Five countries whose citizens died when Iran shot down an airliner last week said on Thursday that Tehran should pay compensation to families of the victims, and warned that the world is watching for its response. Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and Britain said Iran should hold a “thorough, independent and transparent international investigation open to grieving nations,” in a statement issued after a meeting of officials in London. The airliner was struck by a missile on Jan. 8 shortly after it left Tehran en route to Kiev. Iran admitted on Saturday it had shot down the Ukraine International Airlines plane in error, after initially denying it had a role in the incident. All 176 people aboard, including 57 Canadians, were killed. The five countries asked Iran to conduct the process of identifying victims with dignity and transparency while respecting the wishes of families regarding repatriation. “The eyes of the international community are on Iran today. I think that Iran has a choice, and the world is watching,” Canadian foreign minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said. The countries said they welcomed Iran’s engagement to date.<br/>
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Ryanair has demanded that the government extend any “tax holiday” granted to Flybe to other airlines or be in breach of competition and state aid laws. In the growing industry backlash against the rescue of the regional carrier, the Dublin-based airline said that it had written to the chancellor, Sajid Javid, to request the same treatment as Flybe’s “billionaire owners” – who include Sir Richard Branson and Delta Airlines. Ryanair’s CE, Michael O’Leary, warned that Flybe would “undoubtedly fail once the subsidy ends”. The details of the rescue agreement have been kept under wraps since Tuesday evening, when ministers led by Javid announced that Flybe had been saved. The package is understood to involve the short-term deferral of an outstanding air passenger duty (APD) tax bill of GBP106m, a possible loan, and the promise to review APD levels before the March budget. The Department for Transport is also examining whether more Flybe routes could qualify for subsidy under the public service obligation, which funds Flybe’s London-Newquay service. It came amid reports that the struggling airline was looking to scrap its route from Heathrow to Cornwall and would instead use Gatwick. The new route will still qualify for public subsidy, the BBC said, but is expected to be met with disappointment by businesses in the south west who value Heathrow’s range of international destinations. <br/>
Southwest said Thursday it would extend cancellations of 737 MAX flights through June 6, as the grounding of the Boeing Co jet threatens to hurt a second straight US summer travel season. Southwest said the latest move would remove roughly 330 weekday flights from its total peak-day schedule of more than 4,000 daily flights. The airline had previously cancelled flights through April 13.<br/>
A Hong Kong-based airline has apologized for requiring a passenger to take a pregnancy test before a flight in November to Saipan, a US territory in the Western Pacific that is a popular destination for so-called birth tourism. The carrier, Hong Kong Express Airways Limited, said in an emailed statement this week that it had stopped administering pregnancy tests after re-evaluating the contentious practice. The apology came a little over two months after the passenger, Midori Nishida, blogged about her experience on a Nov. 9 flight from Hong Kong International Airport to Saipan, which is in the Northern Mariana Islands. The commonwealth has become a magnet for expectant Chinese mothers because babies born on the island are eligible for United States citizenship. “We would like to apologise unreservedly to anyone who has been affected by this,” the airline said. Nishida, 25, a Tokyo resident, was raised on Saipan and was visiting her parents when the episode occurred, she wrote in a blog post on the website of The Saipan Tribune newspaper. “Despite being a frequent flier to Saipan, none of my previous experience would have prepared me for what happened during my most recent flight: Take a pregnancy test or be denied boarding,” she wrote. Story has more details.<br/>
JetBlue Airways is hiking its checked baggage fees for the second time in two years. Passengers will have to pay $35 for their first checked bag, up from $30. A second checked bag will cost $45, up from $40. JetBlue announced the changes on its website and said that travelers who book flights from Thursday on must pay the new prices. Flights booked prior to that date will pay $30 and $40 for first and second checked bags, respectively. JetBlue said it will offer a $5 discount to passengers who add a checked bag online or through its app at least 24 hours before the flight. But passengers who check a bag after the check-in window opens, which is 24 hours before a flight departs, will pay the new prices. "By incentivizing customers to select their checked bag option ahead of time using our website or award-winning mobile app, we can reduce transactions in the airport lobby and improve the customer experience," the airline said in a statement. The baggage fees don't apply to all JetBlue passengers. For the airline's credit card holders and passengers who pay more expensive fares, checked bags are included in the price. <br/>