Things seem to be heating up in the lead up to Christmas. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence, anyway, it has been a busy airport related news week this one:
- Plane evacuation at JFK & Edinburgh
- Airport of the future
- Flights cancelled after storm in San Francisco
- Flash mob surprised travellers in Manila
Plane and airport evacuations are quite rare, yet this week we’ve heard from two, from different parts of the world that happened the same day: first up was New York where, according to the New York Times, a plane was evacuated at J. F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) last Sunday amid an investigation into a bomb threat. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, said the flight,American Airlines Flight 67, had originated in Barcelona. More than 200 people were onboard, including crew members. Luckily the authorities had found no evidence of any danger after inspecting the plane.
Then, across the pond in Scotland, Edinburgh Airport (EDI) was evacuated that same Sunday after a suspicious object was found in the terminal. Edinburgh News reported that emergency services were called to the airport at around 7am that day and the top floor was evacuated while checks were carried out. Hundreds of travellers stood in the car park for more than an hour. Fire services later said the incident had been a false alarm.
Moving on to our next topic. Wouldn’t it be great if airports would be less like sprawling bus depots and more like large, sustainable parks? Well, that was exactly the headline of a ‘future of airports’ article by CNN Money this week. The authors point out a number of existing, innovative and environmentally friendly airport solutions such as Shanghai Pudong International Airport’s (PVG) magnetic train ‘Maglev’ or London Heathrow’s (LHR) new terminal 2 with its sustainable design and operation. More interesting were the future airports in planning, such as the new airport in Mexico City. According to the article this airport is expected to service 50 million people a year and the new design is all about energy efficiency. Gates will be within walking distance, and the roof is being built to incorporate solar technology. There will also be an on-site energy plant that will collect, treat and recycle rainwater.
In another story CBS Local reported from San Francisco this week that it had been a rough Wednesday morning for many flying into and out of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) as a storm has led to the cancellation of 92 flights. Airport officials said most of the flights that have been cancelled are short haul flights up and down the West Coast. Passengers can also expect delays of between 30 and 60 minutes.
And – as our last news piece for this week – a seasonal video from the Phillipines. There, according to Rocketnews 24, Cathay Pacific staff members at the Manila Airport (MNL) put together a choreographed dance number to bring holiday cheer to surprised passengers:
That’s all for this week – safe travels!