A United Airlines flight attendant deployed an emergency evacuation slide on a plane after it arrived in Houston and used it to exit the aircraft packed with passengers. "It is our understanding that she deployed it intentionally," said a United spokesman, adding airline officials have been trying to establish why she deployed the slide. In a video shown on Houston TV station KPRC, the flight attendant throws her bag out of a door and slides down the chute. She grabs the bag and walks away from the plane, which was stationary. The flight, with 159 passengers and six crew members aboard, was from Sacramento to Houston's George Bush Airport. The plane, a Boeing 737-900, was briefly taken out of service for maintenance and then returned to its scheduled use. The flight attendant has been removed from flying duties.<br/>
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A New York state man who charged an airliner cockpit saying "jihad" has been sentenced to nine months in prison and three years of supervised release. David Diaz, 36, of Poughkeepsie, pleaded guilty to interfering with a United Airlines flight crew in the March 2015 incident, the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said. It said that Diaz shouted threats when he charged the airliner cockpit shortly after the plane took off from Washington's Dulles Airport. After being tackled by passengers, Diaz said "jihad" and that there was something in the belly of the plane. Passengers and flight attendants restrained him until the plane returned to Dulles. US District Judge Anthony Trenga also ordered Diaz to complete mental health and substance abuse treatment and to pay USD$22,151.77 in restitution to United.<br/>
Two hedge funds that hold 7.1% of the stock of United Continental Tuesday unveiled a new website aimed at educating other UAL holders about their campaign to put a slate of six people on the airline’s board at its annual meeting this spring. PAR Capital Management and Altimeter Capital Management last month launched a proxy fight by nominating a minority slate of six directors to United’s board, which now numbers 15 members. The two firms, longtime airline and travel-industry investors, claim the current airline board is responsible for the airline’s “chronic underperformance” since the 2010 merger that joined United and Continental. The two firms, not known for being activist investors, last month unveiled a slate that includes some executives familiar with aspects of the airline business, along with Gordon Bethune, the former CE of Continental and an industry veteran. United said at the time that the move was a “hostile action” that could distract from the turnaround now being pursued by new CEO Oscar Munoz. The airline’s pilot union derided the hedge funds’ plan as “an attempted coup” that “unnecessarily distracts all employees from our commitment to improve customer service and grow United Airlines.” The union is organizing picketing by airline employees on Wednesday outside the Boston offices of the two hedge funds.<br/>
The Competition Commission of Singapore Tuesday said it is inviting public feedback on the proposed joint venture between Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Lufthansa. The competition watchdog said it received a notification of the proposed JV on Feb 5 this year. It involves co-operation between SIA and Lufthansa regarding scheduled air passenger services between some European countries - specifically Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium - and Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia in Asia-Pacific. Both airlines added the proposed JV will mean working together in terms of pricing, inventory management, sales and marketing. For non-stop or direct services, the JV would involve schedule coordination, capacity coordination and revenue sharing. "The proposed JV is expected to channel more passenger traffic through Singapore, which will give rise to significant benefits to the travelling public with regard to the expansion of travelling options and services, increased network connectivity, better scheduling of services, and harmonised service offerings," CCS said, citing the airlines' submissions.<br/>