Can the TSA Go on Strike?
Bill of Rights for Passengers Trapped on NY Tarmacs
Atlanta’s Airports Busiest in Nation for 3 Consecutive Years
Holiday Air Travel Not Terribly Delayed
A Paper Plane’s Flight of Fancy
CAN THE TSA GO ON STRIKE? – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two unions based in Washington—the National Treasury of Employees Union and the American Federation of Government Employees Union—recently have established chapters in Atlanta to represent the Transportation Security Administration employees. Although TSA employees have the right to join a union, they cannot engage in collective bargaining, as it’s a matter of national security.
Link: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BILL OF RIGHTS FOR PASSENGERS TRAPPED ON NEW YORK TARMACS – New York Daily News
Regardless of airlines’ objections, a new passenger bill of rights became effective on Tuesday, which requires carriers to provide passengers snacks, water, fresh air, and a clean bathroom if they’re trapped on New York runways. “Providing for airline passengers’ basic needs, like drinking water and clean air, is not only the right thing, but also the humane thing to do,” Gov. Spitzer said. “In the end, it’s probably better to be in the terminal than on the plane,” said Francois Tepin of Vancouver after his Toronto-bound American Airlines flight out of LaGuardia was canceled. “You’ve always got that false hope the plane is about to take off.”
Link: New York Daily News
ATLANTA’S AIRPORT IS NATION’S BUSIEST FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS – USA Today
In terms of flights, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has retained its title as the nation’s busiest airport, with 994,466 flights in 2007. Second to Atlanta’s airport is Chicago O’Hare International Airport, with 935,000 flights in 2007. The two rival airports in recent years both have claimed to hold the title of the nation’s (and therefore, the world’s) busiest airport. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was ranked third, with 686,711 flights in 2007.
Link: USA Today
HOLIDAY AIR TRAVEL NOT TERRIBLY DELAYED – Washington Post
Airline representatives reported that delays were not so bad this holiday season. “Operations have run relatively smoothly, with exception of some pockets of weather,” said David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association. “We have not seen system-wide paralysis. It’s relative. We would love to have our flights operate on time 100 percent of time. This could have been far worse.” Seventy-four percent of flights arrived on time nationwide, FlightStats reported.
Link: Washington Post
A PAPER PLANE’S FLIGHT OF FANCY – Boing Boing
For the paper airplane buffs (and kid in all of us), here is an entertaining video of a majestic—and surprisingly long—flight 300 feet above New York City.
Link: Boing Boing
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