American Airlines is expanding its new boarding technology that stops passengers from cutting in line during boarding to over 100 airports nationwide before Thanksgiving. The airline has given the technology a test-run at Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Tucson International Airport over the last month to fine-tune the process before a wider rollout. Passengers who board before their assigned group will trigger technology that makes a sound to alert the gate agent. “In these instances, the American team member will invite the customer to rejoin the line when their boarding group is called,” the airline said in a release. Use of the technology could help cut down on the crowds of people who hover near gates, creating confusion and congestion and at times blocking concourse thoroughfares. The crowds have been referred to by some frequent flyers as “gate lice” — an unflattering term that has its own Wikipedia page.<br/>
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Passengers on an American Airlines flight from Milwaukee to Dallas used duct tape to restrain a Canadian man trying to open a cabin door on Tuesday, according to multiple media reports citing airport officials. The unruly passenger asked a flight attendant on flight 1915 to open a cabin door mid-flight − saying "he needed to exit the plane immediately" − and grew agitated when she declined, according to a report issued by the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Department of Public Safety and obtained by multiple media outlets, including KDFW-TV and ABC News. The man then rushed the 79-year-old flight attendant in an effort to reach the door, which she was blocking, according to the report. That's when three fellow passengers helped the flight attendant and pinned the man down, taping his legs and wrists to restrain him, the report said. The plane subsequently landed at Dallas-Fort Worth at around 10 a.m. An airport spokeswoman declined multiple requests Tuesday, saying they needed to be reviewed by the legal department. Airport spokesman Zachary Greiner only confirmed that there was "a disruptive passenger" on the flight and that officers took him into custody. The FBI Dallas Field Office also said that its agents responded to the flight, as well.<br/>
Royal Jordanian Airlines is to open a new transatlantic service to Washington DC ahead of the summer season next year. The Oneworld alliance carrier states that it will fly the nonstop route from Amman twice-weekly. Royal Jordanian will deploy Boeing 787s for the service. It will bring to four the number of US gateways served by the flag-carrier. Royal Jordanian already operates to New York JFK, Chicago O’Hare and Detroit. “This route not only enhances our network connectivity but also underscores our dedication to fostering stronger ties between Jordan and the USA,” says CE Samer Majali. He adds that the carrier aims to be the “airline of choice” for the Levant region, and the Washington route is “another step” towards achieving this ambition.<br/>
Virgin Australia’s wet-lease deal with Qatar Airways will be good for Australian jobs, CEO Jayne Hrdlicka has said, counter to union concerns. Speaking at the Australian Airports Association conference in Brisbane, Hrdlicka said Virgin operating its own long-haul international services would be “at least six or seven years away”, but that the wet-lease arrangement would likely see Virgin pilots and cabin crew working on Qatar flights. “It’s great for jobs in the long term, and in the short term it means pilots and cabin crew have secondment opportunities to go to Qatar, and learn the A350 and 777,” she said, as reported in The Australian. “That means we will have to backfill for all those people. So, if 40 pilots go to Qatar for 12 or 18 months, we would need 40 more pilots in Australia, and the same goes for cabin crew. If I was in my mid-20s and cabin crew I would be all over it, travel the world and have a really fun, different experience, and you know your job is secure when you come home. For those two work groups, it’s great.” The unions have largely been skeptical of the wet-leasing arrangement and its potential impact on jobs, with Teri O’Toole, national secretary of the Flight Attendants Association of Australia (FAAA), telling The Australian she is concerned about pay and conditions for Virgin workers on Qatar flights. “Qatar pays its crew about $26 an hour, which is well below what flight attendants in Australia are paid,” she said.<br/>