Despite signs warning of the dangers of jet blast all around Princess Juliana Airport on the Caribbean island of St Martin, some people just don’t take notice. The thrill-seeking woman in this video found out the hard way after jet blast threw her head-first into a wall.
The FAA is investigating an air traffic controller at Denver Airport who dismissed a distress call from a United Express pilot, telling colleagues it was "BS", says MSNBC. The controller only realized his error after the plane made an emergency landing at the airport.
Britain’s Prime Minister, David Cameron, received criticizm this week for not flying a British airline on his trade mission to South East Asia. The PM travelled during the busy Easter period and was forced to charter a plane operated by Angolan SonAir (an airline that is blacklisted by the European Union), rather than use an aircraft belonging to British Airways or Virgin, according to The Telegraph. The Prime Minister arrived in Indonesia on a Boeing 747, where he flew the flag for Airbus, describing Garuda’s £326m Airbus order as “good news” for the U.K.
Hong Kong Airlines, which recently launched an all-business class service between London and Hong Kong, has trained its cabin crew in martial arts to help deal with bad behaviour on board. Crew have received training in the art of Wing Chun - designed to be accomplished in a confined space, like aircraft cabins, says Travelmole.
Contaminated wings don’t appear to be a problem for one Russian airline. In this YouTube video, a passenger captures footage of an A320 taking off from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport – without first de-icing the wings.
A rogue hot air balloon that strayed into London Gatwick’s airspace caused the airport to suspend departures for a brief period, says The Independent. Gatwick is the U.K.'s second busiest airport.
No frills airline Ryanair, which has floated cost-saving ideas including charging for use of the lavatory and standing rows on board its 737s, has now found a new way to reduce weight on its aircraft. The airline’s crew have been told to watch their own weight, with an incentive to appear in the classy "The Girls Of Ryanair" charity calendar. Ryanair passengers can also expect less ice in their drinks and a smaller in-flight magazine as the airline seeks to save fuel, according to The Telegraph.
Strange But True will be back on 4 May.