Airports

Category Archives for Airports.

Airports Are Asking For A Second Bailout, After We Lit The First $10 Billion On Fire

by Gary Leff on May 7, 2020

May 07 2020

The CEO of the American Association of Airport Executives told Congress that $10 billion is the minimum that airports want in a second bailout, and they aren’t even coming first offering to clean up corruption at airports including Atlanta, Detroit, and Washington Dulles and National and New York LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark.

The first $10 billion, which distributed funds to 3200 airports, became such a mess that some airports received 25 to 50 times their annual expenses.

Atlanta Airport Once Again Vies For Most Corrupt In The Nation

by Gary Leff on May 7, 2020

May 07 2020

Atlanta’s airport is the most corrupt in the country (although in fairness Detroit may be a close second).

In Atlanta if you want to open a restaurant you donate to a political campaign and pay the former mayor’s daughter. The airport’s former manager was fired for being insufficiently corrupt, and then the city council buried the payments that bought his silence. Now a new bribery scandal and a guilty plea.

Starting Monday The Vienna Airport Will Offer Coronavirus Testing On Demand

by Gary Leff on May 3, 2020

May 03 2020

In mid-April it seemed like the best place to get coronavirus testing might be the Dubai airport. And since they were running tests right away, it might even be faster to fly there, get tested, and come home. However the plan there was only to deploy testing for passengers heading to destinations that required a negative test for entry.

Starting Monday testing is available to anyone who wants it at the Vienna airport at a cost of $210. And Vienna is much closer than Dubai.

Anchorage Is Now The World’s Busiest Airport, Because Cargo

by Gary Leff on May 2, 2020

May 02 2020

In this new pandemic world Atlanta no longer has the busiest airport. That title actually goes to Anchorage.

While U.S. airlines are required to retain some service there as a condition of receiving federal bailout money, that’s not what’s fueling Anchorage’s rise to prominence.

Federal Aviation Bailout Is Making Bizarre Payments To Tiny Airports

by Gary Leff on May 1, 2020

May 01 2020

It’s not just airlines – and airline contractors – who got a big piece of the federal CARES Act. U.S. airports also had $10 billion in grants set aside for them. Payouts are based in part on passengers – but also debt and cash ratios, which created some strange payments to small airports like one in Maine that was awarded enough to operate for 25 years.

Jetstream Music Festival: 23 Airports Will Livestream A Concert On May 6

by Gary Leff on April 30, 2020

Apr 30 2020

Airports across North America – 22 in the U.S. and one in Canada – will be bringing you JetStreamFest, the JetStream Music Festival, on Facebook Live beginning May 6 at 6 p.m. Eastern time. The event, hosted by my home town Austin airport which features live music throughout the year during normal times, will feature local musicians from each participating airport’s city. “Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World. Typically, we have 31 live performances across 7 stages in our terminal. Live music and supporting our local artists is who AUS is, even during the difficult times,” said Jacqueline Yaft, Chief Executive Officer of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. “Airports are known for bringing people together, and we want to continue doing so even when you can’t travel. Virtual music is a great way to…

Hong Kong Airport Tests Disinfecting Booths To Take Temperatures, Kill Virus

by Gary Leff on April 29, 2020

Apr 29 2020

The Hong Kong International Airport is testing a new booth that people can walk through that will take their temperatures and disinfect their clothing and bodies. It does not test for the presence of viruses, though, or whether someone is contagious.

Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK Airports Adopt New Access Restrictions

by Gary Leff on April 28, 2020

Apr 28 2020

Effective today the Port Authority of New York New Jersey is limiting access to Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK airports to “ticketed passengers, airport employees, and other with a need to enter for airport business.” Clearing security is already limited, so these new restrictions focus on pre-security areas of the terminals.

Eerie Deserted Airports Will Start To See Passengers Again Very Soon

by Gary Leff on April 28, 2020

Apr 28 2020

It will be some time before we’re doing very much international travel. One reason is that immunity passports aren’t going to work.

However as some states begin to open their economies we’ll begin to see a little more travel again. Indeed we’re already beginning to.

You Can’t Visit The Airport Now, But You Can Still Hear Its Voice

by Gary Leff on April 27, 2020

Apr 27 2020

Carolyn Hopkins is a comforting voice that nearly every traveler knows. She did voice over for Disney World 31 years ago. She’s the voice of the New York City subways, but she’s only ridden them once – in 1957. Her first airport announcement was for Chicago O’Hare – but now she’s done announcements for more than 200 airports.

Hopkins is the voice of New York’s LaGuardia and JFK, Denver, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Toronto Pearson, Calgary, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Seoul Incheon and many more.