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In the aftermath of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks and subsequent crash of the US airline industry, nearly 3,000 American Airlines pilots were furloughed, with the last not being offered to return to work until 2013. Now, the pilots’ union is calling on American to “do the right thing” by crediting those workers for time spent on furlough by including those years in longevity calculations that determine pay and benefits. Late last month, the pilots union’s board voted to make the issue, technically described as a “length of service” restoration, a top priority in negotiations with American. For its part, American has said it’s open to the discussion, but suggested that it’s an issue that will have to be addressed through negotiations for an amended contract that aren’t set to begin until 2020. <br/>

A Japan Airlines plane bound for New York has returned safely to a Tokyo airport after the pilot reported a bird strike to an engine during take-off. Television footage showed red flame flickering from the left engine as the plane ascended from the runway. JAL said the Boeing 777 carrying 233 passengers and 15 crew members requested an emergency landing minutes after take-off from Haneda International Tuesday. “It seems that a bird got sucked into the left engine when taking off,” a JAL spokesman said. “The plane discarded fuel in the air” to reduce weight ahead of landing, he said. A land ministry official said that a grass field next to one of the 4 runways briefly caught fire after the JAL jet departed but it was soon extinguished. <br/>