A plus-sized social media influencer in the USA has started a campaign for better accommodations in the aeroplanes for passengers that are a touch bigger. Jae’lynn Chaney from Vancouver, Washington has kicked off a petition on Change.

A plus-sized social media influencer in the USA has started a campaign for better accommodations in the aeroplanes for passengers that are a touch bigger. Jae’lynn Chaney from Vancouver, Washington has kicked off a petition on Change.org titled “Demand for the FAA to Protect Plus-Sized Customers" where she is demanding that air travel should be made comfortable and accessible for everyone, regardless of size. As of the last update, Chaney's petition had received over 4,000 signatures as she tagged United States Department of Transportation (USDT), Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the concerned authorities. Chaney stated that she and her partner have had to experience discrimination and uncomfortable glances from the passengers when flying. She said her fiancé was subjected to hateful comments during a flight from Pasco to Denver which takes over two hours. Chaney added that on another flight she was forced to sit on a seat with immovable armrests that caused her bruises. "Being forced to occupy only one seat can result in pain and vulnerability to poor treatment from fellow passengers, including hateful comments, disapproving looks, and even refusal to sit next to them. This mistreatment of plus-size passengers is unacceptable, and it highlights the urgent need for better policies," read her statement. "Unfortunately, plus-size passengers often experience discomfort and discrimination when flying. The lack of a uniform customer-of-size airline policy is unacceptable and must be addressed." WATCH | WION Dispatch: Airlines push for single-pilot flights × Chaney lists the change in policies In her petition, Chaney also enumerated the policies that could be implemented to ensure the flying experience becomes smoother for individuals. She urged the FAA to provide accessible additional seats. The influencer said plus-size passengers should be provided with extra seat, or even two or three seats depending on their size. Moreover, airlines should refund the plus-size passengers who purchase the additional seats which should be a 'straightforward process', according to Chaney. "Airlines must provide additional airport assistance to plus-size travellers if necessary, including wheelchair assistance and priority boarding. Airlines should also create accommodations for larger passengers, such as larger bathrooms, seat belt extenders, and alternative seating arrangements." ALSO READ | Delta Airlines passenger arrested for opening emergency door, deploying exit slide at LAX airport According to a Reuters report, FAA has no size requirement for airlines currently. The average seat width in the economy section is between 17 inches to 30 inches of legroom. However, most airlines are not very accommodating when it comes to seats for the overweight or even those looking for comfort. Most budget airlines have cramped seating arrangements which makes it a nightmarish experience for even the fittest individuals to sit through a long journey. Instead of providing the service freely, the airlines charge a significant premium for seats with more legroom. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Plus-sized influencer starts petition for free and extra seats on airlines

Reports of drone sightings in northern New Jersey temporarily halted arrivals at Newark Liberty International Airport on Tuesday, but normal operations had since been resumed, officials said.

A spokesman from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) earlier said flights into Newark - the 11th busiest US airport - were briefly suspended after two drones were seen flying at 3,500 feet over nearby Teterboro Airport, a small regional airport about 17 miles away that mostly handles corporate jets and private planes.

The federal agency said information about the drone sightings was turned over to law enforcement.

The FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center briefly issued a ground stop at Newark citing "drone activity," according to a document posted on its website.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates both the Newark and Teterboro airports, later said on Twitter that normal operations had resumed and that it was coordinating with the FAA and law enforcement authorities as they investigate the incident.

United Airlines, the largest carrier at Newark, said it was aware of the reports of drone activity and was working with the airport and the FAA. It said the impact on its operations had been minimal.

The issue of drones impacting commercial air traffic has taken on new urgency after reports of drone sightings in the United Kingdom impacted air travel.

Earlier this month, flights from London’s Heathrow airport were halted for about an hour after a drone was sighted near Europe’s busiest air hub.

Gatwick Airport, London’s second busiest airport, was severely disrupted in December when drones were sighted on three consecutive days, resulting in about 1,000 flights being cancelled or diverted and affecting 140,000 passengers.

Both airports responded to the Gatwick incident by ordering military-grade anti-drone technology.

Earlier this month, the US Transportation Department proposed rules that would allow drones to operate over populated areas and end a requirement for special permits for night use, long-awaited actions that are expected to help speed commercial use.

The Trump administration noted there are nearly 1.3 million registered drones in the United States and more than 116,000 registered drone operators. But officials say there are hundreds of thousands of additional drones that are not registered.

The US Congress last year gave the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security new powers to disable or destroy threatening drones after officials raised concerns about the use of drones as potential weapons.

In September 2017, a small civilian drone struck a US Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter near Staten Island, New York. The helicopter landed safely but there was some damage.

Reports of drone sightings in northern New Jersey temporarily halted arrivals at Newark Liberty International Airport on Tuesday, but normal operations had since been resumed, officials said.

Reports of drone sightings in northern New Jersey temporarily halted arrivals at Newark Liberty International Airport on Tuesday, but normal operations had since been resumed, officials said. A spokesman from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) earlier said flights into Newark - the 11th busiest US airport - were briefly suspended after two drones were seen flying at 3,500 feet over nearby Teterboro Airport, a small regional airport about 17 miles away that mostly handles corporate jets and private planes. The federal agency said information about the drone sightings was turned over to law enforcement. The FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center briefly issued a ground stop at Newark citing "drone activity," according to a document posted on its website. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates both the Newark and Teterboro airports, later said on Twitter that normal operations had resumed and that it was coordinating with the FAA and law enforcement authorities as they investigate the incident. United Airlines, the largest carrier at Newark, said it was aware of the reports of drone activity and was working with the airport and the FAA. It said the impact on its operations had been minimal. The issue of drones impacting commercial air traffic has taken on new urgency after reports of drone sightings in the United Kingdom impacted air travel. Earlier this month, flights from London’s Heathrow airport were halted for about an hour after a drone was sighted near Europe’s busiest air hub. Gatwick Airport, London’s second busiest airport, was severely disrupted in December when drones were sighted on three consecutive days, resulting in about 1,000 flights being cancelled or diverted and affecting 140,000 passengers. Both airports responded to the Gatwick incident by ordering military-grade anti-drone technology. Earlier this month, the US Transportation Department proposed rules that would allow drones to operate over populated areas and end a requirement for special permits for night use, long-awaited actions that are expected to help speed commercial use. The Trump administration noted there are nearly 1.3 million registered drones in the United States and more than 116,000 registered drone operators. But officials say there are hundreds of thousands of additional drones that are not registered. The US Congress last year gave the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security new powers to disable or destroy threatening drones after officials raised concerns about the use of drones as potential weapons. In September 2017, a small civilian drone struck a US Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter near Staten Island, New York. The helicopter landed safely but there was some damage.

Newark Airport resumes normal operations after drone sightings temporarily halt traffic

Richard Branson&rsquo;s space company, Virgin Galactic, has been granted an operating licence to fly its passenger rocketship with the world&#39;s first paying space tourists aboard once final safety tests are completed, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday. 
 
The unprecedented licence covers all operations of Virgin Galactic&#39;s six-passenger, two-pilot SpaceShipTwo vehicle, including commercial passenger service, which according to FAA spokesman Hank Price is contingent on &quot;certain terms and conditions&quot; being met first. 
 
Those requirements include verification of vehicle hardware and software &ldquo;in an operational flight environment&rdquo;, the FAA wrote in an email. 
 
The FAA, which oversees U.S. airline service and general aviation, is also the chief regulatory body for commercial spaceflight in the United States. 
 
The new licence will be modified as Virgin Galactic supplies the FAA with additional data from the SpaceShipTwo flight test programme, company spokeswoman Christine Choi said in an email. 
 
The company has not yet announced a date for the start of passenger flights but is selling tickets for a ride aboard SpaceShipTwo at $250,000 a seat. Commercial service is not expected to debut before 2017. 
 
About 700 people have put down deposits for rides that will take them about 62 miles (100 km) above Earth, high enough to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the curvature of Earth set against the blackness of space. 
 
Virgin Galactic&rsquo;s original SpaceShipTwo vehicle broke apart during an October 2014 test flight that killed the co-pilot and seriously injured the pilot, in an accident that was ultimately attributed to pilot error. Both were employees of Scaled Composites, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary based in Mojave, California, that built the vehicle. 
 
The Spaceship Company, a Virgin Galactic sister firm also owned by Branson&rsquo;s London-based Virgin Group, built a new SpaceShipTwo, the second in a planned fleet of five, and took over the test flight programme from Scaled. 
 
The new ship, dubbed Unity, was rolled out of its hanger on Monday for its first taxi test at the Mojave Air and Space Port. 
 
Virgin Galactic plans to fly from Spaceport America, near Las Cruces, New Mexico. SpaceShipTwo will be ferried to an altitude of about 50,000 feet (15,000 meters) by a carrier jet known as White Knight Two and then released for an independent rocket ride beyond the atmosphere. 
 
SpaceShipTwo is designed to glide back to the ground and land on a runway like a conventional airplane. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Licence covers all operations of Virgin Galactic's six-passenger, two-pilot SpaceShipTwo vehicle, subject to 'certain terms and conditions'

Richard Branson’s space company, Virgin Galactic, has been granted an operating licence to fly its passenger rocketship with the world's first paying space tourists aboard once final safety tests are completed, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday. The unprecedented licence covers all operations of Virgin Galactic's six-passenger, two-pilot SpaceShipTwo vehicle, including commercial passenger service, which according to FAA spokesman Hank Price is contingent on "certain terms and conditions" being met first. Those requirements include verification of vehicle hardware and software “in an operational flight environment”, the FAA wrote in an email. The FAA, which oversees U.S. airline service and general aviation, is also the chief regulatory body for commercial spaceflight in the United States. The new licence will be modified as Virgin Galactic supplies the FAA with additional data from the SpaceShipTwo flight test programme, company spokeswoman Christine Choi said in an email. The company has not yet announced a date for the start of passenger flights but is selling tickets for a ride aboard SpaceShipTwo at $250,000 a seat. Commercial service is not expected to debut before 2017. About 700 people have put down deposits for rides that will take them about 62 miles (100 km) above Earth, high enough to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the curvature of Earth set against the blackness of space. Virgin Galactic’s original SpaceShipTwo vehicle broke apart during an October 2014 test flight that killed the co-pilot and seriously injured the pilot, in an accident that was ultimately attributed to pilot error. Both were employees of Scaled Composites, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary based in Mojave, California, that built the vehicle. The Spaceship Company, a Virgin Galactic sister firm also owned by Branson’s London-based Virgin Group, built a new SpaceShipTwo, the second in a planned fleet of five, and took over the test flight programme from Scaled. The new ship, dubbed Unity, was rolled out of its hanger on Monday for its first taxi test at the Mojave Air and Space Port. Virgin Galactic plans to fly from Spaceport America, near Las Cruces, New Mexico. SpaceShipTwo will be ferried to an altitude of about 50,000 feet (15,000 meters) by a carrier jet known as White Knight Two and then released for an independent rocket ride beyond the atmosphere. SpaceShipTwo is designed to glide back to the ground and land on a runway like a conventional airplane. (Reuters)

Richard Branson's passenger space firm granted federal operating licence