American Airlines planes bump wings at Washington airport
American Airlines Flight 5490, a Bombardier CRJ 900 headed to Charleston, South Carolina, struck American Flight 4522, an Embraer E175 headed to New York's John F Kennedy International Airport, about 12:45pm (16:45 GMT) on Thursday, the FAA said. No injuries were reported.
Representative Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, said on social media that he was on the flight to New York when the incident occurred while waiting to take off on the runway.
The latest mishap at Reagan National will intensify scrutiny over how air traffic is handled at the airport just outside Washington, DC, which has the single busiest US runway.
The FAA will investigate. American Airlines said both aircraft taxied to the terminal and were taken out of service to be inspected by maintenance teams. The damage was limited to a winglet on each aircraft.
Passengers will board replacement aircraft to continue their trips, American added.There were 76 passengers and four crew members on the South Carolina-bound flight and 67 passengers and four crew on the New York-bound flight.
Operations at Reagan in Arlington, Virginia, have come under intense scrutiny since a fatal January 29 collision between an American Airlines regional jet and US army helicopter, killing 67 people. It prompted the FAA to impose permanent restrictions on helicopter traffic near the airport.
The FAA said this week that it installed a new management team to oversee air traffic control at Reagan National.
Senators last month pressed the FAA for failing to act on thousands of reports of helicopters in dangerous proximity to airplanes near Reagan.
Last week, the FAA said it may slow flight arrivals at Reagan after the collision. It is also increasing operational supervisor staffing from six to eight, and an FAA stress management team will visit the airport to offer confidential support for staff.
On March 28, a near-miss between a Delta Air Lines plane departing Reagan National and a group of air force jets approaching Arlington National Cemetery triggered a cockpit collision warning for the Delta plane, leading to renewed safety concerns and raising questions about why controllers allowed the Delta plane to depart.
Also last month, a fight occurred in the Reagan air traffic control tower, and an employee was arrested and placed on leave, the FAA said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
Trump's tariffs push US companies to the brink
Agencies When U.S. President Donald Trump announced tariffs on almost all trading partners in April, Ben Knepler contacted the factory in Cambodia producing his company's outdoor furniture. 'Stop production,' he ordered. The announcement involved a 10-percent levy on imports from most partners, set to rise further for many of them. For Cambodia, the planned duty was a staggering 49 percent. 'That night, we spoke to our factory,' Knepler told AFP. 'We literally cannot afford to bring our own product into the U.S. with that kind of tariff.' The decision was even more painful for Knepler and his Pennsylvania-based company, True Places, given that he had previously shifted production of his outdoor chairs to Cambodia from China, following tariffs on Chinese imports imposed by Trump during his first presidency. 'We were facing 25-percent tariffs in China, and there were zero-percent tariffs in Cambodia,' Knepler recalled. It took him a year to move the massive equipment and molds to Cambodia only to see another steep levy. With Trump's 'reciprocal' tariff hikes taking effect last Thursday, these Cambodia-made chairs face a lower -- though still significant -- 19 percent duty. Knepler's experience echoes that of many U.S. companies producing everything from yo-yos to clothing abroad, after years of offshoring American manufacturing. To cope, businesses use various strategies. Some pass on the new costs as a surcharge to customers. Others halted imports when duties reached prohibitive levels, hoping Trump would strike bilateral trade deals that would make their businesses viable again. Trump frames his tariffs as paid for by other countries, touting tens of billions in revenue this year -- but firms contest this description. 'We make the tariff payments when the product comes into the U.S.,' Knepler stressed. 'Before we sell it, we're the ones who pay that tariff.' Now saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt he took on to relocate the company's production to Cambodia, Knepler worries if his business will survive. He likens the rapid policy changes to spinning a 'wheel of misfortune,' resulting in a new tariff each time. Over four months this year, the planned tariff rate on Cambodian exports has gone from 0 to 49 percent, to 10 percent, to 36 percent, to 19 percent, he said. 'No one knows what it's going to be tomorrow,' he added. 'It's impossible to have any kind of confidence in what the rate will be in three- or four-months' time.' Economists warn that tariffs could fuel inflation and drag on growth. EY chief economist Gregory Daco noted that the duties effective Thursday raise the average tariff rate to 17.6 percent from 2.8 percent at the start of the year -— the highest level since the early 1930s. While Trump lauds the limited effects his duties have had on U.S. prices so far, experts say tariffs take time to filter through to consumers. Many of Trump's sweeping levies also face legal challenges over his use of emergency economic powers. The global tariffs are especially hard to avoid. Barton O'Brien said he accelerated production and borrowed money to bring in as much inventory as possible before Trump took office. On the election campaign trail, the Republican leader had floated a 60-percent tariff on imports from China, where O'Brien makes most of his products. The Maryland-based veteran selling dog harnesses and other accessories rented a container to ship as many products as he could before Trump's new tariffs would take effect. 'I had dog life jackets in the bathroom,' he told AFP. There is 'no way' to produce domestically, he said, adding that comparable American-made products sell for nearly six times his retail prices. He makes some items too in India and Vietnam. But Chinese products face an additional 30-percent duty this year, even under an extended truce now expiring in November. The rates for India and Vietnam are 25 percent and 20 percent respectively. 'If you look at the brands I compete with, we're all made in the same countries. We're all going to have to raise prices together,' said O'Brien.
Qatar Tribune
3 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
‘Stop production': Small firms battered by shifting US tariffs
Agencies When US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on almost all trading partners in April, Ben Knepler contacted the factory in Cambodia producing his company's outdoor furniture. 'Stop production,' he ordered. The announcement involved a 10-percent levy on imports from most partners, set to rise further for many of them. For Cambodia, the planned duty was a staggering 49 percent. 'That night, we spoke to our factory,' Knepler told AFP. 'We literally cannot afford to bring our own product into the US with that kind of tariff.' The decision was even more painful for Knepler and his Pennsylvania-based company, True Places, given that he had previously shifted production of his outdoor chairs to Cambodia from China, following tariffs on Chinese imports imposed by Trump during his first presidency. 'We were facing 25-percent tariffs in China, and there were zero-percent tariffs in Cambodia,' Knepler recalled. It took him a year to move the massive equipment and molds to Cambodia only to see another steep levy. With Trump's 'reciprocal' tariff hikes taking effect last Thursday, these Cambodia-made chairs face a lower—though still significant - 19 percent duty. Knepler's experience echoes that of many US companies producing everything from yo-yos to clothing abroad, after years of offshoring American manufacturing. To cope, businesses use various strategies. Some pass on the new costs as a surcharge to customers. Others halted imports when duties reached prohibitive levels, hoping Trump would strike bilateral trade deals that would make their businesses viable again. Trump frames his tariffs as paid for by other countries, touting tens of billions in revenue this year—but firms contest this description. 'We make the tariff payments when the product comes into the US,' Knepler stressed. 'Before we sell it, we're the ones who pay that tariff.' Now saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt he took on to relocate the company's production to Cambodia, Knepler worries if his business will survive. He likens the rapid policy changes to spinning a 'wheel of misfortune,' resulting in a new tariff each time. Over four months this year, the planned tariff rate on Cambodian exports has gone from 0 to 49 percent, to 10 percent, to 36 percent, to 19 percent, he said. 'No one knows what it's going to be tomorrow,' he added. 'It's impossible to have any kind of confidence in what the rate will be in three- or four-months' time.' Economists warn that tariffs could fuel inflation and drag on growth. EY chief economist Gregory Daco noted that the duties effective Thursday raise the average tariff rate to 17.6 percent from 2.8 percent at the start of the year—the highest level since the early 1930s. While Trump lauds the limited effects his duties have had on US prices so far, experts say tariffs take time to filter through to consumers. Many of Trump's sweeping levies also face legal challenges over his use of emergency economic powers. The global tariffs are especially hard to avoid. Barton O'Brien said he accelerated production and borrowed money to bring in as much inventory as possible before Trump took office. On the election campaign trail, the Republican leader had floated a 60-percent tariff on imports from China, where O'Brien makes most of his products. The Maryland-based veteran selling dog harnesses and other accessories rented a container to ship as many products as he could before Trump's new tariffs would take effect. 'I had dog life jackets in the bathroom,' he told AFP. There is 'no way' to produce domestically, he said, adding that comparable American-made products sell for nearly six times his retail prices. He makes some items too in India and Vietnam. But Chinese products face an additional 30-percent duty this year, even under an extended truce now expiring in November. The rates for India and Vietnam are 25 percent and 20 percent respectively. 'If you look at the brands I compete with, we're all made in the same countries. We're all going to have to raise prices together,' said O'Brien.
Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
US, China extend tariff truce by another 90 days, markets rally
Agencies The U.S. and China on Monday extended their tariff truce for another 90 days, preventing a hike on imports of each other's goods as U.S. retailers get ready to ramp up inventories ahead of the critical end-of-year holiday season. Bourses in Asia rallied on Tuesday, with Tokyo hitting a new record, as investors welcomed the extension of the truce but looked ahead apprehensively to the release of key U.S. inflation data later in the day. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he had signed an executive order suspending the imposition of higher tariffs until 12:01 a.m. EST (05:01 a.m. GMT) on Nov. 10, with all other elements of the truce to remain in place. China's Commerce Ministry issued a parallel pause on extra tariffs early on Tuesday, also postponing for 90 days the addition of U.S. firms it had targeted in April to trade and investment restriction lists. 'The United States continues to have discussions with the PRC to address the lack of trade reciprocity in our economic relationship and our resulting national and economic security concerns,' Trump's executive order stated, using the acronym for the People's Republic of China. 'Through these discussions, the PRC continues to take significant steps toward remedying non-reciprocal trade arrangements and addressing the concerns of the United States relating to economic and national security matters.' The tariff truce between Beijing and Washington had been due to expire on Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. EDT (04:01 GMT). The extension until early November buys crucial time for the seasonal autumn surge of imports for the Christmas season, including electronics, apparel and toys at lower tariff rates. The new order prevents U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from increasing to 145%, while Chinese tariffs on U.S. goods were set to rise to 125%: rates that would have resulted in a virtual trade embargo between the two countries. It locks in place – at least for now – a 30% tariff on Chinese imports, with Chinese duties on U.S. imports at 10%. 'We'll see what happens,' Trump told a news conference earlier on Monday, highlighting what he called his good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. China said the extension was 'a measure to further implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their June 5 call,' and would provide stability to the global economy. Trump told CNBC last week that the U.S. and China were getting very close to a trade agreement and he would meet with Xi before the end of the year if a deal was struck. 'It's positive news,' said Wendy Cutler, a former senior U.S. trade official who is now a vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. 'Combined with some of the de-escalatory steps both the United States and China have taken in recent weeks, it demonstrated that both sides are trying to see if they can reach some kind of a deal that would lay the groundwork for a Xi-Trump meeting this fall.' The two sides in May announced a truce in their trade dispute after talks in Geneva, Switzerland, agreeing to a 90-day period to allow further talks. They met again in Stockholm, Sweden, in late July, and U.S. negotiators returned to Washington with a recommendation that Trump extend the deadline. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said repeatedly that the triple-digit import duties both sides slapped on each other's goods in the spring were untenable and had essentially imposed a trade embargo between the world's two largest economies. 'It wouldn't be a Trump-style negotiation if it didn't go right down to the wire,' said Kelly Ann Shaw, a senior White House trade official during Trump's first term and now with law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. She said Trump had likely pressed China for further concessions before agreeing to the extension. Trump pushed for additional concessions on Sunday, urging China to quadruple its soybean purchases, although analysts questioned the feasibility of any such deal. Trump did not repeat the demand on Monday. 'The whole reason for the 90-day pause in the first place was to lay the groundwork for broader negotiations and there's been a lot of noise about everything from soybeans to export controls to excess capacity over the weekend,' Shaw said. Ryan Majerus, a former U.S. trade official now with the King & Spalding law firm, said the news would give both sides more time to work through longstanding trade concerns. 'This will undoubtedly lower anxiety on both sides as talks continue, and as the U.S. and China work toward a framework deal in the fall,' he said. Imports from China early this year had surged to beat Trump's tariffs, but dropped steeply in June, Commerce Department data showed last week. The U.S. trade deficit with China tumbled by roughly a third in June to $9.5 billion, its narrowest since February 2004. Over five consecutive months of declines, the U.S. trade gap with China has narrowed by $22.2 billion, a 70% reduction from a year earlier. Washington has also been pressing Beijing to stop buying Russian oil to pressure Moscow over its war in Ukraine, with Trump threatening to impose secondary tariffs on China.
