Yesterday, an American Airlines Bombardier CRJ-700 declared an emergency approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Unknown emergency
Incidents happen pretty often but are not always highlighted or covered by the media. Several aircraft squawk 7700 every week, meaning pilots put the 7700 code into aircraft transponders. The 7700 code signals to air traffic controllers (ATC) that there is an emergency onboard, whether mechanical, technical, or medical. Putting in the code allows ATC to prioritize the signaling aircraft and clear the way for landing.
Yesterday, a Bombardier CRJ-700, operating flight 5044 for American Airlines, declared an emergency as it approached Washington D.C. The regional jet had departed Charleston International Airport and was bound for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). According to AviationSourceNews, the aircraft declared an emergency after entering a holding pattern at 5,000 feet.
The CRJ then diverted to Dulles International Airport (IAD) and was on the ground for several hours before flying to DCA. Simple Flying contacted American Airlines but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Recent American Airlines news
Last week, American announced it was expanding to its 228th domestic destination, Provo, Utah. This fall, the Fort-Worth-based carrier will launch flights from its home at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and its Arizona hub at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. As Simple Flying reported last week, both routes, with two flights from DFW and one from PHX, will be operated with Bombardier CRJ 700 planes.
American will face competition on the route to DFW from Breeze Airways, the young airline that operates a base in Provo and is headquartered in Salt Lake City. To Phoenix, American will face competition from ultra-low-cost carrier Allegiant Air. Brian Torgersen, Director of Provo Airport, said,
“We have been telling our story to all who would listen, and American Airlines has stepped up to provide exceptional service to two exceptional major hub airports! We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome American Airlines and the entire world to Provo!”
Late last month, American announced it would begin offering passengers ad-based WiFi on some domestic aircraft. Passengers will be required to watch ads before being allowed to access the network. The airline also announced it would roll out an option to purchase WiFi with AAdvantage points and that its inflight networks would soon be capable of handling video streaming.
Earlier in the month, American made headlines by scheduling its first regular Boeing 787 operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) serving New York City. Though the Dreamliner has been a part of American’s fleet for several years, never before has the airline had regular flights with the type from its New York base. That will change at the end of October when American swaps its flights to Indira Gandhi International Airport from the Boeing 777-300ER.
