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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: Northwest Airlines

Northwest Airlines stories: 38 news summaries

1 - 20 of 38 Stories | 1 2 Next >>

Runaway Plane

FAA Admits Flubs on Wandering Northwest Flight

Miscommunication marked regulator's response to stray airliner

(Newser) - The FAA should have taken more decisive action on the Northwest Airlines flight that fell out of communication with ground control for 77 minutes last month, officials acknowledged today. While the plane was out of contact, air-traffic controllers changed shifts and failed to warn their replacements about the runaway plane.... More »

RUNAWAY PLANE

FAA Revokes Northwest Pilots' Licenses

Distracted duo have 10 days to appeal

(Newser) - The distracted pilots of Northwest Airlines Flight 188 are no longer pilots: the FAA today announced it has revoked the licenses of Timothy Cheney, 53, and Richard Cole, 54, for the incident last week in which the pair overshot their destination airport by 150 miles. The pilots, who attributed the... More »

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runaway plane

Northwest Pilots Were Working on Laptops: NTSB

Captain, first officer deny falling asleep in cockpit

(Newser) - The pilots of the Northwest flight that wandered 150 miles past its destination were working on their personal laptops in the cockpit, a violation of company policy. The two denied falling asleep and could hear the radio when they fell out of communication with ground personnel, they told NTSB investigators... More »

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 Naptime Nothing New for Pilots 

Cole, Cheney interview by NTSB investigators

(Newser) - Pilot naps and arguments are hardly unique in airline screw ups, statistics reveal as investigators try to figure out what caused Northwest Airlines flight 188 to overshoot its destination airport by 155 miles. Pilots Timothy Cheney and Richard Cole, who were interviewed yesterday NTSB investigators, claim they missed the Minneapolis... More »

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runaway plane

Northwest Pilot:
We Weren't Sleeping

But he won't offer more details on why they overshot airport

(Newser) - One of the pilots of the infamous Northwest flight that missed the airport says neither he nor his co-pilot were napping. "I can assure you none of us was asleep," says Richard Cole, who gave separate interviews to ABC and the AP. "It was not a serious... More »

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runaway plane

Cockpit Recorder No Help in Northwest Flight Probe

Device captures just half an hour; record of 78-minute gap lost

(Newser) - Because the aircraft has an old cockpit voice recorder, the world may never know why the pilots of Northwest Flight 188 lost contact with ground control for 78 minutes. The recorder on the Airbus A320 has a maximum memory of 30 minutes, after which it tapes over itself. So investigators... More »

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runaway plane

Flight Attendant: 'I Have No Idea' When We're Landing

Investigation continues into errant Northwest flight

(Newser) - The passengers aboard the Northwest flight that overshot the Minneapolis airport by 150 miles—possibly while the pilots napped—didn't have a clue anything was amiss beyond a nagging sense that the flight was taking a long time. One tells the Star Tribune that he asked about it, and a... More »

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Pilots May Have Dozed Off Before Landing

Feds open investigation after plane overshoots airport by 150 miles

(Newser) - Travel regulators suspect the pilots of a Northwest Airlines flight fell asleep in the cockpit yesterday. First clue: Controllers lost contact with the plane for more than an hour as it overshot its destination by 150 miles. The jet, en route from San Diego with 147 passengers aboard, finally turned... More »

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ANALYSIS

Aging Airlines Can't Catch Up to Younger Rivals

Recent changes haven't helped 'legacy' carriers

(Newser) - Despite many rounds of cost-cutting, so-called legacy airlines—United, Delta, US Airways—still face costs 35% higher than low-fare carriers like JetBlue and Southwest, the Wall Street Journal reports. The younger outfits have maintained a “cost gap” analysts thought their older peers could close over time. For one thing,... More »

 Baby Born on 
 Transatlantic Flight 

Passengers cheer as Boston-bound flight gets an extra passenger

(Newser) - Passengers on a Boston-bound plane from Amsterdam got a New Year's surprise when a woman on board went into labor, the Boston Herald reports. Two doctors on the flight informed the pilot that the baby would come before the aircraft could make an emergency landing. Passengers cheered after the woman... More »

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 Feds OK Delta-Northwest Deal 

Merger would create world's largest airline

(Newser) - Delta’s $2.6 billion offer to buy Northwest Airlines has passed the scrutiny of federal antitrust regulators. Ensuing labor issues aside, official say the merger—which creates the world’s most patronized airline—would not "substantially lessen competition" and will benefit customers, Reuters reports. More »

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 Paws Célèbre Land in US 

Baghdad pup en route to savior soldier's home

(Newser) - The friendly black mutt credited with helping a soldier survive her tour of duty in Iraq stepped out of a crate, tail wagging, as he arrived in the US yesterday following an international battle over his refugee status. Ratchet was rescued from burning trash in Iraq by soldier Gwen Beberg.... More »

 Baghdad Pup Going 
 Home to His Sarge 

Army allows Minnesota soldier to keep rescued dog

(Newser) - A dog rescued from almost certain death by soldiers in Baghdad will be reunited with the US Army  sergeant who adopted him. Military regulations had prevented Sgt. Gwen Beberg, 28, from sending the dog, Ratchet, to the US, but yesterday the SPCA was allowed to fly Ratchet to Kuwait on... More »

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Shareholders OK
Delta-Northwest Merger

Deal awaits approval from antitrust regulators

(Newser) - Shareholders of Delta and Northwest voted nearly unanimously today to approve the airlines' merger, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. With shareholders in agreement, federal antitrust regulators must now approve the deal. A Justice Department decision is expected late this year, but labor issues remain. Dozens of workers protested today outside the... More »

 Another United Merger Crashes 

Talks with US Airways on permanent hold

(Newser) - A proposed merger between United Airlines and rival US Airways has collapsed, just a month after a deal between United and Continental fell apart. Some analysts predicted the rising cost of jet fuel would power merger deals, but the failed negotiations have raised serious questions about the success of future... More »

Planes Slowing Down
to Save on Fuel Costs

Airlines save millions by adding extra minutes to flights

(Newser) - As airlines feel the pain of higher energy prices, planes are slowing down to save fuel, the AP reports. Southwest, for instance, will save $42 million by adding a few minutes to each flight this year, and passengers are unlikely to notice. But it’s no cure-all: Labor costs go... More »

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Delta, Northwest Execs: Merger Would Ease
Gas Burden

Dems skeptical, see 'cascade' of deals

(Newser) - The CEOs of Delta and Northwest took their case for a merger to Capitol Hill today, where they argued that they would be better equipped to deal with surging gas prices as a single company. Both businesses had big first-quarter losses, and the executives told lawmakers they’d be better... More »

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United and Continental May Be Next to Merge

Delta-Northwest deal likely to spark more consolidation

(Newser) - The Delta-Northwest merger will create the world's biggest airline—but that title could fall before the ink is even dry on the deal as industry pressures force other carriers into shotgun weddings, the Houston Chronicle reports. Analysts believe United and Continental would be a good match and a deal between... More »

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UPDATED

 Delta, Northwest
 Approve Merger 

Execs forging ahead without pilot approval

(Newser) - Delta and Northwest Airlines execs agreed today to merge their companies into the world's largest airline, the New York Times reports. Delta CEO Richard Anderson will lead the new company, called Delta, if Northwest shareholders approve the transaction. The $3.1 billion deal would give Northwest shareholders 1.25 Delta... More »

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Delta, Northwest Close to Merger After Revived Talks

But pilot dispute could put deal on the skids

(Newser) - Delta and Northwest Airlines are readying a merger that could be announced as soon as Tuesday, reports the Wall Street Journal. But disputes over the deal’s financial terms and handling of pilot seniority threaten to scuttle the union. Negotiations between the two carriers broke down last week but... More »

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1 - 20 of 38 Stories | 1 2 Next >>