Aviation

BA Passenger reports Septic Injury, After Staff Uses Food Trolley for Disembarkation

After being stranded on a British Airways flight for hours, a passenger who landed at Vancouver International Airport claims he nearly lost his foot due to a septic injury. He was only able to get off the aircraft when paramedics loaded him onto two airline food trolleys.

The event left 63-year-old Geoffrey Schneiderman, who uses a wheelchair and has multiple sclerosis, with necrotic tissue in his foot, lingering trauma, and anxiety related to small spaces.

Crew members on the British Airways flight reported that there was no eagle lift at the Vancouver airport when they landed. Eagle lifts are devices that enable wheelchair-bound passengers to safely exit aircraft. Paramedics were called in to help after two hours of confusion and multiple unsuccessful attempts to get Schneiderman off the plane.

Schneiderman was hoisted onto the top of two trolleys that are typically used to serve food and beverages to passengers during flights after the backboard was slid under him. Legs and head of Schneiderman hung off either end.

As the carts began to separate, my partner said he almost suffered a heart attack because he could see what was going on and heard them call that the trolleys were coming apart.”

Schneiderman claimed that as a result of the incident, he developed a pressure sore on his foot that septicated and almost required surgery. During his month-long vacation, he claimed to have been bedridden. Schneiderman was eventually compensated by British Airways with GBP 500 ($638), a sum that was negotiated up to GBP 1,500 ($1,900).

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Aviation

Boeing to Slash 17,000 Jobs Worldwide Amid Ongoing Factory Strike

Boeing to Slash 17,000 Jobs Amid Ongoing Factory Strike

Boeing, one of the world’s largest aerospace manufacturers, is facing a severe crisis. The company announced on Friday that it will lay off 17,000 employees—roughly 10% of its workforce.

This decision comes amid a prolonged strike, production delays, and ongoing safety concerns with its aircraft. Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s CEO since August, delivered the news, stating, “Our business is in a difficult position, and it is hard to overstate the challenges we face together.

Beyond navigating our current environment, restoring our company requires tough decisions, and we will have to make structural changes to ensure we can stay competitive and deliver for our customers over the long term.”

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Boeing has been struggling financially, with the last reported profit in 2018. The company’s largest union, with 33,000 members, has been on strike for nearly a month after rejecting a labor deal. The ongoing walkout is reportedly costing Boeing around a billion dollars each month as negotiations remain at a standstill.

Compounding these issues, Boeing’s much-anticipated boeing 777x wide-body plane is now six years behind schedule, with deliveries postponed until 2026. This follows the discovery of structural damage during flight tests. Boeing also announced it will stop manufacturing its commercial 767 freighters after fulfilling its remaining orders by 2027.

Financially, the company expects to report a significant third-quarter loss—nearly $10 per share—and a total cash outflow of $1.3 billion. boeing new aircraft commercial airplane unit faces a $3 billion pretax charge, while its defense business will absorb an additional $2 billion hit.

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The strike has severely impacted production at key boeing facilities, particularly in Seattle, where half of the company’s nearly 150,000 employees work. Since 2019, Boeing has lost approximately $25 billion.

Ortberg was brought in over the summer to help the company regain public trust following safety concerns, especially surrounding the 737 Max line, which was involved in two deadly crashes. Earlier this year, a separate incident involving a panel popping off a 737 Max mid-flight reignited concerns. A Federal Aviation Administration investigation following the event found that Boeing had failed 33 out of 89 product audits.