The decision, taken by the Heads of State and Government at the December 2024 Summit in Abuja, is anchored in a new Supplementary Act on Aviation Charges, Taxes and Fees.

It follows years of concern over the region’s high aviation charges, which have made West Africa one of the most expensive regions to fly globally, undermining tourism, trade and regional mobility. These charges have also weakened the competitiveness of West African carriers, many of which continue to struggle against foreign airlines.

The ECOWAS Authority had previously cautioned that the cost of air travel was stifling the development of the regional aviation industry and limiting the free movement of persons and services. Air Transport Ministers and Civil Aviation Authorities were therefore instructed to work with the ECOWAS Commission to implement a unified aviation charges policy.

The newly adopted measure is expected to ease the financial burden on passengers, boost air traffic, strengthen regional airlines and enhance economic integration within the bloc.

Member states have also committed to removing barriers to the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision, particularly restrictions on traffic rights and airline designations.

The reform aligns with ECOWAS Vision 2050 for aviation, which seeks to build a seamless regional air transport system that offers safe, reliable and affordable air services with strong global connectivity.

Implementation of the new measures will be monitored through a Regional Air Transport Economic Oversight Mechanism to ensure compliance and transparency among airport operators, air navigation service providers and aviation regulators.

Speaking on the matter in an interview on Adom FM Dwaso Nsem show, A Plus stated that if anyone observes something suspicious, it is their duty to speak out and investigate.

“If someone sees something, then they have to investigate. There’s nothing wrong with pointing out something you’ve noticed. If they put an apple here, no matter the distraction, it will remain an apple,” he noted.

A Plus defended former President John Mahama, adding that he is someone who would even call for investigations when necessary.

“Mahama is a good human being. He’s been there, has the experience, and is ready to build the country,” he lauded.

In response to the NPP’s recent vocal outbursts, A Plus questioned their sudden confidence now that they are no longer in power.

“NPP people now have the courage to speak now that they have left power. I don’t know where they got their confidence from. Now that the NDC is in power, the NPP has started talking. They’re just talking, lying, and throwing dust into our eyes,” he claimed.

The lawmaker stated that Ghanaians should not take the NPP seriously, as he believes they are simply trying to distract the public with unnecessary noise.

“They have suddenly found their voice. If they have issues, they should go ahead and do the needful, but the talking is too much. Now they are seeing how it feels to be in opposition after making things difficult for Ghanaians during their tenure.”

The issue of the suspicious flights has sparked debate, particularly after the Assin South MP, Ntim Fordjour, raised concerns over two flights – AirMed flight NH23AM and Cavok Air private jet Antonov AN 12 B – which allegedly landed in Ghana between March 20 and March 25, 2025.

These flights are suspected of carrying cocaine and an undisclosed amount of cash, and the NPP has called for investigations into the matter.

A PLUS AIRCRAFT

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This follows concerns raised by the Minority in Parliament regarding the aircraft’s activities in the country.

Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defense and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, alleged that the air ambulance and another private jet may have been involved in drug trafficking or money laundering, a claim JoyNews cannot independently verify.

Checks on FlightRadar24, a trusted flight tracking platform, confirm that AirMed N823AM was originally scheduled to depart Gran Canaria on March 20, 2025, at 3:55 AM, and arrive in Accra at 8:08 AM.

However, it was delayed and eventually departed at 4:59 AM, landing in Accra at 9:03 AM.

The aircraft stayed in Ghana for five days before departing Kotoka International Airport on March 25, 2025, at 1:01 AM, and landing in Gran Canaria at 5:12 AM.

Since then, it has completed fifteen flights, including trips to Santa Maria, St. John’s, Bangor, and Birmingham on the same day, March 25.

In the last seven days, the aircraft has also flown to Nigeria. On March 28, it traveled from Gran Canaria to Lagos, Nigeria, and back on the same day.

Its most recent flight was on March 30, 2025, when it flew from Charlotte to Birmingham.

According to the Minority, AirMed Flight N823AM, an air ambulance, did not transport any patients but allegedly carried suspicious cargo suspected to contain cocaine and US dollars.

“There is no evidence of any medical referral or patient on board. Rather, our intelligence suggests that the aircraft was used to smuggle illicit cargo,” the Minority stated.

They further raised concerns about Cavok Air’s Antonov An-12B, which landed on March 12 and remained in Ghana for thirteen days before departing on the same day as the AirMed flight.

The Minority’s Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, described the coincidence as “intriguing” and called for full disclosure of the cargo transported.

“In our collective quest to combat drug trafficking and money laundering, transparency must be upheld. We urge National Security to provide details of the cargo brought into and taken out of the country by these two aircraft,” the Minority demanded.

The call follows a recent interception of $350 million worth of cocaine in Cape Coast by the National Investigations Bureau, an operation the Minority praised for its transparency.

Following the claims by the Minority, President John Mahama has directed the National Security and relevant authorities to conduct a full-scale investigation.

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The players who were on board experienced symptoms such as severe headaches and extreme dizziness before the plane made an emergency landing.

The plane had been chartered to fly from Banjul to Abidjan in around two and a half hours but the pilot decided to return to Banjul just nine minutes into the journey.

Gambia national team coach, Tom Saintfiet told Nieuwsblad: “We could all have been dead.

“We all fell asleep quickly. Me, too. I had short dreams about how my life was done. Really and truly after nine minutes, the pilot decided to return because there was no oxygen supply.

“Some players did not wake up [until] immediately after landing. We almost got carbon monoxide poisoning. Another half hour of flying and we would all have been dead.”

Meanwhile, former Manchester United right-back, Saidy Janko, who now plays for Swiss side, Young Boys was among the Gambia players on the plane.

He criticized the Gambia Football Federation in the caption of a video post on Instagram, calling the governing body’s organization “unacceptable”.

Janko added: “After travelling 32 hours in total from Saudi Arabia (Training Camp) to The Gambia with long layovers in Istanbul and Casablanca, we were supposed to fly from Gambia to Ivory Coast for the AFCON today.

“As soon as we entered the small plane that was hired to fly us, we noticed the immense heat that left us dripping in sweat. It was assured to us by the crew that the air condition would start once we are in the sky.

“The inhumane heat mixed with the occurring lack of oxygen left many people with strong headaches and extreme dizziness. Furthermore, people started falling deeply asleep minutes after entering the aircraft/takeoff.

“Whilst in the air, the situation got worse, leaving the pilot with no other option than initiating an emergency landing back in Banjul airport nine minutes after takeoff. Which happened successfully.

“If it wasn’t for this, the consequences could have been a lot worse!!!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Saidy Janko (@saidyjanko22)

The Gambia Football Federation also in a statement said: “The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) regrets to inform the general public that the Chartered Flight carrying the Scorpions to the African Cup of Nations has returned to Banjul due to technical problems.

“The flight was nine minutes airborne when the crew realized and immediately requested to return to Banjul.

“Upon landing, preliminary investigations indicated that there was loss of cabin pressure and oxygen.

“However, the technical team of the operating company of the flight, Air Cote d’Ivoire, is further assessing the situation to establish what caused the lack of oxygen and cabin pressure.

“In this regard, the team, including the players and staff are now on their way to base at the Ocean Bay Hotel as they await further instructions. It is important to note that every member of the delegation is safe and in sound health.

“The public will be kept informed with regard to any development on the matter. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused as we seek to find a quick solution for the team to travel to Ivory Coast as soon as possible.”

Gambia’s first game at AFCON is scheduled to take place on Monday against reigning champions Senegal.

The other teams in Gambia’s group are Guinea and Cameroon.

Erik ten Hag’s team were due to fly to the north-east from Manchester Airport at 11am on Saturday morning.

But when the players arrived at the airport to drop their cars off at 10am, they were told their flight was cancelled due to the weather and technical difficulties.

They will now make a three-hour journey by coach to St James’ Park for the 8pm kick-off.

Pictures showed Ten Hag and his players boarding the bus with ice visible on the ground.

Temperatures at Manchester Airport were barely above freezing on Saturday morning and are forecast to hover around -1C in Newcastle at kick-off as the United Kingdom is gripped by a cold snap.

Man United are looking to recover from the disappointment of Wednesday’s 3-3 draw with Galatasaray in Istanbul which left their Champions League last-16 hopes dangling by a thread.

But they are the form team in the Premier League, having won five of their last six matches to keep in touch with the top four.

Seventh-placed Newcastle are just a point behind Man United in sixth and have top four ambitions of their own.

They beat Ten Hag’s side 2-0 in the equivalent Premier League fixture last season and won 3-0 at Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup earlier in the current campaign.

The match is being played in the later Saturday slot because both teams were involved in Champions League action in midweek, with Newcastle drawing 1-1 away to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

Both teams have a number of players missing for Saturday night’s game.

Man United are without seven players – Tyrell Malacia, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Jonny Evans, Christian Eriksen, Mason Mount and Amad Diallo – through injury, with Jadon Sancho still exiled from the first-team.

Howe is without 10 players because of injury – Jacob Murphy, Dan Burn, Callum Wilson, Elliot Anderson, Sean Longstaff, Sven Botman, Joe Willock, Harvey Barnes, Javier Manquillo and Matt Targett – as well as the banned Sandro Tonali. 

The mother stayed behind while Daniel and his father, also Daniel Toffey Sr. took the lead back home to Pataskala, Ohio – a suburb of Columbus in the USA.

They left Accra on Sunday night, May 22, 2022.

But unfortunately, tragedy struck on board United 997 while in the middle of the Atlantic when the young Daniel died in what is suspected to be a case of pulmonary embolism. [A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blood clot that develops in a blood vessel in the body (often in the leg). It then travels to a lung artery where it suddenly blocks blood flow].

A report by Dntghana said Daniel Junior died as his father Daniel Toffey Sr. looked on helplessly – in flight.

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“He kept saying ‘Daddy I can’t breath, Daddy I can’t breath,’” the senior Toffey narrated to DNT in an interview.

After having sat for a while, the victim was said to have attempted to stand up to go and use the restroom when his movement became shaky and was soon gasping for air.

One young lady shouted “we need a doctor, we need a doctor.” At that moment, what appeared to be a sixth sense got the senior father to jump from his business class area and rushed to the scene although the flight crew instructed everyone to remain in their seats.

Unfortunately, with as many as seven doctors on board, and with tools with which those doctors were “impressed” for United Airlines to have on board, Daniel Toffey Junior, who worships with PIWC in Columbus North still suffocated to death in flight.

The flight took off from the Kotoka International Airport around 11:pm on Sunday and was scheduled to arrive at Washington Dulles early on Monday.

But as a result of the tragic incident, the flight was diverted to Bermuda where all 178 passengers were lodging at Grotto Bay Resort pending their continued travel to Washington.

Jesse Lasuer, a neighbor at business class told DNT how the deceased father was holding up in spite of the monumental loss. “Although he is holding up just fine, you can just see the pain in his eyes,” Lasuer recalled.

The Junior Toffey was scheduled to launch his album on June 4 with Joe Mettle scheduled to attend in Columbus.

Reacting one person who witnessed the incident wrote: “I was on the flight and I witnessed everything fiilifili. Hmmmm! This world is full of uncertainties. We got stranded at the Bermuda Airport for almost fifteen hours before they got us a flight to Washington Dulles Airport last night. It was a harrowing experience. I have never experienced such a thing in my life. Terrible. Anyway, I pray for the soul of that young man.”

Precious Mensah, popularly known as PM, alongside two runner-ups, Maafia and Gaza, as part of their prizes for emerging as winners of the 2019 contest, had a package of a sponsored trip to Dubai.

READ ON:Video: NDC to discipline Ras Mubarak

According to sources, she “was disallowed on-board because her body size was bigger than a single seat in Emirates Airlines’ flight.”

The climax of her happiness has, however, crashed, stoking a conversation on social media.

ALSO:If we neglect our culture, Ghana will be recolonised by 2050 – David Dontoh

While some argue that the decision to “kick her out of the plane” was discriminatory, others say Atinka Media Village, organisers of the event should have bought her two tickets knowing how huge PM is.

READ:Pathologist gives horrifying account on state of Maj. Mahama’s body at crime scene

But, organisers of the show, explaining why she wasn’t allowed to board the flight, said they did all they could for her but her plus size was more than required for the flight to take off.

PM, the fattest of the 47 contestants, won the hearts of many after a grueling four rounds of different genre of dances at the grand finale held on Saturday, September 28, 2019 at the Fantasy Dome.

For being the ultimate winner, she walked home with a brand new saloon car, while the first runner-up received ‘Abossey Okai Macho’, with the third claiming ‘Aboboyaa’.

If you’re the type of person who likes to hydrate or typically feels parched before takeoff, some advice: Buy a super-sized Smartwater at the gate and call it a day. Flight attendants have quite a bit to do to get the cabin ready for departure (like reviewing air safety information and catering to small children). Getting you a glass of water isn’t high on the list.

2. Or, Worse, Requiring Help to Stow Your Bag

Sure, flight attendants are there to make your air travel as smooth as possible. But it’s not exactly their job to lift your so-heavy-you-probably-should-have-checked-it bag that only fits in the overhead compartment if you really (really) wedge it in there. As a rule of thumb: If you can’t lift it or require special assistance, either check it, alert someone at the gate or—last resort—flag your seatmate to tag-team.

3. Failing to Time Bathroom Runs Around the Location of the Snack Cart

Here’s the thing: 25 minutes after takeoff, it’s a given that the cart carrying snacks and Diet Coke and delicious anxiety-calming wine is going to come around. A flight attendant’s advice? Plan ahead. If you have to pee, choose the bathroom farthest from the cart (so if the cart is at the front of the plane, use the rear bathroom or vice versa) and go quick.

4. Taking Your Pet Out of the Approved Carrier Cage

It’s actually against aviation rules to remove your dog from the pre-approved carrier they’re traveling in. (In fact, you’re supposed to purchase one that gives your pet enough room to stand up or lie down.) But many a passenger chooses to ignore this rule once on board. Flight attendants get it: You want to comfort your pup. But whispering soothing words or unzipping the bag slightly to pet them is a better (and much more legal) plan.

5. Complaining About a Delay

Don’t shoot the messenger: You might think that flight attendants have control over a delayed takeoff (and subsequent later arrival time), but to be clear, they really don’t. And even if you looked up the weather on your iPhone and it looks clear (and, therefore, air traffic control is wrong), keep in mind that there are a lot of variables in play with delays, ranging from weather to airplane congestion. If you have grievances, it’s better to take them up with the airline versus the staff trying to make you more comfortable on board.

6. …Or a Missed Connection

As a rule of thumb, you should always allow at least one hour to make a connection to another flight if you’re flying through a busy airport. (Think JFK in New York City, or Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.) And always remember the advice above: The flight attendants have no control over any of this.

7. Ignoring the “Fasten Seatbelt” Sign

As a passenger, you definitely have the right to roam about as you please. That said, if the crew on-board turns on the “fasten seatbelt” sign—and reminds you to take your seat—but you decide the safety advice doesn’t apply to you, you forfeit all grounds for a complaint or lawsuit if you get injured. Just FYI.

‘Struggling to keep afloat’

“We were overstaffed by a lot and we are also trying to weed out people without the right qualifications,” the airline’s chairwoman Chipo Dyanda said on Wednesday.
“The retrenchment is meant to give space to the airline so that we can redeploy the money saved back into the company.”
An Air Zimbabwe spokesperson told state media that management has also been trimmed from 28 to just 12 and the finance department from 36 to 17.
 
The airline has struggled to keep afloat over the last decade and plans to carry out a restructuring exercise that will include retraining for all staff, including top management.
Unconfirmed reports say that a name change is also in the pipeline – a move many believe is an attempt to ring-fence the airline’s debt and reduce the threat of creditors seizing the planes.
The BBC’s Shingai Nyoka in Harare says that President Mugabe is a frequent flier on the airline, often leasing out the largest plane for state visits and private medical visits to the Far East.
In May, President Mugabe said that Zimbabwe was the most-highly developed country in Africa after South Africa. He denied that the country was in a fragile state.
Zimbabwe has been struggling to pay its civil servants recently and is ranked 24th on the UNDP’s Human Development Index for Africa.

The first was the Chinese sea goddess Mazu (also known as Matsu), widely worshipped in southern China as well as countries with large Taoist and Chinese Buddhist communities such as Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.
She is a patroness of the sea and is believed to protect fishermen and sailors.

Image copyrightTHEAN HOU 

The other two statues are Qianliyan and Shunfeng’er, heavenly guardians of the goddess.
Qianliyan is known for his powers of far-sightedness while the demon Shunfeng’er possesses the incredible ability to hear all sounds carried by the wind, a role believed to aid sailors and passing ships from advancing storms.
The three statues were sent to Malaysia and Singapore as part of an inaugural cultural exchange tour to pay tribute to the sea goddess and celebrate a festival in her name. It was organised by the Meizhou Mazu Ancestor Temple in China.

Photos being widely circulated on Chinese social media showed the statues leaving their coastal temple home and “checking in” at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport.
“How did she get through security checks?” asked amused user Tong Huichun on the popular WeChat messaging app.
“It’s normal for Mazu to give a tour. It’s too far away so she’s taking a flight. Taking a boat will take too long,” said another WeChat user Gong Chang.
Temple staff told BBC News that the religious statues were escorted by “a delegation of more than 130 people” and brought onto a Xiamen Airlines flight heading to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

They flew in comfort in business class, on tickets costing 2,091 yuan (£237) each.
With assistance from airline staff, devotees fastened the sacred statues into first row seats and “widened” them to allow more space.
Taking turbulence into consideration, the statues’ feet were firmly fixed onto the seats with special harnesses.
“This is basic respect we have for the culture of Goddess Mazu,” said a spokesperson who received the statues in Malaysia. “They were also more than 6ft high, so they had to fly business class.”
They even had special passports, which staff from the temple said were a “special courtesy” provided by the airline.
The statues came from a sacred sea temple located off the shores of Fujian province, known to its worshippers as being the birthplace of goddess Mazu.
They travelled more than 2,800km to another temple, the Thean Hou Chinese Temple in Malaysia.
Temple staff highlighted the importance of their voyage.
“This is the body of our divine goddess, a symbol of Chinese folk culture,” a representative told BBC News, adding that processions were held to celebrate the statues’ safe arrivals.
All three statues have made their way to neighbouring Malacca city and are on their way to Singapore. They will then return to their home in China.
 
 

Thankfully, there are ways to overcome the anxiety that comes when these sudden flight turbulence hits.

Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 ways to overcome the anxiety that comes with flight turbulence.

Increase Your Pool of Knowledge

Fear is intensified when the object of your fear remains a mystery. Therefore, it’s important you avoid ‘what if?’ thoughts by reading up on flight turbulence, its causes, potential dangers and the likely risks associated with it. Know all you can about planes and how they are designed to handle turbulence. When you understand the phenomenon, it’ll be much easier to manage and overcome.

Remind Yourself That Fear is Separate From Danger

The fact that you’re afraid doesn’t actually mean you’re in danger, you need to be able to separate the two to successfully overcome anxiety. Remind yourself that feeling anxious doesn’t mean you’re in danger, it just means you’re feeling anxious. You’re safe even if you’re feeling intense anxiety. Besides, why remain negative when you can be positive. Stop fueling your fears and anxieties.

Try To Outsmart Anxiety

Anxiety tricks your mind into thinking you’re in danger when you’re perfectly safe. Following your emotions at that point will only reinforce your anxiety and very likely make you hysterical. As a rule, you should learn to do the opposite of what those anxious feelings are telling you to do (even when you’re still feeling anxious). You’ll be surprised at how effective this will be in helping to overcoming anxiety.

Figure Out What Soothes You When Anxious

Is it talking to someone? Is it reading a book? Is it listening to music? Is it praying? Is it meditating? Figure it out. Once you know what soothes you when you’re anxious, you can do that thing to help calm you in those times.

Be Patient

Over time, you’ll actually get used to flight turbulence and remain unfazed when they occur. Besides, after a while you’ll eventually get tired of jumping in fear at every flight turbulence; you’ll get tired of being fearful.

Be patient with yourself because every flight provides you with an opportunity to make the next one easier (if it helps and you’re the religious type, you can pray as often as you can for a safe flight and commit it to the hands of the One you trust). Your brain will eventually become less sensitized to the triggers that set you off and flight turbulence will cease to become an anxiety trigger for you.

He told the BBC a power surge, had “only lasted a few minutes”, but the back-up system had not worked properly.

He said the IT failure was not due to technical staff being outsourced from the UK to India.

Mr Cruz said “I am profusely sorry” to the 75,000 passengers affected across 170 airports in 70 countries.

He said two thirds of passengers will have reached their destination by the end of the day.

There was no evidence of a cyber attack, he added.

“There was a power surge and there was a back-up system, which did not work at that particular point in time. It was restored after a few hours in terms of some hardware changes… we will make sure that it doesn’t happen again,” Mr Cruz said in his first interview.

A leaked staff email revealed Mr Cruz had told staff not to comment on the system failure. When asked about the email he told the BBC the tone was clear: “Stop moaning and come and help us”.

But Mick Rix from the GMB union did not accept Mr Cruz’s explanation. He told BBC Radio 4: “Why didn’t the back-up kick in? Basically because there’s been an absolute brain drain out of the company.”

Queues built up on Sunday at Heathrow Terminal 5 as passengers waited to speak to BA staff

The airline is now close to full operational capacity after the problems resulted in mass flight cancellations at Heathrow and Gatwick over the bank holiday weekend.

On Monday, BA said they plan to fly more than 95% of their normal flight schedule.

Questions remain about how a power problem could have had such impact, said the BBC’s technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones. One theory was that returning systems were unusable as the data had become unsynchronised.

Heathrow advised affected BA passengers not to travel to the airport unless their flights had been rebooked, or were scheduled to take off on Monday.

Passengers on cancelled flights have been told to use the BA website to rebook.

Until now, Mr Cruz had only posted videos on Twitter apologising for what he called a “horrible time for passengers”.

BA is liable to reimburse thousands of passengers for refreshments and hotel expenses, and travel industry commentators have suggested the cost to the company – part of Europe’s largest airline group IAG – could run into tens of millions of pounds.

Davy analyst Stephen Furlong said the cost to the carrier of cancelling one day of operations was around £30m.

Shares in IAG listed on the Madrid stock exchange ended the day 2.8% lower.

Customers displaced by flight cancellations can claim up to £200 a day for a room (based on two people sharing), £50 for transport between the hotel and airport, and £25 a day per adult for meals and refreshments.

Ian Sanderson, one of the affected passengers who is stuck in transit in London, said he was “incandescent with rage” after being unable to rebook his flight, or speak to a member of staff.

Speaking on Sunday evening, he said: “I’ve bombarded them with about 100 tweets in the last 24 hours. I know that’s annoying but there’s nothing else I can do.

“We’ve tried to call them on the numbers they give and all we’ve got is the same recorded message which then cuts off at the end.”

EU flight delay rights

• If your flight departed from within the European Union or was with a European airline, you might have rights under EU law to claim if the delay or cancellation was within the airline’s control.
• Short-haul flights: 250 euros for delays of more than three hours
• Medium-haul flights: 400 euros for delays of more than three hours
• Long-haul flights: 300 euros for delays of between three and four hours; and 600 euros for delays of more than four hours
• If your flight’s delayed for two or more hours the airline must offer food and drink, access to phone calls and emails, and accommodation if you’re delayed overnight – including transfers between the airport and the hotel.

There was a festival of prayers in Starbow flight S9103 that was en route to Accra from Kumasi.

The flight is reported to have been hovering mid-air for close to one hour, causing some passengers to raise their voices in prayers.

The captain of the flight is said to have returned to the Kumasi Airport where he landed safely.

Management of the airline has explained in a statement Monday that the pilot was faced with bad weather.

“…The captain decided to return to Kumasi as a safety precautionary measure and all the passengers were disembarked safely without any incident and the flight was not in any danger at all.”

Watch the video below:

Source: Myjoyonline.com

The Department of Transportation said it will review the incident, in which a passenger was forcibly removed from the Louisville, Kentucky-bound United flight 3411 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

The incident has prompted one security officer’s suspension and created a publicity nightmare for United.

Several passengers recorded the incident on their phones and posted video on social media showing three Chicago Department of Aviation security officers dragging the man, who has not been identified, down the aisle by the arms and legs while other passengers shout in protest.

“It was very traumatic,” passenger Jade Kelley, who was seated across the aisle from the man, told CNN. Officers asked her to move to the back of the plane before removing the passenger so she did not witness the entire event. But she said the sound of the screams still haunt her.

“It was horrible. I had trouble sleeping last night and hearing the video again gives me chills.”

An ‘involuntary de-boarding situation’

The incident has sparked criticism of a system that allows airlines to involuntarily boot passengers from flights. United was acting within their rights and going by the book, to a point. Then, the situation turned physical.

United asked passengers to give up their seats voluntarily for compensation. Four crew members needed to get on the flight in order to work another one in Louisville or else that flight would be canceled, airline spokeswoman Maddie King said.

When no one volunteered, the airline was forced into an “involuntary de-boarding situation,” airline spokesman Charlie Hobart said.

United used a system that weighs a number of factors to determine which passengers would leave the flight, such as connecting flights and how long the delay will leave the customer at an airport, Hobart said.

United employees explained the situation to the man several times, Hobart said. When he refused they followed Department of Transportation protocol and called local law enforcement to forcibly remove him from the plane.

Passenger Tyler Bridges said it was easy to understand why there were no volunteers. It was Sunday night and the next flight was not until the following afternoon.

Bridges said two officers tried to calmly talk the man out of his seat before a third approached him in an aggressive manner. The officer told him he had to get off the plane, and when he resisted, the officer grabbed him out of his seat.

The man hit his head on an armrest and yelled that he was a doctor and that he was being profiled for being Chinese, Bridges said. The scene left everyone unsettled, including children who started crying.

“It was pretty shocking that it got to the level that it got to. In part that’s the man’s fault, when the police came on he shouldn’t have resisted, he should have just left. But it was a pretty unbelievable scene with them grabbing him and pulling off,” he said.

Yes, you can be ‘involuntarily de-boarded’

After the man was removed, Kelley said he somehow returned to the plane with blood on his face.

King and Hobart could not explain why the passenger was allowed to board only to be forcibly removed. Nor could they confirm Kelley’s claim that the man returned to the plane and was escorted off a second time, peacefully.

Overbooking is not illegal, and most airlines do it in anticipation of no-shows, according to the US Department of Transportation. If no one volunteers, the airline can select passengers for removal based on criteria such as check-in time or the cost of a ticket, according to the US Department of Transportation’s Fly-Rights.

As video of the incident spread, United came under intense criticism for its handling of the situation, with people pledging to boycott the airline.

The backlash prompted CEO Oscar Munoz to issue a statement. He called the incident “upsetting” and apologized “for having to re-accommodate” customers.

“Our team is moving with a sense of urgency to work with the authorities and conduct our own detailed review of what happened. We are also reaching out to this passenger to talk directly to him and further address and resolve this situation.”

The Chicago Department of Aviation said in a statement that the incident “was not in accordance with our standard operating procedure and the actions of the aviation security officer are obviously not condoned by the Department.”

That officer has been placed on leave effective today pending a review of the situation, the statement added.

What about the crew members?

The four crew members did indeed board the plane, and it wasn’t pretty, Bridges said. Passengers berated them, told them they should be ashamed of themselves and embarrassed to work for this company.

“They just sat down quietly, it was super tense on the plane. Everyone was really unhappy after seeing this man pulled off,” he said.

“I think United messed this up on the front end,” Bridges added. “It shouldn’t have gotten to the point where there’s a man on the plane or four people on the plane that have to be removed after they’ve already taken their seat. If they were overbooked they should have only let people on the plane that were going to be able to leave on the plane.”

source: cnn

A pilot died on Wednesday during a flight from Dallas to Albuquerque, New Mexico, American Airlines have confirmed.

The Boeing 737-800 was two miles from landing when the captain declared a medical emergency, an Albuquerque airport spokesman confirmed.

“They landed without incident, taxied to the gate and were met by medical personnel,” he told the Albuquerque Journal.

None of the passengers were injured.

American Airlines confirmed the pilot’s identify as first officer William “Mike” Grubbs.

US media quoted airline spokeswoman Polly Tracey as saying: “We’re taking care of first officer Grubbs’ family and colleagues and our thoughts and prayers are with them during this time.”

In 2015, an American Airlines pilot died in a medical emergency on an overnight flight from Phoenix to Boston.

The flight was safely diverted by the co-pilot to Syracuse, New York.

A US government source told the BBC that the measure would affect nine airlines operating out of 10 airports.

US media reported the order was sparked by intelligence gathered overseas.

It will reportedly include all large electronic devices such as laptops, tablets cameras, DVD players and electronic games, but not phones.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declined to comment on the issue but is expected to make an announcement on Tuesday.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which is part of Homeland Security, also refused to comment.

A formal list of the airlines affected has yet to be released, but an official speaking to the Associated Press (AP) said it would apply to the following 10 airports in eight countries:

Queen Alia International, Amman, Jordan
Cairo International Airport, Egypt
Ataturk Airport, Istanbul, Turkey
King Abdulaziz International, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
King Khalid International, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Kuwait International Airport
Mohammed V International, Casablanca, Morocco
Hamad International, Doha, Qatar
Dubai International, United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi International, United Arab Emirates

Officials said the ban had no end date. AP reported that airlines would not be officially informed of the ban until 03:00 ET (07:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

But Royal Jordanian Airlines tweeted on Monday that it would ban passengers from carrying on most electronics to and from its North American flights, CNN first reported.

The tweet was later deleted.

The Jordan-based carrier said that starting on Tuesday, it would only allow phones and medical devices on its flights. All other electronics would be “strictly prohibited”.

The airline said that laptops, tablets, DVD players and electronic games must be checked with baggage.

The new rule will affect Royal Jordanian flights to New York, Chicago, Detroit and Montreal.

source: bbc