New York Times: On Some Planes, Empty Rows While Passengers Crowd Together. “On a June 30 flight on American Airlines from Dallas to Newark, Joy Gonzalez, an aviation engineer based in Seattle, found herself seated at a window with two older passengers beside her in the middle and aisle seats. In order to gain more social distance, she and the aisle passenger both moved to seats behind them where two rows were empty. But before takeoff, a flight attendant ordered them back to their assigned seats, telling them they had not paid for those exit row seats, which are more expensive.”
air travel
AP: Trump’s `strong wall’ to block COVID-19 from China had holes
AP: Trump’s `strong wall’ to block COVID-19 from China had holes. “President Donald Trump has repeatedly credited his February ban on travelers from mainland China as his signature move against the advance of the coronavirus pandemic — a “strong wall” that allowed only U.S. citizens inside, he boasted in May. But Trump’s wall was more like a sieve. Exempted were thousands of residents of the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau. Efforts to track U.S. residents returning from mainland China were riddled with errors and broken communications.”
You wait ages for a mid-air collision spoofing attack and along come two at once: More boffins take a crack at hoodwinking TCAS (The Register)
The Register: You wait ages for a mid-air collision spoofing attack and along come two at once: More boffins take a crack at hoodwinking TCAS. “Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) are used in aircraft to avoid hitting other aircraft in flight. And like many electronic systems, they weren’t designed for security. Five researchers in the US – Paul M. Berges, Timothy Graziano, and Ryan Gerdes from Virginia Tech, with Basavesh Ammanaghatta Shivakumar and Z. Berkay Celik from Purdue University – recently put TCAS to the test and found it wanting.”
BBC: Plane-maker Airbus to cut 15,000 jobs amid coronavirus fallout
BBC: Plane-maker Airbus to cut 15,000 jobs amid coronavirus fallout. “Aerospace giant Airbus says it plans to cut 15,000 jobs as it deals with the effects of the coronavirus crisis. It will cut 1,700 jobs in the UK, along with thousands more in Germany, Spain and elsewhere. The move is subject to talks with unions which have opposed compulsory redundancies.”
Washington Post: Is it safer to fly or drive this summer? 5 health experts weigh in.
Washington Post: Is it safer to fly or drive this summer? 5 health experts weigh in.. “With more than 100,000 deaths in the United States attributed to the coronavirus, Allison Walker, a senior epidemiologist in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Travelers’ Health Branch, says ‘there’s really no such thing as safe travel.’ Whether you’re driving or flying, there may be health concerns because of a variety of factors.”
Washington Post: Airlines tried social distancing on board. For many, that experiment is ending.
Washington Post: Airlines tried social distancing on board. For many, that experiment is ending.. “After capping the number of people on flights since April, American Airlines announced Friday that its planes will likely be full in a few days. ‘As more people continue to travel, customers may notice that flights are booked to capacity starting July 1,’ the airline said in a news release. ‘American will continue to notify customers and allow them to move to more open flights when available, all without incurring any cost.'”
Skift: Google Is Providing Search Data to Air France, Lufthansa, Other Airlines Looking to Decide Which Routes to Restart
Skift: Google Is Providing Search Data to Air France, Lufthansa, Other Airlines Looking to Decide Which Routes to Restart. “Google is rolling out a new tool that provides airline partners with search data that carriers are using to help decide which routes to restart and when. Unlike existing data from Google for airlines about their own performance across Google products, the newly provided data provides a market-wide view of consumer intent based on flight searches regardless of airline.”
New York Times: E.U. Plans to Bar Most U.S. Travelers When Bloc Reopens
New York Times: E.U. Plans to Bar Most U.S. Travelers When Bloc Reopens. “The European Union is ready to bar most travelers from the United States, Russia, and dozens of other countries considered too risky because they have not controlled the coronavirus outbreak, E.U. officials said Friday.”
Coronavirus: Qantas to axe 6,000 jobs due to pandemic (BBC)
BBC: Coronavirus: Qantas to axe 6,000 jobs due to pandemic. “Qantas will axe 6,000 jobs as part of its plans to survive the coronavirus pandemic, the airline says. The cuts equate to about a fifth of the airline’s workforce prior to the Covid-19 crisis. In March, it furloughed more than 80% of its staff. Australia’s national carrier said the collapse in global air travel had devastated revenues.”
Embry-Riddle: Random Boarding May Help Airlines Reduce Covid-19 Risks
Embry-Riddle: Random Boarding May Help Airlines Reduce Covid-19 Risks. “To reduce the spread of illness, some airlines have been keeping middle seats open, which is effective in reducing infection risk. Preliminary research based on computer simulations, however, suggests that random boarding of aircraft, rather than back-to-front boarding – a procedural response to the Covid-19 pandemic – may have an even greater impact, reducing exposure rates by about 50 percent.”
ABC 7: Is it safe to fly now? SoCal doctor lists extra precautions to take before and after boarding flight amid COVID-19 crisis
ABC 7: Is it safe to fly now? SoCal doctor lists extra precautions to take before and after boarding flight amid COVID-19 crisis. “From the new California mask mandate to what you need to know before getting on a plane this season — Dr. Anthony Cardillo, CEO of Mend Urgent Care and ER specialist, joined ABC7 via Skype to discuss the latest on the coronavirus pandemic.” Includes abbreviated text article.
CNN: Airlines ban alcohol on planes in response to Covid-19
CNN: Airlines ban alcohol on planes in response to Covid-19. “Alcohol sales may have boomed during lockdown, but our return to air travel will be an altogether more sobering experience. Airlines including Easyjet and KLM in Europe, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines in the United States, and Asia’s Virgin Australia, are suspending all or part of their alcoholic drinks service in response to Covid-19.”
Deseret News: American Airlines passenger removed from flight for not wearing a mask
Deseret News: American Airlines passenger removed from flight for not wearing a mask. “American Airlines removed a passenger from a recent flight after the passenger refused to wear a mask onboard, a sign the national airline company is looking to enforce strict mask-wearing policies, according to multiple reports.”
Slate: “You’re Starting to Get Vacation Travelers Who Are Just Willing to Risk It.”
Slate: “You’re Starting to Get Vacation Travelers Who Are Just Willing to Risk It.”. “Demand for flights is picking up. While the airline industry is still struggling to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, there have been reports of packed flights, filled primarily with vacation travelers defying warnings from public health experts. This development has been met by complicated feelings from those working in the industry: more flights means better job security, but also greater potential for exposure in the airports and staffing the planes. Slate spoke to a 34-year-old flight attendant with one of the ‘Big Three’ airlines (American, Delta, and United). He spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern for his employment. His answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.”
New York Times: Airlines Say Everybody Onboard Must Wear a Mask. So Why Aren’t They?
New York Times: Airlines Say Everybody Onboard Must Wear a Mask. So Why Aren’t They?. “As airlines try to convince Americans to fly again, they have touted their policies for keeping passengers safe, including the requirement that everyone onboard a plane wear a mask. But travelers on recent flights said the rules are not being enforced. And flight attendants said they have been told not to confront passengers who opt to not follow them.”
