Sharm el-Sheikh flights cancelled
British Airways and EasyJet cancel all flights between Sharm el-Sheikh and the UK until next month following the bombing of a Russian passenger jet. Easyjet says the move was made to provide some certainty to passengers travelling over the Christmas period. BA says the decision was made following discussions with the UK government.
Tried to board flight as James T. Kirk
Salmond says that British Airways refused to let him on the plane at Heathrow because the name on his ticket, James T. Kirk (the name of the StarShip Enterprise’s commander, played by William Shatner in Star Trek) – didn’t match that in his passport. Salmond said, as a fan of the show, he had been using the name to travel incognito for years. But since resigning as First Minister he no longer travelled with protection officers who could explain the ruse. After some emails and calls to his staff, Salmond was allowed on the flight.
It was all sorted out. I just wanted BA to ‘Beam me up, Scotty’.
Plane catches fire
A fire breaks out at the Las Vegas airport on Flight 2276 heading for Gatwick Airport in London. 14 people are transported for medical care for minor injuries. One of the injured says the plane was getting ready to take off when he heard a big thud. He lifted the window shade and saw flames on the engine. The plane stopped and the captain told the passengers there was an emergency and they needed to evacuate. When one of the emergency doors opened, smoke poured in. Flight attendants directed passengers to safety. The Federal Aviation Administration says the aircraft’s left engine caught fire, prompting the crew to abort the take-off. The flight had 159 passengers and 13 crew members aboard.
British Airways plane on fire at #LAS Vegas airport @cnn @cnnbrk pic.twitter.com/0ogixuYSqX
— George (@Gyleong) September 8, 2015