Air Data News
• Ricardo Meier
Aerocivil restricted or suspended commercial operations at seven airports in western Colombia—including Cali, Pereira and Quibdó—to assess damage to airside, structural and navigation infrastructure. Clic, Wingo and JetSMART offered affected passengers date changes, rerouting or refunds, while Popayán remained closed separately because of volcanic ash.
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Aerocivil restricted or suspended commercial operations at seven airports in western Colombia—including Cali, Pereira and Quibdó—to assess damage to airside, structural and navigation infrastructure. Clic, Wingo and JetSMART offered affected passengers date changes, rerouting or refunds, while Popayán remained closed separately because of volcanic ash.
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Alaska Airlines Flight 305 returned to the gate at Miami International Airport on Aug. 9 after pilots reported passenger threats during taxi, including an alleged attempt to take control of the aircraft. Air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN indicated emergency protocols were also triggered on another flight.
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Lufthansa Group will introduce free, high-speed Starlink inflight internet on a Lufthansa-operated Airbus A320neo on August 19. Access will be available to members of the group’s frequent-flyer programs, with the satellite connectivity service scheduled to expand across approximately 850 aircraft under passenger-use rules.
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Two unrelated incidents disrupted U.S. airline operations: Alaska Airlines Flight 305 returned to its Miami gate under cockpit lockdown after a passenger allegedly threatened to take over the aircraft, while a Delta Air Lines 757 returned to Atlanta after cockpit fumes were reported and passengers evacuated via emergency slides.
Patience Gore is suing United Airlines, alleging a gate agent directed her to Phoenix Sky Harbor’s Terminal 3, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were waiting to detain her. The case raises questions about airline personnel’s role in facilitating law-enforcement encounters at airports.
The Trump administration is pausing enforcement of a rule that requires airlines to provide annual wheelchair-assistance training for flight attendants serving disabled travelers. The delay affects a mandated element of passenger assistance and gives carriers more time before enforcement resumes.
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Starting Aug. 25, American Airlines will restrict complimentary upgrades on domestic flights with separate premium-economy and business-class cabins. Eligible economy passengers will upgrade only to premium economy, while business-class upgrades will begin from premium economy, alongside broader AAdvantage changes including expanded Wi-Fi, cash-and-miles bookings and new Loyalty Point Rewards.
Viasat reported $324 million in inflight connectivity revenue last quarter, alongside a record number of aircraft equipped with its service. However, the company’s shrinking installation backlog points to a potentially slowing pipeline for future aircraft additions and raises questions about longer-term growth.
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