Business and community leaders met in Wichita Wednesday morning to kick off a new campaign to encourage more travelers to use Eisenhower National Airport.

The Fly Wichita economic development initiative is aimed at building on the success the airport has had in recent years.  The airport announced Tuesday that it had a record number of passengers in 2018.  There were 1,665,116 passengers who flew in and out of the airport, which was an increase of 2.77 percent over the record year in 2017.   For the month of December, there were 140,304 passengers.  That was an increase of 6.08 percent from a year ago, and it set a new December record.

Valerie Wise, the airport’s air service and business development manager, said a goal of the campaign is to keep airfares affordable and to increase the number of non-stop destinations for Wichita travelers.    Wise said other airports also reported record traffic last year, and with increased demand, airports are looking to enhance service.    She said the campaign will focus on getting Wichita business and leisure travelers to use Eisenhower National Airport as much as possible.

Evan Rosell, vice president of projects with the Greater Wichita Partnership, said Wichita travelers want cheaper flights and more connections.  He said if the community responds and continues the trend of increased ridership, flights will be more affordable with more destinations.

Gary Plummer, president and CEO of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, said it’s time to build momentum and increase ridership even more at the airport, to try to hit the 2 million passenger mark.

 

 

Caption

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The pilot on the United Airlines flight nearing Newark Liberty International Airport was given plenty of warning by air-traffic control that a drone was in his vicinity. Still, he sounded stunned at what he saw.

“We missed the drone by about 30 feet off our right wing,” the pilot radioed, stifling an incredulous chortle.

The United crew’s report was the second sighting within minutes and that was all it took for controllers to halt arrivals at one of the New York area’s busy airports, triggering hours of delays. More than 40 flights headed to Newark were disrupted as the airport temporarily shut down arrivals Tuesday after the report from the United pilot.

“OK, and looks like about the same altitude?” the air-traffic controller replied, according to a recording of Tuesday afternoon’s incident made available by the website LiveATC.net.

“Exact same altitude,” the pilot of United Flight 2335 said. “It was our exact same altitude, probably 20 feet, 30 feet off our right.”

A pilot on Southwest Airlines Co. Flight 476 first reported the device at 4:44 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration and the flight-tracking website FlightAware. The temporary halt to arrivals forced 43 flights to hold, nine of which had to divert to other airports, FAA said.

“We’re not going to run anybody else through there right now,” the controller told a Delta Air Lines flight that was behind the United jet.

The FAA resumed arrivals within an hour, but had to delay dozens of other flights through the evening in an attempt to ease congestion from the initial event.

The disruption at Newark, a major hub in the New York metropolitan area, stoked fears of drone disruptions as U.S. regulators seek to expand civilian uses of the robotic aircraft while tightening security. It also recalled incidents at London’s Gatwick Airport, which was disrupted over three successive days last month after drone sightings, and Heathrow Airport, which was briefly shut down earlier this month when drone were sighted near its runways.

Tuesday’s device was spotted about nine miles north of Newark, over nearby Teterboro Airport. The FAA reported the device was at an altitude of 3,500 feet. The pilots on the Southwest jet said in a radio call it was at 3,600 feet.

“Be advised, there’s something on final here,” the Southwest pilot said in the first indication of a problem, according to the LifeATC.net recording, referring to the route planes take on their final approach to landing. “We thought maybe it was a drone. But there’s definitely something on final here.”

“You say something on final?” the controller said. “I’m not sure what you mean. Are you saying like an object or something?”

“Yes sir, an object. And it definitely looks like a drone,” the pilot said.

The Southwest pilot said the object was “pretty close,” though he estimated it was about a quarter of a mile away to their right. The controller then began warning other flights to be on alert for the object.

At one of the nation’s most congested and delay-prone airports, even a brief halt to landings can ripple though the day and cause disruptions for hours. The airport has also been plagued by delays in passenger security screening blamed on the partial government shutdown that began Dec. 22. On Monday, travelers waited as long as 40 minutes, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

The shutdown has also meant that FAA’s controllers are working without pay and some support workers — including some who would help investigate incidents like the one at Newark — are furloughed. Notification that air-traffic workers will miss their second paycheck begins today.

The incidents in London and Newark highlight a growing problem with drones: the potential for massive disruptions of commercial air travel by their mere presence. The U.S. government is drafting proposals that would track drones and identify their users in real time, but the rules are years away from becoming final.

The world’s largest civilian drone maker, China-based SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd., issued a statement saying it would assist in any investigation, but raising doubts that a pilot could see such a small craft at that altitude. “Spotting one from a plane flying at more than 100 mph strains the limits of physical possibility,” said company spokesman Adam Lisberg.

The FAA has recorded hundreds of sightings of drones by pilots, including at Newark and other major commercial airports. There has been one confirmed collision in the U.S. between a drone and a traditional aircraft, an Army helicopter, which had minor damage, in 2017.

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Travel News | eTurboNews

Winter has been holding on tight this year, dumping snow and wreaking travel havoc around the globe. From airports to roadways, trying to plan a safe trip during these conditions is a challenge.

At this German airport, to ensure uninterrupted flight operations on the runways, taxiways and aprons, Munich Airport deploys up to 172 Winter Services employees with their special vehicles on every shift. The two runways and the taxiways are constantly cleared of ice and snow by a total of 22 airblast sweepers and six snow plows along with sprayers and grit spreading vehicles. It takes just 25 minutes to clear a runway at Munich Airport.

---

The Munich Airport Winter Services can draw on a pool of 672 employees. A total of 47 permanent employees of FMG are scheduled to support the crews, mainly in management or supervisory roles. The backbone of the airport’s Winter Services staff is made up of some 490 farmers and truckers from the immediate vicinity of the airport. Working with more than 155 of their own vehicles, they are called in to clear snow and truck it to dumping areas. The winter services fleet has approximately 197 vehicles for the non-public and public areas. The areas to be cleared at Munich Airport amounts to over 4 million square meters: more than the total area of New York’s Central Park. On the park positions alone, 89 sanding and snow clearing vehicles are used.

The Winter Services crews are put on the alert by Munich Airport’s Traffic Management Center, which is in charge of monitoring the condition of the airport’s operational areas around the clock. In addition to the up-to-the-minute forecasts provided by the German Weather Service, the Traffic Management Center is supported by an ice detection early warning system that continually retrieves updated information from 18 measurement stations distributed across the airport. In addition, the braking coefficients on the runways are continually tested using special vehicles.

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American Travel News

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Air travel is not exactly optimal Tuesday as snow and freezing drizzle fall across a wide swath of the nation, including Wisconsin.  

And, as the day wears on, things have gotten messier.

Both major airports in Chicago — O’Hare and Midway — are now subject to an air traffic control procedure known as a ground stop. That means flights destined for either airport are being held on the ground at their departure airports. 

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Some flights destined for O’Hare were being delayed more than six hours, according to the Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Control System Command Center.

Departures from O’Hare also are experiencing delays Tuesday, according to the FAA. As of 4 p.m., 300 flights originating from O’Hare had been canceled, according to flightaware.com

Freezing drizzle was falling in Chicago, with freezing rain mixed with snow expected later in the afternoon. 

 At Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport, snow removal crews have been placed on 12-hour shifts around the clock to clear runways and taxiways once the snow arrives.

With the 12 hour shifts, “There is always somebody rested and ready to go,” said Pat Rowe, an airport spokeswoman.

Crews on Tuesday morning were doing maintenance on equipment to make sure everything is ready when snow arrives.

“They are expert at it,” Rowe said of the airport snow crews.

CLOSE

Crews at Mitchell International Airport were firing up massive machines that plow and sweep runways in precise, practiced movements done between takeoffs and landings of commercial jet airliners.
Mike De Sisti

Elsewhere, delays are being reported in Boston and Newark, according to the FAA.

Crews can’t use de-icing salt on airport runways or taxiways because the salt is corrosive to aircraft parts.

There have been a few cancellations at Mitchell so far Tuesday, according to online arrival and departure information. 

More than 2,600 flights are facing delays across the nation’s air traffic system, according to flightaware.com. As of early afternoon nearly 1,000 flights had been canceled, according to flightaware. 

Airport officials are advising travelers to check with their airlines regarding the status of their flight. 

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Southwest Airlines, the market share leader at Mitchell, says in an advisory posted on its website that it expects weather to affect its operations in Milwaukee, Chicago-Midway, Denver, Des Moines, Kansas City, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Omaha on Tuesday. 

The entire state of Wisconsin is covered by winter weather warnings and advisories on Tuesday and into Wednesday. 

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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore-area aviation attorney Keith Franz said he is alarmed over the impact of the government shutdown on America’s air travel system.

Franz represented four Maryland families who sued airlines over security issues after their loved ones died in the 9/11 terror attacks.

“The consequences of a failure—as we saw during 9/11—could be catastrophic,” Franz said.

He said he is particularly worried about air traffic controllers, who were already dealing with the stress of understaffing and long shifts before the shutdown. Many employees who assist controllers have been furloughed.

“Even before, they were working 60 hours a week. Now—without support staff—the system is eroding, and we have real concerns about the safety of the flying public.”

Franz notes training for new air traffic controllers has been halted even as more are scheduled to retire this year.

He also worries about stresses on TSA agents.

“They need to be 100% right 100% of the time,” he said.

BWI-Marshall Airport had to shut down Security Checkpoint A over the weekend. It was open Tuesday and the airport said the temporary closure had minimal impact on passengers.

The TSA said on Monday that most passengers got through checkpoints in less than 30 minutes.

Still, BWI-Marshall had the third highest maximum wait time for standard passengers at 36 minutes. That is compared with the top 42 airports in the country.

TSA’s list of average wait times Monday; Checkpoint A is open right now at BWI Marshall—most passengers nationwide are getting through in less than 30 minutes @wjz pic.twitter.com/sdxDz7cNVS

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) January 22, 2019

The wait time for TSA PreCheck passengers was 13 minutes, tied with Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport as the nation’s longest.

“It’s a concern that will only get worse as the shutdown continues,” Franz said.

The government maintains it is safe to fly.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association is handing out pamphlets informing Sunport travelers about the impacts of the government shutdown.

Watch the video above to hear from employees who are directly impacted.

AlertMe

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  There is good news for Kerala expats travelling frequently. Soon, they will be able to fly from the country to any global destination at discounted rates. Norka-Roots, a public sector undertaking of the Non-Resident Keralites (NRK) Affairs Department, has entered into negotiations in this regard with major air carriers, including Emirates, Kuwait Airways, Qatar Airways, Indigo and others.

“We will soon ink a pact with Qatar Airways. Negotiations with Emirates, Kuwait and Indigo are progressing at the right pace,” said K Varadarajan, resident vice-chairman, Norka-Roots. In August, Norka had entered into a pact with Oman Air which assured seven per cent cut in airfare for their travel to or from India. 

Varadarajan said once Norka and Qatar Airways enter into an agreement, the latter can offer NRK a 10 per cent cut in airfare, which could be availed for return flights also. “The offer can be availed by NRKs possessing the Norka-issued identity card. In our agreement with Oman Air, we didn’t have the space for bargaining. However, with Qatar Airways willing to provide a 10 per cent discount, we expect others to follow suit,” Varadarajan said.  

Norka-Roots CEO Harikrishnan Namboothiri said discussions were mainly being held with airlines offering services to Gulf countries. NRK Affairs Department feels the cut in airfare will provide some respite to those expats who travel three to four times a year. 

‘Discounted rates are not a permanent solution’
Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board chairman P T Kunhimohammed told Express, “It is known that forces of demand and supply govern airfares. Ensuring discounted rates cannot be surmised as an everlasting solution.”

“The key is to develop the Cochin International Airport in Nedumbassery as an international hub. This will mean arrival of more international airlines to the state, which will positively impact the fluctuating airfare, ” Kunhimohammed said.

Earlier, while handling complaints on skyrocketing airfare, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had said travel by air was a contractual matter between the airline and the passenger and was commercial in nature.  It had also highlighted that as per the prevailing regulation, every air transport undertaking engaged in scheduled air services was free to establish tariffs having regard to all relevant factors, including the cost of operation, generally prevailing tariff and others.

U.S. aviation officials have compiled data that statistically support, for the first time, Trump administration statements that the partial government shutdown hasn’t jeopardized air-traffic-control safety.

The data, according to one person briefed on the details, indicate that serious traffic-control deviations—incidents of planes coming dangerously close to each other in the air or on the ground—have remained flat from levels a year ago. Such incidents are typically captured by computers and other automated means.

…

Airline pilots have a message for the president: for safety’s sake, end the shutdown.

In a letter addressed to President Trump, the Air Line Pilots Association, a union that represents 61,000 US and Canadian pilots, urged that immediate steps be taken to end the government shutdown due to the dangerous effect it’s had on “safety, security and efficiency of our national airspace system.”

The shutdown’s most obvious impact on air travel was seen fairly quickly with TSA workers—forced to work without knowing when or if they’ll receive a paycheck—prompting some to call in sick or to quit altogether. But the letter illuminates how the shutdown is affecting safety in ways that aren’t as visible to the public as long security lines.

According to the letter, penned by the association’s president, Joe DePete, a number of factors have compromised the safety of planes and airspace. One of the more alarming issues being that planes aren’t being inspected as thoroughly as they should be. Indeed, citing the lack of inspectors as well as “manufacturing oversight activities” the letter states that, “These safety and oversight inspections will potentially allow for the introduction of safety issues that put passengers and airline crews at risk.”

And it’s not just the immediate safety of air travel that has pilots concerned. There are factors that will continue to be affected even if all furloughed personnel were to return to work today. The shutdown is causing delays to the implementation of a new communications program. Air traffic controllers and pilots are unable to train properly and so will likely need to be retrained which will not only have to be done at great expense but will also delay the full implementation of what the letter calls an “important airspace system upgrade.”

Lastly, the letter calls attention to the hardship being imposed on those doing the necessary work without the safety of a paycheck. “They are dutifully providing safety of life services while facing increasingly difficult financial pressures to provide for those dependent on their paycheck,” states the letter. “The pressure these civil servants are facing at home should not be ignored.”

The letter itself was dated January 2, but concerned members of the aviation industry and federal employees continue to make their concerns heard. With the shutdown drawing a close to its third week, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, along with other industry representatives and associations, held a rally today in front of the capitol in order to protest the shutdown. While speaking at the rally, DePete put it starkly, stating that, “The aviation economy is at stake. People’s livelihoods are at stake. Safety is at stake.”