If you&#8217;ve followed my show regularly over the past few months, you know that I&#8217;ve done a couple of monologues on the aviation industry. 
The frequency of near-disasters in the sky has increased dramatically in recent years, and as I&#8217;ve noted, the increase began around the time that the Obama administration began a concerted effort to &#8220;diversify&#8221; the FAA, including air traffic control. According to a NASA database, which tracks self-reported data from pilots, we now <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-government-diversity-initiatives-are-leading-us-to-a-major-airline-disaster">average</a> roughly five near-misses per week — more than double the number from a decade ago. And that&#8217;s not even getting into the obvious maintenance issues that have been popping up — including doors and wheels that have been flying off planes lately.
Given how terrible all of this looks from the outside, I wanted to get a better idea of what&#8217;s happening internally at the FAA and major airlines in this country. We hear a lot about DEI in the abstract sense, but we rarely get a glimpse of what it looks like in practice. We don&#8217;t often hear firsthand testimonials from people affected by DEI because they&#8217;re worried about protecting their careers. They know if they speak out, they&#8217;ll face termination, and they&#8217;ll probably be blackballed from the industry forever. But with social media, some level of anonymity is possible. So to take a closer look at how far this DEI rot has spread, I <a href="https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1744869138151924174?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>: &#8220;If you&#8217;re an airline pilot and have firsthand knowledge about the DEI agenda being forced into your profession, send me a DM and tell me about your experiences. Curious yet terrified to see how bad it is at this point.&#8221;
To say my inbox was completely flooded would be an understatement. I received too many DM&#8217;s to count from pilots and other professionals in the aviation industry. Virtually every single message told me the same thing: that the ideology of &#8220;diversity, equity, and inclusion&#8221; is the top priority in their workplaces. It goes without saying, but this is an industry where one mistake can kill hundreds or even thousands of people. This is not comparable to DEI departments in universities or corporate America, as destructive and as wasteful as those departments are. DEI in the aviation industry could lead to a catastrophic disaster. That&#8217;s why — even though it was a risk — several of these sources provided me identifying information to validate their identities, along with permission to post some of the internal documents and footage they&#8217;ve obtained. These people knew they might lose their jobs, but they decided that getting the word out was more important.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1311-i-ve-obtained-internal-footage-revealing-the-faa-s-plans-to-reduce-the-number-of-white-males-in-aviation-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h4>
Yesterday, I posted some of these materials on my Twitter feed. They reveal that, at the very highest levels of the FAA, there&#8217;s an effort underway to reduce the number of white men who work in the aviation industry. In April of 2022, the FAA&#8217;s acting deputy chief operating officer — a woman named Angela McCullough — led a meeting with the FAA&#8217;s Flight Operations division. This division is responsible for all aspects of aviation operations, including overseeing airline maintenance. 
But McCullough did not spend the call talking about ways to make sure that airplane doors don&#8217;t fly off mid-flight. She didn&#8217;t say a word about the importance of keeping the wheels attached to jetliners as they&#8217;re taking off. Instead, McCullough talked extensively about DEI. As you&#8217;ll see, she was prompted to do so by a man named Wil Riggins, who&#8217;s the FAA&#8217;s Vice President of Flight Program Operations. 
If that name sounds familiar at all, it&#8217;s probably because Riggins is the same guy who <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/15/faa-dot-coordinated-to-hide-cost-of-buttigiegs-flights-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conspired</a> to find ways to hide Pete Buttigieg&#8217;s spending on government aircraft. So this is a completely corrupt group of bureaucrats who have assembled here. Watch:
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2/ The footage begins with FAA acting deputy chief operating officer Angela McCullough saying more workers need to go from &quot;ramp to cockpit,&quot; meaning she wants to see more baggage handlers become airline pilots. <a href="https://t.co/2KAeHNcJA2">pic.twitter.com/2KAeHNcJA2</a>
&mdash; Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1755319180306346029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We&#8217;re looking at a need across the agency to recruit and retain a diverse population of folks,&#8221; says Wil Riggins. In response, McCullough talks about the arms race of DEI that&#8217;s occurring in the industry. She mentions &#8220;partnerships with universities.&#8221; And then she says the FAA wants to look at something called &#8220;ramp to cockpit.&#8221;
Let&#8217;s think about this. When she&#8217;s talking about &#8220;partnerships with universities&#8221; in the name of diversifying aviation, McCullough is referring to relationships that airlines have established with historically black colleges and universities. For example, United Airlines has <a href="https://www.northcarolina.edu/news/elizabeth-city-state-university-united-airlines-launch-partnership/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allied</a> with Elizabeth City State University. The airline describes this as, &#8220;a partnership that seeks to not only train future pilots, but also bring more women and people of color into the ranks of commercial aviation.&#8221;
In case it&#8217;s not obvious, Elizabeth City State University is not a hotbed of engineering or aviation talent. In fact it&#8217;s not a hotbed of any kind of skill whatsoever. The average SAT score at the school is 960 out of 1600, which is one of the lowest scores that you&#8217;ll find anywhere in the country. The only reason for partnerships like this is because of the racial makeup of Elizabeth City State University, which is overwhelmingly black. This is the kind of partnership that, based on this video, senior FAA officials want to see more of. 
They aren&#8217;t interested in seeing the best pilots in the cockpit. They&#8217;re interested in seeing more black pilots in the cockpit.
That also could explain why McCullough is promoting something called &#8220;ramp to cockpit&#8221; in that footage. When she says &#8220;ramp,&#8221; she&#8217;s referring to ramp agents, who are responsible for loading and unloading baggage on airplanes. Evidently, the FAA believes that these employees deserve some sort of specialized program to encourage them to become pilots. But nowhere in this footage does McCullough explain why this makes any sense whatsoever. It doesn&#8217;t follow in any way. The job of a baggage handler is completely different from the job of an airline pilot. There are precisely zero transferable skills or even interests. Just because you have a job working around a plane doesn’t mean you should be flying them. This is like having a “janitor to surgeon” pipeline at a hospital, or setting up a program so that the window washer cleaning the outside of the skyscraper can one day become an architect designing skyscrapers. These two lines of work have almost nothing to do with each other. So what’s the point of this?
A few seconds later, McCullough provides something of an answer. She tells the FAA&#8217;s senior leadership in Flight Operations that their whole division is &#8220;white-male dominated.&#8221; Then she says that should change. And Wil Riggins, rather than reacting with surprise to this suggestion, agrees with her. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="008 FAA COO Angela McCullough" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m9MmG1zYRg0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
There&#8217;s no pushback from anyone in that clip, as they listen to this. No one says, &#8220;wait a minute — why should baggage handlers become pilots? And what&#8217;s wrong with having a lot of white men in Flight Operations, exactly?&#8221; Instead, this woman gets complimented for her insights.
But of course, not everyone on the call was in agreement. They didn&#8217;t want to speak up because they&#8217;d be fired. But they knew this was going to happen. So one individual recorded the meeting. This source had seen several white men get passed over for jobs because of their skin color, and he or she heard these kinds of remarks all the time at the FAA. That&#8217;s why the source saved it, and it&#8217;s why we have it now.
As of this morning, neither the FAA nor the secretary of transportation, Mayor Pete, has responded to this footage. That&#8217;s because it reflects exactly what they believe. This is what they talk about behind closed doors. They want fewer white people flying planes and working in Flight Operations, including maintenance. They want more baggage handlers to become pilots. And they are not remotely concerned about professional standards or competence. That topic just doesn&#8217;t come up in their discussions.
This what DEI is all about, and it&#8217;s not limited to Pete Buttigieg&#8217;s agency. In response to my post, I received several other tips from sources outside of the FAA who say they&#8217;re seeing similar policies all across the aviation industry. Airlines are promoting DEI as well, even when it clearly endangers passengers. One source — a pilot at Delta Airlines — told me this: &#8220;We recently had a transgender pilot repeatedly receive negative reviews during his first-year probationary period from Captains he flew with regarding attitude, CRM, and judgment, yet the Chief Pilot’s Office (CPO) was unwilling to address the issue. Had this not been a transgender pilot, the individual would likely not have successfully completed their probationary period. Coincidentally, that CPO has a management pilot on staff who recently transitioned who is able to weigh in on these matters.&#8221;
This is what the airlines and the FAA will never admit publicly. They&#8217;ll never admit that they&#8217;re lowering standards, and endangering the public, in order to get more &#8220;diverse&#8221; pilots flying planes. But that&#8217;s exactly what&#8217;s happening. The source also sent along this internal Delta Airlines manual that&#8217;s designed to help Delta pilots &#8220;transition&#8221; into another gender. Here&#8217;s what that looks like:
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7/ The source also notes that Delta routinely makes exceptions for trans-identifying pilots concerning grooming and behavioral standards. Internally, Delta has even published a lengthy guide for pilots who believe they were born in the wrong body. <a href="https://t.co/8aQszhqVJw">pic.twitter.com/8aQszhqVJw</a>
&mdash; Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1755319191123439760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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It reads, &#8220;Helpful Steps for Transitioning at Delta.&#8221; And of course there&#8217;s the pilot with the trans pride flag draped over his body.
It goes without saying that this is incredibly irresponsible for several reasons. Put aside the fact that Delta is discriminating against qualified pilots on the basis of their skin color and gender, and promoting incompetent pilots instead. This document shows that Delta is also going out of their way to recruit trans-identifying pilots — people with extremely high rates of mental illness, and a propensity for suicide. Remember, these are people who, according to the trans activists themselves, are at risk to kill themselves if they’re misgendered or if they don’t receive all of the “affirmation” they feel they need. And the FAA and Delta want to more of them flying commercial aircraft.
In fact, in private, they&#8217;re open about the fact that they&#8217;re willing to endanger the public in order to hit diversity goals. Recently on Twitter, someone named Trace Woodgrains has been looking closely at FAA documents that were unearthed in a long-running class action lawsuit filed against the agency back during the Obama years. And he found further proof that the agency does not care if &#8220;diversity&#8221; costs people their lives. They&#8217;ve put it in writing. In 2013, for example, FAA leaders reviewed this slide:
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Interesting questions being posed by the FAA in 2013 <a href="https://t.co/tnit9ipsRx">pic.twitter.com/tnit9ipsRx</a>
&mdash; TracingWoodgrains (@tracewoodgrains) <a href="https://twitter.com/tracewoodgrains/status/1752378790846796038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
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It reads: &#8220;Key questions for leadership: What are the relative values of diversity and the prediction of performance/outcomes? There is a trade-off between diversity (adverse impact) and predicted job performance/outcomes. How much of a change in job performance is acceptable to achieve diversity goals?&#8221;
So there it is, as clear as it could possibly be. The answer to that question should be: No trade-off in job performance is acceptable to achieve any diversity goals. The mission of the FAA is to make sure people don&#8217;t die on airplanes. But increasingly it&#8217;s clear that&#8217;s not important to the FAA. I didn&#8217;t mention this on Twitter, but one of the sources who DM&#8217;d me sent this information over: &#8220;I was unaware of this until recently, but the FAA has authorized special issuance medical certificates to individuals on SSRIs &#8230; The FAA and the [airline pilots association] are looking to broaden/expand the SSRI and mental health on-ramps back to being able to exercise a first class medical certificate.&#8221;
In other words, the agency is doing everything it can to ensure that pilots taking antidepressants can fly. At the same time, the source says: &#8220;The FAA just sent a letter requesting Congress NOT to raise the mandatory retirement age from the current age of 65, and the FAA primarily states safety as a justification. Obviously, there’s zero safety data that shows a switch is flipped when you turn 65 and you are somehow instantly less competent; we all know competent 70 year olds and incompetent 50 year olds running around. &#8230;The point is that the FAA and [the pilot&#8217;s association] are much more willing to go along with the idea that SSRIs and transitioning pilots being at the controls is somehow more safe than someone who just woke up on their 65th birthday.&#8221;
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These are the kind of incoherent medical standards we&#8217;ve come to expect in the FAA. A year ago, for example, the FAA abruptly lowered its medical certification guidelines for pilots with heart block. This is a serious condition; it makes it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively. Before the change, pilots with first-degree block had to provide medical documentation proving they had, “no evidence of structural function or coronary heart disease.&#8221; Now, many pilots with first-degree heart block can fly without this documentation. There was a lot of speculation this was due to complications of the COVID shot, or that this might implicate the safety of passengers. The FAA denied that, but of course we have no reason to believe anything they say anymore. This is what we can expect from the federal government at this point. Even on matters of life-or-death, they have absolutely no credibility.
There are some more documents I posted on Twitter along these lines, including some insider information on how the FAA awards contracts to various small businesses. These small businesses handle important engineering and logistics tasks for the agency. But it turns out that these contracts, like everything else these days, often prioritize &#8220;socially disadvantaged&#8221; businesses, which according to federal regulations, typically means businesses that aren&#8217;t owned by white people. In the FAA&#8217;s &#8220;eFast&#8221; contract system, these &#8220;disadvantaged&#8221; businesses get first dibs at contracts valued under $150,000.
What this means is that the FAA has adopted a gender and race-based spoils system for pretty much everything. At every step — whether you&#8217;re a baggage handler, a pilot, or a contractor — you will get priority treatment if you look a certain way. The only way to bring an end to this is for more whistleblowers to do what they did yesterday, and speak out about it. Record the meetings where they tell you they don&#8217;t want white people working for them. Save the documents showing they&#8217;re promoting incompetent pilots because they&#8217;re &#8220;trans.&#8221; If we expose enough of this, then it might finally collapse under the weight of its absurdity. If we don&#8217;t — if we allow it to fester, as everyone on that FAA videoconference did — then before long, people will die as a result.

Cockpit of a modern passenger aircraft. Pilots at work.

I’ve Obtained Internal Footage Revealing The FAA’s Plans To Reduce The Number Of White Males In Aviation 

I've Obtained Internal Footage Revealing The FAA's Plans To Reduce The Number Of White Males In Aviation 

Airlines

American Airlines

Delta Airlines

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Flights

Matt Walsh

Racism

Readers Pass

Transgender

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/transgender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transgender</a> actor claimed that he suffered a &#8220;human rights violation&#8221; late last week after being &#8220;misgendered&#8221; by a Delta Airlines employee.
Tommy Dorfman, a man who claims that he is a woman, was the person allegedly holding the camera at New York-LaGuardia International Airport (LGA) when he says that an employee with Delta Airlines misgendered him.
In the video, Dorfman complains that he was “misgendered” because the airline employee called him a “he.”
“It wasn’t intentional, but if you want to take it personal, that’s also okay,” the employee responded.
Dorfman continued by complaining that another woman “intentionally” misgendered him twice.
“You’re being condescending and if you want to continue, I have full authority to escort you out the building right this moment if you want to play that game with me,” the employee fired back. “Would you like to continue three days before Christmas? I really don’t mind.”
“I’m good,” Dorfman responded.
Dorfman claims that he was the victim of a &#8220;human rights violation&#8221; because of the incident.
&#8220;When you try to advocate for yourself at @delta and are met with even more transphobia and threats of being arrested at LaGuardia,&#8221; Dorfman wrote in a now-deleted social media post.
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&#8220;Tristan, the employee, said he was fine with me posting this,&#8221; Dorfman continued. &#8220;Didn’t realize it was condescending to flag a human rights violation after another employee misgendered me incessantly.&#8221;
Delta said that it was “aware of the video and looking into the matter, including reaching out to our customer to understand more about what occurred.”
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A Delta Airlines employee is forced to deal with a transgender bully who tries to force him into submission by forcing him to use their preferred pronouns. He maintains his professionalism throughout the encounter. <a href="https://t.co/rWFjVCEAQ3">pic.twitter.com/rWFjVCEAQ3</a>
&mdash; Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1739856795668258951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Tommy Dorfman

Transgender Actor Claims It Was A ‘Human Rights Violation’ That Airline Employee Misgendered Him

Transgender Actor Claims It Was A 'Human Rights Violation' That Airline Employee Misgendered Him

Air Travel

Social Issues

U.S.

A man who appears to be a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/delta-airlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delta Airlines</a> employee went viral this week on social media after he stood up to an alleged transgender activist who was upset that the man did not use his preferred pronouns.
It appears that the video was taken late last week potentially at New York-LaGuardia International Airport (LGA) given that &#8220;LGA&#8221; appears on the employee&#8217;s jacket.
The purported transgender individual in the video, who appears to be the person holding the camera, complains that he was &#8220;misgendered&#8221; because the airline employee called him a &#8220;he.&#8221;
&#8220;It wasn&#8217;t intentional, but if you want to take it personal, that&#8217;s also okay,&#8221; the employee responded.
The transgender activist continued by complaining that another woman &#8220;intentionally&#8221; misgendered him twice.
&#8220;You&#8217;re being condescending and if you want to continue, I have full authority to escort you out the building right this moment if you want to play that game with me,&#8221; the employee fired back. &#8220;Would you like to continue three days before Christmas? I really don&#8217;t mind.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m good,&#8221; the transgender activist responded.
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Trans activist tried bullying an airline employee for “misgendering.” The employee wasn’t having it! 😂
This is the correct way to deal with these narcissists who demand we give in to their delusions.
It’s all just a power trip for them! <a href="https://t.co/vMYgLuUpdC">pic.twitter.com/vMYgLuUpdC</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1739764718628401448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The employee received strong support online as most who commented praised him for standing up to the activist.
&#8220;Trans activist tried bullying an airline employee for &#8216;misgendering,'&#8221; wrote the popular X account Libs of TikTok. &#8220;The employee wasn’t having it! 😂 This is the correct way to deal with these narcissists who demand we give in to their delusions. It’s all just a power trip for them!&#8221;
Attorney Kurt Schlichter responded: &#8220;You are not morally obligated to play along with nuts who demand attention and obedience.&#8221;
&#8220;This is how it&#8217;s done,&#8221; said podcast host Konstantin Kisin. &#8220;We must stop being a society of adults who are afraid of children who want to enforce their speech codes on the rest of us.&#8221;
Journalist Paul D. Thacker responded: &#8220;This is what happens when average people encounter DEI activists who gets all their news from Vox and hang out on BlueSky.&#8221;

Delta Airlines logo seen at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta

Delta Airlines Employee Goes Viral For Standing Up To ‘Trans Activist’ At Airport

Delta Airlines Employee Goes Viral For Standing Up To 'Trans Activist' At Airport

LGBTQ

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/grammys">Grammy-nominated</a> gospel singer felt compelled to sing out during a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/delta-airlines">Delta</a> flight, but one member of the flight crew was unamused.
Bobbi Storm was almost removed from the plane after causing a disturbance. She posted a video of her exchange with a crew member, which has since gone viral on social media.
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The clip shows Storm standing in the plane’s center aisle. The flight attendant tells the singer to “sit down” and “be quiet,” but she does not comply, saying she’s “charting right now” and reminding him that the seat belt sign is off.
“I just found out I’m up for two Grammys. My very first time, you guys,” Storm tells the other passengers.
“I sing for the Lord and my song is out on all platforms and is called ‘We Can’t Forget Him.’ I wanna share this with you, guys,” she says as a few people applaud.
The crew member again tells Storm to be quiet, but she insists the other passengers are “enjoying it.”
“Well, I’m not enjoying it. I’m asking you, can you please be quiet?” the crew member replies.
“Am I gonna go to jail if I don’t?” Storm asks.
He repeats the question, asking if she is “willing and able to be quiet right now.”
“I’m doing what the Lord is telling me to do,” she says.
The flight attendant repeats, “I need you to follow my instructions. My instructions are for you to answer my question. Are you able to be quiet right now?”
Storm replies by asking the other passengers, “What do you  guys think?”
“OK, if you’re not able to follow my instructions, you will not be taking this flight,” he says.
Storm relents, saying, “If that’s the case, then that’s fine. If you’re the person in charge of it all &#8230; then that’s fine.”
Next, she turns to the person sitting next to her and says, ”I’ll sing it on a low for y’all in the back, if that’s OK. The song is called ‘We Can’t Forget Him.’”
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Storm is part of the gospel group Maverick City Music. They earned nominations for both Best Gospel Album and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song at the 2024 Grammy Awards. 
Several respondents on social media called out the singer for her &#8220;entitled&#8221; behavior.
&#8220;This is one of the most egotistical things I’ve ever seen. You think because you’re Grammy nominated that rules don’t apply to you and the plane is your stage? Work on that ego sis,&#8221; one of the top Instagram comments on the video says.
&#8220;You were completely in the wrong, and I hope you ended up on the no fly list,&#8221; a second person agreed.
&#8220;This was not about glorifying God. You were engaging in attention seeking behavior and performative Christianity. This was all ego,&#8221; another agreed.
Another chimed in, &#8220;No one wants to hear u sing out loud on a public flight. Rude and entitled.&#8221;
In a follow-up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzgxvamL2ov/">video</a>, Storm claimed that &#8220;Delta executive offices did reach out&#8221; to her to apologize. “There was no rules being broken. It was just me spreading my joy with people after they gave me the go to do so,” she said. Storm insisted she didn’t want the crew member fired, but did wish he learned a lesson. “I just hope that if he watches this, he’s able to learn a valuable lesson on how to treat other people,” she said, encouraging viewers to stream her music.

Bobbi Storm

WATCH: Grammy-Nominated Gospel Singer Almost Kicked Off Delta Flight After Talking Back To Flight Attendant

Grammy-Nominated Gospel Singer Almost Kicked Off Delta Flight When She Refused To Stop Singing

Air &amp; Space

Grammys

singer

A Texas airport worker was killed after being “ingested” into the engine of a Delta Air Lines jet, airport officials confirmed. 
Emergency crews responded at San Antonio International Airport on Friday night after a ground crew member was sucked into the aircraft&#8217;s engine, which had just arrived from Los Angeles. The plane was reportedly taxying to its gate when the incident occurred, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
&#8220;An accident occurred on the ground at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) tonight that resulted in the fatality of an airline ground crew member,” the airport said in a <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/06/25/san-antonio-airport-worker-killed-after-being-sucked-into-delta-jet-engine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “We are deeply saddened by this incident and are working with authorities as they begin their investigation. We will share more information as details become available.&#8221;
The victim, who hasn&#8217;t been identified, was employed by Unifi Aviation, a ground handling and aviation services company based out of Atlanta and contracted by Delta. The company said it was &#8220;deeply saddened by the loss of our employee” in the “tragic” accident. 
&#8220;Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased, and we remain focused on supporting our employees on the ground and ensuring they are being taken care of during this time,” Unifi added. 
NTSB officials confirmed on Saturday that the worker was “ingested” into the jet engine and said they were in contact with Delta investigating the accident. Unifi Aviation says the death was no fault of their policies or operations. 
“From our initial investigation, this incident was unrelated to Unifi’s operational processes, safety procedures and policies,” the company said. “Out of respect for the deceased, we will not be sharing any additional information. While police and other officials continue to investigate this incident, we defer to them on providing further details.&#8221;
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According to <a href="https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL1111/history/20230624/0057Z/KLAX/KSAT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from FlightAware, the airplane involved was Delta flight 1111, an Airbus A319 aircraft with 132 passenger seats.
On New Year’s Eve, Courtney Edwards, a mother of three, was sucked into an American Airlines jet engine at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama. Edwards <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/airport-horror-as-baggage-handler-dies-after-being-sucked-through-jet-engine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worked</a> for Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Piedmont $15,625 in June after the agency found the airline company was at fault. 
Incidents like these are extremely rare. Powerful fans and compressors “suck” air through jet engines, and during takeoff, 1.2 tons of air per second can be taken in, <a href="https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/ww2/projects/jet-airplanes/how.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Stanford University.

Delta Air Lines

Texas Airport Worker Killed After Being ‘Ingested’ Into Jet Engine

airport

San Antonio

Texas

A commercial <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/air-travel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flight</a> from Houston to Atlanta was the recipient of significant buzz on Wednesday.
A swarm of bees apparently tried to hitch a ride on the Delta Airlines flight out of Houston&#8217;s George Bush Intercontinental on Wednesday. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/airplane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plane</a> was delayed for about four hours while staff tried to figure out what to do about the hundreds of bees congregating on the tip of an airplane wing. A passenger on the flight live-tweeted the whole ordeal as it happened.
&#8220;My flight leaving Houston is delayed because bees have congregated on the tip of one of the wings,&#8221; author and scholar Anjali Enjeti tweeted at around 12:20 p.m. local time Wednesday. &#8220;They won’t let us board until they remove the bees. But how on earth will this happen? Won’t they leave the wing when we take off?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My flight leaving Houston is delayed because bees have congregated on the tip of one of the wings. They won’t let us board until they remove the bees. But how on earth will this happen? Won’t they leave the wing when we take off? <a href="https://t.co/DhodBz0m5n">pic.twitter.com/DhodBz0m5n</a>
— Anjali Enjeti (she/her) (@AnjaliEnjeti) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653813099932135449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
According to Enjeti, the bees swarmed onto the plane as soon as it pulled up to the gate. Officials at the airport were originally going to call pest control; they then said they were going to call a beekeeper to attempt to hive the bees. Airport personnel were perplexed and took pictures of the swarm.
The <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653826284537913357?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">captain</a> later updated the passengers on the flight. The bee keeper could not come because he was not allowed to touch the airplanes; neither could pest controllers, who are not allowed to spray the planes; neither could the fire department, for undetermined reasons; the airport workers did not have a hose to spray the plane, either. Someone did approach the plane later with a hose, but backed off, to the dismay of passengers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Close up of the bees on the wing <a href="https://t.co/XodD4Z2kgi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/XodD4Z2kgi</a>
— Anjali Enjeti (she/her) (@AnjaliEnjeti) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653829182692925460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
In a last ditch effort, the pilot said he would <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653826602923335696?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taxi</a> the plane in an effort to shake the swarm off. As soon as the plane&#8217;s engines turned on, the bees left.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Omg y’all. Entire the flight crew deplaned. Delta decided to give our gate to another flight. As soon as our plane’s engine turned on, THE BEES LEFT!!! All Delta had to do was TURN ON THE PLANE <a href="https://t.co/gILlJ8EMZg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/gILlJ8EMZg</a>
— Anjali Enjeti (she/her) (@AnjaliEnjeti) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653847715791400960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
Passengers were initially dismayed to learn that the gate was being given to another flight, and <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653855565372616711?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questions</a> swirled as to whether they would be given another flight or if it would be canceled. Fortunately, the plane was <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653866162352971777?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transferred</a> to another gate; the passengers finally boarded the flight around 4:30.
A professional apiarist who has experience removing swarms from airplanes told local news outlet <a href="https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/delta-airplane-bees-houston/285-eebd12f2-7d52-4f1a-983d-95cd5138ff1b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KHOU</a> that the swarm is very common this time of year, and that the bees were simply resting. &#8220;They usually start in the south and they move towards the north,&#8221; Mike Sexton, a.k.a. &#8220;The Bee Man,&#8221; said. “Whenever bee swarms start, they’re going to gorge themselves with a bunch of honey and the old queen is going to take off with a bunch of workers so they&#8217;re not going to eat again until they actually get to a new home, so in the meantime they rest and conserve their energy, so they land on anything.&#8221;
The Houston flight delay came just one day after another un-bee-lievable incident in Florida. More than <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-a-million-bees-swarm-florida-highway-after-overnight-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a million bees</a> swarmed a Florida highway Tuesday when a tractor trailer collided with another truck hauling more than five million of the insects on their way to produce honey. The beekeeper is still counting his losses, both financially and numerically, as many of them flew away from the scene of the crash. Fortunately, despite a million potential hazards in the air, no injuries were reported.

Bees

Buzz Off!: Flight Delayed For Four Hours When Swarm Of Bees Latches Onto Wing

Airplane

Animals

General

Houston

Twitter

A passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight was detained after allegedly opening the emergency exit door, prompting the emergency slide to deploy, and sliding down it while the plane was preparing to taxi for takeoff on Saturday morning. 
The flight from Los Angeles to Seattle was supposed to take off at 10 a.m. EST but was reportedly delayed over three hours because of the incident. While the plane was pushing off from the gate, a man allegedly hurried to the front of the aircraft and asked a flight attendant, “what do I do now?&#8221; Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/delta-passenger-detained-lax-opening-exit-door-activating-emergency-slide-minutes-takeoff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“Delta flight 1714 operating from Los Angeles to Seattle returned to the gate due to an unruly passenger,” the airline said in a statement to the outlet. “The aircraft was holding to taxi for takeoff when the passenger exited the aircraft and was initially detained by Delta staff ahead of being arrested by local law enforcement.” 
After rushing to the front of the plane, the man was told by the flight attendant to sit down, but instead opened the emergency exit door, triggering the emergency exit slide to deploy. The plane stopped and the man slid down the slide. According to passengers, he then hopped onto a baggage cart, Fox News reports. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Hello former colleagues! I was on this plane! <a href="https://t.co/4JlkVTQTxC">https://t.co/4JlkVTQTxC</a> <a href="https://t.co/7f5ZWixNnH">pic.twitter.com/7f5ZWixNnH</a>
&mdash; Gillian Sheldon (@gilliansheldon) <a href="https://twitter.com/gilliansheldon/status/1639741996557299714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Baggage workers reportedly held the man down until <a href="https://www.foxla.com/news/passenger-detained-at-lax-after-opening-emergency-exit-door-of-plane">authorities</a> could take over. 
According to CBS News, the suspect was “transported to a local hospital for mental evaluation.” Los Angeles Airport Police Captain Karla Rodriguez said they contacted the FBI “due to the circumstances,&#8221; and that the other passengers were taken off the plane to be put on a separate aircraft. There were no injuries. 
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&#8220;You always tell yourself, when you see these things on TV, that I would have done this or that, but honestly, it was so quick, there was no way to react,&#8221; a passenger on the plane told Fox 11. &#8220;Just glad it didn’t happen when we were midair, or it would have been a whole different outcome.&#8221; 
Opening an emergency exit door on an airplane during flight is impossible, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/is-it-possible-to-open-an-airplanes-emergency-exit-door-mid-flight/">WBZ-TV</a>, which notes that a typical emergency exit door is six feet tall and three and a half feet wide. At 36,000 feet, a person trying to open the exit door would have to overcome 24,000 pounds of pressure or the weight of 20 polar bears, the outlet says.

Los Angeles Exteriors And Landmarks – 2022

Airline Passenger Detained After Allegedly Opening Emergency Exit Door, Deploying Slide

Commercial pilots with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/delta-airlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delta Air Lines</a> approved a working agreement with the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">company</a> on Wednesday to provide them with a 34% pay raise.
The agreement will cost Delta more than $7 billion over four years as 15,000 pilots benefit from the deal. Some 78% of Delta pilots voted in favor of the agreement, which also provides staffers with more vacation time and benefits.
“This industry-leading contract is the direct result of the Delta pilots’ unity and resolve,” Delta Master Executive Council Chair Captain Darren Hartmann said in a <a href="https://www.alpa.org/news-and-events/news-room/2023-03-01-delta-pilots-approve-new-contract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “Despite a two-year delay in negotiations due to COVID, we never lost sight of our goal to obtain significant across-the-board enhancements to our pilot working agreement.”
The deal is expected to set American industry standards for rival carriers like United Airlines and American Airlines. North America is the only region presently experiencing a pilot shortage since the aviation sectors in Europe and Asia have not fully recovered from lockdown mandates.
U.S. carriers currently lack some 12,000 pilots, even as 14,000 pilots will be forced to leave the workforce over the next five years because of a federal law mandating that they retire by 65 years old, according to a <a href="https://www.oliverwyman.com/our-expertise/insights/2021/mar/after-covid-19-aviation-faces-a-pilot-shortage.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> by consulting group Oliver Wyman.
Several airlines encouraged pilots to retire as flight demand dropped in the spring of 2020: Delta, for instance, prompted about 2,000 pilots to depart from the company. Executives, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-airlines-desperate-for-pilots-consider-cutting-training-requirements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreased</a> training and four-year degree requirements, introduced signing bonuses, and increased pay in response to the pilot shortage.
“While we feel as strongly as ever about the importance of education, there are highly qualified candidates, people who we would want to welcome to our Delta family, who have gained more than the equivalent of a college education through years of life and leadership experience,” the company said last year.
Pilot shortages and greater fuel expenses have contributed to rising airfare in the United States: ticket prices have increased nearly 26% year-over-year, according to <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUSR0000SETG01#0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national average airfare during the second quarter of 2022 was $397, the highest level in eight years, according to an <a href="https://smartasset.com/data-studies/airfare-price-increases-november-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from SmartAsset.
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Measures proposed by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmakers-introduce-bill-with-key-reform-to-stop-flight-cancellations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase</a> the commercial pilot retirement age from 65 to 67 to ease staffing pressures.
“Following the heavy-handed stupidity of government lockdowns, travel demand has naturally skyrocketed. However, Americans are now experiencing flight delays and cancellations on an unacceptable scale due to a worsening pilot shortage,” Roy asserted. “A key factor is a government-mandated retirement age that forces out thousands of our most qualified pilots every year.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has presided over several critical infrastructure problems during his two-year tenure, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-slams-airlines-for-flight-cancellations-but-rejects-key-reform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emphasized</a> the need to support high school and college training programs to catalyze the entrance of new pilots into the workforce.
“The answer is not to keep the Baby Boomer generation in the cockpit indefinitely,” he remarked. “The answer is to make sure we have as many and as good pilots ready to take their place, to have a stronger pipeline.”

Delta Airlines Boeing 777-200LR aircraft seen at Shanghai

Delta Approves 34% Pay Raise For Pilots As Shortages Continue

Delta Approves Massive Pay Raise For Pilots As Shortages Continue

Business

Labor Unions

Science fiction is one step closer to reality as several companies debut working prototypes for flying cars.
The American start-up Aska showed off its A5 model at the 2023 Consumer Electronics show. The A-5 is an electric vertical take off and landing vehicle, roughly the size of a standard SUV, that is reportedly capable of driving at 70 mph on the road and flying at speeds of up to 150 mph.
“What we see here is a revolution that happens once in a hundred years.” Guy Kaplinsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Aska, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryB3O5YzkwM">said</a> during the presentation “People were dreaming about flying cars for years … what you see here is a drivable vehicle, and vertical takeoff and conventional takeoff, that can drive on the road and take off very quickly.”
Flying cars have fascinated the public for decades — &#8220;The Jetsons&#8221; helped popularize the concept back in 1962, but the idea is almost as old as the airplane itself, possibly older. One of the first attempts was made by <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientific-american-debunks-claim-gustave-whitehead-was-first-in-flight/">Gustave Whitehead</a> around 1901, before the Wright brothers’ breakthrough with the first controlled flight in 1903. Whitehead’s machine didn’t work, but by 1937 the <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=WScDAAAAMBAJ&amp;q=%22Plane%20Sheds%20Wing%20To%20Run%20On%20Ground&amp;pg=PA52#v=snippet&amp;q=%22Plane%20Sheds%20Wing%20To%20Run%20On%20Ground&amp;f=false">Arrowbile</a> had been created — the W-5 model could remove its wing and function as a car, but only 5 were made — it wasn’t commercially viable.
<div id="attachment_486125" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-486125" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-486125" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-517326604-248x300.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="696" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-517326604-248x300.jpg 248w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-517326604-476x576.jpg 476w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-517326604-768x929.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-517326604-1270x1536.jpg 1270w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-517326604-1693x2048.jpg 1693w" sizes="(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />The Waterman Arrowbile(Photo by Bennett via Getty Images)</div>
Throughout the late twentieth century several models of roadable airplanes were created, but none were available to the public or produced at scale. &#8220;Flying cars&#8221; have become synonymous with promised innovation that failed to materialize and with general disappointment in the current year. The A5 was not permitted to take-off at the CES, as it had not yet received FAA approval to fly in populated areas, but the company is hopeful that such approval could be coming within the month.
That being said, Aska is not alone in developing workable prototypes that have generated serious commercial interest.
Another aerospace firm, Joby, has reportedly partnered with Delta Airlines, Toyota and Uber to create an air-taxi service, which would initially be concentrated in a few large cities but eventually spread out to the hinterlands, following a similar growth model to Uber itself.
“Electric propulsion has enabled us to think differently about aircraft design and to develop a new class of aircraft.” JoeBen Bivert, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, said, crediting breakthroughs in electric vehicles and battery technology with the concept&#8217;s new lease on life. Improved and lightweight composite materials have also been vital innovations in making the manufacture and flight of small passenger vehicles viable.
<div id="attachment_486128" style="width: 789px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-486128" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-486128" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-1234620571-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="779" height="519" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1234620571-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1234620571-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1234620571-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1234620571-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1234620571-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1234620571-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1234620571-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 779px) 100vw, 779px" />(Photo by Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
Joby has received a $75 million contract with the US Department of Defense and has received billions from investors and corporate partners. Other companies such as Archer, Vertical and Lithium are also developing similar vehicles.
Joby’s prototypes have reportedly exceeded 200 mph in airspeed and have an effective range of up to 150 miles, although they would typically be used for trips of around 50 miles.
“The eVTOL space is going to fundamentally change how people get to an airport.” Ranjan Goswami, senior vice president of customer experience design at Delta, said. eVTOLs are reportedly create less noise and more environmentally friendly than traditional helicopters. They’re also cheaper to maintain as their engines have fewer moving parts.
Delta plans to use its pre-existing infrastructure at various airports to shuttle customers to their airport terminals while bypassing traffic and congestion on the ground, with the price point being close to what a premium rideshare service like Uber Black might cost, making it a somewhat affordable option.
While the industry is still in its infancy, and there are significant regulatory hurdles left to overcome, many observers are bullish on the sector’s future. Morgan Stanley <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/12/07/joby-archer-flying-taxis-evtol">projects</a> that the market for eVTOLs will be worth $1 trillion by 2040 and $9 trillion by 2050. However, poor economic conditions in the short term represent significant headwinds for investors who are still years away from a marketable product &#8211; certification by the <a href="https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/airworthiness_certification">FAA</a> for new aircraft models can take anywhere from 5-10 years.
“We are working with the same energy as the industry itself.” An FAA representative <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/11/how-joby-aviation-and-delta-air-lines-are-making-evtols-a-reality-.html">told</a> CNBC. “Innovation cannot come at the expense of safety, it has to go hand in hand.”
Both Joby and Aska’s models would accommodate 4-5 passengers, but while Joby is the faster aircraft, Aska’s A5 has maintained functionality on the ground — it is simultaneously an aircraft and a car, can charge with the same equipment other EVs use, and its foldable wings allow it to drive on the road and fit in a standard parking space.
“Aska is positioned as a new generation vehicle that combines the convenience of an automobile with the ease and efficiency of VTOL and STOL flight.” Kaplinsky <a href="https://www.electrive.com/2023/01/06/ces-aska-shows-a-real-flying-car-with-the-a5-evtol/">said</a>.
Joby and its competitor Archer expect their vehicles to go into service in 2025; Aska expects the commercial version of the A5 to hit the market in 2026.

Las Vegas Hosts Annual CES Trade Show

Flying Car Prototypes Are Starting To Take Off

airplanes

Science

Technology

Uber

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christmas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Holiday</a> travel and gift delivery could be severely disrupted by a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/weather" target="_blank" rel="noopener">winter storm</a> expected to hit the center of the country from Wednesday to Sunday.
Residents of the Midwest and the Great Lakes region will contend with an incoming Arctic front causing heavy snowfall, according to a <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSWPC/status/1605137973703573504" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecast</a> from the National Weather Service. Blizzard conditions are expected to last from Thursday to Saturday, which marks Christmas Eve.
Snow is predicted to fall at a rate of one to two inches per hour at certain times, while winds could surpass 50 miles per hour, producing dangerous wind chills and low visibility. “The combination of heavy snow and strong wind gusts could lead to significant infrastructure impacts as well, including scattered tree damage and power outages,” the agency said.
The weather conditions could impact families’ holiday travel plans. Nearly 102 million Americans plan to drive to their holiday destinations, marking an increase of 2 million drivers since last year despite volatile gas prices, according to data from AAA. Meanwhile, as many as 54 million passengers will depart from airports between December 18 and January 3, constituting a 20% increase from last year, according to <a href="https://media.hopper.com/research/christmas-2022-holiday-outlook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from Hopper.
“If the distance is not reasonable to drive, more people are taking to the air to maximize the time spent at their destination,” AAA Senior Vice President of Travel Paula Twidale remarked. “Conversely, if the travel distances are reasonable and more than one or two people in the household are taking the trip, it may be more cost-effective to drive rather than buy multiple air tickets, rent a car, and spend too much money before the fun even begins.”
One reason for the increase in holiday travel could be the continued embrace of virtual work options by many employers. “With hybrid work schedules, we are seeing more people take long weekends to travel because they can work remotely at their destination and be more flexible with the days they depart and return,” Twidale added.
Thousands of flights were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/christmas-frightmare-continues-thousands-of-flight-cancellations-driven-by-omicron-and-bad-weather" target="_blank" rel="noopener">canceled</a> last Christmas as a result of COVID outbreaks among crew members. Hundreds of flights entering or leaving the United States were canceled on Christmas Day alone, while thousands of additional flights were delayed.
Carriers such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines have already posted <a href="https://www.united.com/ual/en/US/fly/travel/notices.html#northamerica-waivers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extensive lists</a> of cities from which they expect to travel to be disrupted this year, including Chicago, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee. The companies are waiving fees for customers who rebook their flights within certain time frames.
The most popular destinations for holiday travel include New York City, Los Angeles, Orlando, Dallas, and Atlanta, according to Hopper. Domestic roundtrip airfare prices for Christmas are currently averaging $339, an 11% decrease from 2019 and a 15% decrease from 2021.
Year-over-year inflation for airline prices, however, reached 36% as of last month, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rising fuel prices and industry pressures such as pilot shortages have impacted affordability; the air travel sector will lack 12,000 pilots by next year, even as 14,000 pilots will be forced to leave the workforce over the next five years because of a federal law mandating that airline pilots retire by 65 years old, according to a <a href="https://www.oliverwyman.com/our-expertise/insights/2021/mar/after-covid-19-aviation-faces-a-pilot-shortage.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> conducted by consulting group Oliver Wyman.

Airplane On airport

Massive Snowstorm Expected To Impact Christmas Travel Nationwide, Airlines Brace For Cancellations

Massive Snowstorm Will Impact Christmas Travel Nationwide

Christmas

Severe Weather

United Airlines

Airlines canceled more than 1,200 flights as Tropical Storm Nicole made landfall in Florida on Thursday.
Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines each canceled over 100 flights, with United Airlines canceling 73 trips, according to <a href="https://flightaware.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flightaware.com</a>. The updates add to nearly 990 canceled flights on Wednesday.
The cancellations add to additional concerns with airport closures in Florida due to inclement weather. Orlando, Daytona Beach, and Palm Beach have all temporarily closed their international airports. Miami International Airport remains open, though many flights have been changed due to the storm.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Nov 9/11:07 am &#8211; At this time, all flights in and out of PBI are cancelled. Please check with your airline for rebooking details. Stay safe. <a href="https://t.co/AIFrpa4lh3">pic.twitter.com/AIFrpa4lh3</a>
&mdash; Palm Beach International Airport (@flyPBI) <a href="https://twitter.com/flyPBI/status/1590375630356430849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Orlando International Airport, the state’s busiest, also announced on social media that it had shut down operations beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday due to expected weather concerns.
Nicole made landfall early Thursday as a hurricane around 3:00 a.m. ET north of Miami., with winds reaching 75 miles per hour, <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the National Hurricane Center. A reported 215,000 homes and businesses were <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hurricane-nicole-barrels-into-floridas-atlantic-coast-2022-11-10/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">without power</a> on Florida&#8217;s east coast Thursday morning.
The storm is moving northwest over the central part of Florida. Nicole is expected to continue north as it weakens upon entering Georgia and the Carolinas.
Nearly 3-4 inches of rain quickly fell throughout Central Florida as the tropical storm continued moving inland. Winds have gusted 70 miles per hour or more on Florida&#8217;s Atlantic coast, including in Playalinda Beach, Cape Canaveral, Melbourne, and Daytona Beach, <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2022-11-10-hurricane-tropical-storm-nicole-landfall-forecast-florida-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> The Weather Channel. Gusts of more than 60 miles per hour have also been recorded as far away as Orlando and St. Petersburg.
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Nearly 3-4&quot; of rainfall and counting as Tropical Storm Nicole moves through Central Florida. <a href="https://t.co/KH3iPApRM5">pic.twitter.com/KH3iPApRM5</a>
&mdash; Kellianne Klass WESH (@KellianneWX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KellianneWX/status/1590685769395752965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Tropical Storm Nicole has also led to a tornado watch issued for Flagler County in Florida that extends until 1 p.m. local time on Thursday.
Several emergency shelters have been opened throughout Florida. The Florida Governor&#8217;s Office <a href="https://www.flgov.com/2022/11/09/governor-ron-desantis-gives-updates-on-preparation-efforts-ahead-of-tropical-storm-nicole/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Thursday that 16,000 linemen are staged to respond to power outages, along with an additional 600 guardsmen activated and seven search and rescue teams.
Florida&#8217;s State of Emergency has also been expanded to include 45 counties ahead of potential storm damage. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the initial executive order declaring a State of Emergency on Monday.
Many residents across Florida are still <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuations-announced-in-south-florida-ahead-of-tropical-storm-nicole" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recovering</a> from Hurricane Ian, which struck the Gulf Coast at the end of September. The storm devastated Fort Myers Beach, demolishing the pier. The causeway to Sanibel Island was also destroyed.
Ian moved across the state and up the eastern side of Florida, where it returned to hurricane strength and slammed into the Carolina coast. More than 100 people were killed in Florida and North Carolina during the hurricane.

Nicole

Over 1,200 Flights Canceled As Tropical Storm Nicole Hits Florida

Florida

Southwest Airlines

On Tuesday, United Airlines pilots rejected a contract offer, intensifying  fears that upcoming holiday airline travel may be impeded in a major way. That followed a vote on Monday by Delta Airlines pilots to call a strike for a new contract.
The United pilots were represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), which represents over 65,000 pilots at 40 U.S. and Canadian airlines.
“I want to thank the United pilots for their outstanding participation at this important moment in our history,” United Master Executive Council chair Capt. Mike Hamilton stated. “By the Company’s own admission, this agreement missed the mark. That’s why both parties agreed to reengage at the bargaining table for a new, improved agreement. It is vital United management recognizes that an industry-leading contract is required to hire, train, and retain the best pilots in the world for the United Next growth plan to succeed.”
But the pilots had a different perspective, <a href="https://www.alpa.org/news-and-events/news-room/2022-11-01-united-pilots-reject-tentative-agreement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a>, “Unfortunately, management has now taken a wait-and-see approach to negotiations instead of leading the industry forward. In the face of continued management delays, the United pilots will immediately begin a series of informational picketing events to bring the Company back to the bargaining table to finalize an agreement.”
“Today, Delta’s nearly 15,000 pilots sent a clear message to management that we are willing to go the distance to secure a contract that reflects the value we bring to Delta Air Lines as frontline leaders and long-term stakeholders,” Capt. Jason Ambrosi, chair of the Delta Master Executive Council, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/holiday-travel-season-delta-united-pilots-seek-new-contract-rcna55053" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> on Monday. “Delta has rebounded from the pandemic and is poised to be stronger than ever, posting record revenues for the third quarter. Meanwhile, our negotiations have dragged on for too long. Our goal is to reach an agreement, not to strike. The ball is in management’s court. It’s time for the Company to get serious at the bargaining table and invest in the Delta pilots.”
Before the Delta pilots can strike, the National Mediation Board has to conclude additional mediation efforts would not be productive. Both sides would be offered the route of arbitration, but if either side rejects that offer, a 30-day “cooling off” period is implemented. Then the pilots can strike.
According to a survey conducted by the travel guide <a href="https://thevacationer.com/thanksgiving-travel-survey-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Vacationer</a>, 43.37% of Americans plan to travel on either Thanksgiving or both Thanksgiving and Christmas. That percentage represents roughly 112 million American adults, a trifle more than the 109 million that made similar claims last year.

United Airlines’ Revenue Up 25 Percent Compared To 2019

Holiday Travel At Risk: United Airlines Pilots Reject Tentative Contract Offer

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