Lauda Air

The National Transportation Safety Board, investigating the crash of a Lauda Air passenger jet in Thailand two months ago, issued a series of recommendations calling for the inspection of the Pratt & Whitney engines that power the Boeing 767. It also called for consideration of new emergency procedures should a thrust reverser on a 767 engine deploy while in flight.

At a time when airlines are cutting back on service and offering food that's hard to swallow--in any class--tiny Lauda Air is bucking the trend. I found out about the Vienna-based carrier recently when I took one of its planes on the Vienna-Rome leg of a European trip. As our bus pulled up at the foot of the 50-seater, I caught a glimpse of the flight attendants, looking chic in black jeans, beautifully cut blazers, red vests and red baseball caps. Already something different.

Software developer Intergame, which makes entertainment programs used by passengers inside airplane cabins, has installed one of the first in-flight gambling systems. The software is being carried by Lauda Air of Austria, and will soon be available on all of its international flights, company officials said. The system will be left off routes to and from the United States, and other countries that don't allow airborne gambling.

Software developer Intergame, which makes entertainment programs used by passengers inside airplane cabins, has installed one of the first in-flight gambling systems. The software is being carried by Lauda Air of Austria, and will soon be available on all of its international flights, company officials said. The system will be left off routes to and from the United States, and other countries that don't allow airborne gambling.

Early indications from the investigation into the fatal crash of an Austrian jet are pointing away from a bomb, experts close to the probe said. One said speculation now focuses on engine failure. But the investigators stressed that no firm conclusions can be drawn yet and that no possibility has been excluded. The Lauda Air Boeing 767 crashed late Sunday in northwest Thailand, shortly after takeoff from Bangkok. All 223 people aboard the plane were killed.

An Austrian jetliner exploded not long after taking off from Bangkok on Sunday night, scattering wreckage over a wide area of remote jungle. Police said that all 223 passengers and crew members aboard the plane were killed. "There was a fireball in the sky and then a big boom," said a Thai police officer who saw the explosion from the window of his office in Suphanburi province. The crash, the cause of which is yet to be explained, was the 12th worst in aviation history.

At a time when airlines are cutting back on service and offering food that's hard to swallow--in any class--tiny Lauda Air is bucking the trend. I found out about the Vienna-based carrier recently when I took one of its planes on the Vienna-Rome leg of a European trip. As our bus pulled up at the foot of the 50-seater, I caught a glimpse of the flight attendants, looking chic in black jeans, beautifully cut blazers, red vests and red baseball caps. Already something different.

Investigators said Wednesday that their efforts to find the cause of the fiery crash of an Austrian airliner may have been complicated by the thousands of villagers who looted the remains of the plane's 223 passengers and crew. Thai newspapers expressed national shame at the ghoulish spectacle of thousands of people flocking to the crash site, tearing open suitcases, stealing wristwatches off corpses and helping themselves to singed wallets and travelers checks.

Western security officials on Monday surveyed the wreckage of an Austrian airliner that crashed in western Thailand and said they are nearly certain that the plane was downed by a bomb explosion. "All the available evidence points to a bomb," one Western official said. "The pieces of the plane wreckage were literally tiny and spread out over a wide area."

The first time Lauda Airlines suffered a serious setback, its owner returned to motor racing and won his third Grand Prix world driving championship. Niki Lauda isn't likely to do that again, even after one of his planes crashed over a hilly jungle in Thailand on May 26, killing all 213 passengers and 10 crew members. The crash was about 100 miles northwest of Bangkok and occurred about 16 minutes after the plane took off en route to Vienna.

The National Transportation Safety Board, investigating the crash of a Lauda Air passenger jet in Thailand two months ago, issued a series of recommendations calling for the inspection of the Pratt & Whitney engines that power the Boeing 767. It also called for consideration of new emergency procedures should a thrust reverser on a 767 engine deploy while in flight.

An Austrian jetliner traveling over Thailand apparently tore apart after the thrust of one of its two engines suddenly reversed, Austrian transportation officials and the airline owner said Sunday. The owner, Niki Lauda, said it was his opinion that the activation of a thrust reverser caused the Lauda Air Boeing 767-300 to break into pieces and plunge into a hilly jungle May 26, killing all 223 people aboard. He said it was not certain why the reverser deployed.

A senior Thai official said Friday that he believes an engine explosion, rather than a bomb, caused an Austrian airliner to crash in Thailand early this week. Air Chief Marshal Somboon Rahong also told a news conference that a document was recovered from the pilot's compartment with the word "fire" scrawled in English across the page. He said a circle had been drawn around the word.

Early indications from the investigation into the fatal crash of an Austrian jet are pointing away from a bomb, experts close to the probe said. One said speculation now focuses on engine failure. But the investigators stressed that no firm conclusions can be drawn yet and that no possibility has been excluded. The Lauda Air Boeing 767 crashed late Sunday in northwest Thailand, shortly after takeoff from Bangkok. All 223 people aboard the plane were killed.

Investigators said Wednesday that their efforts to find the cause of the fiery crash of an Austrian airliner may have been complicated by the thousands of villagers who looted the remains of the plane's 223 passengers and crew. Thai newspapers expressed national shame at the ghoulish spectacle of thousands of people flocking to the crash site, tearing open suitcases, stealing wristwatches off corpses and helping themselves to singed wallets and travelers checks.

The first time Lauda Airlines suffered a serious setback, its owner returned to motor racing and won his third Grand Prix world driving championship. Niki Lauda isn't likely to do that again, even after one of his planes crashed over a hilly jungle in Thailand on May 26, killing all 213 passengers and 10 crew members. The crash was about 100 miles northwest of Bangkok and occurred about 16 minutes after the plane took off en route to Vienna.

An Austrian plane that crashed in Thailand, killing 223 people, disintegrated in the air and rained down in millions of little pieces, airline owner Niki Lauda said Tuesday after inspecting the wreckage. "I have never seen in my life anything like this," said Lauda, owner of 51% of the Austrian airline bearing his name. "The only thing I learned today is that the airplane disintegrated in the air. I don't know the cause of it."

Western security officials on Monday surveyed the wreckage of an Austrian airliner that crashed in western Thailand and said they are nearly certain that the plane was downed by a bomb explosion. "All the available evidence points to a bomb," one Western official said. "The pieces of the plane wreckage were literally tiny and spread out over a wide area."