American Airlines is throwing its weight behind a new campaign to overhaul how London’s Heathrow Airport is regulated. On Monday, the U.S. carrier announced it joined a trade group called Heathrow Reimagined. American is its first airline signatory based outside the United Kingdom. The campaign was launched on February 10 and brings together a range of organizations that are not natural bedfellows. Other members include British Airways’ parent company IAG, Virgin Atlantic, IATA, and Arora Group. It aims to deliver “urgent and fundamental reform of Heathrow's regulatory model.” Earlier this month, the group submitted its “case for change” to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – the UK’s aviation regulator. It is pushing for a review of how the airport is operated before further investment is made to expand the complex. Notably, Heathrow Reimagined is not calling for a delay to a proposed third runway. American Airlines is the third largest airline operator at Heathrow in terms of total seats. The carrier offered approximately 4.7m seats in or out of the airport last year alone. While other companies have more flights, American Airlines' use of large widebody aircraft lifts its overall ranking. Other major international players include the Lufthansa Group, Emirates, and United Airlines. By most metrics, Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe, and one of the largest international hubs in the world. However, with just two runways, the airport is under pressure. During peak times on an average day, planes can land as often as every 45 seconds.<br/>
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An Iberia captain has suffered a nasty surprise on a recent flight after getting a bite from a stowaway spider. The A320 was mid-flight from Dusseldorf in Germany to Madrid’s Barajas Airport last Friday when the pilot was bitten. Crew members identified the spider as a tarantula, although the airline could not confirm the exact species. It is thought the spider hitched a ride earlier in the week when the plane was in Casablanca, Morocco. The captain had an allergic reaction but the airline said they have since recovered. Tarantulas may look a bit scary but their venom is not lethal to humans, with the bite often compared to a bee sting. The plane was delayed in Madrid as it was fumigated, although the creepy crawly was not found. Newspaper La Voz de Galicia said the passengers were told about the incident the next time the plane flew leaving some to “constantly check their seats, aisle and belongings ... for fear that the spider or some other specimen would resist the fumigation”.<br/>
The search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished 11 years ago, has resumed in the Indian Ocean. Reports from Australian and British media on Tuesday (Feb 25) indicate that Ocean Infinity's deep-water support vessel, Armada 7806, arrived approximately 1,500km off the coast of Perth over the weekend. The British newspaper The Telegraph reported that autonomous underwater vehicles from the US- and UK-based exploration company have been deployed and have begun scanning the ocean floor. Australia's 9News stated that the search will cover 15,000 sq km over six weeks, focusing on high-priority areas where debris from the Boeing 777 may be located. In December last year, Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed that Ocean Infinity would undertake the search on a "no find, no fee" contract, meaning the Malaysian government will not bear any costs if no wreckage is found. If the wreckage is discovered, the company is seeking a payment of US$70m, the same proposal made in 2018.<br/>