© Eric Thayer/Getty Images
Delta Airlines planes.


A Delta Air Lines Inc jet ended its flight from Minneapolis to Las Vegas on Thursday with its captain locked out of his cockpit, the airline said.

The pilot, who was not identified, left the cockpit prior to the final landing approach of Delta Flight 1651 but “was not able to re-enter the flight deck because of a door jam,” the airline said in a statement explaining the mishap.

The first officer of the plane, which was carrying 160 passengers, took control and landed the aircraft safely at McCarran International Airport, without further incident, the airline said.

“A commercial aircraft can be landed with one pilot at the control and Delta pilots are fully trained to do so if the situation were to occur,” Delta said in its statement.

But Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the agency declared an emergency for the Delta crew when the mishap occurred and would be investigating the incident.

Delta said the cockpit door would be evaluated by airline maintenance technicians.

(Reporting by Cynthia Johnston in Las Vegas; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Authorities have received more than 50 threats directed at U.S. airlines since Jan. 17 when a flight between Atlanta and Raleigh received a bomb threat, a U.S. official said. At least 20 of those have been recorded since Saturday on Twitter.

“We are continuing to investigate these threats with our law enforcement and airline partners as we do with all stated threats,” an FBI spokesman told CNN on Wednesday. “Threats of this nature can and do result in costly responses from a multitude of law enforcement and airport entities and greatly inconvenience travelers. Individuals responsible can be prosecuted federally.”

Three separate Twitter accounts have been identified as issuing at least eight of the threats. One account made threats against six separate planes: an American Airlines flight from San Francisco to Chicago, a Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Charlotte and four different Delta flights.

A second account targeted an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Chicago on Jan. 28. The tweet read, “@AmericanAir No, There is a bomb on Flight 1192, We Are ISIS, we will (expletive) you guys up, #ISIS”

A third account described a bomb and passenger with a gun aboard a United Airlines flight between Newark, New Jersey, and Miami. The flight was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon but was canceled during the blizzard that hit the northeast on Monday night and Tuesday.  

On Jan. 19, a Delta Airlines flight was evacuated at John F. Kennedy International Airport after receiving a bomb threat. On Saturday, fighter jets escorted two planes to Atlanta’s airport after bomb threats were published on Twitter. The following day, a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Orlando, Florida, was diverted to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for the same reason, NBC News reports. 

All security threats made to planes that are in the U.S. or heading to the U.S. must be reported to the Transportation Security Administration. However, the definition of what is considered a threat is vague in the guidelines to prevent airlines from underreporting, according to a Government Accountability Office report in 2007. An airline’s security division is responsible for assessing the threat and suggesting a course of action. A flight can be diverted to the nearest airport, evacuated and searched with bomb-sniffing dogs.

“We’re seeing these new threats,” Glen Winn, former head of security at Northwest Airlines and United Airlines and an instructor at the University of Southern California School of Aviation Safety and Security, told USA Today on Wednesday. “In terms of the quantity of (online) threats we’re seeing now, you just haven’t seen it.”

FAIRBANKS—Delta Airlines plans to begin year-round service at Fairbanks International Airport later this year, adding another major carrier to an off-season market dominated by Alaska Airlines.

Following its summer service this year to Fairbanks, Delta will continue offering daily flights to Seattle at least through December, said Explore Fairbanks President Deb Hickok. Alaska Airlines is currently the only carrier providing service to the Lower 48 during the winter months.

“This would be huge,” Hickok said. “It’ll really change the dynamics.”

Delta Airlines officials couldn’t be reached on Wednesday to discuss the company’s plans in Fairbanks. However, the topic was well-discussed during morning sessions at the Interior Tourism Conference, which was held Wednesday at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel.

Aviation analyst Mark Sixel said the move is part of an effort by Delta to entrench itself in Seattle, where Alaska Airlines is based. Seattle has emerged as a lucrative hub for flights between the U.S. and Asia.

“Everyone says it’s a battle for Seattle, but I don’t think that. I think they can both co-exist,” said Sixel, the president and owner of Sixel Consulting Group.

The additional Delta flights will help offset a reduction in summer route options to Fairbanks. Both Frontier Airlines and United Airlines plan to halt their Fairbanks-Denver routes this summer, and Alaska is stopping its Fairbanks-Portland route.

Overall, a 2 percent increase in air capacity is projected in Fairbanks in 2015, Hickok said.

Marilyn Romano, Alaska Airlines’ regional vice president in Alaska, said the airline is not worried about competition from Delta on the new routes.

“No, we feel like we got our start in the state of Alaska, been flying here over 83 years,” Romano said. “I feel like we are pretty embedded in the communities of Alaska where we fly.”

“Delta is doing what they think is best, but it doesn’t change our commitment to the communities where we fly at all,” she said. “I think them coming in with a small airplane, in the winter, is not going to take away from what we try to do to take care of our customers every day and the things that we offer.”

Romano acknowledged Delta’s emphasis on making Seattle an international hub.

“They’ve had a big focus on Seattle,” she said. “Really, this has been going on for a while now.”

As of March 8, Romano said, Alaska Airlines will have four nonstop flights a day from Fairbanks to Seattle, rather than three and a flight to Portland, for the better “connectivity” for flights out of Seattle.

The airline still has nine flights a day from Fairbanks to Anchorage, most of which are on turboprop Bombardier Q400 planes, except at least one jet flight in the morning, typically scheduled on a Boeing 737-700, Romano said.

Sixel said the environment is right for more competition in Fairbanks in the years ahead. With Delta’s plans for Fairbanks-Seattle flights, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the airline moved next to add a Fairbanks-Anchorage route, he said.

If lower fuel prices persist, other “long haul” options to hub cities in the Lower 48 could also be viable, he said.

Contact staff writer Jeff Richardson at 459-7518. Staff writer Casey Grove in Anchorage contributed to this article.

Some locations across the East Coast, including New York City and Boston, could see at least 2 feet of snow through Tuesday evening.Courtesy NOAA | National Weather Service 

Update: United Airlines announced it is slowing operations at Newark International Airport (NJ) this evening and canceling flights altogether Tuesday. A 6 p.m. Monday arrival to Ford Airport is canceled, plus a 6:30 p.m. departure.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — All Delta Airlines flights to the East Coast from Gerald R. Ford International Airport are canceled through early Tuesday, Jan. 27.

The carrier made the move in advance of a major storm taking aim at the region, with weather service forecasters calling it a “crippling and potentially historic blizzard.” Several of Delta’s scheduled trips already have been canceled: at least two departures and one arrival.

New York City’s LaGuardia Airport serves all of West Michigan’s departing Delta flights.

“When airlines prepare for something as big as this, they get the ball going ahead of time,” Ford Airport spokeswoman Tara Hernandez said.

Delta is the only airline as of Monday morning to begin cancelations prior to the storm, said Hernandez, adding that other cancellations displayed on Ford Airport’s real-time flight information website aren’t yet storm related.

Officials say passengers with travel interests to the East Coast should continue monitoring the latest status of their fight and check with their airline regarding the rebooking process should a cancellation occur.

The storm is expected to dump upward of 2 feet of snow on New York City and as much as 3 feet in Boston.

Should additional airlines choose to make cancellations or airports themselves shut down, watch out for a domino of delays across the country and in Grand Rapids, Hernandez said.

Above all, she adds, patience is crucial.

“You might not be headed to the East Coast, but when air travel is affected, especially in those major metropolitan areas, it can be a reciprocal effect,” Hernandez said. “The drill is to go to our website for the real-time flight information and just be prepared.”

Andrew Krietz covers breaking, politics and transportation news for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at akrietz@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.

DETROIT (WWJ) – Delta Airlines is trying to ward off turbulence at the terminals with a weather waiver.

Passengers with flights scheduled to go to or thru Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and many other Northeast airports, listed below, can make a one-time change to their tickets without an extra fee.

In some cases, though, you’ll have to pay any difference in air fare.

Michigan Utility Crews Head To Northeast To Assist With Expected Storm Outages
VIDEO: Times Square Live Cam

From a Delta Airlines statement:

Winter storms may impact travel to/from/through the Northeast of North America. Check flight status frequently for up-to-the-minute info about your flight plans, or get updates sent directly to your wireless device or email with Delta Messenger.

Rescheduling Flights
If your flight is canceled or significantly delayed, you are entitled to a refund. Even if your flight is not canceled, you may make a one-time change to your ticket without fee if you are scheduled to travel to, from, or through the following destination(s) on Delta, Delta Connection®, or Delta-coded flights during the specified time periods listed below.

You can now edit your itinerary [here], or you may contact Reservation Sales to make changes to your itinerary. Additional collection in fares may apply. See Conditions Restrictions below.
Albany, NY (ALB)

Allentown, PA (ABE)

Baltimore, MD (BWI)

Bangor, ME (BGR)

Binghamton, NY (BGM)

Boston, MA (BOS)

Burlington, VT (BTV)

Elmira, NY (ELM)

Harrisburg, PA (MDT)

Hartford, CT (BDL)

Ithaca, NY (ITH)

Manchester, NH (MHT)

Newark, NJ (EWR

Newburgh, NY (SWF)

New York City, NY (JFK)

New York City, NY (LGA)

Philadelphia, PA (PHL)

Portland, ME (PWM)

Providence, RI (PVD)

Quebec, Canada (YQB)

Washington, DC (DCA)

Washington, DC (IAD)

White Plains. NY (HPN)

Scranton, PA (AVP)

State College, PA (SCE)

Syracuse, NY (SYR)
January 26-27, 2015
January 30, 2015
January 30, 2015

When rescheduled travel occurs beyond January 30, 2015, the change fee will be waived. However, a difference in fare may apply. Final travel must be completed by end of ticket validity, one year from date of original issue. If travel is not able to be rescheduled within these guidelines, customers may cancel their reservation and apply any unused value of the ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket for a period of one year from the original ticket issuance. Applicable change fee and fare difference will apply for new travel dates. Final travel must be completed by end of ticket validity.

Conditions Restrictions
Changes to origins and destinations may result in an increase in fare. Any difference in fare between your original ticket and the new ticket will be collected at the time of booking.

 

David Goldman

Passengers leave a fire station as they board a shuttle taking them off the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport where two airplanes were being searched after authorities received what they described as credible bomb threats, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

 

Workers unload cargo from a Delta Airlines airplane sitting on the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Atlanta. Police were searching the Delta airplane and a Southwest airplane at Atlanta’s main airport after authorities received what they described as credible bomb threats. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

 

Law enforcement officials stand beneath a Southwest Airlines airplane as a bomb squad vehicle stands by at left on the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Atlanta. Police were searching the Southwest plane and a Delta plane at Atlanta’s main airport after authorities received what they described as credible bomb threats. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

 

Police officers leave a fire station off the tarmac at at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport where two airplanes were being searched after authorities received what they described as “credible” bomb threats, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

 

A worker closes the door to a Delta Airlines airplane sitting on the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Atlanta. Police were searching the Delta airplane and a Southwest airplane at Atlanta’s main airport after authorities received what they described as “credible” bomb threats. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

 

Law enforcement officials stand beneath a Southwest Airlines airplane on the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Atlanta. Police were searching two planes at Atlanta’s main airport after authorities received what they described as “credible” bomb threats. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

 

Law enforcement officials stand beneath a Southwest airplane on the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Atlanta. Police were searching two planes at Atlanta’s main airport after authorities received what they described as “credible” bomb threats. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

 

Passengers leave a fire station as they board a shuttle taking them off the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport where two airplanes were being searched after authorities received what they described as “credible” bomb threats, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

 

A Delta airplane at left and a Southwest airplane at right sit on the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Atlanta. Police were searching the two planes at Atlanta’s main airport after authorities received what they described as “credible” bomb threats. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

 

A police officer walks on the edge of the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport where two airplanes were being searched after authorities received what they described as “credible” bomb threats, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Posted: Sunday, January 25, 2015 12:28 pm

Updated: 3:00 pm, Sun Jan 25, 2015. 

ATLANTA (AP) — Federal law enforcement officials are continuing to pursue a suspect after recent bomb threats targeted two jets bound for Atlanta, prompting F-16 fighter jets to escort the planes, an FBI agent said Sunday.

 

“We certainly take these types of threats seriously and we’re pursuing them aggressively,” Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Stephen Emmett told The Associated Press, a day after the threats were made.

“We are continuing to pursue leads in the efforts to locate this individual,” he added.

Airport officials said Saturday’s threats targeted Southwest Airlines Flight 2492, which arrived at Atlanta from Milwaukee; and Delta Air Lines Flight 1156, which arrived from Portland, Oregon. No bombs were found in searches of both planes after they landed safely Saturday in Atlanta.

The threats had been posted on the social media network Twitter, said Preston Schlachter, a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command. After being alerted, military officials sent two F-16 fighter jets from a base in South Carolina to escort the commercial aircraft to Atlanta.