Timing is everything, and the timing of the DePaul Business Law Journal Symposium on the future of the airline industry could not be better.
The symposium, which is being held Friday at the College of Law in DePaul Center, comes a day after a pair of incidents that highlight the problems the industry is facing.
In one incident, pilots aboard a United Airlines flight bound for Buenos Aires used an ax to fight off a passenger trying to break into the cockpit. In the other incident, a terminal at Baltimore-Washington International Airport was evacuated after a security breach.
In both cases, passengers and employees were protected.
The symposium explores not only terrorism and security but also competition, including the failed merger of United Airlines with US Airways and the barriers to entry on international routes.
In addition, Mary Schiavo, former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation, is expected to discuss what it will take to make aviation safer and more secure in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
Brian Havel, a professor in DePaul’s College of Law and chairman of the CCH Aviation Law Advisory Council, said: “The security situation remains very grave and demands our full attention.”
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Service to Washington: Airline flights to Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., are gradually returning to normal.
On March 1, the FAA says it will allow service to resume to all cities it formerly served, but will keep the number of flights to 77 percent of the level before the attacks. The government had severely restricted service to Reagan National in the wake of the terrorist attacks because flight paths take them near government buildings, including the Pentagon.
Shop, dine and free ride: The Chinatown Chamber of Commerce and Chinatown Parking Corp. are offering a deal to attendees of this year’s auto show that offers the chance to shop, dine and park in Chinatown.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they will be operating a shuttle bus between McCormick Place and a parking lot at the corner of Wentworth Avenue and Cermak Road. The runs begin Friday at 3 p.m. and continue every 30 minutes until 9 p.m.
On Saturday and Sunday, the shuttle bus will operate between noon and 8 p.m.
On Feb. 15 and 16, the shuttle will again be operating, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and noon to 9 p.m., respectively.
Hotel changeover: The Mundelein Holiday Inn is now the Crowne Plaza Chicago North Shore. Located at 510 E. Route 83, the 183-room hotel is reopening after a renovation.