A Spirit Airlines flight that was delayed for hours after a report of a possible bomb threat has finally landed in Dallas. Local news outlets report that a passenger alerted flight attendants after noticing a message on another passenger’s cellphone before the flight took off Sunday night. It was scheduled to depart Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport at 8:15 p.m. Sunday but was delayed for hours while authorities investigated. Broward Sheriff deputies escorted a man off the plane, which was checked by investigators and cleared. Authorities say the plane eventually took off around 2:30 a.m. Monday and landed safely at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.<br/>
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Lufthansa’s Eurowings dodged more strikes this week after a cabin-crew union decided to give negotiations another chance to resolve a contract dispute. The union UFO, which rejected arbitration after the two sides failed to reach an agreement over the weekend, offered a new round of talks to “make further labor action obsolete,” according to a letter to Lufthansa management posted on the union’s website. UFO proposed Matthias Platzeck, a former PM of the German state of Brandenburg and a mediator in past disputes, to lead the gathering. Eurowings said it welcomed the union’s offer and is evaluating potential dates. The flight attendants had said they would halt work on two unspecified days this week unless a better offer is made. Eurowings, which was mostly grounded by a strike on Thursday, has offered the workers a pay increase of 7% on average. Unions have used contract disputes to disrupt plans by Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr to cut costs. Eurowings is at the centre of the effort, and Spohr is pushing to expand the unit into Europe’s third-largest discount airline. <br/>
A majority of Southwest Airlines' 14,500 flight attendants who cast ballots approved a new labour agreement Monday, according to their union and the carrier. The vote ushers in a two-year contract that will raise their pay by 12.5% and provide a signing bonus of almost 16% based on the average hours worked over the past three years, said two people familiar with the pact. The group’s last contract opened for renewal in May 2013. The vote was 54% in favour and 46% against, said the Transport Workers Union local that<br/>represents the group. More than 89% of the eligible voters cast ballots.<br/>Southwest, which is trying to find labor peace after a tumultuous period, was “thrilled,” said Sonya Lacore, VP of cabin services. Audrey Stone, president of TWA Local 556, said the short term of the new deal gives the group “the opportunity to go back to the table in just two years and build on these industry-leading advances.<br/>
AirAsia India has confirmed that it is investigating some former employees over allegations of personal expense irregularities. "There is an ongoing investigation against certain former personnel of AirAsia (India) Limited involving irregular personal expense claims and certain company charges,” the company said. The statement added that AirAsia India, AirAsia Malaysia and Tata Sons “do not approve of any unethical practices and will take very stern action against the perpetrators at all levels of the organisation.” The internal probe comes after former chairman Cyrus Mistry sent a letter to Tata on October 25 saying “A recent forensic investigation [into AirAsia India] revealed fraudulent transactions of Rs.22 crores (US$3.3m) involving non-existent parties in India and Singapore.” Tata Sons had removed Mistry as chairman the day before.<br/>
Veterans Day — Nov. 11 — is just around the corner and in anticipation of the day, Alaska Airlines unveiled and dedicated a 737-900ER painted in a special theme. Titled “Honoring Those Who Serve,” the livery was created in partnership with Boeing, and is dedicated to the men and women currently serving in the US military as well as veterans of the armed forces and their families. The idea for the design came from a group of the airline’s maintenance technicians. The newly painted plane, which has tail number N265AK, began service in Alaska's route network on Friday and, in advance of Veterans Day, will be visiting airports near military bases in Anchorage, Fairbanks, San Diego and Washington, D.C.<br/>
Airasia Group, Asia’s largest low-cost carrier, plans to create an Asean airline that will house AirAsia Bhd, Thai AirAsia and the soon-to-be-listed Indonesia AirAsia and Philippines AirAsia. Group CEO Tony Fernandes said AirAsia’s affiliates in Indonesia and Philippines had appointed bankers in their respective country to work on the planned IPO. AirAsia Group will form the holding company once the Indonesian and Philippines affiliates joined AirAsia Bhd and Thai AirAsia in the listing club. Currently, AirAsia Bhd owns a 49% stake in the airline group’s international ventures, while the remaining 51% owned by foreign shareholders in the respective countries. The objective of the move, said Fernandes, was to have one company in the end and which would be similar to European group airlines, such as the International Consolidated Airlines Group and Air France-KLM. <br/>