Dubai Floods, Alaska Getting Sued Over Hawaiian, United's Threat & More [Roundup]

Welcome back to another edition of the weekend roundup, where we pick out some of the most interesting aviation articles from the past week and give our quick take on the matter. This week saw a lot of drama between airlines and even private citizens.

I think the two biggest pieces of news this week were the floods in Dubai and flights being halted to Israel again. We saw some pretty amazing videos from all the rain coming down in the area, however the one that stuck out to me was the Emirates flight attendant wading her way through knee-deep water to try to get to the airport. She looked like she had a long day and just wanted to get to where she was going.

However, I don't think flights resumption to Israel will be returning as fast as they were about to. Flights were temporarily put on hold again, and some international destinations were cancelled completely again after further attacks. But that didn't stop British Airways from threatening crews who are scared to fly to the region. I believe that they have a valid point for being nervous, but British Airways doesn't see that.

If you'd like a little insight to airline operations, when an airline stops flying an aircraft type, they don't typically get sold off immediately. They are usually parked in a desert somewhere while they are waiting to be sold or parted out. This process can sometimes take months or years to happen. Air India had stopped flying the 747 long ago, but they finally just removed the aircraft from their registration, probably to be parted out or converted to a freighter.

Airlines fly a variety of passengers, from those going on vacation, business travelers, and even school groups going on trips. Someone who happened to be listening to the ARINC frequency, which is a service airlines can pay for to connect pilots to their dispatchers or maintenance. The person who recorded this audio happened to catch a captain complaining about some rowdy kids and was threatening to divert the aircraft if they didn't calm down.

I believe the acquistion of Hawaiian by Alaska Airlines is still under review by federal authorities, but a group of private citizens is suing Alaska Airlines over their acquisition attempt by complaining that it will hurt competition. I would agree with these citizens. Both Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines have a enormous presence in Hawaii, so much so they may become the dominate power on the islands.

As we all know, American Airlines is getting rid of their First Class product. It will be replaced by quite the smart looking business class cabin. And much like jetBlue, the bulkhead seats will become premium seating that will cost an extra amount on top of your ticket. Airlines are starting to get smart to bulkhead and exit row seats, and it's yet another way they can squeeze money from you.

United has had quite the last few months, from engine failures, wheels falling off their aircraft, and skidding off taxiways. Despite all this, they still had a strong quarter. However, they have sent a warning to Boeing and Pratt & Whitney, if they don't get their problems fixed the airline will be leaning more heavily on Airbus for their future orders.