Four Alaska Airlines flight attendants mysteriously became ill and were sent to the hospital, diverting a plane flying to Seattle from Hawaii, according to the airline. At 11 p.m. local time Thursday, Alaska Airlines Flight 810 left Kauai, Hawaii, and headed for Seattle. Shortly after the plane took off, it was diverted to Honolulu when four flight attendants became sick after an unknown odor was detected in the cabin, according to a statement emailed to USA TODAY by a spokesperson for the airline. The flight attendants were taken to the hospital to be evaluated. The plane, which carried 119 passengers and six crew members, was flown back to Seattle without passengers aboard for an additional inspection, according to the spokesperson. The airline was able to accommodate the affected passengers. None of the passengers or pilots reported feeling ill.<br/>
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A passenger aboard an American Airlines flight is suing the carrier over claims her genitalia was badly burned when a scalding pot of coffee fell off a serving cart and into her lap during turbulence. Gina Mason, 68, was flying home from Baltimore to Detroit on February 11 when the captain came over the PA system and asked everyone in the cabin to take their seats due to bumpy air up ahead, according to a lawsuit filed August 13 in Wayne County, Michigan Circuit Court and removed to Detroit federal court last week. The suit says the flight attendants were in the middle of distributing beverages and snacks throughout the cabin when the turbulence began, and one of them parked their cart next to Mason, who was buckled up in seat 29A, then went to sit down. “During the turbulence, the beverage cart was shaking which resulted in the hot coffee pot that was left on top of the cart to fall off into [Mason’s] lap, causing her to sustain severe 1st and 2nd degree burns over her legs, thighs, and genital area,” the complaint states. Mason is not the first airline passenger to claim damages in court from a hot beverage fiasco at 30,000 feet. In February, a woman flying Korean Air from New York City to Seoul sued after a flight attendant “spilled a… cup of boiling hot coffee on [her] lap, causing her to sustain grievous personal injuries near her genital area,” according to a civil complaint filed in New York State Supreme Court.<br/>
A Qantas A330 has been filmed ripping up newly laid asphalt while taking off at Perth Airport, which then forced an inbound jet to divert to Adelaide. Video shows flight QF71 powering up for take-off when part of the runway is blown into the air. The plane continued on to Singapore without incident, but an incoming freighter aircraft from Silk Way had to be diverted to Adelaide. An airport spokesperson told The West Australian: “Earlier today (Sunday), pavement damage on the Main Runway was identified in a safety inspection following a departing aircraft. “Pavement maintenance works are now underway.” Perth Airport has two runways, one main one that is 3.4km long and a smaller one which is 2.2km. Both are undergoing maintenance work until March 2025.<br/>
Fiji Airways has added two new full-flight simulators for the Airbus A350 and ATR 72 platforms, as it eyes a share in third-party airline training. The airline’s training arm Fiji Airways Aviation Academy on 10 September commissioned the two new CAE 7000XR simulators, as well as two CAE 500XR fixed training devices for the A330 and Boeing 737 Max 8 platforms. The addition of the new simulators and training devices “further solidifies Fiji Airways’ position as a leading aviation training centre in the Pacific”, the Oneworld member states. The training academy, which opened its doors in 2019, now has four full-flight simulators covering Fiji Airways’ fleet types. It will also have four flight training devices. Airline chief Andre Viljoen states: “The addition of these new full flight simulators for the A350 and ATR aircraft is a significant step forward for the Fiji Airways Aviation Academy. It highlights our dedication to providing the highest standards of training and safety for our pilots and engineers and reinforces our commitment to establishing Fiji as a regional leader in aviation excellence.” The airline adds that it hopes to grow the academy “to enable it to compete for a share of the global airline training market and drive new ancillary revenue streams for the airline”. <br/>