It’s a nightmare scenario for anyone with a pet: taking them on a trip with you, and losing them. Paula Rodriguez is currently living that nightmare, after her dog, Maia, was lost by airport staff who were bringing her to her Delta flight at Atlanta airport – the busiest in the world. Rodriguez was flying from her home in the Dominican Republic for a two-week vacation in California with her six-year-old dog, Maia, on August 18. Flying Delta Air Lines with Maia in the cabin with her, Rodriguez’s journey included a layover at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, before continuing to San Francisco. But on arrival at Atlanta at 6.55 p.m. Friday, Rodriguez says that border force staff informed her that she “didn’t meet the requirements” of her tourist visa – so they canceled it, telling her that she’d have to return to home on the next flight. When they realized that wasn’t until the next day, they said she’d have to spend the night in a detention center – but that her dog couldn’t come with her. Story has more.<br/>
sky
Starting Monday, passengers flying on Korean Air may be asked to step on a scale before boarding their flight. The exercise, which will last about three weeks, is required by law and applies to all Korean flag carriers, a Korean Air representative said. The law requires airlines to weigh passengers and their carry-on luggage at least every five years and is “crucial for safety of flight operations,” the representative told CNBC. The announcement was met with backlash from the public, according to local media. A notice detailing the exercise — set to begin at Gimpo International Airport Monday, followed by Incheon Airport next month — has been removed from the airline’s website, due to “sufficient notice and media coverage,” according to the airline. “Definitely not,” said Vance Hilderman, CEO of the aviation safety company Afuzion. At least not for the purpose of safety, he said. “If you’re at a small Bombardier, a small Embraer jet, and we had 10 very obese people … it could make a small difference,” he said. “On commercial aircraft, anything from a 737 and above you know, 120 people, we have it built in.” Aviation software can adjust for weight changes, air density and other factors, which is why safety isn’t compromised even in situations where passenger makeup is atypical, such as an early morning flight of mostly businessmen, who tend to weigh more than the average traveler, he said. Overall, a significant weight increase per passenger would be eclipsed by the weight of fuel, cargo and the aircraft itself, said Hilderman. “Fuel is 20 times more than the passenger weight,” he said.<br/>
Korean Air has donated 500 first aid pouches made from recycled crew uniforms to local causes. The airline usually discards of crew uniforms when they reach the end of their life cycle, but under this new initiative, old pilot and cabin crew uniforms have been given a second lease of life having been upcycled into first aid pouches. The Seoul Gangseo Senior Welfare Center and Incheon Yongyu Elementary School were the recipients of the kits, which included essential medications that were funded by donations of around KRW 5m from the airline’s employees. Korean Air has a history of embracing upcycling opportunities, having previously created name tags and golf ball markers from the materials of a retired Boeing 777, and reimagining retired cabin life vests into cosmetic pouches. Korean Air is not the only airline exploring methods of repurposing old crew uniforms, with Finnair launching a new initiative earlier this month to upcycle old uniforms into composite furniture.<br/>