A Learjet crashed near Teterboro Airport in New Jersey as it attempted to land on Monday afternoon, killing two crew members and setting several cars and buildings ablaze near the airport, according to officials. The FAA said the plane had taken off from Philadelphia International Airport and was approaching a runway when it crashed at 3:30 p.m. about a quarter of a mile from the airport. The Carlstadt police said there were no passengers on the plane. It was unclear whether anyone on the ground was injured. Black plumes of smoke rose from the crash site as firefighters and emergency workers rushed to the scene. Witnesses described seeing the plane coming in at an odd angle, seeming to flip to one side before it crashed into the ground. In 2009, the airport came under scrutiny after a midair crash of a single-engine airplane and a sightseeing helicopter over the Hudson River that killed nine people. The airport is small but busy, with single-engine planes to luxurious corporate jets landing and taking off every day.<br/>
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Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Monday said it added to its sizable investments in American Airlines Group and Southwest, and shed its stake in Twenty-First Century Fox. In a regulatory filing, Berkshire said that in Q1 its American stake grew 8% to 49.3m shares worth $2.08b, while its Southwest stake grew 10% to 47.7m shares worth $2.57b. Berkshire also shed 8% of its holdings in Delta, ending March with 55m shares worth $2.53b. Buffett became one of the largest investors in American, Delta, Southwest and United Continental Holdings last year, reversing his disdain for an industry he once called a "death trap" for investors. He told shareholders at Berkshire's annual meeting on May 6 that airlines' business model had improved, with fewer unsold seats and an ability to charge for checked bags, seat choices and other amenities that were once free.<br/>
The trans-Atlantic flight could soon become a gadget-free zone if US officials press forward with a security ban on laptop computers and other larger electronic devices on airline flights from Europe. Carriers are bracing for operational chaos at European airports after the Department of Homeland Security said last week it might expand to Europe a ban imposed in March on US-bound flights from 10 Middle Eastern airports. The new security protocol could mean longer security lines, heightened delays, boarding gate confusion, and yet more hassles for fliers. “I think it’s going to be extremely chaotic,” said Rich Roth, executive director of CTI Consulting, a security firm that focuses on aviation. He predicts that airlines, airports, and European officials will press the DHS to review its analysis of the trans-Atlantic threat, hoping for a more lenient strategy than the currently envisioned ban. “I think they went a little bit overboard in their risk assessment,” said Roth. Corporations and their travel managers are up in arms about the proposed electronics ban, said Greg Raiff, CE of New Hampshire-based charter operator Private Jet Services.<br/>
The airline industry says its rate of mishandled baggage is lower than ever. In fact, earlier this month, the air transport technology company SITA said the rate of mishandled bags worldwide was 5.73 per thousand last year, down more than 12% from 2015 and the lowest ever recorded. SITA attributed much of the reduction to investments by airlines and airports in technology improvements. Still, that is small comfort to the lone traveler waiting by a deserted carousel with a sinking feeling. Passenger aviation experts say there are myriad reasons a bag can go missing. “Weather and missed connections are by far the largest proportion” of causes for bags not arriving on time, said Gareth Joyce, senior VP of airport customer service and cargo at Delta. Mark Matthews, director of customer planning operations at American Airlines, agreed. “When you’re talking about hub-and-spoke carriers, there’s a lot of complexity about transferring bags to connecting flights,” he said. Shorter connection times also play a role. While passengers might be able to sprint to the next gate, their checked bags might not make it there as quickly. Damaged or torn-off tags, along with human error, are also contributors. Peter Drummond, baggage portfolio director at SITA, pointed to the new bag-handling data as evidence that investment in new technology and better baggage handling procedures had paid off. But, he said, the drop also coincided with the major carriers beginning to charge passenger fees for checking a bag. <br/>