More Pilots for American

American Airlines plans to hire 1,500 pilots over the next five years as it expands international flying and takes delivery of new planes, the carrier said on Monday.

The AMR Corp unit, which has been operating under Chapter 11 protection since late 2011 and is looking to emerge from bankruptcy by merging with US Airways Group Inc, said it will post open jobs October 1 and start training in winter.

The Fort Worth-based company said its plans call for hiring and training 40 to 50 pilots a month beginning this winter. The airline is also in the process of hiring and training 1,500 new flight attendants.

The hiring reflects operational needs, projected retirements and new Federal Aviation Administration rules requiring increased experience and rest for pilots, American Airlines said in a statement. The planned merger has no bearing on the hiring plans, a spokesman added.

Alitalia Aircraft Skids Off Runway in Rome

A plane has skidded off the runway at Rome's Fiumicino airport after its landing gear malfunctioned during a thunderstorm.

Officials said there were around 10 people who suffered "light injuries" and were treated by medical staff at the airport, according to the ANSA news agency.

The plane, an Airbus A320 belonging to flagship carrier Alitalia, had flown from Madrid with 151 passengers on board.

It came to rest on its side near the runway.

The pilot realised as he was coming in that the plane's right wheels had failed to deploy and he warned air traffic control ahead of time, ANSA said.

The plane then toppled on its right wing during landing and could be seen on its side near the runway.

The national air transport safety agency has opened an investigation into the incident, and officers have been sent to examine the plane.

More 787 woes

(c) planespotters.net

Glitches are keeping Boeing's Dreamliners in the headlines, including two new problems that came to light during the weekend. The issues have been considered to be minor, but their frequency is creating operational frustrations among Boeing's 787 customers.

Reuters reports a Dreamliner for Polish airline LOT had to divert to Iceland on Sunday because of a glitch in the the aircraft's identification system, according to an airline spokeswoman.

The flight was en route to Warsaw from Toronto when it made the unscheduled stop at the Iceland's Keflavik airport near Reykjavik.

REUTERS: LOT 787 Dreamliner forced to land in Iceland
REUTERS: Analysis: New trial for Boeing as Norwegian demands 787 repairs

"The aircraft had to land due to an air identification system fault," LOT spokeswoman Barbara Pijanowska-Kuras tells Reuters. "The Norwegian authorities have refused permission to fly over its territory, even though other countries gave permission to fly over theirs."

Frontier Airlines Sold Cheap.

The funky tailed Frontier Airlines is to be sold off at a dirty cheap price to William Franke, a pioneer of the cheap tickets and high fees airline business that has spread overseas and is growing in the U.S.

Franke is the former chairman of Spirit Airlines, which has earned consistent profits by jamming more seats on its planes and charging extra for things that other airlines do for free, such as printing a boarding pass at the airport, or using the overhead bin.

Franke's Indigo Partners LLC is buying Frontier for $36 million plus assumed debt. He made it clear that he'll steer Frontier in the same direction as Spirit.

"We endorse and will support continued efforts to build Frontier into a leading nationwide ultra-low cost carrier," Franke said in a statement announcing the deal on Tuesday.

Frontier began moving in that direction last year as Republic Airways got ready to sell it. On Aug. 6 it began charging as much as $100 each way for carry-on bags for some tickets purchased somewhere other than Frontier's website.

A 63-year-old United Airlines pilot who had a heart attack mid-flight has died, an Idaho hospital tells The Associated Press.

That came after the captain of United Flight 1603 had a heat attack, prompted the Seattle-bound flight to divert and make an emergency landing in Boise on Thursday evening. An off-duty pilot helped land the plane.

The Boeing 737-900 landed safely there after originating from Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport, according to United.