Divers

🔫 In Israel, the site of a Hamas-led massacre claiming about 300 lives has become an unlikely tourist attraction. Now part of dark tourism, it joins places like Auschwitz, Hiroshima, Vietnam, and Chernobyl, drawing numerous tour groups and visitors interested in the macabre aspect of historical sites.

🌩 Hurricane Helene was set to hit Florida on the night from Thursday to Friday, prompting airport authorities and airlines to cancel about 1,000 flights and delay another 1,672. Southwest, with 201 canceled flights, was the most affected, followed by American and Delta. The most impacted airports included Tampa, Orlando, and Fort Lauderdale. The current hurricane season is considered to be of medium intensity, lower than recent summers.

✈ Air Europa pilot José Ortega Gutiérrez-Maturana retires after a 42-year career, over three decades with the airline. A veteran from the 36th class of the General Air Academy, he switched to commercial aviation in 1991, joining Air Europa in 1992. With 24,000 flight hours, Gutiérrez-Maturana was honored by air traffic controllers during his final flight.

🛫 Málaga-Costa del Sol, Spain's fourth busiest airport with over 22 million passengers in 2023, is affected by lack of investment and staff. Industry professional Nacho Puig reports issues such as a single passport control causing long queues, an hour-long wait for luggage, and difficulty navigating through crowds due to private transport services. Additionally, tourists face long lines at Renfe ticket machines, unaware of contactless payment options at turnstiles. Puig calls for a rethink of the tourism model to prevent inefficiency and low-quality tourism.

✈ Russian airline S7 Airlines announced the purchase of 100 Tupolev Tu-214 planes in September, pivoting towards domestically manufactured aircraft amidst international sanctions and import restrictions. Once operating the Tupolev 154 until 2009 for safety concerns, S7 shifted to a fleet of Airbus and Boeing, with the Airbus A320 becoming its staple. S7's route network centers around Moscow (Domodedovo) and Novosibirsk (Tolmachevo), covering destinations in the CIS, Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region.

🏩 Singapore Airlines leads luxury in-flight experiences with suite cabins on A380 jets, offered from Changi Airport to destinations like Frankfurt and Sydney. Etihad Airways' "The Residence" boasts a living room, bedroom, and shower in the skies. Emirates features an on-board spa with a shower and VIP lounge on their A380s. Air France will introduce a redesigned La Première cabin in winter 2024-2025, featuring 45-square-meter VIP suites at Charles de Gaulle Airport. ANA's B777-300 offers "The Suite" with 43-inch screens, while SWISS provides an exclusive first-class service for only eight passengers, soon to include their new A350s.

🏫 Iberia flew the Boeing 747, the largest aircraft ever operated by a Spanish company, from 1970 to 2006. The plane is now on display at the National Museum of Science and Technology in La Coruña. YouTube user Fly By Wire Aviation showcased a tour of its nose section, including vintage seats, the then-First Class, and the cockpit. The video features former IAG pilot Ángel Becerra, who provides detailed explanations of the controls and shares anecdotes from his time flying the aircraft.

🚀 Easyjet flight with 236 passengers from Heraklion, Greece to London Gatwick experienced chaos after a passenger's vape devices exploded. The incident caused panic, with passengers mistaking the event for a terrorist attack and shouting "bomb." Authorities attribute the explosion to an external battery and several e-cigarettes in a bag. All passengers were quickly evacuated via emergency slides, with no injuries reported. Easyjet confirmed the fire occurred during boarding, before takeoff.

🐕 In Tenerife Norte airport, a dog on the runway temporarily halted flights, affecting a Binter flight operated by Canair, as reported by air traffic controllers via X (formerly Twitter). The incident necessitated aircraft to circle in the air before landing.

🏨 Iberia launched a VIP lounge at Asturias airport available to business class travelers and Iberia Plus Infinita, Platino, and Oro cardholders. The lounge, named Picos de Europa, is located in the boarding area on the ground floor, open from 5:00 to 23:00 during winter and until 23:30 in summer. It includes work areas, TV, WiFi, refreshments, flight information, and allows animals.