Trains, Planes & Autos

(Newser) - Anybody who wondered how Skybus could make money with its famous $10 airfares can stop: they didn't. The Ohio-based airline has become the latest US carrier to go bankrupt in the face of soaring fuel costs and a sluggish economy, the Columbus Dispatch reports. It made its last flight yesterday and passengers boarding planes were warned their return tickets had suddenly become one-way. More »

(Newser) - Boeing has successfully tested the world’s first manned, hydrogen-powered plane, the BBC reports, with one executive calling the three flights in Spain “a historical technological success.” The propeller-driven two-seater runs on a hydrogen fuel cell that emits only heat and water. Boeing engineers say they doubt the cells alone could power full-scale passenger planes. More »

(Newser) - Northwest Airlines is jacking up fares and fees and scaling back domestic operations, the Wall Street Journal reports. The airline, trying to deal with soaring fuel costs and a slowing economy without instituting pay cuts, also plans to freeze hiring. Northwest will keep adding international flights, but will add fuel surcharges as high as $160. More »

(Newser) - In a move to make drivers of gas-guzzlers “pay for the environmental damage they cause,” London’s mayor is imposing a CO2 charge: beginning in October, every private vehicle driven in the central city that doesn’t meet tough emissions standards will cost its owners $50 a day, the Los Angeles Times reports. The new charge comes on top of the existing $16 congestion charge. More »

(Newser) - Southwest Airlines tried to cover up maintenance problems, and the FAA almost let them, according to two inspectors who will testify before Congress today that the agency is too cozy with airlines. When the inspectors realized Southwest was flying dozens of jets without required inspections, their superiors did nothing, they say. And Southwest was asking those superiors to remove one troublesome inspector from the case, CNN reports. More »

(Newser) - US auto sales plummeted last month, with GM and Chrysler's March sales diving 19%, and Ford and Toyota's down 10%, the Wall Street Journal reports. Rising gas prices, the credit crisis and fear of the future are blamed for the troubling trend. Detroit is bracing for even more bad news yet to come. More »

(Newser) - Kansas had its third straight cakewalk of the tournament, surging ahead of 12th-seeded Villanova early and never looking back in a 72-57 victory at Ford Field in Detroit. The Jayhawks were led by Brandon Rush with 16 points, and Russell Robinson, who had 15 and played excellent defense on Villanova's Scottie Reynolds, holding him to 11, reports the Kansas City Star. More »

(Newser) - Northwest is trying to resuscitate the Delta merger that nearly went through in February with a deal that wouldn’t need pilot agreements or include anticipated salary increases, the Wall Street Journal reports. The pilots' inability to agree on seniority rules appeared to derail the deal, which didn't require labor agreements; both parties want it fast-tracked so the Bush Justice Department staffers will still be in a position to vet it. More »

(Newser) - Delta Airlines canceled dozens of flights today and tomorrow after voluntarily grounding 133 of its older jets for inspections, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. As with American Airlines, Delta is checking wiring on some McDonnell-Douglas jets to ensure compliance with FAA directives. "It's an inconvenience," one traveler said, "but I'd rather be on a safe airplane." More »

(Newser) - Perhaps you’ve never heard of Tata, the Indian company that's the new owner of Jaguar and Land Rover—but it's already a $70 billion globe-straddling giant, the BBC reports, with major subsidiaries in a host of industries. Not content with dominating its fast-growing home market, Tata Motors sells cars in Africa, South America, and throughout Asia. More »

(Newser) - American Airlines canceled 171 flights today, benching almost its entire fleet of Boeing MD-80 twinjet aircrafts, the Chicago Tribune reports. American said it was inspecting how a “certain bundle of wires” was attached to ensure it complied with an FAA directive. But American said the grounding was voluntary, not FAA-mandated. The planes will be brought back into service throughout the day. More »

(Newser) - Ford will sell marquee brands Jaguar and Land Rover to India's Tata Motors, the Wall Street Journal reports. Under the deal, expected to be announced tomorrow, Ford will get $2 billion, less than it paid for either company in separate deals years ago. Ford has lost $15 billion the past two years and is in the midst of a major restructuring. More »

(Newser) - The compact Mazda2 took top honors as World Car of the Year yesterday at the International Auto Show in New York, the Detroit News reports. The car, also known as the Demio in some countries, earned accolades from a panel of international journalists for its combination of performance and price. US customers can only look though—it's not available in this country. More »

(Newser) - UCLA jumped out to a 16-2 lead on Mississippi Valley State last night and that was the fun part for the Delta Devils, reports the Los Angeles Times . Kevin Love led the top-seeded Bruins with 20 points as they cruised to a 70-29 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins blocked 14 shots. More »

(Newser) - Ever-increasing gas prices, environmental concerns and demand in developing countries are leading worldwide small-car sales past those of larger counterparts, Newsweek reports. With cars like India’s Tata Nano set to overhaul the auto industry by offering new mobility to millions, US automakers are scrambling to retool their businesses to sells more small cars for smaller per-auto profits. More »

(Newser) - The slumping US  economy is casting shadows over the New York Auto Show, as industry forecasters this week cut their projections for sales of new cars and light trucks in 2008 to less than 15 million, the lowest level in 14 years. Chrysler, GM, and Ford, who had been projecting sales of 15.5 to 15.7 million, are preparing for a fresh round of belt tightening, the Wall Street Journal reports . More »