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OMEGA’S FEATURED PARTNER – ETIHAD AIRWAYS Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has received three major awards at the 18th annual Irish Travel Trade News Awards. The Abu Dhabi based airline, which will celebrate its third anniversary of services to Ireland in July, was named Best Business Class Airline for the third year running. Etihad was also awarded the Best Airline to the Middle East and Africa for the second year in a row, and received the Best Airline to Asia Pacific award for the first time. Etihad currently operates daily flights between Dublin and Abu Dhabi, with onward connections to a range of destinations worldwide. On March 28, Etihad will increase the frequency of its Dublin services to 10 flights per week. |
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FAA FINES AMERICAN EAGLE $2.5 MILLION American Eagle Airlines was fined $2.5 million by the Federal Aviation Administration for failing to ensure the weight of luggage was properly calculated. The agency proposed the civil penalty because of flights that operated with erroneous data between January and October 2008. The FAA claims that American Eagle conducted at least 154 flights where the baggage weight logged on the cargo load sheets was different than the data entered into the airline’s Electronic Weight and Balance System. Erroneous data can lead to the incorrect computation of the weight and balance of passenger carrying jets, potentially affecting calculations for proper controls and reference speeds for takeoffs and landings. (MSNBC.com, Feb. 1) |
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WASHINGTON DULLES UNVEILS AEROTRAIN Washington Dulles has unveiled the AeroTrain, joining other large airports that use intra-airport rail to transport passengers from terminal to terminal. The AeroTrain, which cost $1.5 billion and has been in the works for more than a decade, runs every two minutes during peak travel times and covers almost 4 miles. For now, passengers heading to A, B and C gates will use the train. It won’t completely replace the airport’s bus system, which will still be used to shuttle international arrivals passengers to customs and run between the main terminal and D and H gates. The train is part of a broader $3 billion expansion program that includes additional gates, a fourth runway, parking garages, a new control tower and terminal expansions. (USAToday.com, Feb. 1) |
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U.S. EMBASSY IN HAITI RESUMES PASSPORT SERVICES The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, resumed some operations, including passport services for U.S. citizens in Haiti. Visa services remain suspended until further notice. U.S. citizens must call 509-2229-8000 between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays to make an appointment at the embassy. The embassy is one of the few structures in Port-au-Prince to have survived the Jan. 12 earthquake with only minor damage. (TravelWeekly.com, Feb.2) |
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DOMESTIC AIR FARES DOWN Domestic air fares averaged $306 in the third quarter of 2009, down 14% from a year earlier, according to the latest data released by the Department of Transportation. It was the largest year-over-year quarterly decline on record. But the sharp downturn reflects an adjustment from a record high fare of $358 set in the July-September period in 2008. (USAToday.com, Feb. 1) |
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