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In brief: FAA shutdown continues

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FAA employees on furlough are asked to work for free, the Amsterdam airport has a mini red light district, plans are underway for a Star Trek amusement park in Jordan, and more. Here are the stories that travellers are buzzing about:

FAA shutdown continues
US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told NPR the Federal Aviation Administration shutdown will continue until at least September, with some 4,000 employees on furlough. Reid blames Delta’s anti-union position for the extended shutdown. Meanwhile, the Huffington Post reports that about 40 FAA inspectors are being asked to continue working unpaid, because of the high importance of their jobs.

Red light district appears in Amsterdam airport
An unofficial red light district operates in the Amsterdam Schiphol airport, and local officials say they have no intention of eliminating it, the Irish Times reports. Many of the women fly in from Eastern Europe and use hotels in the transit area to meet with clients, some who are pre-arranged and others who they meet in the international area, according to the investigation cited in the article.

Writer to pen stories about Heathrow travellers, employees
Novelist Tony Parsons is spending a week as Heathrow’s writer in residence, gathering stories from travellers passing through and workers toiling in the airport. The book, titled Departures: Seven Stories from Heathrow, will published in October. The Guardian has more on the story (and stories).

Quotable
“It turns out that King Abdullah II of Jordan is a huge Star Trek fan. (When he was prince, he had a nonspeaking role in Star Trek: Voyager.)”

 – An 184-acre Star Trek-themed amusement park will open in the Jordanian coastal town of Aqaba in 2014, MSNBC reports.

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Web link http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20110803-in-brief-faa-shutdown-continues

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