Author: David Koenig
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FAA chief tests changes to Boeing’s grounded 737 Max
SEATTLE • The head of the Federal Aviation Administration began a test flight of Boeing’s revamped 737 Max jetliner on Wednesday as his agency considers whether to allow the plane to return to flight after two deadly crashes. FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson, a pilot who flew for the military and Delta Air Lines, was expected…
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Ukrainian jet crash kills 176, sets off mourning in Canada
TEHRAN, IRAN • The crash of a Ukrainian jetliner that killed 176 people in Iran touched off mourning Wednesday in Ukraine and Canada — where many of the victims were from or were headed — and raised a host of questions about what went wrong. But U.S. intelligence officials said there was no immediate evidence…
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One-two punch of storms threatens Thanksgiving travel in U.S.
DENVER • Heavy snow and wind shut down highways Tuesday in Colorado and Wyoming, closed schools in Nebraska, and forced more than 1,000 travelers to sleep overnight in Denver’s airport after hundreds of flights were canceled just as Thanksgiving travel moved into high gear. The storm was heading to South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and…
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Ross Perot, Texas billionaire and third-party presidential candidate dies
DALLAS — H. Ross Perot, the colorful, self-made Texas billionaire who rose from a childhood of Depression-era poverty and twice ran for president as a third-party candidate, has died. He was 89. Perot, whose 19% of the vote in 1992 stands among the best showings by an independent candidate in the past century, died early…
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TSA screener sick-outs hit 10 percent over holiday weekend
WASHINGTON • The percentage of TSA airport screeners missing work has hit 10 percent as the partial government shutdown stretches into its fifth week. The Transportation Security Administration said Monday that Sunday’s absence rate compared to 3.1 percent on the comparable Sunday a year ago. The workers who screen passengers and their bags face missing…
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What air travelers should know about the government shutdown
DALLAS — The partial government shutdown is starting to affect air travel. Over the weekend, some airports had long lines at checkpoints, apparently caused by a rising number of security officers calling in sick while they are not getting paid. Safety inspectors aren’t even on the job. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said Monday that…
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As an oil giant, Saudi threats against U.S. loom large
DALLAS • Saudi Arabia’s status as the biggest oil exporter gives it the power to jolt the global economy — if it wants. That was the kingdom’s message when it warned Washington and President Donald Trump against imposing sanctions over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. resident. Trump, who bragged at rallies…
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Economy keeps growing even with rising oil prices
DALLAS • America’s rediscovered prowess in oil production is shaking up old notions about the impact of higher crude prices on the U.S. economy. It has long been conventional wisdom that rising oil prices hurt the economy by forcing consumers to spend more on gasoline and heating their homes, leaving less for other things. Presumably…
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Passengers heard window popping on Southwest plane
CLEVELAND — Passengers on a Southwest Airlines plane first heard a loud pop and then scurried away when they saw a jagged crack in a window that forced the jet to land in Cleveland on Wednesday. Some on board immediately thought back to just two weeks ago when a jet engine blew apart and broke…
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Southwest has been faced with fines, union safety complaints
DALLAS — Southwest Airlines runs its planes hard. They make many short hops and more trips per day than other U.S. airliners, which adds to wear and tear on parts, including the engines. As the investigation into last week’s deadly engine failure continues, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly could face questions about whether the company’s low-cost…