Sky Talk

DFW airport security checkpoint left unmanned for 90 minutes

The Transportation Security Administration has launched an investigation into why a security checkpoint at Terminal E at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was left unattended for about 90 minutes.

On December 16, officers from the airport’s department of public safety found that the security checkpoint by gate E8 was “unsecured” and notified TSA immediately, the government agency said in a statement on Thursday. TSA then sent personnel to secure the area.

“We reviewed the tapes and no one went through the checkpoint during that time,” said TSA spokeswoman Andrea McCauley, referring to the closed circuit television video system used at the airport.

The security breach occurred at night as Terminal E was shutting down operations for the evening.

However, disciplinary action has been recommended for three TSA agents as the agency continues its investigation. The TSA called the security breach “unacceptable.”

News of the security breach comes as the government agency comes under intense scrutiny following the attempted terrorist attack on a Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas Day.

-Andrea Ahles

Closing out the new year with a quick review of 2009

It was a year of declines for the airline industry.

 

Although the cost of jet fuel dropped in 2009, there were fewer passengers and fewer flights and most airlines found themselves in the red. And with the economic recession deepening, airlines slashed air fares in the spring to try to get the public to fly again.

 

The big headline for Fort Worth carrier American Airlines was capacity cuts and resulting layoffs. Three

times during 2009, American announced workforce reductions affecting pilots, flight attendants, ground crew and maintenance workers. In March, it ended service to Dallas’ Love Field and in November announced it was closing its Kansas City maintenance base in 2010.

 

By the end of 2009, American had trimmed 15 percent of its flights since 2007.

 

The one bright spot is that American’s parent company, AMR Corp., is flush with cash. The company completed several financing initiatives in the fall that boosted cash to almost $5 billion.

 

At Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, the low-cost carrier continued to resist the industry trend to charge for checked bags, even launching a television ad campaign around its “bags fly free” policy.

 

Southwest was able to reach deals with its major union groups including pilots, flight attendants and mechanics this year. But it couldn’t snare bankrupt Frontier Airlines. Southwest entered Frontier’s bankruptcy auction days before it closed, offering $170 million for the Denver-based carrier, but lost out to Republic Airways when Southwest couldn’t get pilots’ unions at both carriers to agree on labor issues.

 

And Southwest ran into problems with the Federal Aviation Administration, first being fined $7.5 million for flying planes that had not been inspected for structural cracks, and then in August having dozens of planes grounded for flying with unapproved replacement parts.

 

But as the year closed out for North Texas’ airlines, their planes were fuller this holiday season and travel demand seems to be returning.

 

-Andrea Ahles

Northwest/Delta get federal OK to operate as one carrier

Most of the Northwest planes already sport the new Delta colors but on Thursday, the federal government officially issued an operating certificate to Delta to allow it and its Northwest subsidiary to operate as one carrier.

It means nothing to travelers right now but sometime in 2010, the Northwest name will go away as Delta completes the merger by combining Northwest operations into its own.

APreports that Delta chief operating officer Stephen Gorman wrote in an internal memo that Northwest and Delta are now one airline.

-Andrea Ahles

Snow falling at D/FW airport, 125 flight cancellations

The snow has been steadily falling at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport for the past two hours and that has led to about 125 departure cancellations, airport spokesman David Magana said.

That represents about 15 percent of the airport's daily departures. Magana said the airport has also been running its deicing operations since 6 a.m. this morning and has deiced every departing plane since 2 p.m. this afternoon.

Aside from the cancellations, most flights are able to leave the airport with only slight 15 to 30 minute delays.

-Andrea Ahles

D/FW Airport gets $2.3 million to rehab one of its main runways

Federal stimulus dollars have been granted to a runway rehab program at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced today that the airport will receive $2.3 million for the project and it is one of 360 airport-related projects given $1.1 billion in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Construction on the DFW project is expected to start early next month and will include the rehabilitation of concrete slabs and joint repairs on the 13,400-foot runway.

"Airports are the economic engine of any community, no matter what the size," said FAA administrator Randy Babbitt in a press release. "They need to be maintained to make sure they are operating safely and efficiently, and the Recovery Act is helping us do that."

-Andrea Ahles

Southwest reaches a tentative agreement with Teamsters

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines and its stock clerks, who are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, have tentatively agreed to a new five year contract. The contract will run through August 16, 2013 and applies to 170 Southwest Airlines employees. Details of the contract were not disclosed.

"I applaud the negotiation teams for recognizing the importance of this new tentative agreement, which delivers wage and benefit enhancements in exchange for work rule improvements and contract flexibility," said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

-Andrea Ahles

Travelers at D/FW Airport have light security lines

Travelers arrived at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport early for flights on Monday, expecting long security lines following the failed Christmas Day terrorist attack on an international Northwest Airlines flight.

Instead, they found terminals that were a little more crowded than usual because of holiday traffic but minimal lines at security checkpoints.

Plano resident Melissa Edwards was surprised to see no lines at the C terminal security checkpoint when she arrived about one-and-a-half hours before a 2:15 p.m. flight to Los Angeles.

“I’ll probably walkthrough about 45 minutes before the flight leaves,” said Edwards, who was lounging in a chair outside of security with her carry-on bag.

The Transportation Security Administration heightened security procedures over the weekend after a Nigerian-born passenger attempted to explode a bomb on an Amsterdam to Detroit Northwest Airlines flight he was traveling on Christmas Day.

At one point this weekend, passengers on international flights were told they would not be able to get out of their seats in the last hour of their flight and could not have blankets covering themselves during the end of the flight. However, by Monday, several of those restrictions seemed to have eased and the TSA was advising passengers to expect increased gate screenings and to listen to directions given by flight crews.

Bomb-sniffing dogs were being used at several airports including Dallas-Fort Worth. The north Texas airport also has two body-scan machines at its international terminal D that have been in use since 2008.

“We’ve made adjustments,” said airport spokesman David Magana, declining to discuss specific security changes.

Monica Fernandez who arrived at D/FW airport on an American flight from Mexico City said that the security into the U.S. was “nothing special but we were very well-checked.” Prior to boarding her flight, Fernandez said she was asked to remove her jacket and was lightly patted down but did not mind the search.

“I know it’s for my own security,” Fernandez said.

-Andrea Ahles

Updates from the holiday headlines

Here's a quick update on some of the aviation news from last week.

-Crews are in the process of removing the American Airlines Boeing 737 that skidded off the runway in Jamaica last week. While dozens of passengers were injured, there were no fatalities and all of the injured have now been released from local hospitals. American spokesman Tim Wagner said the Fort Worth-based airline is cooperating with authorities and the National Transportation Safety Board as the investigation into the accident continues. Also, a Caribbean news service is reporting that passengers were given $5,000 by the airline to compensate them for not getting their luggage "on time."

-The Justice Department said a proposed American Airlines-British Airways anti-trust immunity application could harm passengers on transatlantic routes. Fares could rise up to 15 percent under the proposal and the DOJ recommended that the carriers give up six routes as a condition of receiving government approval. The Transportation Department, which has the authority to grant an American-BA-Iberia anti-trust immunity deal - has now extended the comment period to January 11.

-Japan Airlines may be headed to bankruptcy which could hamper any proposed involvement by American Airlines or Delta Air Lines in the struggling Japanese carrier. Both U.S. carriers have offered over $1 billion in investment to help JAL. A Reuters report out of Japan suggested that a Japanese agency that is overseeing JAL's restructuring efforts could include a court-led reorganization.

-Andrea Ahles

40 injured as American Airlines flight to Jamaica overshoots runway

An American Airlines flight slid off the runway in heavy rain in Kingston, Jamaica on Tuesday night, injuring more than 40 people.

The fuselage of the Boeing 737-800 cracked on impact and the left landing gear was crushed and both engines separated from the plane as it stopped short of falling into the Caribbean Sea.

Flight 331 was on its way from Miami and carried 154 people. While 44 people were taken to hospitals, none had life-threatening injuries.

Passenger Natalie Morales Hendricks told NBC's "Today" that the plane began to skid upon landing and "before I knew it, everything was black and we were crashing."

"Everybody's overhead baggage started to fall. Literally, it was like being in a car accident. People were screaming, I was screaming," she said.

"There was smoke and debris everywhere," after the plane halted, she said. "It was a mess. Everybody could smell jet fuel."

For the full AP story, click here.

-Andrea Ahles

Southwest chief says his airline is "openminded" to merger or acquisition possibilities

Southwest Airlines chief executive Gary Kelly said his company would "never say never" when it comes to possibly purchasing another airline to grow its network.

Speaking at a Wings Club gathering in New York, Kelly said the Dallas-based airline would be open-minded to any possible merger opportunities but would only pursue ones that enhanced its point-to-point business model and kept its operating costs low with similar aircraft. Southwest only flies Boeing 737 planes.

Earlier this year, Southwest attempted to purchase bankrupt Frontier Airlines but withdrew its bid when its pilots union and Frontier’s could not come to an agreement prior to a proposed acquisition deal.

Kelly added that he expects December to be another positive unit revenue month for Southwest and that the airline is poised to have its 36th consecutive year of profits, excluding special accounting items.

"We have been able to stick to our principals and the results attest to that," Kelly said.

-Andrea Ahles