Aviation

Aviation analysts estimate that more than 12,000 flights were canceled across the country because of Hurricane Irene.

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Members of the flight attendants' union will ask passengers to pressure lawmakers to pass an FAA funding bill.

Officials at Los Angeles International Airport are investigating the collapse of an airplane gate during the deplaning of an American Airlines flight this week, according to reports.

The Los Angeles Times reported that as passengers on board American Airlines Flight 557 were getting off the plane, the jet bridge with which they were connected to the terminal gave way. There were 107 passengers on board the plane, the paper reported, but only the pilot and one passenger were injured.

“They were stepping on the platform closest to the jet bridge,” American Airlines spokeswoman Rhonda Rathje told the Times.

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The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating lasers that were pointed at flights headed for Newark's Liberty International Airport.

There's confusion on when a vote on a transportation tax in Georgia will be held.

Indianapolis International Airport is considering replacing decorations with ads.

A railway in Florida is being considered for privatization.

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Workers at Saab might not be paid for August.

A man arrested for having a gun at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport says bringing it to the airport was an accident.

New protections for airline passengers took effect this week.

A new commuter rail in Florida is moving ahead.

The Federal Aviation Administration is holding airplanes destined for airports along the East Coast on Tuesday afternoon, as the region continues to react to an earthquake that shook several major cities, according to news reports.

The Associated Press reported that the FAA placed a hold on flights to Washington, Philadelphia and New York City.

Several airlines, including Delta and JetBlue, reported delays on flights to those destinations.

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San Francisco's Bay Area Transit System is bracing for another protest.

Ford and Toyota are working together on electric powertrain technology for trucks and SUVs.

The outgoing White House car czar is defending the auto bailouts of 2008 and 2009.

Southwest Airlines is preparing for its merger with AirTran Airways.

An improvement program for airports should be in the Department of Transportation's budget next year, the trade association representing airports said Monday.

In a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Airports Council International-North America President Greg Principato argued that the program meets the job creation and economic growth criteria laid out for federal agencies by White House budget officials.

"As you begin to prepare your Fiscal Year 2013 budget proposal, I urge you to consider the impact airports have as local economic engines in communities across the country," Principato wrote Monday. "Now is the time for airports to invest in infrastructure, safety and security projects that not only benefit the traveling public but also create jobs and spur growth in cities and towns around the United States."

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Airlines will not be able to leave international flights on the tarmac for longer than four hours and have to pay passengers more if they bump them from oversold flights under new Department of Transportation rules set to take effect this week.

Under the new rules, the DOT will fine airlines $27,500 per passenger if they leave international flights stuck on airport runways for longer than four hours and require airlines to pay passengers double the value of their tickets up to $650 for short delays from being bumped and $1,300 from long delays.

Airlines will also have to refund bag fees if passengers' luggage is permanently lost.

The rules are set to take effect Tuesday. The DOT plans to implement additional passenger protections early next year.

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The Transportation Security Administration has increased the number of bomb-sniffing dogs it employs.

A man was arrested for feeding birds near a California airport.

Iowa has pulled out of a Midwest high-speed rail coalition.

A pilot was killed in a midair collision over southern New Jersey.