Mental exam for armed plane hijacker

A COURT has ordered psychiatric reports to be prepared on a 21-year-old Jamaican man who last month tried to hijack a Canadian jet, taking 182 people hostage, officials said.Stephen Fray appeared in court here at a closed-door hearing, facing 24 charges arising out of the April 19 incident at Montego Bay international airport when he tried to take over a chartered CanJet Boeing 737.The hearing was adjourned until May 18 by judge Bertram Morrison, when the charges are expected to be read to Fray to allow him to plead.

The dramatic hijacking ended when police stormed the airliner and captured the gunman without firing a shot. Fray was alleged to have sneaked past security onto Flight 918 during its layover stop in Montego Bay using an identity card which belonged to a family member.Armed with a .38 revolver, he held up the passengers and crew demanding money and valuables and is also reported to have demanded to be flown to neighbouring Cuba.He was disarmed after an eight-hour stand-off. None of the passengers on board the aircraft, which was headed for Cuba, were hurt in the ordeal.

Mexico to reopen as flu 'contained'

MEXICO is poised to reopen tourist attractions and public venues after claims the country has contained the swine flu epidemic.Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said restaurants and other points of economic activity could reopen as soon as Wednesday, in an effort to revive a devastated tourism sector.Mr Cordova said the longer restrictions stayed in place, "the more difficult it will be to restore credibility so the tourists return to the tourist sites".

A lifting of restrictions would spell relief for restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs, cinemas, theatres and gyms in Mexico City, which were ordered on April 28 to close to prevent contagion among clients."We are in a position to overcome (the AH1N1 virus)," President Felipe Calderon said during a TV interview.

"We have been able to hold or at least reduce the rate of propagation of the virus to contain the epidemic."Although restrictions were about to be eased, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) still recommends that Australians reconsider their need to travel to Mexico.

Princess Eugenie attacked in Cambodia

THIEVES tried to rob the Queen's 19-year-old granddaughter, Princess Eugenie, and her friends while they were travelling in Cambodia.British newspaper The Sun reported that royal protection officers had to intervene to protect the princess, the daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and his former wife Sarah Ferguson, when a thief tried to steal her friend's purse as they walked through Phnom Penh.The two officers tackled the thief but were pelted with stones by another man, forcing them to let him go and focus on getting the princess to safety.They also managed to retrieve the purse.

The Sun said it was the first time in 10 years that protection officers had stopped a direct threat to a member of the royal family.The princess has come under fire recently for her lavish spending during the credit crunch, heading overseas during her gap year.Eugenie has visited India, South America, Australia, South Africa, Thailand and now Cambodia.Although she has paid for the adventure herself, taxpayers are footing the £100,000 ($205,000) bill for security.

Travel advice: Mexico City - swine flu

If you are booked to go to Mexico within the next week then please check these airline policies below for the rules to change your travel dates. If you are not travelling in the next week, it is unlikely that the airline will confirm a policy until nearer the date.If your airline is not listed below, and you are travelling in the next 72 hours, please contact us or your airline to see if your flight is still departing, and what options may be available to you.

Air Canada
American Airlines (look for link on page)
British Airways
Delta Air Lines
Iberia (look for the English link at the top of the page)
Lufthansa
United Airlines

Air France-KLM

In view of the current swine flu in Mexico, Air France-KLM has introduced a special re-booking policy for all customers holding tickets for travel until 4 May 2009. Please note KLM will continue to operate its flights to/from Mexico City.

1) Customers may change their flights/dates for their ticketed itinerary for travel up until the 4 May 2009. All re-scheduled travel must be no later than 31 May 2009. All penalties/change fees may be waived.

2) Customers may also choose to travel to/from an alternative destination and can do so by using the complete value of their non-refundable fare towards the purchase of a new ticket. Please contact Air France-KLM offices.

The above rebooking should be done in line with the following conditions:

One outbound and one inbound flight/date change is permitted free of charge.
Rebooking can only be done on alternate flights/dates, offering availability in the ticketed booking class.
All rebooking and re-issues must be done no later than Friday 08 May 09.
Travel must remain on Air France-KLM flights and partners.
If a customer wishes to travel on a date on which the ticketed booking class is not available, the customer will need to pay the applicable fare difference.
If a customer wishes to travel to a different destination, the new fare used must be of the same or higher value than the original one.

Virgin Atlantic
Please see below for options to passengers travelling with Virgin Atlantic with connections to Mexico. These options are available until 5 May. This policy is under review on a daily basis and may change at any time.The below applies to any ticket type

1. Free of Charge date change
The date change fee will be waived; however seasonal supplements may apply.
2. Re book onto another Virgin Atlantic destination
If the passenger wishes to reroute their flight to another Virgin Atlantic destination, this is permitted; however, any difference in fare, taxes, charges and surcharges will need to be collected. The date change fee will be waived.

Please note:
If the passenger has onward flights and they are booked as part of the same itinerary they will need to contact the other airline directly to discuss their options.
3. Refund only if the fare rules allow
Refunds will only be permitted as per the conditions of the fare.

Department of Foreign Affairs tells Aussies to avoid Mexico

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) is urging Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Mexico.The travel bulletin on the Smarttraveller website has also called for Australians who are in Mexico and concerned for their health to leave."The overall level of the advice has increased. We now advise Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Mexico due to the out break of a severe strain of swine influenza," said the bulletin.The change comes after the World Health Organisation upgraded the level of the influenza outbreak from phase 3 to 4 (of 6).The bulletin added: "The change to a higher phase of pandemic alert indicates that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased, but not that a pandemic is inevitable."DFAT has advised Australians still planning to visit Mexico to get vaccinations against seasonal influenza two weeks prior to travel, although the degree of protection against this strain of swine flu is not clear.Travellers are also told to organise comprehensive travel insurance and to check the level of cover.

"You should be aware that the Australian Government will not pay for your medical expenses overseas or medical evacuation costs," warns DFAT.Visitors to Mexico are also being urged to register their travel plans and contact details, and to subscribe to the travel advisory on their destination for updates.While travelling Australians are being asked to "practice hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette (covering mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing)".Visit the Department of Foreign Affairs for advice and travel restrictions.For more information on swine flu, call the Commonwealth Health Hotline on 1802007 or visit the Department of Health and Ageing website.

Pilot of Emirates flight that nearly crashed at Melbourne Airport was sleep-deprived

THE pilot of the Emirates flight that nearly crashed at Melbourne Airport with 225 passengers on board had almost no sleep the previous day and was following the airline's orders to take off at reduced power to save money on fuel.Several sources told the Sunday Herald Sun that Emirates - like many modern airlines - ordered its pilots to take off at reduced thrust when possible to cut fuel costs, emissions and wear on the aircraft.The thrust or power settings are determined by factors such as aircraft weight, weather conditions, the surrounding terrain and runway length.But an Emirates source said the March 20 flight - EK407 to Dubai - was set at the "absolute minimum" thrust, leaving little room for error."There was no margin for error," the source said."This is all about the money."

Emirates yesterday issued a statement saying safety was a top priority for the airline. "Safety is at the forefront of all operations within the Emirates group," a spokeswoman said.Sources said a report due on Thursday was expected to show the near-catastrophic accident happened after the incorrect weight was typed into the plane's computers, causing it to set an inadequate take-off speed.

Air safety investigators are examining Emirates' staff records, including the work rosters of some of its pilots, to see if there are systemic safety problems within the airline that could have contributed to the near disaster.The Sunday Herald Sun learned that the pilot of the plane was also almost at the threshold of the number of hours he was legally able to fly.Emirates pilots are permitted to fly a maximum 100 hours each 28 days.

Investigators are examining whether pilot fatigue was a factor after being told the pilot had barely slept the day before the flight.Several sources confirmed that Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigators were also looking at whether any other "human factors" needed to be addressed.

The inspection of Emirates' records is part of the bureau's investigation - expected to take up to a year - into the reasons behind the error.The inquiry will investigate issues such as cockpit distractions and crew resource management.A source said it was not possible for one person alone to commit the error."It happens because a range of things come together at the right time," the source said.

An Emirates source said the airline was in a risky situation because it did not have a culture that encouraged people to voice their safety concerns.The source said some Emirates pilots were badly fatigued, but people were afraid to speak out."There is a limit to how far you can push people," the source said. "Those long-haul flights are really, really fatiguing and demanding."But a punitive culture means people are too afraid to speak out."Two things, (flight safety and the punitive culture) in my view, that do not match in 2009 and in a major airline."A very bad cocktail."

It can also be revealed that:THE tail crashed into the runway with such force that passengers heard a loud scraping noise and some saw a heavy shower of sparks.THE impact ripped a hole in the fuselage, causing what appeared to be smoke and dust to swirl into the cabin.THE pilot made three announcements during the next 35 minutes as he circled Port Phillip Bay to dump fuel before returning to land.NONE of the announcements told passengers how serious the situation was and the passengers were not in the "brace position" when the plane landed.THE weight error was made before the plane left the departure gate.

PASSENGERS, including Anita and Ray Chappel, escaped uninjured after the plane landed safely.The two pilots involved in the accident were forced to resign 48 hours after they were flown back to Dubai.Safety Bureau and Civil Aviation Safety Authority officials are thought to be concerned about the action taken against the pilots, but have no jurisdiction to intervene.Emirates pilots, using false names, have flooded the internet to express their concern about rostering, fatigue and the action taken against the two pilots.The men are expatriates and at least one has since returned to his home country.

The United Arab Emirates does not allow unions, so more than 2000 Emirates pilots employed worldwide are not covered by a union.Investigations by the Sunday Herald Sun further revealed the pilot was no stranger to the runways at Tullamarine, flying into Melbourne for almost five years, about once every two months.The pilots - two operating pilots and two augmenting pilots - and 14 crew members returned to their hotel in Melbourne immediately after the accident.The next day, bureau investigators came to the hotel to conduct interviews.The man leading the inquiry is investigator Paul Ballard.

Emirates is sending some of its senior managers to Australia to handle the fall-out from Thursday's release of the preliminary report.Andrew Parker, an Australian now based in Dubai as Emirates' senior vice-president of public, government and environmental affairs, will arrive in Australia this week with Capt Alan Stealey, Emirates' divisional senior vice-president of flight operations.Emirates declined to comment on the March 20 accident because of the bureau's investigation.But the company said it had continuously reached international safety standards and had been a founding member of the Gulf Flight Safety Committee - a Middle East aviation body.

The company denied it had a punitive culture that discouraged open discussion about safety concerns."Emirates has a positive and open safety reporting culture that helps management understand safety issues before they become significant concerns," a spokeswoman said.The company would not answer direct questions about reduced-thrust take-offs, the fate of the pilots and the future of the damaged aircraft.

Australians dream of travelling to outer space, Readers Digest survey shows

THE ideal holiday is a trip outer space but Australians are also happy to travel locally, according to a magazine survey.While four-out-of-10 who took part in the Readers Digest survey said they had either cut short a trip, opted for a cheaper destination, or cancelled travel plans altogether for 2009 to save funds, some indicated they wanted to travel into space.According to the Federal Government, Australians are owed about 121 million days of accrued annual leave.Half of the 750 Australians who took part in the Readers Digest survey said getting away for a weekend or a bit longer was enough to break out of the doldrums.

The trend of short breaks and staying closer to home is tipped to continue and vital to Australia's $90 billion tourism industry, the survey reported.The UK and Europe are the most popular dream destinations, with space travel being the dream of four-out-of-10 Australians.At a cost of $300,000 for a seat on a Virgin Galactic spaceship, that may well remain a dream for many, but according to Readers Digest, 65,000 people worldwide have already formerly registered interest in space travel.

Giant grumpy crocodiles cause plane chaos

TWO dangerous and exceptionally grumpy Australians have been welcomed to New Zealand after testing the patience of their in-flight cabin crew.Saltwater crocodiles Scar, from Darwin, and Goldie, from Cairns, are the first of their species to be flown across the Tasman - and the pair weren't going to take the relocation lying down.The duo broke their head restraints mid-flight, thrashing so hard that the Hercules plane transporting them shuddered and shook.”It got pretty exciting on board, that's for sure,” said John Dowsett, general manager of Auckland's Butterfly Creek Zoo, which the crocs now call home.”The plane was shaking and the pilot turned to me and said ‘that's your crocs having a bit of a go'.

”We gave them drugs, a muscle relaxant to calm them down, and that seemed to work but boy, are they powerful.”You can see why we needed the Royal New Zealand Air Force on this job.”The Hercules was the only aircraft deemed large and sturdy enough to transport the monster predators.Both male, they are four metres long and weigh over half a tonne each, and are now the largest, and most dangerous carnivorous predators in New Zealand.

The pair might have been groggy and ``a bit grumpy'' on arrival in Auckland midnight on Tuesday but they have since settled into the zoo where they are soon to become the star attractions.They form the centrepiece of a new saltwater crocodile exhibit, sponsored by Tourism NT, that will also feature several baby American alligators.

Mr Dowsett said they will live in a 32 degree billabong - "a heated Sheraton" - but they won't be cosying up together.Their New Zealand keepers have been told to keep the pair apart in separate exhibits so they don't kill each other.”They're extremely aggressive so you don't want them anywhere near each other,” he said.”When you see them in the wild they've always got shreds torn off them. We don't want to see that here too.”Despite their apparently bad tempers, Scar and Goldie are believed to have relatively stable personalities and not the “absolute craziness” displayed by some of their kind, the zoo manager said.

Woman's neck, back broken in air turbulence on Continental plane

A WOMAN has been paralysed after turbulence struck a Continental flight while she was using the toilet.The 47-year-old British woman was in the plane's bathroom when it passed through extremely rough air, flinging her against the bathroom ceiling, the Houston Chronicle reports.She had reportedly disobeyed warnings to remain in her seat while the plane passed through the turbulence."We have a lady who got off her seat coming out or into the bathroom, that's when the situation occurred," her attorney Ramon Garcia, told Texas’s KRGV News.

The woman, along with two other passengers and a crew member, was taken to hospital when the flight 511 landed in McAllen, Texas, on Saturday, Continental spokeswoman Mary Clark said.Dr Trey Fulp, the spinal surgeon who will perform a second operation today on the passenger, said the woman suffered the same injuries as Christopher Reeve."She is paralysed from the nipples to her toes," Dr Trey Fulp told ABC News.

Dr Fulp said she had suffered a “hangman’s fracture”, a neck break commonly seen in patients who hang themselves.He said it was unclear if the paralysis would be permanent.Storms had been reported in the Houston area before the flight which had to be delayed several hours. The Boeing 737 carried 104 passengers and five crew members.
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British boy 'too scared to travel' home from Australia

A TEENAGER with a form of autism is stranded in Australia because he is too scared to travel by air or sea home to the UK.Thomas Hill's family moved to Sydney in January 2008 to start a new life but decided to return recently because they were homesick.But 16-year-old Thomas, who has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, is still in Sydney with his mum Lisa because he has panic attacks about travelling.He has tried three times to return to England, where his father Jason and 13-year-old sister Rebecca are waiting, but has failed each time.

”I'm worried sick,” his father told the UK's Sun newspaper.”Thomas won't fly and our effort to get him home by boat failed miserably. My wife was sobbing hysterically when she phoned to tell me they had to get off the ship.”We had used all our savings to pay STG7,500 ($15,293.64) for a two-month cruise from Sydney to Britain as Thomas said he would go on a boat.”But when he got on the ship he suffered a panic attack and freaked out. The ship's doctor saw him and said he couldn't travel.”

Thomas made the original trip to Australia after being given sedatives before boarding a flight.But two attempts at getting him on a plane to fly back to Britain have failed.The first attempt resulted in Thomas refusing to board, while on the second he jumped out of his seat and started screaming as the plane taxied along the airport runway.Mr Hill said the family had been advised to pay for a doctor to fly business class with Thomas and give him sedatives during the trip.”The cost is enormous and we don't have the money,” Mr Hill said.”Our only glimmer of hope is that some airline will take pity on us and help.”