World’s Most Expensive Private Jets

In 2007, Forbes had an article for the priciest private jets (with a slide show).
The world’s priciest private jets are -Airbus A380$300 million-plusUnnamed Middle Eastern Head of State (Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud?)New York-based jet-interior expert Edése Doret is doing the interiors for $100 million
Boeing 747-8$270 million-$280 millionFour people (subjet to FAA’s non commerical approval)
Boeing [...]

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Four Airlines fined for Price-Fixing

Four airlines have pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a total of $504 million on charges that they conspired to fix prices for air cargo.
Facts -

Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Air France-KLM) to pay $350 million (Second largest fine criminal antitrust investigation by Department of Justice)
Cathay Pacific Airways to pay $60 million
Martinair to [...]

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Pilots in India Flying Under the Influence (FUI) of Alcohol

Reuters reports that around 50 pilots in India each year get grounded because they are found to have consumed alcohol before their flight. India has one of the fastest growing airline industry with about around 5000 commercial pilots. Though, the number is 0.01% of the total (and even lesser for the number of flights affected [...]

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Is Heathrow’s third runway the best solution?

British Airways (CEO Willie Wash) and BAA (CEO Colin Matthews) have called for the construction of a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport. This statement came after a business group, London’s First, has called for “drastic action to end the problems of “Heathrow hassle“”. The group has called for scrapping of some flights at peak [...]

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My Experience with the Virtual Strip Search

Last weekend, I had to fly from Phoenix AZ to San Jose CA and since I had bought a one way ticket, I got the notorious “SSSS” on my boarding pass which allowed me the opportunity to use the Millimeter Wave Scanner (or Virtual Strip Search). “SSSS” means Secondary Security Screening Selection/Selectee, which is printed [...]

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Good news everyone: LAX gets a new taxiway to improve safety

Today ( June 24th 2008 ) LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) is opening a new $83 million taxiway. The taxiway is expected to reduce the risk collision when airplanes cross one of the two runways on the airport’s south side.
From LA times -
“Historically, LAX has had one of the highest rates of so-called runway
incursions in [...]

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SriLankan Airlines adds flights from Heathrow to Maldives

Starting October 26th 2008, SriLankan Airlines, national airline of Sri Lanka and previously know as Air Lanka, will start a new flight between London’s Heathrow Airport and the island nation (and luxury holiday location) Maldives.

From Skyscanner -
“Chanaka Olagama, manager of Sri Lankan Airlines’ UK and Ireland
operations, said: “We recognise the need to introduce this [...]

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Continental dumps Oneworld to join Star Alliance

Continental Airlines has been in talks with American Airlines and British Airways to join their Oneworld alliance, but instead announced that it will join the Star Alliance (with United Airlines and US Airways).
Continental had to change its alliance from SkyTeam due to Delta and Northwest Merger Announcement.
From Dallas News -
Continental’s
plan to partner with United [...]

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British Airways Launched Open Skies Airlines

British Airways is launching a subsidiary called “Open Skies Airline” that will be a transatlantic luxury-service airline. The airline is taking advantage of the transatlantic “open skies” agreement(or EU-US Open Skies Agreement between European Union and United States.
The first flight starts today, Thursday June 19th 2008 from Paris’ Orly airport to New York’s JFK [...]

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Pilots go on Strike at Japan Airlines

After failed talks between pilots and management at Japan Airlines over bonus payments and labor conditions, the pilots went on strike causing 34 domestic flights to cancel.
From International Herald Tribune -
“The cancellations at Japan Airlines Corp, the country’s largest
carrier, were the first to be caused by a strike at the airline and
affected some 5,000 passengers, [...]

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