American Airlines has hired a bus company to carry passengers between Philadelphia and two airports that are only a short hop away by air. The service will start June 3 between Philadelphia International Airport and airports in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, the airline said Thursday with the bus company called Landline. Landline and American pitched the bus service as an easier way to get between the Philadelphia airport and Lehigh International Airport in Allentown 73 miles away, and Atlantic City International Airport, 56 miles away. Brian Znotins, American’s vice president of network planning, said it would help customers connect to the airline’s international flights from Philadelphia. American’s regional affiliate, American Eagle, operates flights from Allentown to Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina. The Fort Worth, airline does not serve Atlantic City. Landline, based in Fort Collins, Colorado, has similar deals with United Airlines in Denver and Sun Country Airlines in seven cities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The company said it raised $28m to expand its geographic reach.<br/>
oneworld
Qatar Airways and Airbus clashed in court on Thursday over the fate of billions of dollars of jet orders as their 25-year partnership unravelled in scenes resembling a corporate divorce trial. The two sides have been locked for months in a dispute over damaged lightning protection within the painted skin of the A350 that Qatar says has forced it to ground jets and stop taking deliveries. Their dispute widened to the industry's best-selling model in January when Airbus revoked an order from Qatar for the smaller A321neo, declaring "enough is enough" after the public clash over A350 safety. On Thursday, Qatar asked a UK judge to freeze the cancellation pending a full trial expected to be months away. The first A321neo is due to be delivered 2023. A lawyer for Airbus said a Boeing jet would be a suitable replacement, a statement which the airline noted was at odds with the plane maker's marketing pitch. The judge deferred a decision until at least April 26, when a further hearing is due on a separate issue in the intertwined A350 dispute. The case has illustrated the delicate relations between France, where Airbus is based, and one of its closest Gulf allies. Qatar is a major gas producer and Europe is looking to reduce reliance on Russian gas. Court filings have also shed light on industrial planning and details of usually secretive aircraft negotiations.<br/>