News notes from around the interweb:
- What does physics say about the optimal way to board a plane?
- Government-owned Pakistan International Airlines has spent the last year working towards re-starting New York service. Now they’re just waiting on signoff from the TSA and hope to start 3 weekly flights in May.
A TSA team is expected in Pakistan early next month to carry out a “second level” inspection.
Abdullah Hafeez, a PIA spokesman, said on Wednesday that Pakistani authorities would conduct security checks on passengers at airports in accordance with US requirements.
“All the security scanning and checks will be conducted by Pakistani staff,” the spokesman said.
We’re living in a world where TSA is expected to sign off on Pakistani authorities doing their own screening of planes headed for the US, but won’t sign off on American’s bringing shampoo through security checkpoints.
- North Korea has closed its borders to tourism out of coronavirus fears.
- United says that 90% of their widebodies will have new Polaris business class seats by the end of 2020.
- American’s Philadelphia (LUS) pilots have called for a change in top leadership at the airline
American Airlines Boeing 787 Cockpit
Off all countries expecting and allowing Pakistan authorities to do security checks on flights directly flying into the states – BIG MISTAKE
The TSA won’t sign off on anything, shampoo included, because they preside over one of the greatest scams of public policy in history: a gigantic, bloated job creation scheme that will go on forever, because they themselves make the rules , in their own interests. A mega scandal for which the travelling public pays through the nose.
United says that 90% of their widebodies will have new Polaris business class seats by the end of 2020.
I see the future of 2021 “Breaking United announces new andromeda business class seat!”
“We’re living in a world where TSA is expected to sign off on Pakistani authorities doing their own screening of planes headed for the US, but won’t sign off on American’s bringing shampoo through security checkpoints.” TRUTH @Gary even if the apostrophe is unnecessary in Americans.
One has to wonder how many goats will be sacrificed on the tarmac to ensure TSA’s happiness. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/12/19/506155932/black-goat-is-sacrificed-on-tarmac-of-pakistani-airport
BTW: PIA is one airline I will never, ever, fly. Never, ever. And I am pretty sanguine about such things.
Second comment on this posting from @Gary:
“American’s Philadelphia (LUS) pilots have called for a change in top leadership at the airline”
Were it anywhere else but Philadelphia, which a US Scareways crewmember described to me as: “..their worst station anywhere” (I agree) I might take notice, but since it is Philadelphia I would suggest that those living in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
The remaining 10% of widebodies w/o Polaris should be relegated to Hawaii routes. It’s a little disgusting you can still take ORD-NRT with the 8 across business class seating! (Especially when ANA sells the exact same route for much less $$ with 4-across)
@Woofie
The locals have reasonable cause when they say that PIA is short for “Please Inform Allah”
I recall landing in Karachi and noticing, with some alarm, soldiers with machine guns fanning out around the plane. But it was just business as usual.
Allowing PIA to do security checks is a blank cheque to terrorists. But then the same goes for Saudia.
@747always…having flown Saudia….it was one of the best services I ever had. Have you flown it? My guess is no….Not to mention that those ” terrorists” as you call them, fly and land their planes daily at several U.S. airports daily.
As for PIA, I would be more concerned about the quality of the food, than terrorists….cuz thats what might kill you.