June 8, 2017

An Air Canada flight from Calgary made an emergency landing in Seattle today. No injuries have been reported.

Reuters reports:

The crew aboard the Bombardier Inc Dash 8 plane reported seeing light smoke inside the cabin on the plane’s scheduled flight to Seattle from Calgary, and declared an emergency before landing at the airport without injuries, according to airport spokesman Perry Cooper.

Calgary resident Heather Hudson, 53, said she was a passenger on the flight and described a mild-smelling smoke appearing at the front end of the cabin and slowly filling the rest of the plane shortly before landing.

Flight attendants worked quickly to check the overhead bins for the source of the smoke, but did not appear to find it, Hudson told Reuters via Twitter direct message.

According to KIRO-TV:

Flight 8301 from Calgary landed safely at Sea-Tac at 8:28 a.m. Thursday.

Port of Seattle fire met the plane on the runway and the passengers were evacuated onto shuttles. No one was hurt.

The cause of the smoke is under investigation.

Air Canada released the following statement regarding the incident: Jazz Aviation operated this flight on behalf of Air Canada, under the Air Canada Express brand.

Upon descent into Seattle (from Calgary), the crew of flight Air Canada Express 8301 detected a slight haze in the cabin. The crew requested emergency landing priority as is our standard operating procedure. The aircraft landed safely and the crew performed an emergency evacuation, again as a precautionary measure. Passengers were deplaned safely and were bussed to the terminal. There were no injuries to passengers or crew members. The emergency vehicles met and inspected the aircraft upon arrival and found no fire. Our maintenance personnel will perform a thorough inspection of the aircraft to determine the cause.

We apologize to our passengers for the inconvenience caused. The aircraft was a Bombardier Q400 aircraft with 74 passengers and 4 crew members onboard.

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June 6, 2017

A man was shot after he tried to attack a police officer near Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The New York Times reports:

Visitors and worshipers at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris were told not to leave on Tuesday afternoon, and the square in front of the Gothic landmark was evacuated, following an unconfirmed report of a shooting.

A police officer had shot a man who tried to attack him with a hammer, according to Guillaume Biet, a reporter for the network Europe 1.

Other French journalists also reported that shots had been fired at the cathedral.

That account could not be immediately confirmed. The Paris police said only that a police operation was underway and that people should avoid the area.

According to BBC News:

French police say they have shot a man outside the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, after he tried to attack an officer using a hammer.

Police have closed the area and are asking people to stay away. Reports say the attacker has been injured and his condition is not clear.

Eyewitnesses reported tourists fleeing for cover.

France is in a state of emergency since attacks by jihadists in Paris left 130 people dead in 2015.

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June 6, 2017

A domestic flight in Australia was evacuated, today, due to a bomb hoax.

The BBC reports:

A Virgin Australia plane has been evacuated after a threatening note was found on a domestic flight from Sydney to Albury, police have said. Passengers were forced out an emergency exit window of the 68-seat plane after it landed safely in Albury on Tuesday. A male passenger, 30, was arrested and charged over a “document threatening death or grievous bodily harm”. Police did not disclose the alleged details of the note, found in a toilet, but said it was not terror-related. A Virgin Australia spokesman said flight VA1174 arrived safely at Albury airport and was met by police.

According to The Australian:

The arrested passenger was said to be calm throughout the flight. He read a novel and went to the bathroom once.

Local police congratulated cabin crew and passengers for the swift evacuation. “The plane landed at 9.35am and within five minutes we had the plane and the occupants secure and safe,” Albury commander Superintendent Evan Quarmby told reporters. “All of the occupants of the aeroplane were evacuated safely, very efficiently and should all be congratulated on the assistance they’ve given to police this morning.”

It was initially reported the doors of the plane were “ripped off” by authorities but Virgin later clarified they were opened from the inside, likely by cabin crew. Passengers were told to leave their luggage and jump about 1.2 metres from the exits onto the tarmac.

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June 6, 2017

Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, because of accusations it supports the Muslim Brotherhood – an Islamist group considered a terrorist organization by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain first cut ties on Monday morning. Egypt, Yemen, Libya’s interim government, and UAE, encouraged by Saudi authorities to do the same, quickly followed suit. They are preparing to expel diplomats, close off borders, and institute a travel ban on flights to and from the country. Kuwait and Oman are the only Gulf Cooperation Council members retaining ties.

The five major Gulf airlines have issued statements and travel waiver policies: Gulf Air, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and Saudia.

From Travel Leaders Group’s Airline Relations team:

Because of the recent political events, customers may feel uncomfortable flying QR to connecting points beyond Qatar. If that’s the case, please follow QR’s policy on refunds and rebook them on EK as the first option and EY as the second to any point beyond, not to Qatar. If they want a connection to DOH look at LH.

Qatar Airways flights will need to alter flight times to allow for different flight paths. Flights to/from the US will now go over Turkey and Iran.

According to BBC News:

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authorities have banned Qatari planes from landing or stopping at its airports, as well as crossing Saudi airspace.

Egypt has also closed off its airspace to flights originating from Qatar, and said all flights between the two countries would be halted from 04:00 GMT on Tuesday and “continue until further notice.”

Airlines from many of the affected countries, including Bahrain’s Gulf Air, Etihad Airways and Emirates, say they plan to cancel flights to and from the Qatari capital Doha starting from Tuesday morning.

Budget carriers, such as Fly Dubai and Air Arabia, have also cancelled routes to Doha.

Qatar Airways’ has arranged for three charter flights today from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – via Muscat – to Doha, Qatar. To learn more, go here.

The refund policy for Qatar Airways’ includes:

Passengers who have purchased their tickets from Qatar Airways have the following options to refund their tickets:

• 1. For tickets booked on qatarairways.com, they can: • Go to Refund requests;
• • They can approach their nearest Qatar Airways Office; or

• • They can call the Qatar Airways contact centre at +974 4023 0072.

• • 2. For tickets booked through a Qatar Airways Office or through the Contact Centre, passengers can • Contact their nearest Qatar Airways Office; or
  • • Call Qatar Airways Contact Centre on +974 4023 0072

The refund will be made to the original form of payment and the refund will be processed within 14 – 28 days. Passengers who have purchased their Qatar Airways tickets through a Travel Agency can request their refund from the issuing Travel Agent

Please contact the PR Team if you have any questions or concerns: TravelLeadersGroupPR@TravelLeaders.com.

June 4, 2017

London police arrested 12 people after yesterday’s London terror attack, which left seven people dead and 48 injured. Three suspects in a van had plowed through pedestrians on London Bridge. The attackers, wearing fake bomb vests, jumped from the van and stabbed people on the street and in bars in the Borough Market area.

According to the Transport for London, which operates the city trains, the London Bridge Underground station remained closed on Sunday, with service being offered by bus. Waterloo and City lines train service plans to resume Monday morning. There are partial closures for the London Overground, Hammersmith and other areas.

According to the BBC:

The arrests in Barking, east London, followed a raid at a flat belonging to one of the three attackers.

A white van hit pedestrians on London Bridge at about 22:00 BST on Saturday, then three men got out and stabbed people in nearby Borough Market. They were shot dead by police minutes later.

Condemning the attack, Theresa May said it was “time to say enough is enough”.

Controlled explosions were also carried out at the flat in Barking on Sunday morning.

According to neighbours, the dead attacker had lived there for about three years and was married with two children.

It is the third terror attack in the UK in three months, following the car and knife attack in Westminster in March, which left five people dead, and the Manchester bombing less than two weeks ago, in which 22 people were killed.

CBS News is reporting: A resort in Manila was placed on lockdown early Friday following reports of gunfire.

“Resorts World Manila is currently on lockdown following reports of gunfire from unidentified men,” the resort posted to its Twitter feed.

The U.S. State Department urged people to avoid the area.

Please contact the PR Team if you have any questions or concerns: TravelLeadersGroupPR@TravelLeaders.com.

June 1, 2017

Resorts World Manila is on lock down after gunfire and explosions erupted at the resorts-casino complex in Pasay City shortly after midnight. The number of injuries or the extent of injuries is unknown.

According to CNN:

The popular Filipino tourist site Resorts World Manila is on lockdown after reports of gunfire and explosions.

A masked gunman was on the second floor of one hotel, firing at guests, hotel employees fleeing the scene told CNN Philippines.

Police, fire trucks and SWAT teams were seen in the area at about 1:30 a.m. local time Friday. Heavily-armed SWAT officers wearing bullet proof vests and body armor also descended on the scene, Camille Abadicio of CNN Philippines said.

Resorts World Manila, also known as RWM, is a resort complex in Newport City, a residential and commercial center in metropolitan Manila.

RWM has an array of hotels, restaurants and bars. Tourists flock to the complex for its casino, shopping mall, cinema and theater.

CBS News is reporting:

A resort in Manila was placed on lockdown early Friday following reports of gunfire.

“Resorts World Manila is currently on lockdown following reports of gunfire from unidentified men,” the resort posted to its Twitter feed. The U.S. State Department urged people to avoid the area.

Please contact the PR Team if you have any questions or concerns: TravelLeadersGroupPR@TravelLeaders.com.

May 31, 2017

Last night, a JetBlue flight had to be diverted from its planned New York-San Francisco flight path to due to a fire in the cabin. The plane landed in Grand Rapids, MI, safely and there were no injuries.

NBC New York reports:

A JetBlue flight from New York to San Francisco landed in Michigan after a lithium battery in a passenger’s laptop apparently started a fire, authorities said.

No injuries were reported and the plane landed safely about 8:10 p.m. Tuesday at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids.

Flight 915, an Airbus A321 flying from John F. Kennedy Airport, was diverted “following reports of smoke emitting from a carry-on bag holding an electronic device,” JetBlue said in a statement.

Firefighters responded at the airport as a precaution, but the airport said the fire was out by the time the plane landed. Airport spokeswoman Tara Hernandez said the plane took off about 8:50 p.m. and continued the flight to San Francisco.

Please contact the PR Team if you have any questions or concerns: TravelLeadersGroupPR@TravelLeaders.com.

May 31, 2017

There are news reports stating that a Malaysia Airlines flight returned to Melbourne Airport after a passenger tried to enter the cockpit.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting:

A Malaysia Airlines flight departing Melbourne turned back and landed safely after just 20 minutes after a ‘disruptive’ passenger tried to enter the cockpit, according to the airline.

A statement from Malaysia Airlines said Flight MH128, which left Melbourne for Kuala Lumpur at 11.11 pm, was turned back “after the operating captain was alerted by a cabin crew of a passenger attempting to enter the cockpit.”

MH128 landed safely at Melbourne Airport at 11.41pm, the company said.

“The aircraft is currently on the remote bay and waiting for security assistance to arrive at the aircraft.”

Flights to Melbourne airport were being diverted, according to the 24-hour aviation monitoring website Flight Radar.

According to News.au.com:

A Malaysia Airlines plane has returned to Melbourne after a passenger reportedly tried to enter the cockpit, claiming to have explosives.

Aviation reporter Brendan Grainger tweeted that other passengers subdued the attacker and the Airbus A330 landed at Tullamarine Airport without anyone being hurt.

Melbourne Airport is now reportedly on lockdown with all flights being suspended.

MH128 left Melbourne at 11:27pm and reached 6400 feet before turning around and landing at 11:46p.

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May 25, 2017

A federal appeals court upheld an injunction that blocked President Donald Trump’s travel ban against six Muslim-majority countries.

According to CNN:

The 10-3 ruling from the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals upholds a lower court’s decision to halt core portions of the executive order indefinitely.

The ban was announced in March, but never got off the ground because federal courts blocked it just hours before it was set to go into effect. It would have banned people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the US for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days.

This was the Trump administration’s second attempt to install a travel ban. The first version, announced in January, also included Iraq.

Thursday’s ruling is the latest step on a likely trip to the Supreme Court. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals is also evaluating the travel ban in a separate appeal. The court has not indicated when it will rule, but the travel ban would not go into effect as long as one nationwide injunction remains in effect.

According to The New York Times:

The federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., on Thursday refused to reinstate President Trump’s revised travel ban, saying it discriminated on the basis of religion. The decision was a fresh setback for the administration’s efforts to limit travel from several predominantly Muslim countries.

Mr. Trump had narrowed the scope of his first executive order, issued in January, in response to an earlier appeals court decision halting it. But the basic flaws in his approach remained, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled.

Like the earlier order, the new one suspended the nation’s refugee program for 120 days and reduced to annual number of refugees to 50,000 from 120,000.

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May 25, 2017

Two planes’ wings collided on the tarmac last night at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, TX. No injuries were reported.

According to KVUE-TV (Austin’s ABC affiliate):

Two planes on the tarmac at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport bumped into each other’s wings Wednesday night, causing noticeable damage to at least one of the aircraft, airport officials confirmed.

According to ABIA, at 8:22 p.m., a United Airlines plane was taxing out of gate 19 while an American Airline’s plane was stationary at Gate 21 when, somehow, both plane’s wings collided.

American Airlines said in a statement that their aircraft had just arrived from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and was waiting to taxi to its gate. Six crew and 149 passengers were on board.

United Airlines said their plane was headed for Houston when the aircraft’s wings collided on the tarmac.

Officials said the extent of the damage to both planes is not known. Although officials added, the United aircraft does have visible damage to its wing tips.

There were no injuries in the collision and both planes were given permission to return back to their gates.

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