South Africa: Drug Smuggling Prompts Tighter Security for South African Airways

South African Airways (SAA) is tightening security on its airplanes after two flight crews (1, 2) were recently found to be smuggling drugs on flights to London. The new security measures include the physical searching of all crew baggage. Also, the Airports Company SA (ASCA) is considering adding additional...

By: Progress On 02:42

Continue Reading

Greece: 2 Prisoners Escape in Helicopter for Second Time

A massive manhunt is underway in Greece after two men escaped from the high-security Korydallos Prison on Sunday in a helicopter. Greece's Kathimerini describes the escapees, Vassilis Palaiocostas and Alket Rizai, as "the country's most notorious criminal...and his Albanian accomplice". To make the story of this daring helicopter escape...

By: Progress On 02:41

Continue Reading

TSA Investigations, Confiscations and Closures

For the week of February 9-16 the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reports 15 passengers were arrested after investigations of suspicious behavior or fraudulent travel documents; 21 firearms were found at checkpoints; 1 artfully concealed prohibited item was found and there were 14 incidents that involved a checkpoint closure, terminal...

By: Progress On 02:39

Continue Reading

India: Threat Puts Airport on Alert

Kochi Airport in India is on high alert after an anonymous phone call to Saudi Airways alleged bombs had been placed at the airport and they could go off at anytime. Security has been beefed-up at passenger and vehicle checkpoints while an airport official said he believed the call...

By: Progress On 02:38

Continue Reading

Japan: Dozens of Passengers Injured by Airplane Turbulence

Forty-three passengers on a Northwest Airlines flight from Manila to Tokyo were injured Friday (2/20) when about 30 minutes before landing the plane suffered what's been described as "severe turbulence" and a "sudden decent". The 747-400 was carrying 408 passengers and a flight crew of 14. A spokesperson for...

By: Progress On 02:29

Continue Reading

Greetings from Venizelos airport, Athens

Interim greetings from the transit area of Venizelos airport in Athens, where I encountered some positive developments that I would like to share with you.Mindful of the best in class global Airport review that we covered as a Perpetual Traveller feature article last week, it comes to me as...

By: Progress On 06:41

Continue Reading

Genoa: port on the Mediterranean

We discover the artistic beauties of this ancient maritime republic. Twisty little streets wend their way from via Garibaldi to the old harbour, site of Europe’s second biggest aquariumGenoa is rich in personalities who forged the Italian culture of the last century. The city is fertile ground for comics,...

By: Progress On 02:59

Continue Reading

Unmanned Aircraft Patrols Begin on Northern Border

U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Unmanned Aircraft Operations Center of North Dakota officially opened February 16. The center, which is housed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, is equipped with one General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' MQ-9 Predator B, and once fully staffed will employ close to 50 federal...

By: Progress On 23:33

Continue Reading

United Kingdom: South African Flight Crew Suspected of Narcotics Trafficking

For the second time in as many months a South African Airways flight crew has been arrested at London's Heathrow Airport on suspicion of narcotics smuggling. In the latest incident 15 crewmembers were detained Monday night (2/16) after about 5kg of cocaine was found in a piece of luggage...

By: Progress On 23:32

Continue Reading

Pilot Aborts Takeoff After Bird Strike on Runway

A United Airlines jet getting ready for takeoff in San Jose had to return to the gate Monday morning after one of the engines ingested one or more seagulls. The plane is being inspected and no one was injured. The plane was traveling about 138 MPH when the bird...

By: Progress On 23:30

Continue Reading

UK Pilots Oppose National Identity Card Program

The British government's plan to introduce national ID cards that contain electronically readable photos and fingerprints has hit another snag. In a statement, the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) says that it has warned the Manchester airport and London City airport management that pilots would not cooperate with the...

By: Progress On 23:29

Continue Reading

Fireball Over Texas Not Space Junk

A fireball streaking across the Texas sky was seen by thousands of people Sunday in broad daylight. There was speculation that it was debris from last Tuesday's collision of an Iridium satellite and a non-functioning Russian satellite over Siberia. However, the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) has come out and...

By: Progress On 23:25

Continue Reading

Greeting from Larnaka Airport

Greetings from a vantage point overlooking the new Larnaka Airport site; where the pace of construction is gaining momentum. By all accounts it will surely be delivered on time later in November of this year to much fanfare. The construction Company responsible is the mighty Bouygues International (reported to...

By: Progress On 04:17

Continue Reading

PT Airport Review

As the days of the second month of 2009 unfold and we reflect on the progress of Tourism from a global perspective, 2008 will be seen as a remarkable year for airport development and dramatic events. All this in the face of the onset of one of the worst...

By: Progress On 23:32

Continue Reading

Profile on Tunis

Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia is definitely interesting from an artistic and architectural point of view in that it brings together in a masterly manner the east and the west. Its old city is most definitely eastern with its medieval art treasures of the Islam world, but all...

By: Progress On 03:04

Continue Reading

Minister Threatens to Fire Guyana Air Traffic Controllers

In Guyana, an air traffic controllers strike has forced daytime-only flight operations at Georgetown Airport. In response, Transport Minister Robeson Benn has threatened to fire the workers.Read moreby Planet Data...

By: Progress On 03:02

Continue Reading

Corporate Plane Makes Ocean Landing Off Australia

The pilot of a corporate airplane had to make an emergency landing in the ocean off the coast of Australia today (2/6). He put the plane down about 200 meters off the beach in shallow waters near Darwin, and then he and his five passengers walked to shore. There...

By: Progress On 03:00

Continue Reading

Advance Passenger Information Alerts Customs to Potential Smuggler

This week U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at JFK International Airport arrested a 24-year-old German citizen, and seized more than 8 pounds of cocaine concealed in his personal effects. According to CBP, the alleged smuggler, Sebastian Fritsch, was identified through advance passenger information (API) as being a...

By: Progress On 02:47

Continue Reading

24 People Die in Brazil Plane Crash

Saturday (2/7) an Embraer Bandeirante turboprop airplane carrying 28 crew members and passengers crashed into Brazil's Manacapuru River. Four people survived the accident. The bodies of the other 24 people onboard have been recovered.Read Moreby Planet Data...

By: Progress On 02:41

Continue Reading

India: Presidential Helicopter in Near Miss in Mumbai

An Air India Airbus A-321 aborted takeoff today at Mumbai International Airport as three VIP helicopters landed on the runway. One of the helicopters was carrying Indian President Pratibha Patil. It is being reported that the quick reactions of the pilot of the Air India flight averted a near...

By: Progress On 02:32

Continue Reading

Top 10 Events February 2009

That Samba feeling is in the air, the need to express oneself and overcome the rain of depression that surrounds most of our lives around the globe in January. Yes its Carnival time for a host of countries around the Planet and of course Rio De Janeiro still wears...

By: Progress On 10:04

Continue Reading

Funchal

The island of Madeira belongs to Portugal, but thanks to the special statute it was given, since 1976 it has been autonomous from an administrative point of view. It is a beautiful island, with a constant spring climate that attracts tourists all year round. It has wild and harmonious vegetation,...

By: Progress On 13:08

Continue Reading