Aviation

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A U.S. bankruptcy judge has approved the proposed merger between U.S. Airways and American Airlines.

The $11 billion agreement between the two airlines was before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court's Southern District of New York on Wednesday because American was in bankruptcy when the deal was finalized last month.

The deal, which was initially resisted by American Airlines' leaders, was approved on Wednesday by Bankruptcy Court Judge Sean Lane, according to the union that represents flight attendants for American.

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At stake are about 1,400 jobs building the planes for the Afghan military.

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Airplane manufacturer Boeing announced it was flying another test flight of its 787 "Dreamliner" airplane on Monday.

The company has been flying test flights of the 787 since mid-February in the hopes of convincing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to lift the grounding on the plane that has lasted since January. 

The flights were approved by the FAA last month after a monthlong prohibition of flights by the airplane.

The flight Monday, which was scheduled for two hours, was on a production airplane that was built for Polish Airlines, Boeing said. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is moving closer to allowing airline passengers to keep their electronic devices on during takeoffs and landings, according to a new report.

The agency has been studying the impact of easing its restrictions on in-flight electronic devices since last year. The New York Times reported that the outcome of the study is likely to be a change in the current policy, which prohibits the use of all electronics when airplanes are below 10,000 feet.

The FAA told The Hill on Monday that its group studying the impact of electronics on flights is not due to deliver its recommendations until the of July.

Federal transportation safety officials have released the official proposal to allow full-body scanners in airports for public comment.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Friday afternoon issued a 54-page rundown of why it uses the controversial “advanced imaging technology” (AIT) to scan passengers before they board an airplane and dispel health and privacy risks.

Even though the sophisticated scanners have been in airports since 2008, a federal court said the agency should have allowed for public feedback before moving forward with the technology, since the graphic image produced of the traveler may invade his or her privacy.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said the skies would remain safe despite the cutbacks under sequestration.

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