USA TODAY Today in the Sky with Ben Mutzabaugh

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The Federal Aviation Administration says it's investigating an incident in which a child was allowed to give air traffic control directions to flights at New York's JFK Airport. The February incident was captured in audio voice recording recordings, The Associated Press reports. 

New York Daily News writes "the youngster, seemingly under adult supervision, makes five transmissions to amused pilots on a tape obtained by Channel 26 in Boston and confirmed as genuine by the Federal Aviation Authority." (Hear a portion of the transmissions via myFOXBoston.com.)

"Recordings from mid-February — during a week-long winter break for many New York schoolchildren — were posted last month on a website for air traffic control-listening aficionados," AP writes. Reuters adds that "at one point an adult voice can be heard telling a pilot: 'This is what you get guys when the kids are out of school.' The pilots receiving instructions from the child did not appear too concerned with one pilot saying 'awesome job.' "

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the "two tower employees are under investigation for letting a child direct pilots, according to NBC News. The parent, a controller, and the supervisor in the tower are relieved of their duties while the Federal Aviation Administration looks into [the incident]. There was no available information about the child, including age."

Indeed, the FAA released a statement to the media, saying: "Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic. This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees." The agency, so far, has decline to make any additional comment. 

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In a story just crossing the news wires this morning, The Associated Press reports:

Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who piloted a US Airways flight during its emergency water landing on the Hudson River in January of last year, is retiring Wednesday. Sullenberger, 59, joined US Airways' predecessor airline in 1980. Flight attendant Doreen Welsh, who was also on Flight 1549 when it landed in the Hudson, is also retiring. Welsh, 59, joined US Airways' predecessor airline in 1970. All 150 passengers survived the emergency river landing in January 2009 when the plane's engines were struck by birds.

Stay tuned for another update later today.

Midwest Airlines will switch to Terminal C from Terminal A at Kansas City International Airport. The change begins Friday. The switch will move Midwest next to the gates used by partner and fellow Republic subsidiary Frontier. The Kansas City Star says "with a combined 20 departures daily between the two carriers, they will operate gates 81, 82, 84 and 85 at Terminal C."

In case you missed this story on our website today, USATODAY.com Business Traveler columnist David Grossman writes: 

There is bad news for those of us who live and die by frequent traveler points and programs. Around this time of year, I always look forward to learning which programs have been highest rated by frequent travelers in the annual Freddie Awards competition. Sadly, it appears there will be no Freddie Awards this year, or perhaps ever again.

Much to the dismay of many frequent travelers, Randy Petersen, publisher of InsideFlyer magazine and the undisputed expert on frequent traveler programs, has decided to call it quits. For the past 21 years, Petersen's InsideFlyer magazine gave frequent travelers the opportunity to vote for their favorite programs in what many have dubbed "the Academy Awards for frequent traveler loyalty programs."

In spite of its great success, Petersen decided to terminate the Freddies because of the time and resources required to run the contest and arrange the ceremony each year. After two decades, the Freddies had grown so large that planning had become a year-round effort for 15 of Petersen's staff members. Just validating the voting took ten days working with accountants to be certain no unscrupulous travel company could stuff the ballot boxes. Petersen says he wants to devote more time training his staff for new assignments and also to spend more time at his ranch.

READ MORE: Check out Grossman's full column for more insight and background on the history of the Freddies.

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Here is the Tuesday round-up of recent aviation stories posted on USATODAY.com. The stories listed here have not appeared elsewhere in the Today in the Sky blog.

Click on the headline link to see the full version of each story. 

Tech snag grounded JetBlue's Friday flights for an hour
AP: JetBlue says a technical issue with its central computer system that led to an hour-long grounding of flights nationwide has been resolved. Flights were temporarily grounded at around 2:45 p.m. ET Friday and the issue was resolved just before 3:45 p.m. ET. The carrier had already canceled most of its flights out of the New York area Friday due to a snowstorm. Full story

Europeans flock to discount airlines during recession
AP: Budget airlines in Europe gained 13 million more passengers last year, with cheaper prices pulling in customers amid an overall drop in air travel. The European Low Fares Airline Association, which includes Ryanair and easyJet, said an 8.7% increase in passenger numbers in 2009 allowed their industry expand and hire 3,000 more workers Airports say overall passenger numbers dropped 5% in Europe last year. Full story

Lufthansa posts full-year loss of $152 million in 2009
AP: German airline group Deutsche Lufthansa said Tuesday it lost euro112 million ($152 million) in 2009 as the industry struggled with low demand and weaker premium traffic sales through the economic downturn. Given the net loss, the executive board will propose not to distribute a dividend for the financial year 2009, the company said Tuesday. Full story

US Airways planes clip wings at DCA
AP: Two US Airways planes clipped wings while on the ground Saturday morning at Reagan National Airport. Airline spokesman Morgan Durrant says no one was injured in the incident, which occurred at about 9:30 a.m. Full story

UPDATE (11:45 a.m. ET on Tuesday, March 2): The airport shown in this week's photo is the South Bimini Airport in the Bahamas.

Congratulations to reader forest20851 for being the first (and only) reader to correctly guess the airport's identity. 

And thanks to Today in the Sky reader Bryce Pickering of New York City for submitting the photo. 

Check back Friday at 12:10 p.m. ET for the next photo. 

ORIGINAL POST (12:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 26): Here is this week's "name that airport" photo. 

Submit your guess by clicking on the comment link and typing your answer there. 

Come back on Tuesday morning to see the answer.

Good luck! 

Continental says it will take a $25 million hit from the back-to-back major snowstorms that hit New York – and the airline's Newark hub – earlier this month. The storms forced Continental to suspend its Newark operations on two different occasions, which the carrier says resulted in $25 million in lost revenue, according to The Associated Press.

Reuters writes "the storm costs prompted Jesup & Lamont analyst Helane Becker to lower her first-quarter earnings-per-share estimates for Houston-based Continental to 6 cents apiece, from the previous 19 cents." In an interview with Reuters, Becker says: "I usually build something into my models for storms in the first part of the year, but nothing like $25 million." Continental made the disclosure in its monthly operational performance report for February. 

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The Midwest Airlines name and logo may finally be set to ride into the sunset. That's according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which writes that "one year after marking its silver anniversary, the Midwest Airlines brand appears headed for retirement, a move that could cut costs and create a more focused marketing approach for Midwest's new owner." 

RELATED NEWS: Republic Airways to buy up to 80 Bombardier C-Series jets 

Midwest's new owner is parent company Republic, which bought both Midwest and Frontier airlines last year. It has since been flying the two carriers as stand-alone brands. However, Republic has since mixed some of the two airlines' fleets, meaning that some Midwest-branded flights are actually operated on Frontier-branded aircraft and vice versa. That has led to confusion to among at least some of the customers flying on the airlines. A Frontier flight flown on Midwest jet, for example, would not have the DirecTV service that is a signature feature of Frontier. 

RELATED LINK: Merger muddles Republic Airways' branding (The Denver Post)

Now, Republic officials say they're getting closer to tackling that issue. "We will get to a unified brand," Republic Chairman Bryan Bedford is quoted as saying by the Journal Sentinel during the company's earnings call last week. He did not specify a timeline, but added "we need to work in a path of fusing these brands that retains as much customer loyalty as we can." 

How long will that take? The Journal Sentinel writes Republic officials plan to announce a plan this spring for a "unified brand plan." At the same time, Republic says it will wrap up a survey of customers on the subject by mid-March, and the airlines will roll out a single reservation system for both airlines "sometime after Labor Day," the Journal Sentinel reports. 

As for the new single name for the carrier, the Journal Sentinel says other Republic officials suggest that "unified" brand name may not be either Frontier or Midwest. Stay tuned … 

TODAY'S TALKER: What would you pick for the "unified" name for the Frontier/Midwest operation? Would you keep Frontier? Midwest? Or do you prefer a new name altogether. Share your suggestions. 

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Allegiant Airlines will ramp up its Myrtle Beach service again this year. The Las Vegas-based leisure carrier announced last week that it would add service to Myrtle Beach from Knoxville, Tenn.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Youngstown, Ohio. Allegiant's service from Knoxville and Youngstown will begin April 22 while the Fort Wayne flights start April 30. The carrier will fly two weekly round-trip flights on each route using 150-seat, MD-80 series. Earlier this month, Allegiant announced it will fly two weekly round-trip flights between Grand Rapids, Mich., and Myrtle Beach beginning April 27. Allegiant also offers service from Myrtle Beach to Allentown, Pa., and Huntington, W. Va. 

In case you missed this story in yesterday's newspaper, USA TODAY reporter Dan Reed writes: 

Air travelers in the USA could face the same type of labor relations-driven flight disruptions that crippled air travel in parts of Europe last week. American, Continental, United, US Airways and Southwest are in prolonged contract talks with various unions.

Several have the potential to boil over, though it's not an ideal time to strike. Air travel remains in a slump, and unemployment hovers around 10%. U.S. airlines have piled up more than $54 billion in losses and shed 170,000 jobs in the last decade, a 23.4% decline.

Airline workers "don't have a strong hand, but they seem to be getting close to the boiling point," says airline labor expert and retired United pilot Kit Darby of KitDarby.com Aviation Consulting. "It's like in the movie (Network): They're as mad as hell, and they aren't going to take it anymore."

Last week, pilots at Germany's Lufthansa walked out for a day over worries some routes will be turned over to partner airlines with lower pay for pilots. British Airways' attendants voted to strike sometime this spring, and its pilots are in Britain's highest court, fighting management's plans to cut vacation pay, as a prelude to a strike. Some Air France pilots walked out Friday to protest cost-cutting.

Next up? Possibly American Airlines' flight attendants or mechanics and ramp workers. Both unions say they'll seek the start of a 30-day clock leading to a strike deadline if talks this week don't produce a deal to their liking. Other labor groups, including pilots at United, Continental and US Airways, are further from a strike procedurally but may be on the same trajectory.

Check out the rest of Reed's story for more details. 

From USA TODAY's Airport Check-in column: Ratings agency Moody's says its outlook for the U.S. airport industry remains "negative," citing downside risks that outweigh growth potential in the next 12 to 18 months. During the last two years of financial difficulty, many U.S. airports exercised financial flexibility by consuming reserves, reducing capital plans and trimming expenses. With "this flexibility gone, many U.S. airports will struggle to maintain their financial position without positive enplanement growth," it says.

Here is the Monday morning round-up of recent aviation stories posted on USATODAY.com. The stories listed here have not appeared elsewhere in the Today in the Sky blog.

Click on the headline link to see the full version of each story. 

Nonstop Maine-Nova Scotia flights will resume 
AP: The Portland International Jetport says it's restoring flights to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Director Paul Bradbury says the nonstop service to Yarmouth International Airport in a seven-seat aircraft will begin on March 15. Flights will be on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.He says the service was created through a partnership with Auburn's Twin Cities Air Service, which is providing the aircraft, and the operator of the Yarmouth airport. Full story
PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL JETPORT: Press release 

Newark airport security cameras to be fitted with alarms
AP: Cameras at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey are being fitted with alarms to alert security personnel when there is a malfunction. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says it is installing the alarms in the wake of a security breach last month that closed a terminal for several hours, causing flight delays that rippled around the world. Full story

Japan Airlines loses $2 billion in April-December period
AP: Japan Airlines said Friday it lost a record $2 billion in the nine months through December, but that its results in the most recent quarter were better than expected as the flagship carrier undergoes government-led restructuring. Full story

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In case you missed this story last week, The Associated Press writes that "an argument between two female flight attendants forced the cancellation of an Atlanta-bound flight at an airport in upstate New York. A Pinnacle Airlines spokesman in Memphis, Joe Williams, says the spat erupted just as Delta Connection Flight 887 returned to the gate Thursday morning after a passenger became ill."

Passenger Corey Minton tells Rochester cable news station YNN that passengers were told they had to "get off the plane because stewardesses were fighting." AP adds that "Williams says there was no physical contact and doesn't know the reason for what he termed a 'verbal disagreement.' ... Williams says Delta found alternate travel plans for passengers."

However, YNN's report contradicts some of Williams' comments in the AP story. YNN labeled the incident a "brawl," quoting one passenger as saying:  "Apparently they got into a fistfight on the plane." Either way, "Williams said the flight attendants will be kept off the job until an internal investigation is completed," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. "The acts described are not acceptable," Williams says.  

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The main runway closes for reconstruction at today at New York JFK, a move that threatens to disrupt travelers across the USA for four months. The Associated Press writes "with about one-third of the airport's traffic and half of its departures being diverted to three smaller runways, planes will wait on longer lines on the ground for takeoffs and in the air for landings. Delays at one of the nation's largest airports will ripple to cities across the United States, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orlando."

The New York Daily News notes "Kennedy Airport is already near the bottom of the barrel in delays -- it ranked 28th out of 31 major airports last year in on-time performance, federal Department of Transportation data show." JetBlue, American and Delta all operate hubs at JFK. 

AT A GLANCE: Popular destinations from New York JFK Airport

Beyond delays, the runway closure could lighten fliers' wallets, as well. AP says "passengers using JFK also face another headache — higher ticket prices." That's because JetBlue and other airlines at JFK have trimmed schedules – some by as much as 10% – to help mitigate bottlenecks and delays that my crop during the construction project. AP explains that will allow airlines to "raise prices because there will be a smaller number of seats to meet demand." 

As for the temporary schedule cuts, "the aim is to have [the construction] be invisible to the traveler," John Kelly, a spokesman for The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that operates JFK, tells CNN. He says the number of daily arrivals and departures at the airport is expected to drop to about 1,050 from the normal 1,300.

"Airlines are adjusting schedules and operations to mitigate delays, and the airport's three remaining runways will be utilized to their full capabilities during the Bay Runway's closure," the office of New York Gov. David Paterson says to CNN in a statement. 

Additionally, some airlines will pad their flight schedules to account for delays, which Federal Aviation Administration officials project to be about 50 minutes during peak times. "So although flights may take longer, more won't necessarily be considered late," AP writes. 

Still, not everyone is convinced that efforts to mitigate delays will work as well as hoped. "I do not think the impact will be minimal, I think the impact will be felt," Stephen Abraham, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union at JFK, tells CNN. "There will be hours of the day when we normally experience heavy departure volume and we're going to run delays that are going to be exacerbated by not having that runway." Stay tuned ...

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Beginning June 10, American Airlines subsidiary American Eagle will add nonstop service between Reno/Lake Tahoe International and Los Angeles. The carrier will fly three daily round-trip flights on 44-seat Embraer E140 regional jets.

RELATED COLUMN: End of the affair: Are American and Alaska set to compete? (BNET Travel)

From USA TODAY's Airport Check-in column: In the latest sign of airports' financial pressure, Las Vegas McCarran officials are considering a plan to become the first U.S. airport to install a liquor store in the baggage-claim area. Many airports sell liquor at bars and duty-free stores, but the proposal is aiming to capture revenue from arriving passengers who are headed into Sin City. 

Clark County commissioners voted to allow the airport to issue "requests for proposals" from vendors that would run the operation. The airport estimates its revenue from the store could range from $400,000 to $600,000 a year. "This is just to do research," airport spokeswoman Elaine Sanchez says.

"Oh, I know it will be a gold mine for some liquor store, but does this mean we'll do anything for money?" Commissioner Steve Sisolak told the Las Vegas Sun. "What's next? Airport strip clubs? Topless bars?"

LAST UPDATE: Story (2:01 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 26); Airline waiver rules (scroll down, last updated 9:35 a.m. ET on Friday Feb. 26)  

UPDATE (2:01 p.m. ET on Friday Feb. 26): New York a airports continue to be among the hardest-hit in the latest winter storm to hit the East Coast. 

In New York, The Associated Press writes that "about 30% of flights and most bus service in and out of New York City have been canceled due to the storm.Steve Coleman of the Port Authority, which runs the airports, says more than 1,000 flights were canceled Friday at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty. There are normally about 3,000 a day. A power outage halted passenger service at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, N.Y." 

In Philadelphia, the worst of the storm appears to have missed the airport. A separate story in The Associated Press says about 15% of the airport's flights were canceled on Thursday, though predictions of blizzard conditions there had many industry observers expecting worse.

AP writes  Philadelphia "airport spokeswoman Victoria Lupica says many cancellations occurred early in the day (Thursday), and the bulk were due to Southwest Airlines' decision to ground most flights into and out of the city. But she said Thursday evening the airport was experiencing no delays in arrivals and departures." 

Today, conditions appear to be improving. "There's an air traffic control program, which is delaying inbound flights to Philadelphia," US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant tells The Philadelphia Inquirer. "But the worst of the storm tracked north and missed the airfield. We hope the winds subside some, but don't anticipate any conditions worsening." US Airways canceled about 80 of its roughly 400 flights out of Philadelphia.

In Newark, however, Continental spokeswoman Mary Clark tells the Inquirer: "Our Newark hub is being severely impacted today." 

UPDATE (9:47 a.m. ET on Friday Feb. 26): Southwest has canceled all of today's service at both New York LaGuardia and Long Island/Islip airports. 

PREVIOUS (7:45 a.m. ET on Friday Feb. 26): The Associated Press reports: Airlines canceled hundreds of Thursday flights at East Coast airports as another big snowstorm rolled through. Continental Airlines and its regional partners scrubbed about 270 flights at its Newark hub — more than half its schedule there.Delta canceled about 400 mainline and regional flights in and out of the Northeast, including the New York area and Philadelphia.

"This is nothing new for us. Thinning out the operation is something we do to make sure we can have an efficient start-up the next morning," spokeswoman Susan Elliott said.

US Airways canceled 356 flights because of bad weather in the New York area, Philadelphia, and Washington.American Airlines dropped more than one-third of its flights in the New York area and Philadelphia.

Southwest Airlines grounded most of its flights in and out of Philadelphia, and said it expects delays, diversions and cancellations in airports from Baltimore to Buffalo.
The storm was expected to snarl flights into Friday.Still, airlines appeared unlikely to top the 13,000 cancellations tallied by the Air Transport Association around two huge East Coast snowstorms between Feb. 5 and Feb. 10. The ATA said 921 flights were canceled Thursday at the three New York-area airports and Philadelphia.

The airlines said on Thursday they would waive change fees for travelers who want to shift their ticket to a different day to avoid the weather.

The dates and rules of the winter-weather waivers vary by airline. Scroll down for an airline-by-airline list of policies:

UPDATED: 7:45 a.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 26

Air Canada
Dates: Feb. 24-26 (dates vary by airport)

Affected airports: Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, "Atlantic Canada",  "U.S. Northeast".

Click here for specific details. 

AirTran
Dates: Feb. 25-26

Affected airports: Allentown (Pa.), Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Harrisburg (Pa.), New York LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Portland (Maine), Rochester (N.Y.), Washington Dulles, Washington National, White Plains/Westchester County (N.Y.).

Click here for specific details.

American
Dates: Feb. 25-27

Affected airports: Boston, Buffalo, Hartford (Conn.), Newark Liberty, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Rochester, (N.Y.), Syracuse, White Plains/Westchester County (N.Y.)

Click here for specific details.

Continental
Dates: Feb. 24-28

Affected airports: Flights to, from or through Baltimore, Boston, Burlington (Vt.), Cleveland, Hartford (Conn.), Manchester (N.H.), Newark Liberty, New York LaGuardia, New York JFK, Philadelphia, Portland (Maine), Providence, Washington Dulles, Washington National. 

Click here for specific details.

Delta
Dates: Feb. 25-26

Affected states: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia,  West Virginia. Also:  Montreal. 

Click here for specific details.

Frontier
Dates: Feb. 25-26

Affected airports: Akron/Canton, Boston, Cleveland, New York LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Washington National. 

Click here for specific details.

JetBlue
Dates: Feb. 25-26

Affected airports: New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, Newburgh/Stewart (N.Y.), White Plains/Westchester County (N.Y.)

Click here for specific details.

Midwest
Dates: Feb. 25-26

Affected airports: Akron/Canton, Boston, Cleveland, New York LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, Philadelphia, Washington National. 

Click here for specific details.

Southwest
Dates: Feb. 25-26

Affected airports: Albany, Baltimore, Buffalo, Long Island/Islip, New York LaGuardia, Washington Dulles.  

Cancellations: Southwest has canceled all Friday service to New York LaGuardia and Long Island/Islip. 

Click here for specific details.

Spirit Airlines
Dates: Feb. 25-26

Affected airports: Atlantic City, New York LaGuardia

Click here for specific details.

United
Dates: Feb. 24-26

Affected states: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia.

Click here for specific details.

US Airways
Dates: Feb. 24-28

Albany (N.Y.), Allentown (Pa.), Augusta (Maine), Bangor (Maine), Bar Harbor (Maine), Binghamton (N.Y.), Boston, Buffalo, Burlington (Vt.), Elmira (N.Y.), Erie (Pa.), Harrisburg (Pa.), Hartford, Ithaca (N.Y.), Long Island/Islip, Manchester (N.H.), New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, Newburgh/Stewart (N.Y.), Philadelphia, Providence,  Portland (Maine), Rochester (N.Y.), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Pa.), State College (Pa.), Syracuse, White Plains/Westchester County (N.Y.), Williamsport (Pa.).  

Click here for specific details.

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Beginning May 20, Spirit Airlines will begin season service between Atlantic City and Detroit. The carrier will operate one daily round-trip flight through Nov. 10. Spirit says it expects to resume the route again in spring 2011. 

The move is welcome news for the city's airport, which is been engaged in a longstanding effort to boost flights there. The Press of Atlantic City notes that Spirit had been "Atlantic City International's lone regular service carrier for many years." But that's begun to change. The Press writes "the addition of Detroit gives Atlantic City International its fourth new major destination in less than a year: Spirit Airlines started service to Boston, while AirTran Airways started service to Atlanta and WestJet started service to Toronto in 2009."

Airport officials tell the paper they hope Chicago service will be added this year, saying they've been in talks with several carriers regarding that route. 

Here is the Friday morning round-up of recent aviation stories posted on USATODAY.com. The stories listed here have not appeared elsewhere in the Today in the Sky blog.

Click on the headline link to see the full version of each story. 

Delta flight simulator technicians reject union
Delta Air Lines' flight simulator technicians have rejected union representation, though 16 months after the carrier acquired Northwest Airlines its two biggest work groups have yet to resolve representation.The world's biggest carrier said Thursday it was notified by the National Mediation Board that of the 91 flight simulator technicians eligible to vote, only 40 voted in favor of being represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Full story

Air New Zealand doubles profit depite drop in demand
AP: National carrier Air New Zealand reported Friday that its first-half profit doubled as fuel costs tumbled and the airline controlled labor costs to offset a decline in demand. "Passenger demand does seem to have bottomed out in the first half of the 2010 financial year and volumes have shown good signs of recovery since, although at significantly lower yields," chief executive Rob Fyfe said. Full story

Senators to FAA: Address exhausting airline pilot commutes
AP: Senators are demanding that federal regulators do something about airline pilots who regularly make exhausting commutes of hundreds — and sometimes thousands — of miles to work. The senators said at a hearing Thursday they are concerned that in the year since 50 people were killed in a regional airline crash near Buffalo, N.Y., the FAA hasn't taken any action to prevent pilots who commute long distances from showing up for work fatigued. Full story

Long-frustrated in its attempt to win increased landing rights for Canada flights, the lobbying efforts by state-owned carrier Emirates appear to have taken a politically charged turn, according to media reports out today. The National Post of Toronto writes "the United Arab Emirates has increased pressure on Ottawa in its efforts to get additional landing rights for its commercial airlines by tying a direct link between a positive outcome to those talks and the continued operation of Canada's forward operating base in the Middle East."

The Globe and Mail of Toronto says the base in question "was established after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks" and "serves as a crucial jump-off point to Afghanistan." The paper adds that an agreement between Canada and the UAE regarding the use of the base "is set to be renegotiated by mid-2010, threatening the future of the desert base that offers logistics support to troops in Afghanistan."

The National Post adds "a senior government official has confirmed to the National Post that UAE officials have made it clear to their Canadian counterparts that if Emirates and (fellow UAE-carrier) Etihad Airways are not granted additional access to the Canadian market, the renewal of Canada's lease on its 'Camp Mirage' in the Middle East could be in jeopardy when it comes up for renewal in June."  

Currently, Emirates and Etihad are allowed a combined six weekly flights into Canada, according to the National Post, which adds "Emirates has been the most aggressive in its lobbying efforts." Emirates currently flies three flights a week between Dubai and Toronto, but says it wants to gradually increase that to twice-daily service -- as well as launch routes between Dubai and both Vancouver and Calgary, according to a previous report in the Globe and Mail. Etihad flies three weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Toronto.

Canadian officials say demand between Canada and the UAE does not warrant increasing flight rights, though some local officials in British Columbia and Alberta – provinces that would likely see new flights – don't necessarily agree. "Airlines such as Emirates have an enormous ability to add to our economic vibrancy, business and tourism activity," Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier says in a statement quoted by the Calgary Herald. "This is why we will continue to seek and support more competition and more non-stop flights for our community."

As for Canada's Camp Mirage base, the National Post notes its "role will certainly be diminished after Canada's 2011 exit date in Afghanistan." Until then, however, the National Post says "it will serve a critical role." Stay tuned … 

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In a story just crossing the wires this morning, The Associated Press reports: "Republic Airways Holdings, which owns Midwest and Frontier airlines, said Thursday it has agreed to buy up to 40 new Bombardier CS300 jets, with options for an additional 40 aircraft.The aircraft, which will be configured with seating for 138 passengers, are scheduled for delivery beginning in the second quarter of 2015. Republic, based in Indianapolis, has signed an 15-year maintenance contract with Pratt & Whitney for upkeep of the engines." Stay tuned for more details.

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In case you missed this story yesterday's newspaper, USA TODAY reporter Alan Levin writes: 

Government investigators are making an unprecedented push to use "black box" voice recordings to routinely monitor pilots' conversations and make sure cockpit crews are focusing on their jobs. The move represents the first time that workplace monitoring could extend into the nation's cockpits and has drawn intense fire from pilots' unions who say that the plan is intrusive. The black box recorders have until now only been used in accident investigation.

The recommendation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) comes amid a string of serious distractions during flight, including the fatal crash near Buffalo after two pilots chit-chatted in the cockpit and two Northwest Airlines pilots who flew 100 miles past their destination because they were using their personal laptops.

"It is essential to understand what is going on in the cockpit if we are to achieve further reductions" in accident rates, NTSB Chairwoman Debbie Hersman said in a written statement to USA TODAY.

The NTSB has no regulatory power but it has recommended the black box idea to the Federal Aviation Administration. The recommendation calls for airlines and unions to monitor the recordings as a way to watchdog the workplace.

Investigators say the effort is part of a broader trend to reduce misbehavior and inattention by transportation workers in the age of instant messaging and cellphones. But some worry that the proposal could undermine other safety efforts by sowing distrust among pilots.

"It's an intrusion on privacy," said Mike Michaelis, chairman of safety at the Allied Pilots Association, theAmerican Airlines union. "It's the wrong way to go safety-wise."

See the rest of Levin's story for more background. 

Photo: The National Transportation Safety Board wants to have routine access to conversations recorded on cockpit voice recorders like this one. By Kevin Wolf, AP.

Republic subsidiary Midwest Airlines is growing in Kansas City, adding nonstop flights on two new routes. Beginning May 3, Midwest will begin nonstop service to Columbus with six weekly round-trip flights.  Daily nonstop service to New Orleans will start May 20.  

Service to Columbus will be on 99-seat Embraer E190 jets while New Orleans flights will be on 76-seat Embraer E170 jets. Midwest will offer the only nonstop service on those routes. 

Midwest has a hub in Milwaukee and a focus city in Kansas City. In a release announcing the new service, Midwest vice president of revenue production says: "Kansas City remains an important part of our expanding network."

The move follows another new-service announcement from Midwest that came last week, when the company announced it would add seasonal nonstop service from its Milwaukee hub to both San Diego and Seattle. The San Diego service will feature one daily round-trip flight from April 19 through Nov. 17. The Seattle service will run May 14 through Sept. 6, with a total of four weekly flights during the carrier's peak schedule on the route. 

Republic subsidiary Frontier will operate the service to San Diego on 136-seat Airbus A319 jets. Republic's 99-seat Midwest-branded Embraer E190 jets will fly to Seattle.  

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Southwest will continue to allow customers to check two bags for free, the airline's CEO tells Tampa Tribune reporter Ted Jackovics. Speaking to Jackovics for a Q&A that runs in the Tribune, Southwest chief Gary Kelly defended the no-bag-fee policy against criticism from Wall Street analysts. Many of those analysts say Southwest is walking away from hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue by not charging for bags. 

"The analysts just don't get it," Kelly tells Jackovics. "We are making money and others (who have added baggage fees) are losing money. We have gained market share because of our policy. If we added baggage fees, we could lose more revenue from lost passengers than we would gain by charging those who remain with Southwest."

When asked by Jackovics if that will remain Southwest's policy, Kelly says: "Yes, we can never say never in perpetuity. But we are not thinking about making changes. Why should we? It differentiates Southwest from the other airlines."

Kelly also made an interesting comment about Southwest's plans for its international codeshare plans with Canada's WestJet and Mexico's Volaris. Those agreements had widely been expected to begin this year. But when asked about Southwest's outlook for international service, Kelly tells Jackovics: "We have plans for codeshares with other airlines to serve Mexico and Canada, perhaps by 2011." While that does not spell out any clear-cut changes, Kelly's "perhaps" comment seems likely to stir up speculation among industry observers.

RELATED LINKS: WestJet, Southwest put codeshare on hold (BTNOnline, May 2009) | Southwest maintains timeline for Volaris codeshare (Air Transport Intelligence, May 2009)

Elsewhere, CFO Laura Wright is anothSouthwest maintains timeline for Volaris codeshareer Southwest official being quoted in the news this week. In a story carried by Reuters, Wright says Southwest is  open to growing by acquiring a rival, though she adds the carrier's preference would be to grow organically. "No question, if the right opportunity presented itself with all the right facts, we would certainly be interested," Wright says in the Reuters story. But, she adds: "From where we sit, we don't see consolidation as something that's necessary for us." 

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Virgin America is upping its fee for checked luggage to $25 per bag, up from $20. The change applies to bookings made after Feb. 12 for travel beginning March 1. Virgin America's first-class passengers will still be able to check two bags at no charge. Customers who buy "main cabin select" or refundable fares will still be able to check one bag for free. 

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Why are the hub prospects better for Memphis than for Cincinnati? Could the Delta-US Airways slot swap still go through? Will unions get sympathy from fliers in the event of a U.S. airline strike?  Why aren't more airlines clamoring to get into the larger metro-Philadelphia market?

Find out the answers to those questions -- and more than a dozen others -- by reading the transcript from this week's chat. 

Photo: A Northwest Airlines jet as seen from the apron at San Francisco International on Airport in May 2008.  Northwest was the last major U.S. airline to be involved in a merger, becoming part of Delta in a combination that culminated this year. By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY

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From USA TODAY's Airport Check-in column: Despite Federal Aviation Administration calls to further separate the two north runways at Los Angeles International as a way to reduce runway incursions, a report released last week by experts working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration says such a large construction project is not necessary, because "the risk is so low."

The report bolsters city officials and local residents who oppose the FAA proposal because of cost and because it might require a neighborhood reconfiguration. In previous years, LAX has had more runway incursions than any other U.S. airport.

LAX further separated its two southern runways in 2007 to address the problem. The number of incursions dropped to eight in 2009 from 21 in 2007.

"Conclusions that the north airfield is safe enough now are not an argument against doing everything possible to make it even safer," the FAA says.

LAX and the FAA also agreed last week to install a permanent runway safety light system, following a prototype that was placed last year to prevent runway incursions. The radar-controlled system warns pilots if it is unsafe to cross or enter a runway. The FAA plans to finish installation by 2012. -- Roger Yu

Beginning June 2, Swiss International Air Lines will add service to San Francisco. The carrier will fly one daily round-trip flight to Zurich. Swiss will use Airbus 340 jets on the route. San Francisco will become Swiss' eighth North American destination. The others are Boston, Chicago, New York, Newark, Los Angeles, Miami and Montreal.

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"A skittish kitty lodged itself under a bomb-detection machine at Newark Liberty International Airport during (Tuesday's) morning rush hour, making its owner miss her flight to Florida and other passengers undergo security screening at a different X-ray machine, officials said." That's from The Star-Ledger of Newark, which describes the cat as a "portly … brown-and-black" tabby. 

MORE ON FLYING WITH PETS: Put pets in cargo hold 'where they belong,' doctors say

The Associated Press also picks up the story, saying the cat escaped after being removed from its container to go through an X-ray machine at a Terminal A checkpoint.  AP says the "cat ran under the CTX explosive-detection machine" and "managed to elude efforts to snare it, so police brought in a hydraulic lift to raise the machine. The cat was reunited with its owner about 20 minutes later."

The cat was unharmed – and apparently unfazed. "It was tired — it looked relaxed," Sgt. Sanrit Booncome of Port Authority emergency services tells the Star-Ledger. As for the cat's unidentified owner, Booncome says "she was stressed out" but also "thankful" for the effort to free her pet. She planned to return to the airport today to try and catch another flight after missing her Tuesday flight on Continental.

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