Southwest’s Fatal Accident and 7 Other Aviation Stories This Week
Skift Take
This week in aviation, Allegiant Air was in the hot seat over its safety record and Southwest tried to recover from a passenger death, the first for a U.S. airline since 2009 and the first for Southwest since it began flying in 1971.
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Airline news moves fast. Don’t miss a beat with our weekly airline newsletter. Landing in your inbox on Saturdays.>>The pictures from Southwest Flight 1380 are scary. But flying remains incredibly safe. Investigators will undoubtedly figure out what happened, and when they do, flying will be even safer: Southwest’s Engine Type Considered Among Most Reliable Despite Recent Issues
>>The 60 Minutes report last week about Allegiant Air was solid, serious journalism. But it wasn't much of a surprise to industry insiders, who have known about the carrier's issues for awhile. Many of the problems detailed on CBS had also been covered before: How Damaging Will Sunday’s 60 Minutes Report Be to Allegiant Air?
>>The information presented Sunday on 60 Minutes might be new to most travelers, but not to airline industry insiders. The question now: Is Allegiant getting better? We think the answer is yes: Why News of Allegiant Air’s Safety Record Didn’t Surprise Airline Insiders
>>If venture-backed startup Lumo has its way, more travelers will avoid flight cancellations thanks to breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. No wonder that JetBlue, EasyJet, and other companies are interested: JetBlue’s Venture Arm Invests in a Startup That Predicts Flight Delays
>>After acquiring Virgin America, Alaska Airlines will switch to a single reservations system April 25. The company is confident it will avoid some of the problems other airlines have faced after cutovers. We tend to agree. Let's hope it's a non-event: Virgin America as Standalone Brand Disappears Next Week
>>United's first quarter earnings call was uneventful. For an airline that has had more than its share of drama over the past four years, that's a good thing: United Moving Ahead With Making Business Class More Sleep-Friendly
>>With the ongoing backlash against companies improperly sharing and using data in recent months, facial scans will be a tough sell to many travelers — especially if they're implemented by the government: Homeland Security Facial Passenger Scans For U.S. Airports May Go Nationwide
>>Yes, there's some innovation on display at the annual Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. But mostly, the three-day show is about networking and building relationships: An Aviation Schmooze Fest Reveals a Passenger’s Wish List for Jet Travel
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