A federal judge Thursday rejected Southwest Airlines' bid to dismiss a discrimination lawsuit by an American of Iraqi descent who was removed from a 2016 flight after another passenger heard him speak in Arabic and feared he might be a terrorist. US magistrate judge Donna Ryu said Khairuldeen Makhzoomi could try to show that "Islamophobia," coming amid a "sensitive political climate," was a factor behind his removal, and that Southwest's claim he was removed because he appeared to make threats was pretextual. Ryu said Makhzoomi could seek damages from Southwest for alleged violations of federal and California civil rights laws, but dismissed claims of negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The carrier had argued there was "at most a scintilla of evidence" suggesting racial animus. <br/>
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Jetstar's ground crew and baggage handlers say they won't go on strike over the peak holiday travel period but have threatened to resume disruptive industrial action next year if the airline does not meet their demands. The carrier cancelled 28 domestic flights Thursday and 20 last Friday when TWU members walked off the job amid a dispute over wages and conditions. The TWU Thursday announced a "moratorium" on industrial action from Dec 19 until Jan 6 to allow people to travel home for Christmas and be with their families. Jetstar is also facing industrial action from pilots, who took part in 4-hour work stoppages Saturday and Sunday, causing 90 flight cancellations. The Australian Federation of Air Pilots has said it will not take any industrial action between Dec 20 and Jan 3. <br/>
Norwegian Air hopes to agree compensation from Boeing by year-end over the grounding of the 737 MAX, the airline's acting CE said, as it counts the costs of having 18 of the aircraft grounded since March. "The dialogue (with Boeing) has been ongoing since summer and we hope to come to an understanding before the end of the year," acting CE Geir Karlsen said Dec 11. Norwegian has 92 737 MAX aircraft on order. "It's about compensation and also about a new schedule of plane deliveries, as Boeing obviously can't deliver in line with the contract... it's a huge challenge for Boeing, and at the same time we also want the best possible outcome for ourselves," Karlsen said. <br/>
Scandinavian carrier Braathens Regional Airlines has received an ATR 72-600 which, it claims, is the first commercial aircraft to be financed under an environmental initiative known as the ‘green loan’ principle. Green loans are defined by the Loan Market Association as instruments made available exclusively to finance eligible green projects, which need to meet certain core criteria including utilisation of the loan proceeds to meet environmental sustainability objectives. Completion of the order is scheduled for early 2020, at which point the carrier will have 15 ATR 72-600s to replace BAE Systems Avro RJs. Green loans require the borrower to use proceedings on eco-friendly projects “This first ever ‘green financing’ of an aircraft confirms the high sustainable value of the modern ATR turboprop,” says the airframer. <br/>
The EU's highest court ruled Thursday that an airline can be held liable if a passenger is burned by hot coffee even if turbulence or other flight-related factor didn't cause the spill. The European Court of Justice said such injuries don't have to be linked to issues typically associated with air travel to provide grounds for a passenger to seek damages. The advisory ruling came in an Austrian case seeking financial compensation for a girl who had her father's coffee spilled on her during a flight. Insolvent airline Niki claimed that such mishaps needed to be linked to the flying of a plane for airlines to be held responsible. The EU court said that “it is not necessary for that accident to relate to a hazard typically associated with flight." The outcome of the girl's claim will be decided by an Austrian court. <br/>