Malaysia Airlines alleged sex attack victim speaks out in Sunday Night exclusive

AN Australian woman has spoken out about her alleged sexual assault on board a Malaysia Airlines flight earlier this month.

The 26-year-old alleged victim will tell her story on Seven’s Sunday Night this weekend, as well as showing chilling footage taken from her phone during the reported attack.

The woman, known only as Laura, claims she was assaulted by the chief steward on flight MH20 from Kuala Lumpur to Paris, August 4.

“I couldn’t stop it, I just froze, I was just scared,” she tells Seven reporter Ross Coulthart in the promo.

In audio of the interview, Coulthart can be heard asking Laura why she didn’t scream for help.

“I keep saying ‘why didn’t I scream, why didn’t I shout, why didn’t I stop it?’

“I’m a strong person because I can, I can do that, I know I can, but when I was in the moment I couldn’t. I felt so scared, so petrified.”

In the recording Laura took mid-flight following the alleged assault, a woman’s voice can be heard crying to a man sitting across the aisle as he shakes his head.

She says: “You did, you did, you did, don’t lie. It’s what you did.

“I’m so scared, I just want to get off this plane ... I don’t want to see you, go away, you give me the creeps, you dirty old man,” the woman can be heard saying in the audio.

Upon landing at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, the male steward — who is married with three daughters — was detained by police and two weeks later is still behind bars after making admissions.

The alleged victim says she is speaking out for first time about what happened because she feels let down by the actions of the airline.

Malaysian Airlines was in serious financial trouble even before the twin disasters of MH370 and MH17 claimed the lives of 537 people. Source: Flickr

Malaysia Airlines has confirmed that the allegations were made, and has vowed to assist French authorities in their investigation, adding “the safety, comfort and wellbeing of our passengers is always our highest priority”.

“Malaysia Airlines expects and accepts nothing short of the highest standards of conduct from its crew and takes any such allegations very seriously,” it said.

Sexual assaults on planes are rare, but they do occur and can be difficult to investigate. In February Carlos Vasquez was sentenced to three years probation and fined $3000 for molesting a 15-year-old girl who sat next to him on a flight from Houston to Washington, US. She pretended to be asleep during the ordeal.

A month earlier passenger Bawer Aksal was sentenced to eight years in jail for sexually assaulting a woman on a United Airlines flight from Phoenix to Newark, US. The victim told the court: “I will never be the same person I once was”.

Last September an Indian man was sentenced to nine months jail for a mile-high sex attack, India Everyday reports.

Mile-high crimes usually occur on overnight flights, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Drew Ptasienski told US news site NBC News 41.

“The crew isn’t walking around (as much),” Ptasienski said. “It’s a crime of opportunity.”

The allegations comes as Malaysia Airlines continues to battle for survival following recent tragedies. Flight MH370 disappeared mysteriously in March with 239 people aboard, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. No trace has been found and the airline was widely criticised for its handling of the crisis. On July 17, MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, with 298 people killed.

The airline is in deep financial trouble, with predictions it’s burning through its cash reserves at a rate of around $2.16 million per day, and bookings continue to slide.

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United Airlines pens least sincere apology letter of all time

(SPECIFIC AIRLINE) has accidentally exposed the falsity of its customer service, sending a passenger a letter full of supposedly sincere regret but forgetting to fill in the case fields.

(SPECIFIC USER) posted a picture of the letter she received on (SPECIFIC SOCIAL MEDIA SITE), which shows how the airline basically just copy pastes complaints into a standard issue letter that apologises and dishes out vouchers.

It's probably fairly standard procedure among companies of this size, but is still pretty (SPECIFIC ADJECTIVE CONVEYING DISGUST) to see laid bare.

According to (AFOREMENTIONED USER), the letter's author, whose name was blanked out, signed the letter, so [HE/SHE] must rattle off a fair few of these if they didn't even notice the block capital placeholders.

(SPECIFIC CURSE WORD) you, United.

Transcript:

Dear Mrs. --------

Thank you for letting us know about your recent experience with United Airlines. I apologize if our service did not meet your expectation, and appreciate you taking time to share your concerns.

Our goal is to provide a consistently reliable product and an exemplary level of customer service. Based on the events you describe, we did not meet this goal. Your comments regarding (SPECIFIC EVENT) will be used for coaching and training our employees.

To encourage you to fly with us again and as a tangible means of acknowledging your disappointment, enclosed if (SPECIFIC ITEM).

(CUSTOMER NAME), I ask that you allow us another opportunity to serve you, as we consider it our privelege to have you aboard.

Sincerely,

---------------

Customer Care Manager

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United Airlines Flight Diverted After Emergency Evacuation Slide Deploys

A United Airlines flight from Chicago to California was diverted to Wichita, Kan. Sunday after the plane’s emergency evacuation slide accidentally deployed, an airline spokesperson told ABC News.

United Airlines Flight 1463 was carrying 96 passengers and five crew members on board. All passengers were seated at the time the slide deployed, an airline spokesperson said.

“No one was injured and the flight landed safely,” the airline said in a statement.

The airline is providing hotel accommodations for the passengers, and a new flight will depart Wichita this morning.

A maintenance team is inspecting the aircraft to determine why the slide deployed.

This is not the first time a flight was diverted after a slide deployed. A JetBlue plane was diverted in November 2013 after an evacuation slide was activated. A similar situation also occurred on then-Sen. Barack Obama’s plane during the 2008 presidential race.

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United Airlines overhauls frequent flier program

United Airlines on Tuesday made a dramatic change to its frequent-flier program, basing earnings on dollars spent rather than miles flown. Chicago-based United’s new MileagePlus program mirrors a move made by Delta Air Lines earlier this year. It’s aimed at rewarding big-spending fliers who are most profitable for the airline, making corporate travelers the big winners and most leisure travelers the losers. The switch to base awards on fares, specifically base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges but not taxes and airport charges, will take effect March 1 of next year and applies to flights on United, United Express and most United-issued tickets for flights on the company’s airline partners.

 

“It’s a risky move given United’s current underperformance versus Delta on both operating and financial measures,” said Brian Karimzad, director of MileCards.com. “Many of United’s most frequent flyers are frustrated with the airline right now.”

 

Years ago, fares correlated more closely with miles traveled, so miles were a good gauge for money spent with the airline. That's no longer true. Flights of the same number of miles could cost $200 or $1,000. Karimzad said American Airlines, the only network carrier to continue to use miles, will likely follow suit by switching to a dollar-based award system, although it probably won’t announce a change until its merger with US Airways is further along next year, with changes potentially taking effect in 2016. Southwest Airlines, the biggest carrier at Chicago Midway, and JetBlue Airways already base awards on spending, rather than miles.

 

However, Brian Kelly, of ThePointsGuy.com, said American might continue with miles-based awards to differentiate itself from the competition.

 

He called United’s change “brazen” and a “cut-and-paste” of Delta’s reward program announced in February. “United is still stumbling from their merger,” he said, referring to the 2010 combination with Continental Airlines. “Their customer service is terrible and they’re losing money…to throw this curveball at customers is bold move.” By contrast, “Delta at least has gotten their act together,” he said.

 

United fliers overall are likely to earn fewer awards with the new program, he said. Under United’s plan for next year, frequent fliers will earn five miles for every dollar spent, while those with premier status will earn accelerated rewards. For example, Premier Silver fliers, the lowest premier tier, will earn seven miles per dollar, while Premier 1K fliers, the highest tier, will earn 11 miles per dollar.

 

“These changes are designed to more directly recognize the value of our members when they fly United,” Thomas F. O’Toole, president of MileagePlus, said in a statement.

 

The clear winners are fliers who often buy pricey tickets for short flights. For example, a $1,000 flight from Chicago to Kansas City will earn 5,000 miles under the new program, compared with just 800 miles under the current one, Karimzad said. And international fliers who buy first-class or business class tickets will do well. For example, a $7,000 ticket from New York to London will earn 35,000 loyalty miles, compared with 10,500 today. Losers are business travelers who fly long distances in coach and leisure travelers, he said. However, the change is a mixed bag for most business travelers who fly on a variety of fare types, he said. And those who earn most of their miles on the ground -- through an airline credit card, for example -- won’t be affected.

 

United’s change could affect how business travelers book travel, providing an incentive to buy pricey tickets so they can accumulate more award miles, Kelly said. Many business travelers keep their frequent-flier awards even though the company pays for the flight. United said that next year it plans to offer members new ways to use award miles, including for single-flight purchases of extra legroom and to buy subscriptions that include extra legroom and checked baggage. That change is likely aimed at infrequent fliers who will have something to spend awards on because they won’t rack up enough miles under the new plan to pay for a roundtrip ticket, Karimzad said.

 

The new earning structure will not affect the way members qualify for premier status in 2015, the airline said.

 

Overall, United’s change, along with its new dollars-spent requirements to achieve elite status, might affect which airlines Chicagoans fly.

“This is a point when you reevaluate your loyalty,” Kelly said. “Instead of hustling to get elite status on United, maybe you start flying an airline you actually enjoy flying or one that gives you better perks."

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United launches nonstop summer Washington Dulles-Madrid flights

United Airlines (Chicago) last night (June 5) launched the Washington area’s only nonstop flights between the airline’s hub at Dulles International Airport and Madrid, with daily summer-season service through September 4, 2014.

Flight UA 163 departs Washington Dulles International Airport at 5:45 p.m. (1745), arriving at Madrid–Barajas Airport at 7:40 a.m. (0740) the following day (all times local). On the return, Flight UA 164 departs Madrid at 11:35 a.m. (1135), arriving in Washington at 2:30 p.m. (1430) the same day. Flight times are seven hours, 55 minutes eastbound and eight hours, 55 minutes westbound.

United will operate the service with Boeing 757-200 aircraft with a total of 169 seats – 16 flat-bed seats in United BusinessFirst and 153 seats in United Economy, including 45 Economy Plus extra-legroom seats.

United Airlines has been serving Spain for more than 20 years. In addition to the Washington–Madrid service, the airline operates Newark-Madrid and Newark-Barcelona service.

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United Airlines operates first flights into Heathrow Terminal 2

United Airlines today became the first airline to operate a flight at London Heathrow Airport’s new Terminal 2: The Queen’s Terminal.  Flight UA958 from Chicago O’Hare, a Boeing 767-300 with 178 customers and a crew of 11 on board, arrived at gate B38 at 05:49 local time, six minutes ahead of schedule. It was the first of United’s 17 scheduled flight arrivals at Terminal 2 today.  The airline is also scheduled to operate 17 flight departures from the terminal today, bringing all its operations at London Heathrow – previously split between Terminals 1 and 4 – under one roof for the first time since the United-Continental merger in 2010.

Customers arriving on the first flight were greeted by United’s Hershel Kamen, senior vice president alliances, regulatory and policy, and Bob Schumacher, managing director sales UK and Ireland, and John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow chief executive designate. Also on hand was Mark Schwab, chief executive of Star Alliance. Terminal 2 will ultimately be the home of all Star Alliance airlines operating at Heathrow.

“We’re extremely proud to be the first airline to operate from the new Terminal 2 and to consolidate our Heathrow operations in the airport’s most advanced terminal,” said United’s Bob Schumacher. 

“Heathrow is one of the most important airports in United’s global network, and Terminal 2 represents a huge improvement in the service and facilities we are able to provide to all our customers, whether they’re departing, arriving or connecting.”

At Terminal 2, United customers benefit from easier, faster routes through check-in and security on departure and through border control on arrival. They have a choice of check-in methods: quick and easy self-service kiosks, fast bag-drop desks and full-service check-in desks. Customers can also enjoy a wide variety of shopping, dining and seating options in a light, airy, spacious building.

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'I kill white people like you': United Airlines passenger arrested for threatening woman who asked her to switch her phone off

A United Airlines flight from Nashville to Houston was forced to turn around on Sunday after a 43-year-old woman threatened another passenger who asked her to turn her cell phone off. Lashonda Lee Williams, 43, is alleged to have told another female passenger, ‘I kill white people like you.’

She was arrested for assault by cops after the flight had returned to its gate at Nashville International Airport. According to a court affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun, another female passenger asked Williams to ‘turn off her cell phone due to the aircraft being in flight.’

Investigators noted that Williams told the other passenger – named as K. Colleen Coult, 50 - that she would follow her upon reaching Houston ‘and find out where she lived.’  The comments ‘created fear in Coult for her safety,’ the affidavit notes.

A United flight attendant told cops that Williams’s statements 'were causing anxiety and fear throughout the cabin.' After being booked into the Davidson County jail, Williams was released on $3000 bond. She is scheduled for a June 25 County Court appearance.

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United launches Chicago O’Hare-Edinburgh flights

United Airlines (Chicago) yesterday (May 22) began Chicago’s first-ever flights to Edinburgh, Scotland, with summer-season service through October 5, 2014.

The flights will operate five times weekly between May 22 and June 11, daily between June 12 and September 1, and four times weekly between September 2 and October 5 (all dates eastbound).

Flight UA 118 departs Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 6 p.m. (1800), arriving at Edinburgh Airport at 7:45 a.m. (0745) the following day (all times local). On the return, flight UA 119 departs Edinburgh at 10:25 a.m. (1025), arriving in Chicago at 1 p.m. (1300) the same day. Flight times are seven hours, 45 minutes eastbound and eight hours, 35 minutes westbound.

United will operate the service with Boeing 757-200 aircraft with a total of 169 seats – 16 flat-bed seats in United BusinessFirst and 153 seats in United Economy, including 45 Economy Plus extra-legroom seats.

United has been serving Scotland since 1998. In addition to the Edinburgh-Chicago service, the airline operates year-round nonstop service from both Edinburgh and Glasgow to its Newark Liberty International Airport hub.

United Airlines is O’Hare International Airport’s largest airline. United and the United Express carriers operate more than 580 daily flights out of O’Hare. The airline offers more than 50 daily nonstop flights to nearly 40 international destinations in Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada.

O’Hare International Airport, the fifth-busiest airport in the world, is United’s hometown hub, with corporate headquarters in Chicago’s Willis Tower.

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FAA, NTSB investigating close call between 2 planes

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating an incident nearly three weeks ago when two jets came within miles of each other. 

On April 25, United Airlines Flight 1205 from Kona to Los Angeles responded to a warning from the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System about 200 miles northeast of Kona.  The warning told the crew to avoid a U.S. Airways Boeing 757 heading westbound.

The FAA says the required separation between aircraft in the airspace where the incident occurred is either 5 miles laterally or 1,000 feet vertically.

Preliminary data shows that the aircraft were 8 miles apart when the alert came.  The United plane was told to descend.  On the next radar hit 12 seconds later, the aircraft were 5.3 miles apart laterally and 800 feet apart vertically.

The FAA says it not drawing conclusions about whether the aircraft were on a collision course.  The agency began investigating the incident immediately and says it has taken steps to prevent a recurrence.  FAA officials say the TCAS performed as it was designed.

A joint FAA and NTSB investigation team was scheduled to arrive on Oahu on Thursday.

Since the 1980s, the FAA has required the TCAS on airliners with more than 30 passenger seats to help prevent mid-air collisions.  It alerts pilots to potential conflicts and may issue them instructions to climb or descend to avoid the conflict.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating an incident nearly three weeks ago when two jets came within miles of each other.

United Airlines says it is working with the NTSB in its review of the incident.

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United Airlines to Launch Nonstop Service Between San Francisco and Tokyo's Haneda Airport

United Airlines, the U.S. carrier with the most extensive global reach, today announced it will add Tokyo's Haneda Airport to its route network, with daily nonstop service from San Francisco effective Oct. 26, 2014, subject to government approval.

Haneda Airport will be the tenth trans-Pacific destination that United serves nonstop from San Francisco, and the third newAsia-Pacific airport – also including Taipei and Chengdu – for United this year.

"We are excited about adding Haneda Airport to our global route network," said Jim Compton, United's vice chairman and chief revenue officer. "By providing nonstop service from our San Francisco hub to both Tokyo airports, we will maximize choice and convenience for customers traveling from across the Americas to Tokyo, and to points beyond on our joint-venture partner ANA."

Flight 875 will depart San Francisco International Airport daily at 6:35 p.m., arriving at Haneda Airport at 10:05 p.m. the following day (all times local). On the return, flight 876 will depart Haneda daily at 12:05 a.m., arriving in San Francisco at 5:15 p.m. the previous day, after crossing the International Date Line. Flying times will be approximately 11 hours, 30 minutes westbound and 9 hours, 10 minutes eastbound.

Effective Nov. 2, 2014, San Francisco arrival and departure times will be one hour earlier due to the end of daylight saving time. 

The flight schedules enable customers to use convenient public transportation between Haneda Airport and central Tokyo andYokohama.

Connecting Flights

United customers traveling on the new Haneda flights will be able to make one-stop connections at the San Francisco hub to and from 28 cities throughout North America and beyond. In addition, the new service will provide connections at Haneda on the extensive network of United's joint-venture partner ANA to other international destinations, including Bangkok andSingapore.

With the introduction of the San Francisco – Tokyo/Haneda service, United will operate once-daily service between San Francisco and Tokyo's Narita International Airport, rather than the twice-daily service currently offered. The airline also operates daily service to Tokyo/Narita from its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Washington.

United in San Francisco

United is the largest carrier at San Francisco International Airport, offering nearly 300 daily flights to more than 90 destinations in the U.S. and around the world, more service than any other airline from the Bay Area. From its San Francisco hub, United also offers more nonstop trans-Pacific service to and from the United States than any other carrier hub. United currently operates nearly 30 daily nonstop flights from San Francisco to 21 international destinations and will add nonstop service fromSan Francisco to Chengdu, China, in June, pending government approval.

Onboard Products and Services

The Haneda service will be operated with Boeing 777 aircraft with 269 seats – eight in United Global First, 40 in United BusinessFirst and 221 in United Economy, including 104 United Economy Plus extra-legroom seats. Both Global First and BusinessFirst feature flat-bed seats, along with a wide range of premium-cabin services and amenities.  All seats on the 777 feature a personal on-demand entertainment system. 

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate an average of more than 5,200 flights a day to 369 airports across six continents. In 2013, United and United Express carried more passenger traffic than any other airline in the world and operated nearly two million flights carrying 139 million customers. United operates nearly 700 mainline aircraft and, in 2014, will take delivery of 35 new Boeing aircraft, including the B787-9 as the North American launch customer, and will welcome 27 new E175 aircraft to United Express. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 195 countries via 26 member airlines. More than 85,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

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United Airlines replacing small jets with bigger ones

* The new Embraer 175s will not initially be used on Newark routes

There is hope for travelers who on occasion must try to cram a carry-on into one of the undersized bins in 50-seat United Express regional jets. Dozens of those snug aircraft will be replaced over the next 1 1/2 years by roomier Embraer 175s, which have 76 seats, including 12 in a first-class section, as well as larger overhead bins, United said.

The E-175 offers "more personal space and wider seats and aisles than other regional jets," said Charles Hobart, a United spokesman. "It's a better customer experience."

United has firm orders for 70 of the aircraft built by Brazilian manufacturer Embraer, with 40 to be operated by Utah-based SkyWest Airlines and 30 to be operated by Mesa Airlines, all under the United Express banner.

Hobart said SkyWest will put the first one in service on May 17 on a route between Chicago O'Hare and Ronald Reagan Washington National airports. Another aircraft goes into action on June 23 between O'Hare and New York's La Guardia Airport.

"This aircraft will eventually serve Newark," said Hobart, but he did not know when.

United Chief Executive Officer Jeff Smisek mentioned in a recent earnings conference call the rollout of the new regional jets as an example of steps being taken to improve cost efficiency after a disappointing first quarter, in which the airline lost $448 million.

"This is an industrywide phenomena, the up-gauging of aircraft," said Kevin Crissy, analyst with Skyline Research in Mahwah.

For commercial carriers, the economics of operating small jets has changed with higher fuel costs. "A 50-seat plane works better at $30 per barrel crude," Crissy said.

Also, as airlines have improved efficiency of reservation systems and have gotten better at filling every seat, it often makes economic sense for carriers to swap smaller planes for larger ones, Crissy said.

The smaller aircraft have been used for short-haul service to help passengers make connections at hubs and for shuttle service to certain cities. The E-175 has been a hot seller for Embraer. In the first quarter alone, the Brazilian company delivered 195 of them to airlines throughout the world. These included 78 to Indianapolis-based Republic Airways.

American Airlines announced in December it had signed firm orders to buy 60 E-175s. Embraer has put the value of those orders at $2.5 billion. American also said it had ordered 30 76-seat Bombardier CRJ900 "NextGen" aircraft, valued at $1.42 billion, with options to buy up to 40 more. The E-175s, which have General Electric engines, burn less fuel per seat than the 50-seat E-145s, Hobart said. The E-145s have Rolls-Royce engines.

At United, upsizing of regional jets required a concession from the pilots' union, which had negotiated limits on the size of aircraft that can be flown by lower-paid counterparts at regional partner airlines.

"In the latest contract, United and our pilots agreed that the regional pilots could operate 76-seat aircraft, whereas previously the limit was 70-seat aircraft," Hobart said.

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United Airlines launches Houston-Munich flights

United Airlines (Chicago) yesterday (April 24) launched daily nonstop service between its Houston hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Munich, linking the fourth-largest city in the U.S. with the capital of Bavaria.

United will operate the service with Boeing 767-400 aircraft with 242 seats – 39 in United BusinessFirst and 203 in United Economy, including 70 Economy Plus extra-legroom seats.

Flight UA 104 departs Bush Intercontinental daily at 4:10 p.m. (1610) and arrives at Munich’s Franz Joseph Strauss International Airport at 9:50 a.m. (0950) the next day. On the return, flight UA 105 will depart Munich at 9:30 a.m. (0930) and arrive in Houston at 2:20 p.m. (1420) the same day.

The new Munich flights complement the daily nonstop service between Houston and Frankfurt that both United and its joint-venture partner Lufthansa offer today.

United is the leading U.S. carrier to Germany, operating year-round nonstop flights to five German cities from hubs in Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington.

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United Takes Delivery of the 8,000th 737

On Wednesday April 16th, United took delivery of its latest 737, but this one was special.

A 737-900ER was delivered from Boeing Field, marking a special occasion for not only Boeing but also United.  The aircraft was the 8,000th 737 to roll out of the Renton factory, and became one of over 550 of the type to be delivered to United since its inception.

Since the first flight of the 737-series on April 9th, 1967, this latest aircraft marks a new milestone in a very long history. The first US airline to take delivery of the 737 was United, and it is a fitting tribute that they took delivery of the latest and most current version of the aircraft.

The 737-900ER, which can accommodate up to 179 passengers (in the two-class configuration United uses) is a far cry from the original 737-200, which could only hold 109!

“We’re thrilled to celebrate this huge achievement with Boeing,” said Ron Baur, vice president of fleet, United Airlines. “The 737 has been an integral part of our narrowbody fleet and we are pleased to continue this tradition by being the North American launch customer for the new 737 MAX 9.”

It should be noted that, for a while, it looked like United had moved past the 737; in 2009 they actually flew their “last” 737 flight, retiring their 737 “classic” fleet in lieu of the narrow-body offerings from Airbus.  It wasn’t until the merger with Continental (which was a big 737 Next Gen operator) that United got back in to the game.

Over the years, Boeing has produced endless numbers of 737s out of the tiny factory in the Seattle suburb of Renton. The 737 has has evolved from just a workhorse into an aviation powerhouse.

Holding the title of the world’s best selling aircraft, there are now almost as many 737s as all of the aircraft Airbus has produced.  Yep that is right, Airbus just topped over 8,000 total aircraft last August, and as 39 aircraft a month roll out of the Renton factory, the 737 should outstrip that mark very soon!

Even though this was aircraft number 8,000 to roll out of the factory, there are still another 3,700 planes on order. With the new 737 MAX due to fly in 2016, there will be many more 737s to come in the future. With the rate the 737 is going, it is likely that the model could be flying 100 years after its first flight — now that is an accomplishment.

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United Airlines flight temporarily grounded at JFK Airport by bomb threat made on Twitter

A Tweet that referenced a bomb threat on a United Airlines flight from New York to Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C., led a flight to be grounded, evacuated and searched at JFK on Wednesday night. No bomb was found.

Passengers were evacuated from a United Airlines flight prior to its scheduled takeoff from JFK Airport on Wednesday night after a company official spotted a bomb threat on Twitter, sources said.

United Airline’s corporate security saw the tweet, which was posted at 7:05 p.m. and read: “There is a bomb on a United Airlines flight from JFK to Dulles,” according to the Port Authority Police Department.

A 7:40 p.m. flight from JFK to Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C., had already boarded at Terminal 7 but had not left the gate area when the tweet was spotted. Authorities evacuated all 49 passengers from the plane and the FBI began sweeping it for explosives, sources said.

No explosives were found. The plane took off about two hours late, officials said.

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United’s First Boeing 787-9 Rolls out of Final Assembly

United Airlines’ first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner rolled out of the manufacturer’s final assembly facility at Everett in Washington on the evening of April 8.

The roll-out marks the first major milestone in the aircraft’s production ahead of its expected delivery to United Airlines this summer. The Boeing 787-9 is the second member of the 787 Dreamliner family.

With its fuselage stretched 20 feet longer than the Boeing 787-8, United’s 787-9 will fly more than 30 additional passengers and up to 300 nautical miles farther with the same environmental performance, burning up to 20 per cent less fuel per seat and up to 20 per cent lower emissions than similarly sized, previous-generation aircraft. United Airlines is the North American launch customer for the aircraft.

“The 787-9 is an amazing aircraft that builds on the 787-8′s proven fuel efficiency, performance and customer comfort,” says Ron Baur, United’s vice president of fleet. “We are excited to add the 787-9 to our Dreamliner fleet as it gives us even more flexibility and range to capitalize on our extensive worldwide route network.”

Earlier this year, United announced that it will operate Boeing 787-9s on non-stop flights between its hub at Los Angeles International Airport and Melbourne in Australia, beginning in October.

On March 12, 2007, before merging with United Airlines, Continental Airlines ordered five Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and contracted to convert 12 previously ordered 787-8 jetliners to the larger 787-9s. Subsequently, United added orders for nine more 787-9s, for a fleet total of 26 by mid-2014. As of then, United had a total of 65 Boeing 787s in service or on order, including 20 787-10s

The airline will fly the route six times weekly with Boeing 787-9s. United will be the first North American carrier to take delivery of the 787-9, and this will be the airline’s first international deployment of the aircraft type.

Over the next several months, United’s first 787-9 will move to the next phase of completion, which includes final cabin configuration and painting. United’s 787-9 will be configured with 252 seats – 48 in United BusinessFirst and 204 in United Economy, including 88 Economy Plus seats with added legroom and increased personal space.

United’s first 787-9 will also be one of five aircraft used by Boeing in a flight test program to certify the type.

To date, United has flown its 787 fleet more than 30,000 hours on over 4,400 flights. The airline now operates 10 Boeing 787-8s and has an additional 55 Dreamliners on order, including 26 Boeing 787-9s and 20 Boeing 787-10 widebodies.

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United Airlines to Launch San Francisco-Taipei, Boost Houston-Tokyo Service this Weekend

United Airlines is expanding its extensive trans-Pacific network this weekend, connecting its San Francisco hub with Taipei, Taiwan, beginning Saturday, and launching a second daily flight between Houston and Tokyo on Sunday.

United will host inaugural gate events in both San Francisco and Houston, marking the importance of these flights to tourism and economic development.

United will operate both services with Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The aircraft flying San Francisco-Taipei will offer 269 seats – eight in United Global First, 40 in United BusinessFirst and 221 in United Economy, including 113 extra-legroom United Economy Plus seats.

The aircraft flying Houston-Tokyo will offer 267 seats – 50 in United BusinessFirst and 217 in United Economy, including 72 United Economy Plus seats.

In United Global First and United BusinessFirst, United offers customers seats that recline into fully flat beds, personal on-demand entertainment, in-seat power and USB ports, enabling travelers to rest or to be productive in-flight. Customers in United Economy also enjoy personal, on-demand entertainment at every seat and in-seat power.

United is the only U.S. airline to offer the comfort of flat-bed seats in its premium cabins on every long-haul, international flight from the continental United States. The airline also offers more extra-legroom economy seating than any U.S. airline.

These Taipei and Tokyo additions come as United plans to introduce three-times-weekly Boeing 787 service June 9 betweenSan Francisco and Chengdu, China, pending government approval. This nonstop service would be the first by a U.S. airline from the United States to mainland China, beyond Beijing and Shanghai. The company also plans to offer, subject to government approval, nonstop Boeing 787 service between Los Angeles and Melbourne, Australia, six times weekly beginningOct. 26.

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United Airlines installs 500 airport charging stations

United Airlines this month began installing nearly 500 electronics charging stations in customer-seating areas at many U.S. airports, beginning with its hometown airport Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the airline said Thursday.

O’Hare will be outfitted with more than 110 of the new charging stations in concourses B and C, the airline said. Each new charging station offers access to six, 110-volt power outlets and two USB ports.

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United Airlines announces additional Embraer 175 routes

United Airlines (Chicago) has announced that it will launch service with the airline’s new Embraer 175 aircraft on flights between United’s Houston hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Atlanta and New Orleans beginning on June 15, and between Houston and Austin beginning on June 16. United also announced ERJ 175

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United Airlines beats out Hawaiian for available Tokyo Haneda slot pair

United Airlines has tentatively won US government approval to operate a daily flight between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND).

US airlines are allowed to operate four daily round-trip flights to/from Haneda, Tokyo’s downtown airport that began handling international flights in 2010. 

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