, an El Al flight that landed in Israel on the morning of Rosh Hashanah eve was delayed in New York after haredi Orthodox men assigned to sit next to women attempted to switch their seats.

The haredi passengers who could not switch their seats stood up immediately upon takeoff and remained in place throughout the flight, Ynet reported at the time. — jta

The European Commission called on Tuesday for public comment on measures by Air France, KLM and Delta Airlines to meet concerns about possible overcharging on key international routes.

• PHOTOS

The European Commission called for public comment on measures by Air France, KLM and Delta Airlines to meet concerns about possible overcharging on key international routes. (Photo: AFP/Jack Guez)

BRUSSELS: The European Commission called on Tuesday (Oct 21) for public comment on measures by Air France, KLM and Delta Airlines to meet concerns about possible overcharging on key international routes.

“Extensive cooperation between Air France/KLM, Alitalia and Delta in the framework of the SkyTeam alliance … may result in higher prices,” said the Commission, which polices European Union fair competition rules. The routes cited were Paris-New York for premium passengers; and Amsterdam-New York and Rome-New York for all passengers.

To address the Commission’s competition concerns, the three airlines have submitted a series of proposals, including offering rival companies some of their flight slots on the Amsterdam-New York and Rome-New York routes. In addition, they agreed to allow competitors to “offer tickets on their flights and facilitate access to connecting traffic, as well as to provide access to their frequent flyer programmes on all three routes.”

If the public response to these measures is positive, the Commission said it could then make them legally binding on the three airlines. The Commission opened a competition probe into Air France/KLM, Alitalia and Delta in January 2012.

The three companies work together through the SkyTeam global airline alliance, one of several which dominate the industry. 

The Commission recalled that in July 2010 and May 2013 it had imposed similar commitments on the rival Oneworld and Star airline alliances.

– AFP/al

Sir Howard Davies, the former London School of Economics director who is
heading up a commission investigating where to build Britain’s next runway,
will very shortly publish an appraisal of three possible expansion options
which will then be put out to public consultation.

Last year, Sir Howard shortlisted two options for a third runway at Heathrow
and a second runway at Gatwick.

Mr Cantarutti also ended any speculation that Delta would eventually scrap the
Virgin Atlantic brand after last year paying $360m (£223m) for 49pc of Sir
Richard Branson’s airline.

He said Delta is preparing to swap some of its existing routes to the Virgin
brand, such as Manchester to Atlanta, because travellers prefer to fly with
a native airline. Tickets on routes to the US from Manchester are
predominantly sold in the UK, Mr Cantarutti said.

“There is a tendency for passengers to gravitate towards carriers of their
nationality,” He said. “There should be no question over whether the Virgin
brand survives.”

Willie Walsh, the head of British Airways’ parent company, International
Airlines Group, previously suggested Delta would scrap the Virgin Atlantic
brand by 2017. The claim triggered a public spat with Sir Richard, which
ended with Mr Walsh betting his adversary a “knee in the groin” that he
would turn out to be right.

Delta’s 49pc stake in Virgin is currently under investigation by the European
Commission (EC) as part of a wider inquiry into whether foreign carriers
with minority stakes in European airlines are effectively controlling them
in contravention of EU ownership rules.

Mr Cantarutti said Delta provided the EC with information in the summer and
that the airline has “no reason to believe” its joint business with Virgin
will be found at fault.

 Police say the driver of Ford Mustang crossed the center line for unknown reasons and crashed head-on into a Honda Accord.

RICHMOND, Va. (MyFoxBoston.com) — A Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to Boston had to be diverted Wednesday afternoon due to engine problems.

Flight 104 left Jackson Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta and was on its way to Boston Logan International Airport when it began experiencing mechanical issue in one of the plane’s engines. At 10:05 a.m., it landed at Richmond International Airport in Virginia.

It is unclear what caused the engine issues. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the agency will investigate.

The plane, a Boeing MD-88, landed without incident, according to a statement from Delta Airlines. All passengers were put on another plane to finish the trip to Boston.

Getty Images/Andrew Burton

(Reuters) – Delta Air Lines beat Wall Street analysts’ expectations, with a quarterly profit of $1.20 per share, versus an anticipated $1.18. 

Overall quarterly profit fell 74 percent to $357 million, partly due to a jump in operating expenses, including the elimination of debt.

Operating revenue increased 6.6 percent rise to $11.18 billion in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, helped by strong U.S. business and leisure travel.

Traffic increased 3.7 percent.

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