Airline Roundup: Top Headlines From The Month Of August

Image: Two JetBlue airplanes parked. (Photo Credit: Roman Tiraspolsky / Adobe Stock)
Image: Two JetBlue airplanes parked. (Photo Credit: Roman Tiraspolsky / Adobe Stock)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 7:00 AM ET, Fri August 30, 2024

Much like the lazy, hazy, crazy, dog days of summer, the waiting can be the hardest part. With all due respect to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, of course.

Waiting for federal regulators to officially decide on the merger acquisition of Alaska Airlines of Hawaiian can be painstakingly slow. It still isn’t over, but it took a big turn toward the finish.

That was the major theme for the month of August in aviation. Here are some other headlines from the month.

There’s strength in numbers. A group of travelers has filed a lawsuit against crowd strike for being responsible for the global power outage that affected travel all over the world.

The United States government has done a diligent job of trying to keep the aviation industry in check. Now, members of Congress have sent a letter to the Department of Transportation regarding the refund policy adopted by the airlines.

There are all-you-can-eat buffets. Now, a similar concept has come to aviation. Frontier Airlines has introduced a pass that allows you to fly as much as you want for $299.

The Transportation Safety Authority said it is reviewing the limits on liquids that can be brought on a plane, but it doesn’t have the technology to scan the amounts right now and probably won’t until 2040.

This is news that everybody will love. Delta announced it is planning to roll out free Wi-fi on international flights.

Some people just didn’t want the merger to happen between Alaska and Hawaiian at all. In fact, a consumer lawsuit was filed. It was rejected by a judge.

And what would a month be without news from Boeing? Only this time it’s good. A vote of confidence.

Boeing in the News, as Usual

These things go in stages, and the potential merger cleared a major hurdle with the Department of Justice. 

In the meantime, Alaska still has an airline to run, and it decided to utilize one of its partners to start a route to Taipei.

While inflation might be growing, airfares are plummeting.

As war in the Middle East gets ready for its first anniversary, Delta Air Lines announced it was suspending flights to Israel through October 31.

See above. American Airlines did the same thing when it suspended flights to Tel Aviv through March of next year.

With changing times, the Federal Aviation Administration has to become more savvy. That’s why the government agency is proposing changes and updates to its cybersecurity.

When in doubt, bring in the big guns. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration, is investigating more than 40 cases of unruly airline passengers.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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