The Federal Aviation Administration seeks multimillion-dollar fines against United Airlines and US Airways for safety violations, including flying a plane after mechanics stuffed shop towels into an engine. The agency moves for a $5.4 million fine against US Airways, which is a dominant player in the Buffalo and Western New York market, for operating eight planes on a total of 1,647 flights from October 2008 to January 2009 in violation of safety directives or the company’s own maintenance rules. More can be found on AOLNews.

Air Traffic in a Tunnel
In a New York Times article “Steven J. Korotky, a flight instructor, called the uncontrolled Hudson River air traffic corridor a “tunnel,” and a tight one at that. Kenneth Jacobsen, who has flown privately chartered helicopters in New York since 1982, said that while he considered aviation safe