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CEO Oscar Munoz says United is busy preparing for bad weather this winter in Chicago, and he's got an unlikely source for that insight: Farmer's Almanac. Munoz said that airlines can't control the weather but shouldn't use it as an excuse. They must plan for surprises, he said. "A very quick example," Munoz said. "Farmers' Almanac is calling for a very nasty winter, particularly in Chicago, one of our main hubs. So as we speak, our operating team is hard at work as to how are we going to accommodate passengers." A spokesman said Wednesday that United doesn't consult Farmers' Almanac, but Munoz's comment drew ridicule from those who regard the publication as less than scientific. "I'm not flying United unless my astrologist tells me it's OK," said John Knox, an aviation-meteorology expert at the University of Georgia. Farmers' Almanac, which has been around since 1818, predicts that after a mild season last year, "winter is back!" It says that exceptionally cold "if not downright frigid weather" will dominate parts of the Great Lakes and Midwest. Jan Null, a meteorologist for Golden Gate Weather Services, found that The Old Farmer's Almanac forecast for the Chicago area last winter was wrong — instead of cold, dry weather, the region was warmer and wetter than usual. Munoz didn't say explicitly that he relied on either publication, and a United representative said the CEO's words were being taken out of context. "Oscar spoke anecdotally when he referred to the Farmers' Almanac, and that was in regards to the high likelihood of severe winter weather in the Chicago area this upcoming season," spokesman Charles Hobart said.<br/>

The Chinese Communist Party wants China to be regarded as an increasingly sophisticated global player taking its rightful place on the world stage. But every now and then, provincial attitudes of some Chinese slip into the spotlight, causing national embarrassment. Such was the case Wednesday, when these words from a recent Air China in-flight magazine article about London circulated online: “Safety: London is generally a safe place to travel, however precautions are needed when entering areas mainly populated by Indians, Pakistanis and black people. We advise tourists not to go out alone at night, and females always to be accompanied by another person when travelling.” Air China is the country’s state-run flag carrier. The article appeared in Wings of China, under a section titled “Tips From Air China” on visiting London. Almost one-third of the magazine was dedicated to tourist attractions in London and other well-known British tourist towns, according to Haze Fan, a producer for CNBC in Beijing who brought attention to the passage by tweeting a photograph of it on Tuesday. “A piece of advice in Air China in-flight magazine. What does @MayorofLondon think?” Ms. Fan wrote, trying to get a reaction from Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, via his official Twitter account. Khan is from a family of Pakistani origin, and his home area of Tooting, South London, has many South Asian immigrants. Khan did not reply to Ms. Fan in public. Air China could not be immediately reached for comment early Thursday.<br/>

Gevo climbed the most in a month after agreeing to supply renewable jet fuel to Lufthansa AG. The German air carrier agreed to buy as much as 30m litres a year over five years at a price that will allow Gevo to build out its first commercial-scale hydrocarbon plant in Minnesota, the Englewood, Colorado-based biofuel developer said Wednesday. Gevo uses corn and plant waste to make isobutanol, which can be converted into hydrocarbon fuels. It has been producing and selling its alcohol-to-jet fuel since 2011 in an effort to help airlines reduce their carbon emissions and control fuel costs, the company said on its website. A final, binding off-take agreement with Lufthansa will be signed in the next few months, Gevo said.<br/>

The National Treasury is considering state-owned carrier South African Airways’s request for financial support, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said. The airline needs a new management team and must be able to stand on its own feet withing the next five years, Gordhan told lawmakers on Wednesday. Chairwoman Dudu Myeni was reappointed to ensure proper handover to a new board and will vacate her post after a year, he said. Gordhan said he will meet with Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown about the sale of a minority stake in the airline. The government reappointed Myeni last week and also appointed 11 new non-executive directors for the carrier.<br/>