Let’s start with some snow as it’s that time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This time the white powder hit Chicago’s O’Hare Airport (IATA: ORD) as Bloomberg reported on Friday: United Continental, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines cancelled more than 460 flights as a snowstorm moves through the area.

Over in India it wasn’t the weather that disrupted the plans of hundreds of travellers; according to the Times of India, a sudden strike by Air India pilots resulted in massive chaos at the New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IATA: DEL) on Saturday as passengers were caught completely off guard. Another Indian news source, the Indian Express wrote that the strike of nearly 60 pilots was in protest for non-payment of five months’ pay. According to the article the pilots resumed work later that evening after the management promised to release overdue allowances for two months in the coming week.

Egypt has certainly been a lot in the news in recent times, but it rarely made headlines with airport stories. This time though the Egyptian capital Cairo had a brainy moment – if you excuse the pun. According to an article from the Washington Post, officials at Cairo’s international airport (IATA: CAI) confiscated 420 pounds (190 kilograms) of frozen cow brains on Friday from three Sudanese travelers who planned to sell them to Egyptian restaurants. In the article an airport official said it was the fourth time this week that customs officers there had foiled an attempt to smuggle cow brains into the country, reflecting the growth of a moneymaking scheme made possible by some realities of international supply and demand: Cow brains are cheap in Sudan, and Egyptians like to eat them. It couldn’t be more obvious!

Over in the United Kingdom another animal airport story made headlines this week, but this time only one animal was involved and it was (and hopefully still is) alive: the BBC reported that a cheetah has been stopped at London’s Heathrow Airport (IATA: LHR) by border officials who were suspicious about the animal’s missing identity microchip. The African cheetah, called Isaac, was on his way from a South African safari park to Russia when he was seized. He is being kept in the UK until it is known why his microchip was missing, the UK Border Agency said in the news piece.

And finally this: Maybe it was the snow storms in Chicago that lead one of the city’s creative studios come up with an  ingenious and visually stunning idea of portraying airport runways. Architect and designer Jerome Daksiewicz’ screenprint project prints airport runway patterns and airport codes on 18″ x 24″ steel grey posters. Currently you can buy ATL, LHR, MSP, LAX, ORD and SFO with several others to follow. $2 of every poster sold go to the Challenge Air Program that builds self-esteem and confidence of children and youth with specials needs, through the experience of flight.

What a nice end to our weekly wrap-up, don’t you think? Have a great new week and safe travels!

[Picture from Flickr Some rights reserved by Scorpions and Centaurs]

Alright, let us start with the news pairs: First up are France and Cyprus which this week had one thing in common: airport strikes. On Thursday The Washington Post reported that Cyprus’ airports and government offices have shut down in a daylong strike by a civil servants’ union and air traffic controllers to protest a wage freeze and other spending cuts affecting them. According to the report the rare work stoppage has forced the cancellation of 79 flights to and from the east Mediterranean island. Over in France, we heard from Reuters just yesterday that a strike by French airport security staff caused the cancellation of all flights at Lyon airport (IATA: LYS) and disruption at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport (IATA: CDG).

The next pair comes from Africa, an area often neglected from aviation news. Not this week, as we heard from Kilimanjaro Airport (IATA: JRO) – yes, we’ve even reviewed it! – that it will get a facelift. The Citizen reported that the renovation of the Kilimanjaro International Airport will start in January as part of efforts to improve services at the 40 year old airport to meet the demands of increased tourist flows in Northern Tanzania. Over at the west side of the continent Modern Ghana informed us that the Minister for Transport of the Republic of Ghana has announced that financial arrangements for the Tamale airport (IATA: TML) would soon be finalised to upgrade it to international status, to serve as an alternative to the Kotoka International Airport (IATA: ACC).

And the last but not least of our “news pairs” is between the two mega airports London Heathrow (IATA: LHR) and Los Angeles International (LAX). Both made news this week when Facebook released a list of the airports with the most online check-ins. The Los Angeles Times headlined the survey by shouting out the “winner”, Los Angeles International Airport while over in England, the Daily Mail was quite satisfied with Heathrow making it among the Top 20 of the “most social” airports. Airport International has the full list, in case you are interested.

That’s all we have this week – safe travels everyone!

[Photo from Flickr - Some rights reserved by kennysarmy]

First of all, a big relieve for all cat lovers. The kitty, Jack that went missing at New York’s John F. Kennedy International airport (IATA: JFK) when its owner relocated – we wrote about it in our last week’s news – has been found. He’s alive and according to our friends at Reuters the pet cat which was missing for two months has been discovered alive in a customs room. The owner now plans to pick the cat up herself to make sure it arrives safely in her new hometown of San Francisco.

Then on Tuesday we wrote about how Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport (IATA: DMK) became a refugee point for hundreds of flood victims. Later in the week it was reported that floodwaters began pouring over sandbagged barriers protecting Bangkok’s second airport, forcing a halt to commercial flights after airlines based there suspended operations (Business Week).

This week we also heard from a continent that rarely makes it into the news: Africa. According to the Agencia Angola Press the minister of Transports, Augusto Tomás, announced that a new airport of the country’s capital Luanda shall be totally concluded within 26 months. According to the article, the minister considered the project as very important for the strategy and socio-economic development of the country. The new airport will be built about 40 km from the city and is scheduled to replace the one currently in use, Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport (IATA: LAD).

And finally we have the TSA in the news again. This time the US Transport Security Administration made news with an agent leaving a note in a passenger’s luggage after finding a vibrator when screening the checked bag at Newark International Airport (IATA: EWR). Forbes published the photo of the actual note which reads “get your freak on girl”. Two days later the same source then revealed that the TSA agent who wrote the note was found and penalized. According to Forbes, TSA has done an impressive job investigating the incident and apologizing to the traveler, Jill Filopovic, who blogs at Feministe.

Let’s leave it at that and conclude our round-up. Have a great new week everyone!

[Photo from Flickr - Some rights reserved by Jairus]

This story is still developing, but The Wall Street Journal wrote late Saturday, Eastern Time that so far about 4,000 flights have been canceled through the weekend and continued that this number is expected to grow as airlines firm up their plans. The article then read that four of the New York area’s six main commercial airports were all closed to arrivals as of noon Saturday, with only Long Island MacArthur Airport (IATA: ISP), Westerchester County’s airport in New York state (IATA: HPN) and Teterboro in New Jersey (IATA: TEB) providing flying access.

Moving on to other US news: Earlier in the week the LA Times reported that a Burbank businessman was arrested over feeding of birds near an airport. The newspaper wrote that the 59-year-old has been feeding flocks of pigeons since at least September 2010 which — beyond violating municipal code — has created a major safety hazard for jet airplanes using the nearby Bob Hope Airport (IATA: BUR) as the birds’ numbers have grown into the hundreds.

Through a source at the reputable Kenyan based newspaper ‘ The EastAfrican’, we learnt this week that that Tanzania is refurbishing and upgrading 10 regional airports in a $67.5 million infrastructure project set to kick off before the end of 2011. According to the source Transport Minister Omari Nundu said the airports will be built in Kigoma and Tabora regions in the westy, Rukwa and Mbeya regions in the southern highland, Mafia district (Coastal), Msalato (Dodoma) Singida, Mwanza (Arusha) and Bukoba (Kagera).

And now – finally – to the beloved, odd news of the week: A social media expert was on a flight this week and just before it was about to take off, he wistfully and quite jokingly tweeted he would love it if his favourite restaurant would meet him with a steak dinner upon arrival. Well, you guessed it, they did. Someone from the steakhouse saw the tweet, organized everything and met the man on arrival at Newark Airport (IATA: EWR) with his favourite cut of meat. You can read the full story here.

With that have a great week, safe travels and a lot of patience if you have to fly through the East coast of the US!

[Picture from Wikipedia - some rights reserved]

10. Virgin Atlantic passengers stuck on tarmarc in Connecticut
Hundreds of travelers parked in a diverted Virgin Atlantic plane en route from London to Newark spent a hot, dark and miserable four-hour stretch on the tarmac at Bradley International Airport outside Hartford, Connecticut (IATA: BDL). The incident attracted significant media attention, and highlighted how the recently-implemented Airline Passengers Bill of Rights does not extend to international flights.
(AP photo/Journal Inquirer, Jim Michaud)

9. New Airport for Delhi
On the 3rd July, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opened a terminal that will double capacity at New Delhi airport (IATA: DEL) and ease travel into the world’s second-most populous country.
(Photo from Wikipedia)

8. 60 human heads discovered at Arkansas airport
In June the Telegraph wrote that employees at Southwest Airlines discovered the clumsily duct-taped containers of heads last week at Little Rock airport in Arkansas, USA (IATA: LIT). Apparently the heads were being shipped to Medtronic Inc in Fort Worth, Texas, where they would be used by neurosurgeons to study ear, nose and throat procedures. Errr, no further questions.
(Photo: ALAMY/Telegraph)

7. Fans miss World Cup semi final
South Africa was the host of the 2010 Soccer World Cup and despite multiple rumours about incomplete stadiums, everything was in place for the world’s biggest sporting event. Everything? Not quite: due to VIP jets blocking Durban’s new King Shaka International Airport (IATA: DUR) hundreds of fans missed the game Germany vs Spain.
(Photo from Flickr, some rights reserved)

6. Air Traffic control strike disrupts travel in France
Coincidentally with the start of the summer holdiay period, French Air Traffic controllers decided to, well, you guessed it, strike! This led to cancellations and delays in France and other European destinations. Read more about this on CNN.
(Photo by Flickr – some rights reserved)

5. Air India Express Crash in Mangalore
Sadly in May, Mangalore, a Southwestern Indian coastal town in the state of Karnataka came into the world’s news headlines when an Air India plane crashed after overshooting the runway at Mangalore Airport (IATA: IXE). After the crash voices erupted and asked whether the airport is safe and fits international standards.
(Photo by Flickr – some rights reserved)

4. Qantas A380 engine blow-up
At the end of May Singapore Airlines added a fun slide to it’s already great terminal 3, making headlines on LateDeparture. On 4th November then, the airport came into the global news for a different reason: that day the engine of a A380 Qantas plane blow-up after departure from Singapore airport (IATA: SIN) where the damaged aircraft returned to for an emergency landing. Check this blog for a very (and I mean very!) detailed description of the damages and what happened.
(Photo by Flickr – some rights reserved)

3. International terror alert in October
The Guardian reported that East Midlands airport (IATA: EMA), Britain’s largest air freight terminal was sealed off after investigators found a package containing a toner cartridge on a United Parcel Service plane from Yemen to Chicago. Federal Express later said a second suspicious package had been found in Dubai on a plane originating in Yemen. FedEx and UPS subsequently suspended cargo flights from Yemen. “Toner and ink cartridges above 450 grams were completely banned from passenger flights travelling to the US, not just coming from Yemen, but coming from anywhere at all”, wrote the Sydney Morning Herald.
(Photo by Flickr – some rights reserved)

2. Volcanic ash cloud in April and May
Now infamous and unpronounceable Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted in April and consequently shutting a large part of the European airspace for days. The UK was hit the hardest with the airspace closed for a grueling 9 days in April and two more in May. Irish airline Ryanair alone cancelled almost 10,000 flights over the period. Many people are still waiting for compensation, writes the Mail.
(Photo by Flickr – some rights reserved)

1. TSA Full Body Scanner Mess
In November 2001 airport security in US airports was made the responsibility of a new Transportation Security Administration (TSA). In addition to existing hassles, such as not allowing carrying liquids in quantities greater than 3.4oz (100ml) or removing of the traveller’s shoes, fresh measures were introduced with the widespread roll-out of full-body scanners (LateDeparture first reported sight of these machines in 2008). The Economist (among hundreds of other media) writes, that since the measures were introduced there has been no shortage of horror stories—a breast-cancer survivor had to take off her prosthetic breast, a bladder-cancer survivor’s urine bag burst during one aggressive inspection and a shirtless young boy received a pat-down. What a mess!

That’s it. I hope you liked it. As always, feel free to comment and write us your own, personal airport stories of 2010. But now, on behalf of LateDeparture, I would like to thank all loyal readers, advertisers (yes, you may contact us too if you like to discuss an ad deal), friends and last but certainly not least my partner for their support of LateDeparture in 2010. You guys rock! See and read you again in 2011!

But let’s first start with the basics: As you would think, the airport mainly serves travellers as their destination airport for the climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. It is located between the two cities Arusha and Moshi and is also in close proximity of what must be two of Africa’s best wildlife reserves: Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. KLM is the only non-African airline with frequent flights from Amsterdam Schiphol.

Alright, now back to the airports relaxed efficiency: I thought we had plenty of time at our hands when we arrived at the airport 3 hours before our scheduled departure back to Amsterdam (read the related article). But with various security checks, a long check-in queue and, worst of all, a stupidly strangely complicated immigration system, we basically just got to the gate right on time for boarding. Another annoyance was that all the shops are located before the last security check. My suggestion therefore is to take it easy (Pole Pole), have a look at the shops, eat something and wait until the queue for the gate dies down. Just make sure you don’t miss your flight!

There are still a few things you can do, so here are my top 3 things to do at Kilimanjaro Airport:

1. Look at the people boarding your flight and guess who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro (hint: watch them walk!)
2. Make your fellow travel companions happy and buy some Coca-Cola, Snickers, Kitkat, Pringles and Cookies (17.500 Schilling)
3. Flick through your digital camera’s pictures and smile about the unforgettable moments during your trip

Unfortunately the airport’s duty free shop did not have either Veuve Clicquot or Chanel No. 5 for my usual price rating but then, in my opinion at least, buying expensive French champagne in Africa doesn’t sound right in the first place.

[Picture from Flickr]