Latest news with #FortLauderdale-HollywoodInternationalAirport
Miami Herald
16-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Man jailed for pointing gun in Fort Lauderdale airport road rage, deputies say
A Dania Beach man is behind bars after deputies say he pointed a gun at a mother and daughter at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in a road rage incident. The road rage occurred around 7 p.m. April 29. Investigators say the woman had just picked up her daughter and was trying to leave the airport via the 300 block of Terminal Drive. As she tried to change lanes with her blinker on, deputies say 40-year-old John William Morici, driving a black Dodge Durango, sped up to block her from merging. The woman then slowed down and managed to get behind Morici's vehicle. Deputies say he abruptly slammed on his brakes, forcing her to switch lanes again. Moments later, the woman passed the Durango while her daughter recorded the incident on her cellphone. In the video, Morici is seen pointing a black handgun at the two before quickly hiding the weapon when he noticed the camera. He then fled toward South Federal Highway. Cellphone footage of the encounter was later released to the public to help identify Morici. On Thursday, Morici turned himself in at the BSO Main Jail. He has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. As of Friday afternoon, he remained in custody on a $30,000 bond.
Miami Herald
11-04-2025
- Miami Herald
JetBlue just added 2 routes at FLL for your summer travel. See flight details
Whether your summer plans are to finally taste an authentic cheesesteak or something more ambitious like tour the Galapagos Islands, you will soon have another way to get there. JetBlue is bringing back a pair of routes to South Florida. Beginning in July, the airline will run non-stop service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport and José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Flights are already available to book. One-way fares start at $69 and $119, the carrier said in an April 10 statement. A search on JetBlue's website at 5:15 p.m. April 10 turned up several one-way tickets for $69, including taxes and fees, from FLL to Philadelphia on July 21. The website also showed multiple one-way tickets from FLL to Guayaquil for $119 for the week of July 28. JetBlue will operate two daily Fort Lauderdale-Philadelphia flights beginning July 3. FLL-Guayaquil flights start July 17. The additions come as JetBlue has increased departures in South Florida by 6% from this time last year. They also come just over 12 months after JetBlue slashed several flights out of FLL, including to Atlanta, Austin, Kansas City, Nashville, New Orleans and Salt Lake City. That decision was made following a failed merger attempt with Spirit. The flight schedule ▪ FLL-Philadelphia Flight 2016 departs at 8 a.m. and arrives at 10:50 a.m. Flight 2202 departs at 4:10 p.m. and arrives at 7 p.m. ▪ Philadelphia-FLL p.m. Flight 429 departs at 11.45 a.m. and arrives at 2:35 p.m. Flight 217 departs at 7:55 p.m. and arrives at 10:45 p.m. ▪ FLL-Guayaquil Flight 1255 departs at 10 a.m. and arrives at 1:30 p.m. ▪ Guayaquil - FLL Flight 1256 departs at 2:40 p.m. and arrives at 8:09 p.m. What type of plane? Airbus A320 aircraft will serve both routes. Amenities include complimentary snacks and drinks and high-speed internet and entertainment at every seat. What does JetBlue say? 'The return of service from Fort Lauderdale to Philadelphia and Guayaquil reflects JetBlue's ongoing commitment to being able to respond to customer demand and strategic opportunity,' the company said in a statement. 'While these routes had previously been paused as part of a broader network optimization effort, shifts in market conditions and aircraft availability have allowed the airline to reinstate flying.' Daniel Shurz, head of revenue, network and enterprise planning at JetBlue, said ''We're not only making it easier for more customers to get to their favorite vacation destination, but also to connect with their family and friends, all while strengthening JetBlue's position as a preferred carrier in South Florida.' JetBlue and FLL The new flights are part of JetBlue's aggressive approach to FLL. And they come as things have slowed there for the carrier. In 2024, the airline carried 6.8 million passengers through FLL, a 2% drop from the year prior. In February 2025, JetBlue carried 1.06 million fliers, a 7% decline from February 2024. Still, last year, JetBlue had a 19% of market share among all airlines, finishing second only to Spirit, according to FLL. The two additional flights give JetBlue over 70 daily flights to over 30 destinations out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. That's 'the most flights of any airline this summer to the Caribbean and Latin America,' the airline said.
CBS News
03-04-2025
- CBS News
DNA testing identifies 2 people found dead in JetBlue landing gear at Fort Lauderdale airport
After nearly three months, authorities have identified two teens whose bodies were found in the landing gear area of a JetBlue aircraft at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Jeik Aniluz Lusi, 18, and Elvis Borques Castillo, 16, were discovered during a routine post-flight maintenance inspection in January, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Extensive DNA testing was used to confirm their identities, the sheriff's office said. The nationalities of the two stowaways haven't been released since their bodies were found on Jan. 6. On Jan. 9, Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica's minister of foreign affair and foreign trade, said on social media that the deceased were likely not Jamaican nationals , as it was initially reported by some outlets on the island. "Further information received, now indicates that the individuals are not Jamaican. We still, however, await formal reports as investigations continue," she wrote on her X account. Flight data showed the aircraft had a busy schedule, flying Sunday from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, to New York's JFK Airport. It then flew routes between Jamaica, New York, and Salt Lake City, Utah, before ending in South Florida. The stowaways' ability to hide in the JetBlue landing gear area was immediately considered a major security breach . The discovery of the two bodies reignited concerns about aviation security and the grim risks of such attempts. Instances of stowaways hiding in aircraft wheel wells have been documented for decades. Mary Schiavo, former inspector general of the Department of Transportation, revealed that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has tracked 128 cases worldwide from 1947 to 2020. Over 75% of those attempts ended in death due to the extreme dangers of the wheel well, including hypothermia, oxygen deprivation, and the risk of being crushed by landing gear mechanisms. "The most likely country for wheel-well stowaways used to be Cuba, often due to immigration or family reunification efforts," Schiavo said. "But the dangers are profound. Survivors may suffer long-term physical damage from the noise, lack of oxygen, or freezing temperatures." Schiavo emphasized the severe security implications of such breaches, particularly given the extensive surveillance and background checks required for anyone working on airport tarmacs. "The fact that this keeps happening is a serious aviation security violation," she said. The JetBlue incident mirrors a similar tragedy over the December 2024 holidays when a stowaway's body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Maui. At cruising altitudes of around 38,000 feet, wheel wells are unpressurized and unheated, with temperatures dropping well below freezing. Survival is rare, and fatalities are often caused by hypothermia or asphyxiation. Following the discovery of the two bodies found in January on the JetBlue flight, an aviation attorney and pilot said hiding in an airplane's undercarriage is one of the deadliest places a person can attempt to stow away. "It's very, very loud," John Gagliano said. "It's very cold, and there's no air to breathe. So, it's a very dangerous stunt to pull." The grim discovery shocked passengers. However, stowaways in landing gear compartments are not unheard of. In 2021, authorities in Miami found a man who survived a flight from Guatemala by hiding in a wheel well. "If someone is really determined to overcome security and they have the knowledge or someone helping them, it's certainly possible," Gagliano said. He emphasized that the landing gear area is treacherous for stowaways. There is no insulation from the deafening engine and wind noise, little oxygen at high altitudes, and plummeting temperatures. "At 30,000 feet, temperatures can drop 90 degrees colder than on the ground," Gagliano explained. "If it's 50 degrees on the ground, it's -42 degrees at cruising altitude. You're going to freeze to death at -42 degrees if you're there for any amount of time."
Miami Herald
01-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
How President Trump's Canada plans are affecting tourism and business in South Florida
Fewer Canadian tourists are coming to South Florida due to President Donald Trump's tariffs, possible travel registration and even talk of annexing the country as the 51st state. The issues are making many Canadians rethink spending their money in the United States. And that's hurting airlines and the Broward County tourism industry. FULL STORY: 'People are canceling reservations.' Canadian tourists rethink Florida trips due to Trump Here are the highlights: ▪ Flights: The political climate, including potential tariffs and travel restrictions, has strained the historically strong relationship between Canada and Florida, leading to a 20% drop in demand for flights from Canada to South Florida compared to the previous year. ▪ Arriving travelers: Passenger arrivals from Canada at Miami International Airport have decreased by 4% through March 23, with 5,405 fewer travelers compared to the same period in 2024. ▪ Plane seats: Airlines have reduced seat capacity between Canada and Miami International Airport by 13% in April, 17% in May, and 15% in June, indicating a significant drop in demand for flights. The reductions are even bigger for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: an 18% drop in seat capacity in April, 19% less in May and a 25% decrease in June, according to data by Cirium, an aviation analytics company. ▪ Tourists: The region annually receives about 1.1 million Canadian tourists, whose absence could significantly impact the local economy, according to Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale. ▪ Restaurants: Local businesses, such as Dairy Belle restaurant and ice cream parlor in Dania Beach, have experienced a slowdown, with owner Francois Grenier noting a slight decline in Canadian customers due to the weak Canadian dollar and rising costs in Florida. ▪ Business: The tourism decline is affecting business travel, with about 15 Canadian executives canceling their participation in a trade mission to Florida, impacting economic ties between the regions. ▪ Looking ahead: While the full impact is yet to be seen, tourism officials anticipate further declines, with Visit Florida reporting that Canadian visitation was 20% less than 2019 levels, although it had been recovering to near pre-pandemic levels before the recent downturn. The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Miami Herald newsroom. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by Miami Herald journalists.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Active criminal investigation' into Andrew Tate, brother Tristan: Florida AG
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Tuesday he has ordered state prosecutors to execute search warrants and issue subpoenas in the "nowactive criminal investigation" into influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate, after they arrived in the state from Romania. The announcement was first posted to X, saying, "Last week, I directed my office to work with our law enforcement partners to conduct a preliminary inquiry into Andrew and Tristan Tate." It continued, "Based on a thorough review of the evidence, I've directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to execute search warrants and issue subpoenas in the now-active criminal investigation into the Tate brothers." The brothers landed at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Feb. 27 after Romania lifted a travel restriction on them, despite its ongoing criminal investigations into the Tates for human trafficking and forming an organized criminal group with the goal of sexually exploiting women in two cases. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. The Tate brothers deny all charges against them. MORE: Andrew Tate and brother land in Florida, DeSantis says they're not welcome The two had been confined to Romania since late 2022 and were charged in both 2023 and 2024. Romanian officials announced that court restrictions prohibiting the brothers from leaving Romania while awaiting trial had been lifted, but that the charges against them remained in force. The Tates also face another criminal case in the United Kingdom, where an arrest warrant has been issued on separate allegations of human trafficking and rape. The UK government has faced calls to demand the Tates' extradition from the U.S. The Tates' release followed reports of lobbying by President Donald Trump's administration. Trump denied any knowledge of it when questioned by reporters about their arrival in the United States. But Romania's foreign minister has confirmed that Trump's special envoy, Richard Grenell, raised the brothers' case during a meeting in February, although he denied being pressured. Key Trump officials and allies, including Elon Musk and Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. have previously condemned the case against the Tates. The charges against the Tates remain in force and they will be expected to return to Romania for court appearances, according to a statement from Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT.) The agency warned that failure to observe the remaining judicial restrictions could result in harsher restrictions being instated. MORE: Andrew Tate, 'King of Toxic Masculinity,' faces 3 legal cases in 2 countries Despite other Trump allies' support for the Tates, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed surprise and anger at their arrival in Florida, telling reporters on the day that the Tates were "not welcome" given the conduct they are accused of. Uthmeier, the attorney general, said he had directed state law enforcement to investigate whether any of their alleged crimes relating to human trafficking and violence against women triggered Florida jurisdiction, and pledging to "hold them accountable" if so. One of the alleged victims at the center of one of the Romanian cases against Tate is a Florida woman. The American citizen has accused the Tates of luring her to Romania under the pretence of romantic relationship and then pressuring her into working as a pornographic webcam model, according to court documents. The Tates have denied the woman's accusations. It is unclear if the new Florida investigation involves the women's allegations. Uthmeier declined to give details on Tuesday but pledged to use "every tool" to hold the Tates accountable. "These guys have themselves publicly admitted to participating in what very much appears to be soliciting, trafficking, preying upon women around the world," he told a local reporter. "People can spin it however they want, but in Florida this type of behaviour is viewed as atrocious. We're not going to accept it." "If these guys did criminal activity here in Florida we will go after them with full force of law and hold them accountable," he said. A lawyer representing the Tates, Joseph D. McBride, condemned the investigation, accusing Uthmeier of making "inflammatory, biased" comments and claiming the case was politically motivated. "Today, Attorney General James Uthmeier threw ethics law out of the window when he publicly took a side in an ongoing Florida lawsuit where Andrew and Tristan Tate are suing a Florida woman," McBride, wrote on X, challenging the attorney general to present evidence. McBride blamed the new investigation on DeSantis, calling him "an angry, vertically challenged imp who hates Tate and Trump for being actual men. Attorney General Uthmeier is his pathetic lap dog." The Tates brought a defamation lawsuit against the Florida woman in the state in 2023, accusing her and her family of conspiring to damage their reputations by participating in the Romanian case. Last month, the woman brought her own countersuit against the Tates, accusing them of using the defamation lawsuit to try to silence victims. Both cases are currently pending. A lawyer for the Florida woman in the Romania case praised the attorney general's move to criminally investigate the Tates. "Florida AG Uthmeier is right to criminally investigate the Tate brothers who have publicly boasted about exploiting women yet have continuously sought to undermine the Romanian investigation into these crimes," Dani Pinter, senior vice president at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation said in a statement. "Over 40 victims have been identified across Romania, the United Kingdom, and the United States. They deserve justice. Florida's investigation is a positive step towards justice realized." One of the women who is an alleged victim at the center of one of the Romanian cases is an American woman who lives in Florida. It's unclear from Uthmeier's statement what the investigation is examining right now or how it might proceed. ABC News' Meredith Deliso and T. Michelle Murphy contributed to this report. 'Active criminal investigation' into Andrew Tate, brother Tristan: Florida AG originally appeared on
