Free Republic

HEIGHTENED SENSITIVITY American, the world's largest carrier, is particularly sensitive about what it shows on its overhead movie screens. Mary McKee, American's managing director of in-flight products, said the airline avoids anything with anti-U.S. themes and even political films. ''Michael Moore will not be shown on any of our flights,'' she said. But American is adopting looser standards for its in-seat screens. This summer, American said it would install personal entertainment systems in business- and first-class seats on 767 and 777 aircraft through 2007. Both will offer multiple movies, plus other services such as television, music videos, news and music...

A family of General Electric engines widely used on Boeing Co. commercial jetliners and some Airbus planes should be inspected more than twice as often as federal regulators are requiring, the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday. The warning comes only a week after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered U.S. airlines to inspect the engines more frequently after one exploded on an American Airlines jet that was on the ground in June, sending a 50-pound piece of metal more than a half mile across Los Angeles International Airport. Had that engine explosion occurred in flight, the NTSB said, the plane...

While US airlines cut and slash service -- care and feeding -- of their travelers, the Asian airlines have been buying new planes, installing elaborate entertainment systems, and allowing passengers in-flight e-mail and web surfing options. Add to that plush seats and meals created by celebrity chefs, and the result is that America doesn't know service. Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines services beat all American carriers, hands down. On the long-haul flights, choices of movies, frequent meals (America doesn't need this) -- Western or Asian style -- and friendly service are the standard. Not only are the US airlines behind,...

Breaking on Fox News. Airliner travelling from Orlando to Puerto Rico makes successful emergency landing in Miami. Pilots reported "full hydraulic failure", but managed to land safely.

June is Gay Pride Month June is recognized as Pride month for American and American Eagle's gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered (GLBT) employees. The multi-colored Rainbow Flag, a symbol of GLBT pride, will be displayed in the atrium at HDQ1, HDQ2 and FSU. The flag, designed by Gilbert Baker, debuted at the 1978 San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day parade. It is comprised of six colors, representing life, healing, sun, nature, harmony and spirit. It represents the diversity and the unity of GLBT persons everywhere. Historical Perspective In June of 1969, a group of gays and lesbians resisted harassment...

General Electric is investigating the cause of an apparent uncontained engine failure which caused extensive damage to an American Airlines Boeing 767-200 at Los Angeles on Friday. The aircraft (N330AA) was undergoing a ground run-up of the (left) No.1 engine when the problem occurred. The CF6-80A was being tested after the crew bringing the aircraft in from the New York reported abnormal power response from the engine during the flight. Reports say the engine was at more than 90% power when the failure occurred, either in the shaft or the high pressure turbine (HPT) area. Judging by images of the...

5 Men Detained After Plane Lands in N.J. 3 minutes ago Authorities on Saturday boarded an American Airlines plane and detained five men after it landed at Newark Liberty International Airport, according to a spokesman for the airport's operator. The plane was bound from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport when an air marshal notified authorities of five men he considered suspicious, according to Marc LaVorgna, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport. Port Authority police took the five men into custody immediately after the plane landed at 3:20 p.m., LaVorgna said....

| As anticipation builds toward the countdown of Gay Games VII in Chicago this July 15-22, American Airlines, the world's largest airline has just been selected the Official Airline of the 2006 Gay Games. Fort Worth-based American Airlines is proud to provide top-notch air travel service bringing the world to Chicago. Highlights of American Airlines partnership with Gay Games VII: * American Airlines and its regional partner American Eagle will provide air travel to support Gay Games operations and to select Gay Games 2006 Scholarship recipients. * American Airlines will offer discount airfare for those traveling to Chicago for the...

For the first time on Monday, a relative of a victim of the September 11, 2001 attacks that were mostly carried out by Saudi nationals will speak in public in the kingdom. Sonia Tita Puopolo, is the daughter of Sonia Morales Puopolo, who was a passenger on American Airlines flight 11 that crashed into one of the towers of New York's World Trade Center.She is to speak during a session titled "Terrorism - The Human Toll" at the Jeddah Economic Forum starting in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah in the west of the ultra conservative kingdom on Saturday....

The rumor mill started humming Monday morning, Nov. 28, after ABC Radio aired the following report: FBI and Homeland Security agents spent part of the weekend investigating the report of a possible missile fired at a plane leaving Los Angeles international airport. ABC's Alex Stone has the details. ... the pilots radioed air-traffic controllers saying what appeared to be a rocket had been fired at the aircraft and missed as American Airlines Flight 621 was climbing over the water. It had just taken off from LAX. The plane was enroute to Chicago ... When it landed, FBI agents spoke with...

MIAMI - A passenger who claimed to have a bomb in a carry-on bag was shot by a federal air marshal Wednesday on a jetway connected to an American Airlines plane that had just arrived from Colombia, officials said. The passenger's condition was not immediately disclosed. Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Doyle said after the plane had parked at the gate, a passenger indicated there was a bomb in the bag. The passenger was confronted by air marshals but ran off the plane, Doyle said. A team of air marshals pursued and ordered the passenger to get on the ground....

WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Congressional negotiators agreed on Thursday to exempt Missouri from restrictions on direct air service from Dallas Love Field to several states, an issue that has Texas rivals' Southwest Airlines and American Airlines locked in a bitter fight. House-Senate lawmakers hammering out details of a spending bill for transportation and treasury programs agreed to the Missouri exemption to a 26-year-old law called the Wright Amendment. The exemption was sponsored by Sen. Christopher Bond, a Missouri Republican. Congress has approved similar waivers for other states in the past. Budget powerhouse Southwest wants the Wright Amendment repealed to...

Report: Co-Pilot Over-Stressed Rudder Federal safety officials say pilot error caused a 2001 American Airlines crash that killed 265 people. The National Transportation Safety Board said the copilot of Flight 587 moved the rudder back and forth several times, putting so much stress on the tail that it snapped off. The plane plummeted into a New York neighborhood shortly after takeoff. An NTSB investigator said the copilot's reaction to turbulence was "unnecessary and aggressive." He also said the airline improperly trained its pilots to use the plane's rudder to recover from upsets. The jet's rudder control system is sensitive at...

Hello, this is my email to the American Embassy: I applied today September 2005 for a TRANSIT VISA..because I have to travel to England (by American Airlines) in October. Your person in charge rejected my application. I brought all the documents indicated in your web page and more that she did not want to see... and just rejected this. So I want to complaint because in your web page you don't say that to apply to a transit visa is going to be as difficult as a more important visa.... you don't say that people should bring many proofs that...

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands -- An American Airlines Boeing 757 carrying nearly 200 people made an emergency landing in Grand Cayman Sunday after stopping in Miami, and two passengers suffered minor injuries, officials said. "The pilot declared an emergency after a problem with the de-icing equipment,'' airlines spokesman John Hotard said. ``As the plane was clearing 28,000 feet on its descent into Grand Cayman, the aircraft experienced moderate turbulence.''

A local pilot for American Airlines was in trouble with the law Monday after neighbors in his upscale neighborhood complained about his bizarre behavior. 47 year-old Roy Clemmons has been a highly-regarded pilot for American Airlines. Neighbors like Dorene Phillips said Clemmons is a family man and a hard-working professional, and said they were stunned to learn of Clemmons arrest. Wilson County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Clemmons Friday and charged him with performing lewd and obscene acts while naked, in broad daylight, and in front of his home. In the police report, a neighbor reported Clemmons fondled himself on his front...

At the invitation of UPI, Jon Loose and I wrote this op-ed and submitted it a week ago. UPI told us that every single person who read it there said that this was not commentary but that it was news. They have told us they were assigning staff to cover this story. Since Newsmax has broken the story, I thought it time to put out information that has not yet come to light. The Cost of Life By Jon Loose and Connie Hair Hindsight is always 20/20. You see causes and proactive avenues that could have altered the outcome. Sometimes ...

Death of Disruptive Air Passenger Is Probed From Times Wire Services Prosecutors are investigating the death of a man who was subdued by several fellow airline passengers after he became disruptive on a New York-bound flight from Los Angeles, a spokesman for American Airlines said. William Lee, 48, was pronounced dead late Friday after he was removed from American Flight 4 at Kennedy International Airport.

WASHINGTON – With the push to overturn flight restrictions at Dallas Love Field heating up, a schism has emerged among North Texas lawmakers. Three of the region's eight House members – all from the Dallas side – say it's time to loosen or scrap the 25-year-old Wright amendment. "I think it's outlived its usefulness," Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Plano, said Thursday. "That doesn't mean it's going to get repealed this year." The willingness of Dallas-area lawmakers to openly side with Southwest Airlines Co. against American Airlines Inc. represents a fresh threat to American and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Both have been...

We had one heck of a day trying to get from Ottawa, Canada, to Dallas today. Transfering through Chicago, with the delays, our 4 1/2 hours of flying turned into 14 hours of 'travel'.Is this 'the new normal'?