Latest news with #SpokaneInternationalAirport
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man gets two-year sentence for bomb hoax that forced airliner to divert to Spokane
May 22—A 40-year-old man whose bomb threat aboard a Seattle-bound flight forced the plane to land at the Spokane International Airport was sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Eastern Washington. Brandon L. Scott, who has been jailed since the July 5, 2023, flight, was given credit for time served and will be released Tuesday, according to court documents. He will then enter mental health treatment, according to Rob Curry, spokesman for the attorney's office. Scott was a passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight from Atlanta to Seattle, the attorney's office said in a news release. During the flight, Scott handed a flight attendant a note that said in part: "There is a bomb on the plane. This is not a joke. Several pounds of homemade explosives are in my carry-on bag. I have a detonator with me. Handle this matter carefully and exactly how I say, otherwise I will detonate the explosives and kill everyone on board. You are to alert the pilot to this note and keep the issue to yourself. Many innocent lives are in your hands, do as I demand and everyone will live. Deviate and the consequences will be deadly for all of us. I have nothing left to lose." The note included instructions to reroute the plane from its destination in Seattle and land at another airport. The flight attendant alerted the pilots of the plane to the threat. They then alerted Air Traffic Control, which diverted the flight to the Spokane airport. The airport placed a ground stop on all aircraft, resulting in significant delays to other departing and arriving aircraft. Scott was arrested at the airport and admitted to what he did, the release said. No explosive materials or devices were found on the plane. "Threatening the safety of a commercial flight is a serious federal crime that puts lives at risk, disrupts national air travel, and drains emergency resources," Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Barker said in the release. "Mr. Scott's actions caused widespread disruption and alarm, and this case underscores our commitment to protecting the safety of passengers and airline personnel in Eastern Washington and across the country." Scott pleaded guilty in February to the charge of false information and conveying a hoax bomb threat, according to documents. U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice, who sentenced Scott Wednesday, imposed three years of supervised release and $79,449.47 in restitution to Alaska Airlines and the Spokane International Airport. "The threat made by Mr. Scott ended up being a hoax, but he is finding it had real-life consequences," said W. Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI's Seattle field office. "Fortunately, his actions did not result in anyone being hurt. I am grateful that the flight landed without incident in this case and applaud the flight crew for the professional manner in which they handled a potentially dangerous situation."
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cooler weather giving way to hot Memorial Day forecast
May 20—The Memorial Day weekend in the Spokane area should be, as far as weather is concerned, one to remember. While an odd pattern may thrust much of the nation into cooler-than-average temperatures, warmer weather should arrive by the end of this week and move into the 80sfor Monday, said Jeremy Wolf, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. "We are going to stay in this cooler, showery pattern through Thursday," Wolf said. "But that weather system moves out as we go into Friday and a larger system sets up off the coast and bumps up a high-pressure ridge over us. "That allows temperatures to warm up over the Memorial Day weekend." The normal high for this time of year in Spokane, as measured at Spokane International Airport, is 69 degrees. That means the highs through this week, which will be about 60 on Thursday before moving to the upper 60s on Friday, will remain cooler than normal. But the high will reach the upper 70s by Sunday and the low 80s for Monday, Wolf said. Burst of cool Internationally, a heat dome over the North Atlantic drove temperatures up to nearly 80 degrees in eastern Iceland last week. But this unusual pattern of warmth near the Arctic Circle is driving the cool spell for the United States, as chilly air is displaced much farther south this week. That air will spill over the central and eastern United States and help spawn potent storms and severe weather. On Monday, several areas across the central states reported storm damage following several days of deadly conditions. In the days ahead, areas from Minneapolis to Boston will be soaked, with a risk for flooding and severe storms in several states, including Missouri and Kentucky, where deadly tornadoes recently occurred, according to the Washington Post. The lows will also briefly make it feel more like March than May from Montana to Maine. Daytime temperatures may struggle to reach 50 degrees in the Northeast on Thursday, near record lows for the time of year. When the storm reaches the Eastern Seaboard on Thursday, it will probably become a nor'easter, a type of coastal storm more typical in winter, bringing wind-driven heavy rain. On Wednesday and Thursday, the stormy weather will focus over the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with heavy rain for areas in the Appalachians flooded by last week's deadly atmospheric river. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible, with some of the heaviest totals forecast in western Pennsylvania and the panhandles of West Virginia and Maryland. On Thursday, a coastal storm called a nor'easter will form, bringing heavy, windswept rain and travel delays from New York to Boston. As a result, the daytime temperatures won't get much past 50 degrees in the Northeast because of a forming nor'easter, potentially breaking a few records. Local outlook After Monday, a little more weather uncertainty returns to the Inland Northwest. "It does look like we may cool down into Tuesday. Whether that's a few degrees or several degrees remains undetermined," Wolf said. "We are heading to a drier pattern," Wolf said. "We are looking for showers on Thursday. But the rainfall amounts will be on the lighter side. Other than that, we are expecting little to no precipitation through Memorial Day weekend." That forecast is for lower areas. "If you go up into the Mountains, there is a 20 to 30% chance of showers," he said. "But for the most part, it's looking like a pretty dry pattern." For May, which has been marked by several small rain events, the Spokane area has received about .87 inches of rain, which is just shy of the normal rainfall of .88 inches for the month. Following a dry April, the region has received 6.68 inches of rain since the start of the year. That's about three-quarters of an inch below the normal rainfall of 7.37 for this time of year, Wolf said. The Washington Post contributed to this report.
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Terrifying sound that filled Delta plane cabin as jet was forced to abort landing with seconds to spare
Passengers onboard a Delta flight were frightened as a terrifying sound filled the cabin seconds before they were supposed to land in Washington. Delta Flight 1452 had to circle around Spokane International Airport despite confirming its descent with air traffic control. The pilot did not say why he was aborting the landing, but the aircraft managed to circle around and land safely the second time. Upon re-ascending, a sound filled the cabin as the engines began to work again to give the aircraft enough power to rise again. 'We weren't crazy low, but we were low enough,' passenger Howard Mazzafro told KHQ. 'You could hear the engines kind of gunning themselves... I haven't had that happen for a long time and I'm a pretty frequent flyer. 'It tripped people up a little bit.' It is unclear what caused the pilots to circle rather than land, but some passengers believe it was due to another plane being on the runway. has reached out to Delta for comment. There has been increased anxiety among fliers recently due to many close calls and several deaths from collisions. However, Captain J. Joseph, of Alabama, told in February: 'It still is [safe to fly].' 'The most dangerous part of your trip is [driving down the] highway to the airport,' he told The former pilot said it's 'completely understandable' to be nervous after seeing the various crashes happening over the last few months, but lamented it's 'not a trend, just an uptick.' His best tip for nervous fliers is be reassured in the numbers and the knowledge that the crew is 'well-trained.' Although he admits flight safety can 'always get better,' he doesn't believe fliers should be more concerned now than they were before.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Weekend rain could lead to slush and floods after snowstorms in Spokane area
Feb. 21—The Spokane-area winter will officially transition this weekend from snow-and-cold to warm-and-wet. A wave of weather systems will bring rain Saturday, Sunday and Monday into Tuesday that should bring up to an inch of rain. In addition, periods of breezy conditions early in the week, coupled with thawing wet soils, could cause some trees to uproot. "Our soil temperatures will be inching above freezing," said Laurie Nisbet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "With super-saturated ground, and breezy conditions, there could be some concerns for tree damage on Tuesday." Pushed by a weather system coming in from the Pacific Ocean, the lows starting Saturday will remain higher than normal and above freezing in the Spokane area, Nisbet said. "The high temps will be in the 40s to around 50, maybe above 50 in some of the lower parts around Spokane," she said. Rain will also come in shifts, along with periods of wind. Those breezy conditions are projected to bring gusts as high as 20 to 30 mph over the weekend and as high as 35 mph on Tuesday, she said. "We will see three different waves of rain. The first is Saturday, then the second is Saturday evening through Sunday," Nisbet said. "Then there's a break Monday morning, and the third system comes Monday afternoon through Tuesday." Spokane could get about an inch of rain, with 1.4 inches forecast for Coeur d'Alene and 1.25 inches in Deer Park, she said. The snow level is rising to about 3,500 feet on Saturday and 5,500 feet on Sunday, with most area mountains getting rain, as well. The system should also hit the Palouse with similar amounts. Nisbet noted that Paradise Creek, which flows from Moscow, Idaho, to Pullman, is projected to reach flood stage. On Friday, the city of Moscow Public Works Department sent a news release saying that city officials were monitoring Paradise and Hogg creeks and the South Fork of the Palouse River with the upcoming warm and wet weather. They asked residents to watch for lowland flooding and clogged storm drains in certain areas. Nisbet said the same conditions could lead to problems in Spokane. She noted that Spokane International Airport still had 7 inches of snow on the ground as it entered the weekend. "So, with the warm temperatures and breezy winds, it's going to eat away all of the snow on the ground," she said. "Not only are we going to get three-quarters of an inch of rain, but we will have all that melting snow added to it as well. "That's getting closer to 2 inches of water. That raises concerns for low-lying fields and drainages. If you have storm drains that are blocked from pine needles, it could cause problems." Water gathering on roadways may cause added hazards because drivers will not be able to avoid hidden potholes, Nisbet said. The rainfall will add to a region that remains about 3 inches above average for moisture this time of year. "I would say after this event, we will continue to be well ahead on rainfall for our area," she said. "We'll know the final numbers next week."
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More people traveled through Spokane International Airport than ever in 2024
Feb. 20—Spokane International Airport set a new record for air travel in 2024. More than 4.26 million passengers used the airport last year, which marked a slight increase over the 4.13 million users that set the previous record in 2023, according to an airport news release. The new benchmark was reached after the airport opened the Concourse C west terminal expansion, which added 800 new parking stalls. Ezra Eckhardt, the president and CEO of STCU who also serves as the Spokane Airport Board chair, noted the accomplishment in the release. "2024 was the first step in a bold new era for Spokane International Airport — one marked by growing air service connectivity, continuing infrastructure investments, and the introduction of a new airport experience brought to life through the Airport's TREX Program," Eckhardt said in the release. Work was completed on the Concourse C west terminal expansion, which was the first phase of the airport's Terminal Renovation and Expansion Program that it refers to as TREX. It added three new gates, a similar number of ticket counters and several amenities for passengers at the airport's existing terminal facility. Work also began on the next phase, or the Concourse C east terminal expansion, which will replace existing ground-boarding gates with new passenger boarding bridges and upgrade the concourse's gates to reflect the new terminal's look and feel, according to the release. Officials indicated they expect passenger traffic to grow in 2025. So far, the number of airline seats already reserved for travel is 15% higher than this time in 2024. Some of that boost comes as carriers — including American, Southwest, Frontier and Allegiant airlines — have added new travel options. "We are thankful for every passenger who chose to make (the Spokane airport) part of their 2024 travel and look forward to continuing this momentum into what we anticipate will be yet another transformational year," Eckhardt said in the release. Spokane International Airport is jointly owned by the city of Spokane and Spokane County. It's the second-largest commercial airport in Washington and provides jobs for about 3,000 people. However, it currently operates without a leader. Spokane Airports CEO Larry Krauter announced in November that he had accepted the similar job of CEO of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, which is located across the Ohio River from Cincinnati in Hebron, Kentucky. Todd Woodard, the marketing and public affairs director at the airport, said in an email that Krauter's last day in Spokane was February 10 and that the Airport Board has contracted with the ADK Consulting & Executive Search, which is primarily based in Jacksonville, Fla., to help find Krauter's replacement. Woodward did not provide further details. Krauter, who also oversaw operations at Felts Field and Spokane Airport Business Park, had held the job since 2011. Krauter did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment. As for the record travel, it marked only the third time that the airport has topped 4 million passengers. It approached that mark in 2018, with 3.98 million passengers, and then passed the 4 million-passenger threshold in 2019. However, in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, airport traffic was cut in half. Passenger use increased in 2021 and 2022, but it didn't again pass the 4 million mark until it set the previous record of 4.13 million in 2023, according to data provided by the airport.
