Latest news with #LauraSwift
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Lightning possibly hit Southwest plane flying from Tampa to Denver, airline says
DENVER, Colo. – Southwest Airlines said Monday that a plane flying from Florida to Colorado was possibly struck by lightning mid-flight. According to the airline's public relations team, Flight 186 was traveling from Tampa International Airport to Denver International Airport when the possible lightning strike happened. The aircraft was able to land safely with no injuries, according to Southwest. Memorial Day Storm Threat Grows As Millions Head Home After Busy Holiday Weekend "Our maintenance teams took the aircraft out of service for inspection," said Laura Swift, a spokesperson for the airline. Severe storms are playing out across a large swath of the southern U.S. as millions of people travel for Memorial article source: Lightning possibly hit Southwest plane flying from Tampa to Denver, airline says
CBS News
26-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Southwest Airlines investigating possible lightning strike of plane flying to Denver International Airport
Southwest Airlines said lightning might have struck a plane that was headed to Denver International Airport from Tampa, Florida on Sunday. No one was injured and the plane was able to land safely, but the plane has been grounded while crews look for damage and investigate what happened. "On May 25, Flight 168 from Tampa International Airport to Denver International Airport sustained a possible lightning strike while inbound to DEN and landed safely," Laura Swift, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, told CBS News Colorado on Monday. "Our maintenance teams took the aircraft out of service for inspection. There were no injuries." Southwest Airlines planes are seen at Denver International Airport, Colorado on Oct. 20, 2023. Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Flight data from flight tracking service FlightAware shows the plane took off at 6:54 p.m. EDT, over two hours after it was scheduled to, and landed at 8:23 p.m. MDT, arriving at its gate 13 minutes later. It's not immediately clear where the possible lightning strike occurred, but the plane's mapped course shows it flying over a storm system in central Louisiana and east Texas about halfway through the flight. That area experienced severe weather Sunday evening.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- USA Today
Southwest Airlines announces new onboard battery policy. Here's what to know.
Southwest Airlines announces new onboard battery policy. Here's what to know. Show Caption Hide Caption Southwest Airlines unveils new checked bag fees and basic fare options Southwest Airlines will charge for checked bags and introduce a new basic fare tier, aligning with industry standards and enhancing revenue growth. Scripps News Southwest Airlines will require passengers to keep portable chargers visible while in use. This new policy aims to reduce the risk of fire from overheating chargers. The policy change follows several incidents of battery fires on U.S. airlines. Southwest Airlines is introducing a new battery policy in its cabins starting next week, which will require passengers to keep portable chargers visible when they're in use onboard. "Using portable charging devices while stored in a bag or overhead bin will no longer be permitted," Laura Swift, a Southwest spokesperson, told USA TODAY in a statement. "Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees." According to the airline, the new policy is meant to reduce the risk of fire onboard. Federal Aviation Administration statistics show that there have been at least 16 incidents involving batteries overheating or fires on U.S. airlines this year, with at least three of those involving portable battery packs. The most recent incident involving a portable battery pack was reported on an American Airlines flight from Indianapolis to Los Angeles on April 9. According to the FAA, a passenger's portable charger began to overheat and caught fire. The device was placed in a thermal containment bag and the flight diverted to Chicago. No injuries were reported, but the aircraft sustained minor damage. "In the rare event a lithium battery overheats or catches fire, quick access is critical," Southwest's statement said. "Keeping power banks in plain sight allows for faster intervention and helps protect everyone onboard." While the policy doesn't officially go into effect until May 28, Southwest passengers may notifications about it in their apps sooner as the airline prepares for implementation. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@
