Space Shuttle Atlantis, the United States' last serviceable manned spacecraft, launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:26am local time Friday.
The pilots' respective unions and both airlines on Thursday signed a four-party process agreement that provides for seniority integration discussions prior to the close of Southwest's buyout of AirTran.
United Airlines' first Boeing 787 Dreamliner rolled out of the factory fully assembled early Thursday morning, enroute to becoming the first Dreamliner delivered to a U.S. carrier in early 2012.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's flight was delayed by several hours early Tuesday morning after the Iranian government decided at the last moment to deny permission for the aircraft to fly through its airspace, reports said.