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A Southwest Airlines official said Wednesday that the return of St Louis-bound commercial flight to Las Vegas to check whether the aircraft had tire and tail damage was a precaution. Airline spokesman Dan Landson said no emergency was declared, and the landing at McCarran International Airport was uneventful. The Boeing 737 taxied to the terminal, was checked by maintenance workers, and cleared to return to service, he said. Flight 511 took off about 12:50 p.m. Wednesday, and the pilot reported about 1:45 p.m. that it was returning to Las Vegas, airport spokeswoman Christine Crews said. Flight records show the flight was over northwestern Arizona at the time. Assistant Clark County Fire Chief Larry Haydu said the pilot reported the aircraft might have blown a tire and may have been struck by something in the tail. Airport emergency crews and firefighters stood by while the aircraft landed a little after 2:10 p.m.<br/>

Paris Orly-based long-haul, low-cost startup French Blue has taken delivery of its first aircraft, a new Airbus A330-300, and is aiming to launch operations on Sept. 10. The new-build aircraft, sporting French Blue’s blue and white livery, has been registered F-HPUJ. Photographs posted to French Blue’s Twitter account show its progress through Airbus’ Toulouse production line, as well as a video of the aircraft’s test flight on May 2. The A330 is configured with 378 leather seats, manufactured by German firm Zim, in a two-class layout. It is equipped with onboard Wi-Fi and high-definition, touchscreen inflight entertainment. French Blue has also launched ticket sales for its maiden route between Paris Orly and Punta Cana, which is scheduled to start on Sept. 10. One-way fares start at E149, including taxes. Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean will become French Blue’s second destination from summer 2017.<br/>