Your Weekend Reads for March 10, 2017

It was a busy week for Boeing. The Seattle-based manufacturer received certification for its 737 MAX 8 and rolled out the 737 MAX 9 this week, as reported by Airways magazine here and here. But in an interview with Bloomberg, Air Lease Co. CEO John Plueger is pushing Boeing to give the green light to a 737 MAX 10, which would fill a gap in its product line equal to the Airbus A321neo, which is racking up orders.

Airports Council International-North America says the nation’s airports have nearly $100 billion in infrastructure needs between 2017 and 2021 to accommodate growth in passenger and cargo activity, rehabilitate existing facilities and support aircraft innovation, according to its Airport Infrastructure Needs: 2017-2021 report. The $20 billion in average annual infrastructure funding needs for U.S. airports is more than double the funding currently available through annual airport generated net income via Passenger Facility Charge user fees and Airport Improvement Program grants, says the report.

Last week, U.S. airline CEOs had the Big Three Middle East carriers in their crosshairs during the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Aviation Summit, reports Airways magazine. Etihad Group CEO James Hogan announced his departure in January after the carrier was hit with heavy losses caused by a global expansion via investing in more than half a dozen airlines around the world, according to Business Insider. And now Emirates CEO Tim Clark spoke about a “gathering storm” as his airline sees strong competition on its routes by low-cost carriers including Singapore Airlines’ Scoot and Norwegian Air, reports Bloomberg. When asked about changing Emirates’ widebody fleet to better compete, he said while he didn’t see any immediate changes, he did note that “others coming behind may take a different view,” which was seen as a strong hint that his days in the top spot may be coming to an end.

Skift reports that as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways deal with economic hardship and low oil prices, labor and service cuts are coming soon. Known for the over-the-top amenities offered to their top customers, Skift noted six areas where the three airlines may cut service, including lounges, food and beverage and aircraft orders.

Photo courtesy of Qatar Airways

But Qatar Airways isn’t going down without a fight. The Runway Girl Network’s John Walton reports on the carrier unveiling its new business class seat, the QSuite. The seat offers families or other groups of four a convertible space a forwards-backwards staggered design that enables fully flat beds with direct aisle access for every passenger — with doors. The seat was unveiled at this week’s ITB Berlin trade show.

On January 10, 2001, American Airlines announced that it was buying the assets of troubled iconic carrier TWA for $500 million. And 16 years after that transaction, American -- acquired by US Airways on Feb. 14, 2013 -- is now being sued by three former TWA pilots over how the carrier handled a contractual dispute that could see at least 85 pilots demoted from captain to first officer, reports the Dallas Morning News. After the merger, instead of integrating TWA’s pilots into its seniority list, American just tacked 1200 of them to the bottom of the list. Changes were made to alleviate some of this, but they went by the wayside after American’s Chapter 11 filing in 2011, and its subsequent merger with US Airways.

A passenger being screened at Boston-Logan International Airport. Photo by Benet J. Wilson

I flew down to Fort Lauderdale this week to visit Spirit Airlines. I used Clear for my ID check and went immediately into the TSA PreCheck line. As walked through the metal detector, the device went off despite me knowing I didn’t have any metal in my pockets. I learned that I had been tagged for a random extra screening. But it wasn’t a normal pat-down. In fact it was what TSA is calling “a pat-down that is more involved,” reports Lifehacker. The TSA has warned airport officials, crew, and law enforcement that the new procedure “may involve an officer making more intimate contact than before.” I’ll just say my pat-down was pretty intimate, although the officer was very professional and told me exactly what she was doing during the process.

Here are my six picks for more stories you should read over the weekend. Enjoy!

• FOX News Politics: New York, New Jersey Congressional members ask Trump to stop Emirates flight
• Mashable: This airline just flew around the world with an all-female crew
• Bloomberg: Emirates Is Making its Flying Bar Bigger and Swankier
• Bravo TV: 8 Secret Airport Rooms You Never Knew Existed
• Travel + Leisure: Get a Free Stopover on Your Next Trip With These Airlines
• Inc: This Hotel Found A Brilliant Way Of Making Miserable Airline Passengers Feel Better

EDITOR’S NOTE: Benét J. Wilson is a freelance aviation/travel writer based in Baltimore who is available for your writing and branded content/content marketing projects. She’s the Air Travel Expert for About.com. Follow her travel-related magazines on Flipboard: Best of About Travel, a joint curation venture with her fellow About Travel Experts; Travel-Go! There’s Nothing Stopping You, all about the passenger experience on the ground and in the air; and Aviation Geek, a joint magazine sharing everything you need to know about the commercial aviation industry. Check out her travel-related boards on Pinterest and follow her on Twitter at @AvQueenBenet, on her Aviation Queen Facebook Page and on Instagram at aviationqueen.