The alleged incident forced the flight to turn back. Plus, we've got four more travel stories to start your week.
It’s going to be another scorcher of a summer in Europe, but it’s not deterring Americans from making the most of their holidays this year. According to Hopper, the demand for travel to Europe has gone up again. The good news: airfares are actually lower than last year; the bad news: they’re still 15% higher than in 2019. At the same time, news about plane incidents have been causing distress to fliers and another turbulent event injured passengers this week.
Here are the five travel stories you need to know.
TSA SCREENS RECORD NUMBER OF PASSENGERS
Memorial Day kicked off the summer travel season with a roar. The Transportation Security Administration tweeted that Friday, May 24, set a new record—officers screened 2.95 million passengers nationwide. It was the busiest travel day at the airports, beating last year’s record (November 26) of just over 2.9 million.
BREAKING NEWS: TSA Officers have set a new record for most travelers screened in a single day! On Friday, May 24, 2,951,163 individuals were screened at checkpoints nationwide, surpassing the previous record on Nov. 26, 2023. We recommend arriving early. Have travel questions?… pic.twitter.com/lyBgTEPLHZ
— TSA (@TSA) May 25, 2024
However, the weekend also brought some frustrations to travelers as more than 5,000 flights were delayed and 430 were cancelled due to severe weather issues.
Americans are also accelerating their cars—the American Automobile Association predicted that 38 million were on the road this Memorial Day.
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QATAR FLIGHT HITS TURBULENCE, 12 INJURED
On Sunday, a turbulent flight caused injuries to six crew members and six passengers.
The Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin landed safely as scheduled, but during the course of its journey, the aircraft went through a rough time. A passenger said that people hit the roof, and food and drinks went flying everywhere. Emergency services assessed all passengers and eight passengers were taken to the hospital.
Last week, a passenger died when a Singapore Airlines flight experienced severe turbulence. In another tragic incident this week, a Turkish Airlines flight attendant broke her back when her 50-minute flight dropped mid-air.
Fatalities are rare in cases of turbulence, but injuries are common, especially if you’re not wearing a seatbelt. Flight attendants are at risk when pilots can’t see bad weather conditions.
SPIRIT AIRLINES FLIGHT PREPARED FOR WATER LANDING
Passengers on a Spirit Airlines flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, went into panic after a mechanical problem. The flight was turned around and the pilot announced that the passengers should prepare for a possible water landing. Ultimately, the flight safely landed in Jamaica and another plane took passengers to their destination.
Spirit said in a statement that it apologized for the inconvenience, adding, “Safety is our top priority, and the aircraft will be thoroughly evaluated by our maintenance team.”
MAN RUNS NAKED THROUGH VIRGIN FLIGHT
On the other side of the world, a Virgin Australia plane was diverted after a man ran naked on the flight.
An hour into a flight from Perth to Melbourne, a male passenger allegedly charged to the front of the plane without a stitch of clothing and knocked down a crew member. A passenger in business class intervened and two others tackled the naked man to the ground, a passenger told Guardian Australia. The streaking passenger was handcuffed and, once the plane returned to Perth, he was arrested.
WORLD’S LONGEST-SERVING FLIGHT ATTENDANT DIES
American Airlines tweeted on Sunday that the world’s longest-serving flight attendant, Bette Nash, passed away in hospice care. She was 88.
Nash, who started her career in 1957 with Eastern Airlines, holds the Guinness World Record of 64 years in service.
We mourn the passing of Bette Nash, who spent nearly seven decades warmly caring for our customers in the air. She started in 1957 and held the Guinness World Record for longest-serving flight attendant. Bette inspired generations of flight attendants. Fly high, Bette. pic.twitter.com/XFTXyvsqFI
— americanair (@AmericanAir) May 25, 2024
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) also commemorated Nash with a message: “Bette’s remarkable career spanned over six decades, during which she touched countless lives with her warmth, dedication, and unparalleled service. Her passion for flying and her commitment to her passengers were truly inspiring. Bette’s legacy will forever be remembered in the aviation community and by all who had the privilege of knowing her.”
That's a rather amusing way of putting it. 😊
HAH! Indeed! Separately, is "knocked down a crew member" an Aussie slang term for a spicy 'Mile-High' encounter?
as long as it wasn't "knocked up."