Weather Plagues Holiday Flights, Smoother Skies Expected
Deadly Midwest Storm Snarls Holiday Road Traffic
MAXjet Ceases Operations, Passengers Stranded on Christmas Eve
Dad, Daugher Killed in Small Plane Crash in Panama
Nepal Footbridge Collapses with Hundreds of Religious Pilgrims
WEATHER PLAGUES HOLIDAY FLIGHTS, SMOOTHER SKIES EXPECTED – USA Today
Winds and fog in the Northeast and Midwest snarled air holiday traffic, but flight difficulties should ease as the weather improves. New York area’s LaGuardia, JFK and Newark experienced flight delays of up to four hours on Sunday, according to the FAA. Flights at Chicago’s O’Hare and upper Midwest airports suffered delays and cancellations due to snow and ice all weekend. Flight delays are expected to improve as bad weather in the Northeast and Midwest abates and fewer flights are scheduled.
Link: USA Today
DEADLY MIDWEST STORM SNARLS HOLIDAY ROAD TRAFFIC - MSNBC
A snowstorm has been blamed for least 22 traffic deaths in the upper Midwest. Several multi-car pileups closed sections of several major thoroughfares. Driving conditions for holiday travelers improved substantially by late Tuesday morning, after the skies cleared and road crews were able to deal with the remnants of the storm. “The roads were clear for the most part and traffic was moving at normal speeds,” said Sgt. Michael Melgaard of the Wisconsin State Patrol said Monday afternoon.
Link: MSNBC
MAXJET CEASES OPERATIONS, PASSENGERS STRANDED ON CHRISTMAS EVE – Los Angeles Times
MAXjet Airways ceased operations today, stranding passengers on Christmas Eve. The all-business-class airline, which offered flights between London’s Stansted airport and Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York, said it would file for bankruptcy protection. Continental and Silverjet honored some MAXjet tickets, and Eos Airlines has been contracted to accommodate passengers between New York and London. The airline cited soaring fuel prices and the deteriorating credit market for what it has called a “drastic measure,” and has advised customers to seek refunds from their travel agency or credit-card company.
Link: Los Angeles Times
DAD, DAUGHTER KILLED IN SMALL PLANE CRASH IN PANAMA – ABC News
A California man, his daughter and a pilot were killed on a Cessna 172 plane crash in Panama. Michael Klein, 37, Talia Klein, 13, and pilot Edwin Lasso, 23, were found dead in a mountainous region of Panama. A fourth passenger, a friend of Talia, survived and was hospitalized with hypothermia and multiple traumas. The plane left on Sunday from Islas Secas off the Pacific coast of Panama to Chiriqui volcano, which would have been about a 45-minute flight.
Link: ABC News
NEPAL FOOTBRIDGE COLLAPSES WITH HUNDREDS OF RELIGIOUS PILGRIMS - CNN
Hundreds of religious pilgrims fell into a river on Tuesday after a footbridge collapsed during a religious festival in Nepal. The weight of up to 1,000 Hindu pilgrims walking and standing on the bridge is thought to have caused the collapse. Many were able to swim to safety, but about 200 people were missing and only 15 bodies have been recovered.
Link: CNN
