AFGHANISTAN

On Tuesday (13/12), it was reported that a suicide bomber blew himself up in the west of the country after he was intercepted by Police as he attempted to enter Qala-i-Naw Airport (LQN) on foot. LQN is also a base for Spanish troops in the area. The airport is also used for domestic flights.


FRANCE

On Wednesday (22/12), the French Government announced that it planned to deploy Police officers to both Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG) and Lyon (LYS) Airports to ensure that industrial action by contracted private security guards did not interfere with flight operations in the pre-Christmas travel rush. A reported 400 police officers were put on standby.


ISRAEL

On Sunday (25/12), a statement released by El Al said that the Israeli government had agreed to raise the amount it pays for security costs. The state had been paying 60% of the airline's security-related expenses but that figure will rise to 65% for 2011 and 70% in 2012. The statement said that once an open skies deal is signed with the European Union, the Israeli government's share of security costs will increase to 75%, and will increase to 80% when the agreement is implemented.


NETHERLANDS

On Sunday (25/12), an Air Finland B752, operating between Tenerife (TFS) and Helsinki (HEL) was forced to divert to Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) as a result of a disruptive passenger event. The incident began when a Finnish male was restrained by the crew after he became violent following an argument with his wife on board. He was arrested by the Marechaussee when the flight landed at AMS.


PAPUA NEW GUINEA

On Saturday (17/12), it was reported that a Hevilift Nyaman Air Mi-17 helicopter came under small arms attack from gunmen, believed to be from the indigenous Free Papua Movement. The aircraft with three crew on board was transporting Freeport McMoRan staff from their base in Tembagapura to the company’s Grasberg mine in Timika.  The aircraft came under fire shortly after take-off. The tail of the aircraft was damaged, and one passenger suffered minor injuries. The incident is the latest in a series of attacks against Freeport McMoRan, which manages a gold and copper mine on the island.


UNITED KINGDOM

On Sunday (18/12), a member of cabin crew with Nigerian carrier, Arik Air, was arrested at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) after a reported 4kg of cocaine was discovered in her baggage after she arrived on a flight from Lagos (LOS). She was later charged with attempting to import a Class A substance, and was remanded in custody by Uxbridge magistrates.


UNITED STATES

On Monday (19/12), a former member of cabin crew was sent to prison for six years after he pleaded guilty to setting fire to an aircraft toilet while in-flight. He was also ordered to pay more than $100,000 to Compass Airlines for damage to the bathroom and hotel accommodation for passengers. The court heard how the crewmember was on board an earlier Compass Airlines flight that was forced to make an emergency landing because of a bathroom fire in which Rojas helped put out the fire. He told investigators that he used a lighter to light paper towels in the aft toilet, after he was angry at the airline for making him work on that route. He had been scheduled to stand trial in September of 2008, but fled to Mexico.


On Tuesday (20/12), a woman who allegedly made a false bomb threat to delay her husband's flight out of Los Angeles Airport (LAX) following a disagreement was charged with providing false and misleading information. Court documents state that the woman called an AirTran representative claiming that a man with a bomb was on board a flight to Atlanta (ATL). She later admitted that she had marital trouble with her husband, but did not mean to harm anyone.


On Wednesday (21/12), it was reported that a man is suing Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM for $10 million for injuries he claims he sustained while helping to stop the "underwear bomber" from blowing up a flight on Christmas Day 2009. In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan he claimed that he "risked his life" by jumping on Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. The lawsuit said that the plaintiff lost a tooth and suffered injuries to his ribs, permanent numbness in his hands and a pain in his neck that hampers his movements. It accuses DL and AF-KLM of negligence for allowing a bomber to board their aircraft with an explosive device.


On Friday (23/12), parts of the cargo area at Los Angeles Airport (LAX) were evacuated after a police explosives detection dog at an airport access point gave a positive indication on a box inside a vehicle. The vehicle was examined by the LAPD Bomb Squad, who later declared the area safe.


On Tuesday (27/12), the TSA announced that a screener based at Newark Liberty Airport (EWR) was suspended for failing to screen checked bags before forwarding them to be loaded on board two international flights. The TSA said the security breach was detected and the bags were properly screened before being loaded onto the two aircraft.


On Thursday (29/12), a man was arrested at Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) after he crashed a dump truck through a gate. When officers arrived, the dump truck had crashed into a ditch and the driver was leaving the scene on foot. He was later charged with impairing the operation of a vital public facility.


On Saturday (31/12), a man was arrested after he attempted to pass through a security checkpoint at Midland Airport (MAF) with explosives in military-grade wrapping contained in his cabin baggage. The man claimed that he was in the military. The TSA screening area was closed for some time while the explosives were removed.


TSA Weekly Stats (19th - 25th Dec 2011)

7 artfully concealed prohibited items found at checkpoints

31 firearms found at checkpoints

2 pax were arrested after investigations of suspicious behavior or fraudulent travel documents


AND FINALLY!

A 99-year-old Italian man and his wife of 77 years are to become the world's oldest couple to divorce after his 96-year-old wife had an affair 70 years ago. The husband found out about the adultery when he was looking through an old chest of just before Christmas. He immediately asked his wife, who is identified as Rosa C, for a divorce as he was so upset over the betrayal. Court papers revealed that she sent letters to her lover during a secret affair in the 1940s.