An off-duty pilot who was in a jump seat in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight on Sunday was charged with more than 80 counts of attempted murder after he tried to cut fuel to the engines, prompting the plane to divert to Portland, Ore., the authorities said. Flight 2059, operated by Horizon Airlines, an Alaska Airlines regional subsidiary, left Everett, Wash., around 5:23 p.m. and was headed to San Francisco when it reported “a credible security threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who was traveling in the flight deck jump seat,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement on Monday. An airline spokeswoman said that the off-duty pilot tried to deploy the plane’s fire suppression system, which includes handles that, when pulled, close valves in the wings, shutting off fuel to the engines. “After they are pulled, some residual fuel remains in the line, and the quick reaction of our crew to reset the handles restored fuel flow and prevented fuel starvation,” Alaska Airlines said. One of the plane’s pilots told an air traffic controller that “we’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit, and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing issues in the back right now,” according to an audio recording posted on LiveATC.net, which shares live and archived recordings of air-traffic-control radio transmissions. “I think he is subdued,” the pilot added. The Port of Portland Police Department said in a statement that the flight crew “was able to detain the subject and the flight landed safely at Portland International Airport just before 6:30 p.m.” The man was taken into custody without incident. The department identified him as Joseph D. Emerson. According to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Mr. Emerson, 44, was booked into jail on Monday morning on more than 80 counts of attempted murder, a felony; more than 80 counts of reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor; and one count of endangering an aircraft, a felony.<br/>
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Finland's national airline Finnair (FIA1S.HE) on Tuesday forecast 2023 results at pre-pandemic levels or close to them, saying the COVID-19 impact had faded and the markets had adapted to the closure of Russian airspace. The carrier delivered positive operating earnings for the fifth quarter in a row, as it recovers from the pandemic and Russia's airspace closure following its invasion of Ukraine, which challenged Finnair's previously Asia-focused strategy. Finnair's comparable operating profit rose to E94.3m in Q3, a 168% jump from a year earlier, when it reported its first positive result since 2019. However, it said higher fuel prices had hurt the earnings towards the end of the quarter. The airline said it expected annual revenue of between E2.9b and E3.1b, with the top end in line with its 2019 sales figure. It had previously said 2023 sales would be significantly above last year's. It also forecast comparable operating earnings of E160–200m for the year, against its prior guidance of 150–210m. This compares to a profit of E162.8m in 2019.<br/>
Akbar Al Baker, the outspoken chief executive officer who built Qatar Airways into one of the world’s premier airlines, plans to step down in November after more than a quarter century in the role. The 61-year-old CEO will be replaced by Badr Mohammed Al Meer, COO of Doha Hamad International Airport, as of Nov. 5, the state-owned airline said on its website Monday. The changes were first reported by aviation consultant Alex Macheras on social-media site X. Al Baker joined the then three-year-old regional carrier in 1997, building Doha into an East-West crossroads as Gulf rival Emirates Airline had done for Dubai. Qatar Airways has since grown into one of the world’s largest airlines, connecting Doha to more than 150 destinations stretching from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand. Al Baker’s devotion to delivering a premium experience has won plaudits from customers — Qatar has been ranked first or second in Airline of the Year polling by consulting firm Skytrax since 2011 — but led to clashes with manufacturers Airbus and Boeing. “He is the man who put Qatar on the world stage, made it a global leader in terms of service quality and reputation,” said John Strickland, an aviation consultant with JLS Consulting. “He’s certainly a man who could divide opinion, never shy to say his thoughts and put the cat among the pigeons if he thought it was in the interest of Qatar Airways.” Most recently, Al Baker went to court with Airbus over an issue with flaking paint on widebody A350 jets. The high-stakes dispute rumbled on through 2021 with Qatar Airways ultimately grounding much of its 53-strong A350 fleet and refusing to take delivery of new aircraft. Airbus in turn canceled some orders, leading Al Baker to turn to Boeing for jets. <br/>
Qantas Airways said on Tuesday the company and China Eastern Airlines have withdrawn their application to the Australian competition regulator that sought to extend their joint business. The announcement comes a month after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it planned to end a long-surviving partnership between the two airlines over claims it would lessen competition and provide the airlines a chance to hike airfare. The partnership allowed Qantas and China Eastern to coordinate passenger and cargo movement between Australia and China. "The airlines have commenced a process to unwind the joint business over the coming weeks, which includes an end to the coordination of pricing and schedules, and the removal of joint marketing material," Qantas said in a statement. ACCC acknowledged the statement saying, "Interim authorisation granted on 30 March 2023 is no longer in effect." Recently, Qantas also scrapped its A$611m ($388.60m) plan to buy out charter flight operator Alliance Aviation Services, after the ACCC blocked the deal. Last week, Australia said it will ask the ACCC to monitor domestic passenger flights in a bid to boost competition in a sector dominated by Qantas, which has been under scrutiny for alleged anti-competitive behaviour. The flagship carrier has been accused of lobbying the federal government to stop rival Qatar Airways from running additional flights to Australia. ACCC also sued Qantas in August for selling tickets to thousands of flights after they were cancelled, putting it at risk of huge fines. Long-serving CEO Alan Joyce brought forward his retirement after the scandal. Earlier this month, the airline said chairman Richard Goyder will step down in late 2024, as it renews its board in an effort to restore trust among investors and fix its battered reputation.<br/>