Episode Notes

Hotel guests in Las Vegas during Super Bowl weekend earlier this month paid the highest room rates in continental U.S. history, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. 

Industry data company STR said guests shelled out on average $800 for rooms in Las Vegas that weekend, the highest ever for any Saturday and Sunday in the continental U.S. Hotel guests on the Las Vegas Strip paid an even higher rate on Super Bowl Sunday — $962 on average. Meanwhile, short-term rentals in Las Vegas also saw average daily rates during Super Bowl weekend surge 19% from the previous weekend. 

Next, a Federal Aviation Administration panel reported on Monday that Boeing’s efforts to improve its safety culture are inadequate, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. 

The panel found a “disconnect” between Boeing executives and employees involved in the planemaker’s safety culture. Congress had mandated the report into Boeing’s safety culture after two fatal 737 Max 8 crashes. The FAA report revealed, among other findings, that most Boeing employees were unaware of the company’s safety culture efforts. 

Finally, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said a shortage of aircraft could cause airfares to jump 10% in Europe this summer, reports Airlines Editor Gordon Smith. 

O’Leary said delays in delivering the Boeing 737 Max are a factor for the potential shortage. Fifty-seven Max planes are due to arrive at Ryanair by the end of March, the official start of the airline industry’s summer season. However, O’Leary acknowledged that only 40 to 45 jets may be ready for this summer. 

Produced and Presented by Jose Marmolejos