President Bush said Tuesday that his administration is trying to prevent frustrating flight delays over the holidays. Corridors of military airspace will be temporarily opened to commercial airlines as a way to reduce air congestion, according to the Associated Press.
Space in the Midwest, Southwest and the West Coast, including the skies around Los Angeles and Phoenix, will be included, the report said. The move will be helpful if bad weather further snarls air traffic.
Bush also said that new regulations raising the amount airlines must pay travelers for lost bags and if they fail to notify passengers about hidden fees will be in place in time for the Christimas travel crunch.
He’s also signed an executive order to make modernizing the nation’s aviation infrastructure a top priority for all federal agencies, he said.
Delta Air Lines praised the decision to open up more air space, the report said. But Air Transport Association officials said the move doesn’t address the heart of the problem. Last year, there was good weather over the holidays, which led to better performance, the report said.
About 24 million passengers are expected to fly over the 12 days covering the Thanksgiving holiday this year, according to the ATA. That’s about 10 percent fewer than last year. Airlines, though, have cut about 10 percent of the capacity from their systems. That means planes will be just as crowded.
AirTran Airways announced Tuesday it is adding more flights to Washington D.C. on January 21, the day after President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration.
The flights are being added between Atlanta and Baltimore/Washington and Dulles and between Milwaukee, Wis. and Baltimore/Washinton because of extra demand, airline officials said.
Seats to Washington DC are still available leading up to the inauguration, but AirTran officilas say they will consider adding more flights if the planes fill quickly before January.
Wichita aerial photographer Paul Bowen will interview native Wichitan and pilot-entrepreneur Clay Lacy about his exploits at Wichita State University on Thursday.
Lacy established the first executive jet charter service west of the Mississippi in 1968. Today he operates 19 aircraft. He may be best known for his development of a camera system called Astrovision and providing air-to-air film footage for nearly 3,000 projects, including Hollywood blockbusters such as Top Gun and Armageddon.
Lacy will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday at 210 McKnight Art Center. The event is free and open to the public. The presentation is sponsored by WSU’s Ulrich Museum in conjunction with its exhibit, “Jet as Art.”
The Kansas Aviation Museum’s annual gala Saturday night made me think. The room was filled with a diverse population of talented Wichitans in the aviation business. I met some new acquaintances — such as an American Airlines captain who commutes to Miami to work, a Bombardier demonstration pilot, an advanced design engineer, the head of Cessna’s pilot centers and more. And there were old acquaintances and friends there as well. What a treasure trove of aviation knowledge, skill and expertise Wichita is home to.
They turned out to hear Erik Lindbergh, Charles Lindbergh’s grandson give the keynote address. And to see Mort Brown, now 100 years old, be inducted into the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame. Brown was chief pilot of production flight test for Cessna. In his 35-year career there, he released more than 85,000 new aircraft, logged more than 14,000 flights and accumulated 21,000 flight hours.
Also honored were former director of aviation with the Kansas Department of Transportation Michael Armour and the late Arch Merriam. Both received the Kansas Governor’s Aviation Honor Award.
Hi! I’m Molly McMillin, aviation and aerospace reporter for the Wichita Eagle. Today starts Day One of a new aviation blog designed to fill you in on all the latest news, tidbits and happenings in the aviation industry in Wichita and elsewhere. I also hope it will generate discussion on issues important to you. So check back often, and please post your thoughts, comments and suggestions.
Tailwinds!
Molly
