American Airlines

Paul Clinton JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- With the dissolution of Trans World Airlines, the Board of Supervisors have handed over the airline's two daily departures to American Airlines on an interim basis. The board unanimously approved the transfer Tuesday. American, which paid $742 million for TWA after the airline filed for bankruptcy protection in April, can use the flight slots until Sept. 30. At that time, Airport Director Alan Murphy is expected to determine what to do with the flights.

Nearly 100 American Airlines pilots picketed at John Wayne Airport and nearby Taco Bell headquarters to put pressure on the airline to fix its problems with flight delays. The group of about 90 pilots and others in their union walked in circles in front of the airline’s check-in terminal holding signs that read, “AA ranked worst in canceled flights,” and “Help us fix it.” They are worried that if the company doesn’t clean up its act soon they’ll be out of jobs.

American Airlines will discontinue all flights from John Wayne Airport to the San Francisco Bay region effective Nov. 19, officials said. The announcement comes several weeks after the airline disclosed its initial plans to scale back its Bay Area flights. According to Jenny Wedge, the media relations manager of John Wayne Airport, the flight reduction will have a minimal effect on passenger travel. “Our biggest concern is that we provide enough options to our passengers, and we already have enough Bay Area flights to do so,” she said.

Jose Paul Corona Lynette Palmquist is confident that terrorists will never be able to take over a passenger plane again. "I don't think passengers are ever going to let that happen again," said the Surf City flight attendant. Palmquist, who has flown with American Airlines for the past 14 years and works out of John Wayne Airport, was scheduled to fly on Sept. 11, 2001 but her girlfriend filled in for her. Her job has changed more dramatically in the past year than in all 13 prior years combined.

The 1,117 children and spouses of military fallen heroes who have died since 9/11 were honored for the price of freedom they each have paid by a weekend visit to Orange County, where they had a day at Disneyland and Oakley, complete with the characters of the Caribbean, according to Lt. Col. Roy White (Ret.), Chairman of the Board of Snowball Express. Hundreds of volunteers, including Rotarians from Newport-Balboa, Newport Irvine, Newport Sunrise and Costa Mesa clubs helped to host the families according to Rotarian Kim DeBroux, a Snowball volunteer coordinator.

Deepa Bharath The Orange County Fire Authority is looking into what caused a May 20 accident at the airport when one of its fire trucks rolled back and hit an American Airlines plane, officials said. Firefighters were responding to a medical emergency at the terminal when the truck's brakes failed and it slid back and hit the aircraft, airport spokeswoman Ann McCarley said. No one was hurt in the incident. But the crash left a 3-by-4-foot dent near the right wing of the plane, American Airlines spokesman Tim Wagner said.

-- Paul Clinton The Orange County Board of Supervisors is expected to grant Aloha Airlines a nearly four-year extension to operate two flights out of John Wayne Airport at its meeting today. Airport Director Alan Murphy has recommended extending leases with the carrier through Dec. 31, 2005, when the 1985 settlement agreement will expire. That agreement put into place the flight limits at the airport. Aloha was given the two flights on an interim, one-year basis on April 3. The airline began flights May 1. With the extension, Aloha would join the 10 other carriers at the airport that hold long-term flight slots.

High fuel costs and a sluggish economy have meant deep service cuts at John Wayne Airport this year, but airport officials say several airlines are waiting in the wings to begin flights to and from Orange County — including the possibility of routes from the international carrier Air Canada. Several airlines have already cut flights from the Orange County air travel hub, and more have announced plans to slash service. Passenger numbers at John Wayne were down by 7.6% for 2008 from a year ago in May, according to airport officials.

Paul Clinton JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- The top two airlines at the airport say they are already complying with federal guidelines that take effect today requiring the screening of all checked baggage. The new requirements for airport security were put in place by Congress on Nov. 19. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act was established in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The new stepped-up screening won't interfere with the itineraries of travelers, said Pete McDonald, the airport services vice president at United Airlines.

Paul Clinton JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- It won't happen until the ink is dry on the merger between American Airlines and Trans World Airlines, but another commercial carrier could begin flying out of John Wayne Airport, a spokeswoman said. A new carrier could replace TWA at the airport, if that airline -- the nation's eighth largest -- is bought and dissolved by American. After the two companies cement their merger, reported by several news agencies Monday, John Wayne Director Alan Murphy is expected to decide how to allocate TWA's four daily arrivals and departures.

When Virgin America started flying its stylish jets from John Wayne Airport to San Francisco, some of the no-frills commuter planes just couldn’t compete. American Eagle canceled its flights to the Bay Area in November, and John Wayne saw its number of commuter flights – the regional hops on planes with fewer than 70 passengers – drop by half. But Southwest Airlines and Virgin America added larger planes to the same route, and travelers were actually left with more flights going to and from the Bay Area — at low fares and with more in-flight entertainment.

When Virgin America started flying its stylish jets from John Wayne Airport to San Francisco, some of the no-frills commuter planes operating at JWA just couldn’t compete. American Eagle canceled its flights to the Bay Area in November, and JWA has seen its commuter flights — the regional hops on planes with fewer than 70 passengers — drop by half. But Southwest Airlines and Virgin America added larger planes to the same route, and travelers were actually left with more flights going to and from the Bay Area — at low fares and with more in-flight entertainment.

American Airlines will discontinue all flights from John Wayne Airport to the San Francisco Bay region effective Nov. 19, officials said. The announcement comes several weeks after the airline disclosed its initial plans to scale back its Bay Area flights. According to Jenny Wedge, the media relations manager of John Wayne Airport, the flight reduction will have a minimal effect on passenger travel. “Our biggest concern is that we provide enough options to our passengers, and we already have enough Bay Area flights to do so,” she said.

High fuel costs and a sluggish economy have meant deep service cuts at John Wayne Airport this year, but airport officials say several airlines are waiting in the wings to begin flights to and from Orange County — including the possibility of routes from the international carrier Air Canada. Several airlines have already cut flights from the Orange County air travel hub, and more have announced plans to slash service. Passenger numbers at John Wayne were down by 7.6% for 2008 from a year ago in May, according to airport officials.

Nearly 100 American Airlines pilots picketed at John Wayne Airport and nearby Taco Bell headquarters to put pressure on the airline to fix its problems with flight delays. The group of about 90 pilots and others in their union walked in circles in front of the airline’s check-in terminal holding signs that read, “AA ranked worst in canceled flights,” and “Help us fix it.” They are worried that if the company doesn’t clean up its act soon they’ll be out of jobs.

A short time ago I was waiting at the San Jose Airport for a flight back to Orange County, and I started talking to the young lady sitting next to me. Because American Airlines had canceled our particular flight and we had to wait an extra hour, we had a nice discussion. Her name is Alicia, and I asked her what she had been doing in San Jose. She responded that she had been attending a three-day conference. About what? She said she is an electrical and electronics engineer, and the conference had reviewed cutting-edge developments in her field.

The 1,117 children and spouses of military fallen heroes who have died since 9/11 were honored for the price of freedom they each have paid by a weekend visit to Orange County, where they had a day at Disneyland and Oakley, complete with the characters of the Caribbean, according to Lt. Col. Roy White (Ret.), Chairman of the Board of Snowball Express. Hundreds of volunteers, including Rotarians from Newport-Balboa, Newport Irvine, Newport Sunrise and Costa Mesa clubs helped to host the families according to Rotarian Kim DeBroux, a Snowball volunteer coordinator.

Walter Mathew "Red" Cary, 95 Walter Mathew "Red" Cary, a resident of Laguna Beach since 1958, died Saturday in Laguna Niguel. He was 95. Cary was born in 1909, in Neligh, Neb. At 10 years old he realized his life's passion when he looked up and saw an airplane overhead and decided he wanted to learn to fly. He was left an orphan at age 13 and quit school at age 16. He hitchhiked to Detroit to work in a factory and...

ROGER CARLSON The annual pilgrimage from Newport Beach to New York City begins on Thursday when Irrelevant Week founder Paul Salata, along with daughter Melanie and her husband, Ed Fitch, tacks on a few thousand more frequent flier miles toward nearly one million miles over the years via American Airlines. With Irrelevant Week XXX approaching in June, celebrating the last player to be picked in the National Football League draft, it all gets under way April 24 at the Jacob Javitz Auditorium, giving him a rite of passage through Newport Beach as Mr. Irrelevant.