United says a flight heading to Los Angeles had to return to Newark Liberty International Airport to make an emergency landing Wednesday night because of an engine problem. "United 1871 from Newark, New Jersey to Los Angeles returned to Newark due to a mechanical issue. The flight landed safely and passengers deplaned normally," said a spokeswoman. "We are working on changing aircraft to get our customers to their destination as soon as possible." The plane had just taken off from Newark Liberty International Airport when the right wing sparked and an engine failed, United passenger Nicole Adamo posted on Twitter. "Most terrifying experience of my life. ... Flight takes off, Right wing of the plane (where I’m sitting in the aisle seat) sparking & now one engine failed," she tweeted. "They're making announcements but I can't hear anything because people are screaming." Fire trucks were dispatched to meet the plane upon its landing at Newark Airport. United flight 1871 was scheduled to fly out of Newark at 7 p.m. EST However, according to a later post from Adamo, passengers had to wait until nearly 2 a.m. for a new plane to take themto Los Angeles.<br/>
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Talks between Germany’s largest airline Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), flight attendants’ union UFO and two potential mediators have not yielded any results on Thursday, the company and the union said. "There is no result," UFO said in a message here to members, adding officials would now discuss internally on how to proceed in the conflict. Lufthansa confirmed that talks ended inconclusive. The dispute includes pay and working conditions at Lufthansa and has led to walkouts staged by UFO.<br/>
Condor, the airline that used to belong to Thomas Cook, has attracted interest from buyout groups Apollo and Greybull as well as Polish carrier LOT, which are expected to submit final bids next week, a person close to the matter said. Each of the bidders could tie up with some of Germany’s leading tour operators in a potential deal to buy Condor, the person said on Thursday. Condor and Apollo declined to comment, while Greybull and LOT were not immediately available for comment. As part of efforts to cut costs, Condor on Thursday struck a deal with its flight attendants on plans to cut 150 of its 2,400 cabin jobs. That followed an earlier deal to cut 170 jobs in overhead operations.<br/>
United is hoping to make the cold weather a bit more bearable for them with durable new uniforms for their 28,000 employees who work primarily outdoors. The airline unveiled new gear designed by Carhartt for its teams who work in ramp services, catering and technical operations. The two companies worked together for three years to create and test the new clothing. The collection includes more than 50 pieces created for United's "below-wing" workforce. The pants have new pockets that better fit necessary tools, more colorful gear for safety reasons during the day and night time and are stitched with a new type of fabric. Carhartt said it also put an "emphasis" on its women's collection so the items have a better fit and function compared to previous collections. United said these new uniforms are part of a broader refresh for all 75,000 employees in its global workforce. Select employees are currently testing new uniforms for its front-line employees, who include flight attendants, pilots, and customer service representatives. A new look for those workers will debut in the summer.<br/>
A German travel vlogger who posted a critical review of an SIA flight on January 7 has received more than 100 abusive messages over Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, many more abrasive comments on his YouTube and Instagram pages, and even a death threat. Josh Cahill, who started posting videos airline reviews in January 2018 on his YouTube channel, said despite previously posting reviews of other airlines that were more critical, it was the first time he had received such “intense” criticism. The 33-year-old went to the police for advice but stopped short of making a police report as it was difficult to track down the account holders without a name or proper profile. The account holder that made a death threat claimed to be an SIA employee. In response, SIA said it was in contact with Cahill about the threat made, but “without the details or any additional information”, it was unable to confirm if those who allegedly made the threats were their staff.<br/>The company added that should the police contact them about the matter, it would assist in investigations and ensure appropriate action was taken. <br/>“If Mr Cahill’s allegations are found to be true, we will ensure that the appropriate action will be taken. As an airline that is committed to service excellence, Singapore Airlines takes all feedback seriously and requires our staff to treat our customers with professionalism and respect,” it said. <br/>
South African Airways has put more than half of its Airbus A340 fleet and a variety of spare parts up for sale, as part of efforts to restructure following the carrier’s decision last month to voluntarily enter business rescue proceedings. In a tender notice published on its website, SAA announces the sale of nine A340-300/600 aircraft, 15 aircraft engines – including CFM International CFM56s and Rolls-Royce Trent 500s – and four auxiliary power units (APUs). Cirium fleets data shows that the airline operates a fleet of seven A340-300s and seven A340-600s. SAA also operates five A330-300s, three A350-900s, 10 A320s, seven A319s and two Boeing 737-300s.<br/>