Rats - in the air and on the streets

Here’s some travel news items I came across today:

DATELINE ARIZONA - Southwest Airlines apparently has found cracks in five of the 79 planes it grounded after one of their Boeing 737s ripped open in the air last week. No one was injured in that incident thankfully. The question I have is how many other airlines are flying defected 737s? Boeing is concerned as well and has directed Southwest and other airlines flying certain versions of the workhorse 737 to conduct electromagnetic inspections of a portion of the roof once the planes have made a certain number of trips.
Low-cost Southwest has built its operation around the 737.

DATELINE NEW YORK — One city official in the Big Apple is demanding $1.5 million be restored to the budget to be help control what he called Manhattan's horrific rat problem. Seeing vermin running amok on city streets and in subway tunnels is a turn-off for tourists, said Manhattan Borough president Scott Stringer. Stringer said the cuts forced the layoff of 57 Pest Control workers. The result has been a 1.5 per cent rise in complaints over last year and damage to New York's appeal as a tourist destination, he said.

DATELINE LONDON – Troubled British Airways, which is facing lots of labour unrest within its ranks, is about to upset passengers with yet another fuel surcharge increase. BA said today it’s raising its fuel surcharges for a second time in two months due to continuing rises in the cost of oil. Surcharges on long-haul travel will be hit from this Friday. However, there will be no impact on domestic or short-haul routes, BA confirmed. Long-haul non-premium tickets will experience an increase of about $15 U.S. per sector.

Southwest forced to ground planes

Southwest Airlines, one of the few American airline success stories, has pulled 79 of its workhorse Boeing 737 aircraft out of service after one of those planes made an emergency landing with a gaping hole in the fuselage.

Passengers on Southwest’s Friday Flight 812 from Phoenix (the airline’s hub) and Sacramento said they heard a loud noise and then a hole suddenly appeared above their heads.

The pilot quickly got the plane under control and landed at a nearby military base in Yuma, Arizona.
The disruption in service will cost Southwest millions of dollars and if the planes are out of service for any length of time while stress tests are done, the airline – one of the few profitable U.S. carriers – could be in trouble.