Latest news with #ZachWichter
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Why a United Airlines mayday isn't as scary as it sounds
When a United Airlines flight issued a mayday call shortly after departure, passengers onboard were doubtlessly scared. One of the Boeing 787's engines had failed, and the plane was forced to return to Washington Dulles International Airport, rather than continuing over the Atlantic to Munich, where it was bound that Friday evening. Fortunately, the plane landed safely, and no injuries were reported – a testament to effective pilot training and the overall safety of air travel. Any time a plane suffers a flight-disrupting incident, it has the chance to become front-page news, which is perhaps a sign of just how safe flying is. Scores of fatal car accidents go unreported by the national media every day, but a flight that returns to its departure airport, even if no one is hurt, seems worthy of our attention. Flying remains, by far, the safest way to travel in the U.S., as proven by the 2024 Transportation Statistics Report from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. 'Transportation incidents for all modes claimed 44,546 lives in 2022, of which all but 2,032 involved highway motor vehicles. Preliminary estimates for 2023 suggest a further decline in fatalities,' the report says. 'There were no deaths from crashes on large commercial airlines in 2023, but several hundred deaths occurred in crashes in general aviation, commuter air, and air taxi services.' In January, an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet over the Potomac River, killing 67 people between the two aircraft. It was an absolute tragedy, but also a statistical anomaly, and the first fatal crash of a commercial airliner in U.S. airspace in nearly 15 years. Is flying safe?: Here's what travelers should know. Airplanes are also designed with safety and redundancy in mind. The 787 that operated United's diverted flight on Friday is capable of flying for hours on a single engine. So, while pilots prioritized getting the plane back on the ground expeditiously, the aircraft itself would have been capable of reaching a runway much farther afield if needed. Pilots and cabin crews, too, are trained to keep safety at the forefront, and are almost always credited with assuring the best possible outcome when something goes awry. So, passengers should continue flying without too much concern. As the adage goes, you're much more likely to get injured on your drive to the airport than you are in the sky. 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@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Engine failure midair? Here's why flying is still the safest way
USA Today
01-08-2025
- USA Today
Some flights still canceled, delayed after storms slam Northeast
Air travel is getting back on track in the Northeast after heavy rain and floods pounded the region on July 31, but some flights are still being impacted. More than 600 U.S. flights have been canceled and over 2,100 have been delayed as of 10 a.m on Aug. 1, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines have the majority of cancellations with 7% and 2% of their schedules impacted respectively. Travelers should check their flight status before leaving for the airport. Here's what air travelers should know if their plans have been upended. Airline waivers More than 1,900 U.S. flights were cancelled and nearly 11,000 others were delayed on July 31. Delta, and United offered fee-free rebooking to travelers whose Northeast flights were impacted on July 31. American, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and Spirit don't have any active travel advisories listed as of Aug. 1. However, travelers whose flights are cancelled for any reason on any airline are eligible for rebooking or a refund if they choose to no longer fly, according to Department of Transportation rules. Will your carry-on get gate checked? How to tell in advance What happens if my flight is delayed? A DOT rule that went into effect in late October requires airlines to refund passengers if their flight is significantly delayed for reasons within the carrier's control – if they decide not to travel. Customers who choose to wait it out are eligible for various degrees of compensation including rebooking and possibly meal vouchers or overnight accommodations, depending on the scenario and airline. Again, that's if the delay was within the airline's control. Weather is outside of their control and not subject to the same level of compensation. Travelers can find airline-specific details on their carrier's website and the Transportation Department's Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard. Contributing: Zach Wichter, USA TODAY
USA Today
29-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Spirit Airlines to furlough 270 pilots in restructuring plan
Spirit Airlines announced plans to furlough about 270 pilots this fall as the company continues to find its financial footing after emerging from bankruptcy protection in March. The furloughs go into effect on Nov. 1, the U.S. pioneer of no-frills travel confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY Monday, July 28, adding that the decision will better support its flight staffing schedule. Additionally, the airline confirmed plans to downgrade the positions of 140 pilots as soon as Oct. 1. "We are taking necessary steps to ensure we operate as efficiently as possible as part of our efforts to return to profitability," the airline said. "We recognize the weight of this decision and are committed to treating all affected Team Members with compassion and respect during this process." The furloughs were first reported by Bloomberg News, which stated that the budget carrier has aimed to rebrand itself as a premium airline. Airline emerged out of bankruptcy in March The furloughs and downgrading come as the airline finished emerging from bankruptcy in March. In early 2024, a planned merger with JetBlue Airways valued at $3.8 billion fell through. Prearranged Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection granted the company a $350 million equity investment from existing bondholders. Last month, Spirit Airlines urged the Transportation Department to reject a proposed partnership between JetBlue Airways and United Airlines that would allow customers to book flights on both carriers' websites. Under the deal, travelers could also earn and use points interchangeably between their frequent flyer programs. Spirit accused the partnership of being anticompetitive, arguing that it would encourage other large carriers to follow suit. "This anticompetitive tie-up involving a dominant legacy carrier will neutralize the competitive benefit of an existing low-fare competitor," Spirit said. Contributing: Reuters and Zach Wichter, USA TODAY
The Herald Scotland
12-07-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Air India crash probe: Engines shut off moments after takeoff
The report also said that the pilots can be heard on the cockpit voice recorder, with one asking the other why he moved the switches to the cutoff position, and the other responding that he did not do so. The report did not specify how the switches were moved. Both switches were subsequently returned to the "run" position, and the engines were beginning their reignition process about 10 seconds before the pilots called out mayday and the crash occurred. 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@
USA Today
11-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Six Flags plans to close this 49-year-old California park in 2027. Is the Illinois one next?
Six Flags is likely to close its California's Great America park in Santa Clara, California, at the end of the 2027 season. The park's lease is coming to an end, and the company's chief financial officer, Brian Witherow, told investors in May that there were no current plans to extend the lease. 'Unless we decide to extend, and exercise one of our options to extend that lease, that park's last year without that extension would be after the '27 season,' he said during a question and answer session at the company's investor day this spring. The remarks were first reported by People. California's Great America was originally opened in 1976 by the Marriott Corporation and traded hands multiple times before coming under ownership by Cedar Fair in 2006. Cedar Fair and Six Flags merged in 2024. Cedar Fair had previously announced plans to close the park by 2033 after the operator sold the land to a logistics company, CBS News reported in 2022, but Six Flags decided to move up the closure date with the lease expiring. What's the status of Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois? There are no plans to shutter the Six Flags Great America located in Gurnee, Illinois, about 40 miles north of Chicago. According to reports from NBC Chicago, even though the park has merged with Cedar Fair and plans to close another park in Maryland, the Illinois park is slated to stay open. The Six Flags in Gurnee originally opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America before Six Flags took it over. Six Flags also announced in May that it would close Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in Maryland at the end of this season. The final day of operation for both of these parks will be Nov. 2, 2025. 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@
