Pakistani suspect pulled from Dubai flight at Kennedy

Investigators say some similarity to Glasgow event:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/05/04/am.meserve.time.square.terror.cnn?hpt=T1

US Airways cut 10 aircraft from fleet, may see 2nd qrt profit

US Airways ended the 1st quarter with a loss, but with $2 billion of cash on the balance sheet, of which $1.6 billion was unrestricted. The airline says that if improvements continue it may see a profit the second qrt. 2010.

US Airways’ mainline fleet will be reduced by 10 net aircraft to 339 by year end, representing the removal of 14 aircraft and the addition of four, according to Executive VP and CFO Derek Kerr. He said the airline will retire five of its 24 737-300s, five of 28 757-200s, and four of 19 E-190s – all of which are dedicated to the East Coast shuttles.

It added two A320s and two A330-200s in the first quarter, the only aircraft it will take in 2010. It will add 12 A320s each in 2011 and 2012. Kerr said it will be out of its 737 Classics within five years while it will retain around 23 757s dedicated to its transatlantic and Hawaiian networks. Last year it deferred delivery of 54 Airbus aircraft.

Some believe US Airways is still a player in the consolidation scene, even though it recently decided to end merger talks with United Airlines. The triggers could be higher fuel costs, and economic recovery with more unemployment, and little or no growth in jobs.

Volcano ash news April 20: Airports, air space; Europe & USA

1) Europe airport interactive airport information map:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704448304575195400233188306.html#articleTabs%3Dinteractive

2) Volcano ash moving to North America update:

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/19/iceland-volcano-ash-coming-america/

Volcano activity and impact April 17 update

Latest news…

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20100417/D9F5073G0.html

Airliner layout

I would like to see the overhead bins taken out, and replaced with better air conditioning/filtering units, crash air bags, crash fire extinghuising system.
All bags need to go in a catastrophe explosion proof rear belly compartment,
or be sent ahead on a cargo plane.;)

Canada passenger reports on Northwest incident

A Montreal, Canada woman who witnessed an alleged terror attack on board a Detroit-bound flight told CTV News Channel she feared an explosion as passengers frantically tried to subdue a suspect who had a fire in his lap.

“The flame was too high…smoke was coming, and we could feel the smoke,” Shama Chopra said in a phone interview.

“I thought the plane was going to explode.”

Chopra said Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam was about to land when she heard something that sounded like fireworks go off in the economy section, about five or six rows behind where she was sitting in business class.

“The fireworks started, and I turned my neck, opened my seatbelt, and see in the back the flight attendant was screaming: ‘Fire! Fire!’ and ‘please give me the water!'” Chopra said.

“Everybody was running. Kids were screaming.”

She said a passenger who was sitting behind the suspect jumped out of his seat and started putting out the flames.

“He just put it out with his hands,” she said

While some passengers struggled with the suspect, the flight attendants and others gathered all the water bottles they could find and rushed to put out the growing flames.

She said four people managed to hold down the suspect. His name has been reported as Umar Farouk Abdul Muttalab. Authorities say he claims to have been acting on orders from al Qaeda.

“They hold this guy… and his shirt was taken off because it was burning. Then they bring him in the front where I was sitting, in the front of me,” she said.

“But he was resisting. He doesn’t want to sit. But they forced him to sit and they start screaming at him and they tie him with the rope,” she said.

She said it was at this point she realized she had seen the man being held off to the side during security screening in Amsterdam. He had been sitting off to the side, deep in thought, with hands on his forehead. He had been held by guards before boarding, and was the last person to get on the plane.

Chopra said the entire incident happened about 12 minutes before the plane was about to land.

She said the captain assured passengers that the landing gear was in place and the plane was only 12 minutes away from landing.

The plane landed safely. The suspect was arrested and anti-terrorism officials are investigating claims that the suspect was given the explosive device and instructions in Yemen.

“Somehow this device didn’t (fully) explode,” she said. “If it had exploded, we would be all gone. Finished. Two-hundred and-seventy-eight people, plus the crew,” she said.

Northrop Grumman builds replica of WWII German jet bomber

Horten jet bomber:eek: replica news and photos at:

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=6420841&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,7555,00.html#2_0