Airport check-in: Delay for speedy lanes in Atlanta
— -- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, the world's busiest airport, said Friday that it will postpone its plans to establish Registered Traveler lanes. Instead, the airport will add four security lanes, bringing the total to 32, by the end of summer.
The airport "will defer its decision on a pilot program until we have experience with the new security checkpoint configuration," said Ben DeCosta, airport general manager, in a statement.
The Registered Traveler program provides speedy security clearance through a separate line for prescreened subscribers who pay about $100 a year.
Steven Brill, CEO of Verified Identity Pass, which bid on the Atlanta project, says he still expects the airport to approve Registered Traveler lanes in the future. "It's got to frustrate thousands of frequent fliers in Atlanta who have signed up," he said.
Verified Identity Pass has about 6,000 customers who live in the Atlanta area, he said.
Toronto: Resuscitation lessons on the move
Airport employees and firefighters are strolling the corridors of Toronto Pearson International, providing lessons on CPR and the use of heart defibrillators. Canada's largest airport has 190 defibrillators, which emit electrical shocks to resuscitate people who are experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
With rising passenger traffic, U.S. airports have also installed more defibrillators in recent years. With each passing minute after the sudden cardiac arrest, the chances of successful defibrillation decreases. The Medtronic Foundation, which is funding the initiative, has similar programs at Minneapolis-St. Paul, Dallas/Fort Worth and London Heathrow.
Boston: Non-stop to Asia could be coming
Boston Logan is one step closer to getting its first non-stop flight to Asia. The airport said last week that Hainan Airline Aviation Group, an airline holding company in China, has formally applied with the Chinese government to begin daily Beijing-Boston flights.
The route, which would be served by Hainan's Grand China Airlines, would not begin before 2010, partly because of production delays in the long-range Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft the airline intends to use.
In 2006, more than 65,000 passengers flew from Boston to Beijing and Shanghai using connecting service. The airport currently has no direct service to Asia, Africa, Latin America or the Middle East.
Logan has been talking to Chinese officials for three years to develop service. Hainan's application is "an important milestone in the marathon" to establish the route, said Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick in a statement.
Detroit: Terminal naming rights up for grabs
Detroit Metropolitan said it will sell the renaming rights of its yet-to-open North Terminal to a corporate sponsor. Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Lester Robinson says Detroit will be the first U.S. airport to name facilities after a private company.
The 26-gate North Terminal will open in September and replace the aging Smith Terminal, which serves American, Southwest, United and Air Canada.
Airport spokesman Brian Lassaline says it's too early to discuss how much the airport may raise by selling the naming rights.
Every Monday, we report on the latest news in airports across the USA. See something noteworthy in your travels? E-mail your suggestions to ryu@usatoday.com.