Officials Envision Reinvigorated Allegheny County Airport

The county airport authority wants West Mifflin’s Allegheny County Airport to be a destination — but not for commuter flights.

That sums up a meeting borough officials had Monday with new authority CEO Christina Cassotis that came 24 hours before a $1.5 million federal grant was announced for taxiway rehabilitation there.

“It was a positive meeting,” borough Manager Brian Kamauf said. “We discussed the history of the airport.”

It dates back to Pittsburgh and McKeesport’s window to the world between 1931 and 1952, when commercial service moved from West Mifflin to what then was Greater Pittsburgh Airport, now Pittsburgh International.

Read more: http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourmckeesport/yourmckeesportmore/8407018-74/airport-county-authority#ixzz3asqtZ8jy
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Plane Safety Questioned By Pilots At Allegiant Air, Which Serves LVIA, Report Says

Allegiant Air pilots, who are locked in tense contract negotiations with the low-cost carrier, say they are worried about repeated safety problems with the carrier’s fleet, according to a report.

The carrier serves Lehigh Valley International Airport and maintains major hubs in Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa and Las Vegas. The pilots authorized a strike last month but later agreed to stay on the job while a federal judge reviews arguments from their union and the airline’s management.

The pilots are now saying they’re concerned about mechanical problems with the airline’s fleet of older planes, poor maintenance and “a culture where profits come before safety,” according to a story published Monday on the New York Times website. 

Read more:

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2015/04/plane_safety_questioned_by_pil.html

2 Dead After Small Plane Crashes In West Goshen

West Goshen Township, PA – Two people were killed when the small plane they were flying in crashed in the 1000 block of Saunders Lane, near Andrews Drive, in West Goshen at 1:34 p.m. Sunday afternoon, county officials said.

Dispatchers said two people were found dead following the crash. An official said they were the only people on board.

The aircraft, a single-engine Piper PA28, had taken off from the Brandywine Airport and flown over Route 202, before it went out of control and crashed in a field about two miles away from the airport, officials said.

Emergency crews reported that the plane burst into flames following the crash.

Read more:

http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20150329/2-dead-after-small-plane-crashes-in-west-goshen/2

Plane Overshoots Runway At Pottstown Municipal Airport

POTTSTOWN, PA – A small plane crashed at the end of the runway upon landing at Pottstown Municipal Airport Wednesday afternoon.

Pottstown Police along with the Pottstown Fire Department responded to the airport for a report of a crash around 4 p.m.

A propeller-powered monoplane was found with its nose down in the grass beyond the runway on the western side of the airport.

Pottstown Police Chief Rick Drumheller said airport safety crews responded to the scene first.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20141001/plane-overshoots-runway-at-pottstown-municipal-airport

Philadelphia International Airport To Conduct Monday Job Fair

Philadelphia International Airport (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Government agencies, car rental companies, restaurants, and airlines at Philadelphia International Airport will be hiring 200 workers to fill airport jobs at a job fair on Monday in North Philadelphia.

More than 30 airport employers and agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are prepared to hire on-the-spot to fill jobs as customer service representatives, sales associates, bartenders, managers and assistant managers, cashiers, and more, the airport said.

The City of Philadelphia and Division of Aviation, in conjunction with Philadelphia Council president Darrell L. Clarke, will host the job fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Liacouras Center, 1776 North Broad St., on the Temple University campus.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20140510_Airport_to_conduct_Monday_job_fair.html#oHlF65gDaicbFwzy.99

Done Deal: US Airways, American Complete Merger

An American Airlines Boeing 757-223 landing at Vancouver International Airport (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Finally, it’s a done deal.

American Airlines AMR Corp. and US Airways Group Monday officially announced the completion of their merger to form American Airlines Group Inc., the world’s largest airline.

At 7:40 a.m., the secretary of state in Delaware, Jeffrey Bullock, filed a certificate of merger. The new company is incorporated in Delaware.

US Airways CEO Doug Parker, who will lead the new American, will ring the opening bell on the Nasdaq stock market at 9:30 a.m. eastern time, signifying the the opening of trading of the new American’s shares on Nasdaq. Ticker: AAL.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20131210_Done_deal__US_Airways__American_complete_merger.html#gH05iJPAtZ6qemow.99

Reading Airport Approves $1.8 Million Budget

English: Reading Airport, Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Reading Regional Airport Authority today approved an operating budget of $1.8 million that includes a buffer of only $38,000 for its fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

Board members also authorized airport manager Terry Sroka to plan the airfield’s 75th anniversary celebration next year.

Sroka said he plans to showcase the original City Hangar, now used by Millennium Aviation, by re-enacting the opening ceremonies in October 1939.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=516536

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport Applies For Grant To Expand Service

Locator map of the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Metropolitan Statistical Area in the northeastern part of the of . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

AVOCA, PA — The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport has applied for a $575,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to help expand service and market the airport.

The application was filed this week with the FAA’s Small Community Air Service Development Grant program.

The grant would be used toward a nearly $1.2 million initiative that includes enticing airlines to add flights to leisure and business destinations not currently offered out of Northeastern Pennsylvania including Tampa, Boston, Pittsburgh, Washington and Las Vegas, said Barry J. Centini, the airport’s director.

Money would be used to help subsidize the airlines, could go toward landing fees and other offers making flying in to and out of the area more attractive, Centini said.  Additional money would be used to amplify marketing efforts for those airlines and existing airlines.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/792704/Avoca-airport-applies-for-grant-to-expand-service

Five Dead In Wyoming County Helicopter Crash

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Wyoming County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Five people have died in a helicopter that went down in bad weather Saturday night in Wyoming County.

Deputy Coroner Alan Thatcher confirmed the number on board, but said he could not release identities or any other information on the victims.

The helicopter was found near the border of Noxen and Forkston townships on Sunday.

Thatcher said he heard the helicopter had taken off from the Greater Binghamton Airport.  The Associated Press reported it was headed to Jake Arner Memorial Airport in Lehighton.

Read more:  http://thedailyreview.com/news/five-dead-in-wyoming-county-helicopter-crash-1.1527417

More Choices Coming To Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport

Locator map of the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Metropolitan Statistical Area in the northeastern part of the of . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Private charter flights from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport to at least one new destination appear likely to start by the end of the year with the airport’s expanding relationship with Aviation Technologies.

Michael Gallagher, chief financial officer of Aviation Technologies, identified Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Florida, Myrtle Beach, S.C., and the Bahamas as potential destinations of interest.

Gallagher hopes the company can “make an announcement” regarding some sort of expansion of service in the fall, with an eye toward the flights becoming available on Dec. 1.

Airport officials are negotiating a long-term contract with Aviation Technologies to take over many important functions at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, such as airplane maintenance and running the flight school.

Read more:  http://citizensvoice.com/news/more-choices-coming-to-avoca-airport-1.1527453

2 Firms Eye Reading Regional Airport Hangars

English: Reading Airport, Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Reading Regional Airport has two firms looking at potential hangar sites on the airfield – the newest of them to house corporate jets and the other a huge firm still interested in bringing hundreds of jobs to refurbish airliners.

Both have been looking at the site of the historic Hangar 501, built in World War II and razed in 2008, but also at other sites on the airfield.

And both would benefit from the state’s move last week to eliminate the sales tax on repair and maintenance of fixed-wing aircraft.

Airport manager Terry P. Sroka said that could bring many new jobs to the state.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=493499

2 Killed, 49 Badly Hurt In San Francisco International Airport Plane Crash

Map of California (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SAN FRANCISCO — Two people were killed and 49 people were seriously injured Saturday when a Boeing 777 passenger jetliner arriving from Seoul crashed and caught fire while landing at San Francisco International Airport, officials said.

The plane, Asiana Airlines Flight 214 with 307 people onboard, slammed to earth at 11:27 a.m. and came to rest on the side of Runway 28L, one of four runways at SFO, said Lynn Lunsford, a spokeswoman with the Federal Aviation Administration.  The plane appeared to make impact short of the runway and then spin as it careened across the ground – losing its tail and leaving a trail of debris.

There were 291 passengers and 16 crew members aboard.  Two people were killed, 49 were seriously hurt, another 132 suffered lesser injuries and went to area hospitals, and one person was unaccounted for, SFO spokesman Doug Yakel said at an evening press conference at the airport.  The other 123 people onboard were not injured.

The injuries “are consistent with the types of injuries you would see in a plane crash or fire,” said Rachael Kagan, a spokeswoman at San Francisco General Hospital, where five people were in critical condition. “Many burns, fractures and internal injuries.”

Read more:  http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/2-killed-49-badly-hurt-in-SFO-plane-crash-4650259.php

Delays Hit Major Airports As Control Tower Furloughs Kick In

Seal of the United States Federal Aviation Administration. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Travelers waited more than an hour for flights in New York and experienced delays at other U.S. airports on Sunday evening as furloughs of air traffic controllers began, reducing the ability of busy hubs to handle arrivals and departures, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The furloughs that started Sunday reduced staffing by 10 percent across the country.  Last week the FAA warned of delays up to 3-1/2 hours at some airports as the agency cuts spending to meet reductions required under federal budget cuts.

New York’s LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports reported delays of more than an hour, and Philadelphia international airport also reported delays due to furloughs, the FAA said.

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/sns-rt-us-usa-faa-furloughsbre93l03e-20130421,0,5104783.story

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Intl. Airport Clears Way For $50M I-81 Project

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport board on Thursday cleared the way for development of a multimillion-dollar access road project.

The board, including the commissioners of Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, formally released 16.5 acres of land for the state Department of Transportation to build an access road that will extend from Interstate 81 through the airport property, overpass the Pennsylvania Turnpike and connect to the Grimes Industrial Park in Pittston Township.

“This is a big deal,” Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien said.  “It opens up the west end of the airport for future economic development projects.

Thirteen acres of the land will be used for the access road and the remaining 3.5 acres will be used for reconstruction of the of the airport exit along Interstate 81 in Dupont.  The project will combine the Avoca and airport exits into one and move traffic through a series of roundabouts.

Read more:  http://standardspeaker.com/news/airport-clears-way-for-50m-i-81-project-1.1476011

FAA Warns Of 3.5 Hour Flight Delays This Summer

Seal of the United States Federal Aviation Administration. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Flight delays of up to 3-1/2 hours are expected to occur at some U.S. airports this summer because of furloughs of air-traffic controllers, the top U.S. aviation regulator said on Thursday.

The estimate from the Federal Aviation Administration puts in sharper focus the potential impact of the agency’s decision to furlough 10 percent of its staff starting Sunday as it struggles to meet budget cuts required under so-called sequestration.

The average delay would be much shorter than the 3-1/2 hours, FAA administrator Michael Huerta said in a briefing to reporters, without specifying a figure.

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/sns-rt-us-faa-flightdelaysbre93h167-20130418,0,6239558.story

Latrobe Air Traffic Control Tower To Close

250 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The air traffic control tower at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe will close, along with 148 others at small airports nationwide, as the Federal Aviation Administration cuts $637 million from its budget by November.

The closures will not force airports to shut down, but pilots will now coordinate takeoffs and landings by radio without ground controllers’ help.

“We will work with the airports and the operators to ensure the procedures are in place to maintain the high level of safety at non-towered airports,” FAA administrator Michael Huerta said in a news release.

Spirit Airlines — which flies out of Latrobe to Dallas, Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Fla. — plans to operate a normal schedule, airline spokeswoman Misty Pinson said.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/westmoreland/latrobe-air-traffic-control-tower-to-close-680511/#ixzz2ONMqa1Kx

Reading Regional Airport Tower Won’t Close, For Now

English: Reading Airport, Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Reading Regional Airport‘s air traffic control and training tower is not among the 149 air traffic control facilities that the Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday will close at small airports around the country starting next month.

The FAA made the decision on orders to trim hundreds of millions dollars from its budget as part of the sequestration plan.

Laura Brown, FAA spokeswoman, said only federal contract towers were targeted for closing, adding that Reading is an FAA tower that will require negotiations with the air traffic controllers union before any action is taken.

However, she said the FAA has proposed closing the Reading tower.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=463163

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Airport Director Says He Isn’t Worried About Federal Cuts

One day after the president of the United States signed a bill regarding sequestration, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport Director Barry Centini scoffed at the notion his airport would be one of the casualties of the potential across-the-board spending cuts.

On Wednesday, Barack Obama signed the Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012, which requires him to provide details within 30 days on how sequestration – severe budget cuts to most federal agencies – would be implemented if enacted on Jan. 2. The legislation also requires the directors of federal agencies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration, to develop a plan and submit it to Congress, detailing how they would deal with such cuts.

According to Todd Hauptli, the senior executive vice president of the American Association of Airport Executives, the FAA is still developing a plan for how it would cope with the projected $1.35 billion, or nine percent, cut from its annual budget. However, a study done by the American Center for Progress – a liberal think-tank – suggests the administration likely would have to close more than 100 U.S. airports, including the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, to decrease its expenditures and meet the budget reduction.

Despite all of that, Mr. Centini says he isn’t concerned about the airport’s future.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/scranton-wilkes-barre-airport-director-says-he-isn-t-worried-about-federal-cuts-1.1356523

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton One Of More Than 100 U.S. Airports At Risk Of Closure

More than 100 U.S. airports, including Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International, are in jeopardy of losing their air traffic control service – forcing their closure – under automatic federal spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 2, according to a Center for American Progress study.

Under the potential across-the-board budget cuts, or sequestration, the Federal Aviation Administration would be required to slash an estimated $1.35 billion, or approximately 9 percent, from its annual budget for each of the next 10 years, starting in January, to reduce the nation’s deficit, according to the study.

In order to decrease its expenditures, the administration may choose to restrict flights nationwide – from 70,000 to 62,000 per year – said Scott Lilly, a CAP senior writer and the author of the study.

However, Mr. Lilly said it is more likely the FAA will be forced to cut air traffic service at 106 of the nation’s smaller commercial airports – which he defined as less than 750,000 passengers per year – including the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, Lehigh Valley International Airport and Harrisburg International Airport.

Read more:http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/wilkes-barre-scranton-one-of-more-than-100-u-s-airports-at-risk-of-closure-1.1355940

Travel And Leisure’s Most Dangerous U.S. Airport List

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Travel and Leisure Magazine has come up with a list of the 20 most dangerous U.S.airports; based on their scoring system.  

Philadelphia International came in at number 14.  There have been 50 runway “incidents” at PHL; fourteen of those incidents occurred in the last two years.  There are three problem locations for pilots, according the magazine.  Recently the FAA has made changes to cut down the number of runway issues.

No other Pennsylvania airport made the list.

To view the article and list, click here:  http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/tls-most-dangerous-us-airports/1