• Gulfstream’s new G650 made its first flight today, though it was cut short due to some unexpected vibration. The source was later determined to be a landing gear door.
• An Airtran 717 aborted takeoff at LaGuardia Airport after the pilots received a fire indication. None of the 114 passengers were injured.
Thanks, Gothamist
• A pair of Cathay Pacific Airbus flights went down the tubes as they have had two diversions recently due to every toilet on the aircraft breaking. Passengers said the food was ok but the rest of the flight was crappy.
• Air France has painted their first Airbus A318 in their new “colors”.
• TUIfly has introduced a 737-800 in a wild-looking scheme for the ARD German Lottery.
• Aeroflot’s switch to A330 equipment on the Moscow-New York run has been delayed until December 2nd.
• Turkish Airlines has placed an order for two A330-200 Freighters.
• Wikileaks.org released a collection of 571,000 messages sent to text pagers on Sept. 11, 2001. No word on where they came from, but they’re a very interesting—and at times chilling—read.
• NY Times City Room takes a look back at the Train to the Plane a special subway service which connected midtown Manhattan to JFK Airport. For $3.50 (eventually $6.75) you could ride from Midtown, down 6th Ave and through Brooklyn while making only eight stops. Service ran from 1978 to 1990, when it was scrapped due to low demand, due in part to the shuttle bus passengers had to board once they reached Howard Beach.
