And other travel news you may have missed.
This week in travel, we’ve uncovered several stories that might have flown under your radar. Among them: American Airlines has been ordered to pay $9 million to a passenger who suffered strokes on board; an Italian city plans to tax dogs; and a tourist has been released from jail after a case of mistaken identity.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
NO.1
DENMARK AIRPORTS CLOSE DUE TO DRONE SIGHTINGS
Multiple airports in Denmark, including those with military bases, were closed last week after drone sightings. Last Monday, Copenhagen Airport shut down for a couple of hours because of two or three unauthorized drones in the area; all takeoffs and landings were canceled. Later in the week, drones were also observed near Aalborg Airport, Skrydstrup Air Base, and Karup Air Base.
In Oslo, the airport was also closed for hours due to another drone incident.
NO.2
TOURIST SPENDS A MONTH IN ITALIAN PRISON OVER MISTAKEN IDENTITY
“The nightmare is over,” said a tourist who spent a month in prison in northern Italy after his release. Ovidiu A. was arrested on the first day of his trip to Caorle, near Venice. The tourist is from Romania and shares his name with a wanted Romanian criminal. He checked into a hotel, which triggered authorities, and he was arrested at breakfast. His lawyer struggled to prove he wasn’t the wanted criminal because he had to gather documentation separately from the court, police, and prison.
Ovidiu and his family planned to spend a few days in Italy after his release to enjoy the beach.
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NO.3
ITALIAN TOWN IMPOSES TAXES ON DOGS
Starting next year, dogs will be taxed in the Italian town of Bolzano. A daily tax of €1.5 ($1.70) will be charged to tourists who bring their pets to this jumping-off point for the Dolomites.
Overrun with tourists, the town is taking measures to address cleanliness. Locals are being asked to pay a yearly tax of €100 ($117) per dog to fund new dog parks and help keep the streets clean. There is also a DNA test initiative requiring dog owners to register their dogs’ DNA so culprits who leave droppings behind can be fined.
NO.4
JURY ASKS AMERICAN AIRLINES TO PAY PASSENGER $9 MILLION AFTER STROKES
A federal jury in San Jose has ordered American Airlines to pay a passenger more than $9 million after its employees failed to follow protocol during an onboard emergency.
In 2021, 67-year-old passenger Jesus Plasencia had two strokes while flying from Miami to Madrid with his wife. According to the complaint, the plane was still at the gate when he suffered a mini-stroke and briefly lost his ability to communicate, but the pilot cleared him to fly. He had another stroke during the flight, and the flight crew did not notify the pilot, so the plane was not diverted. Plasencia was hospitalized in Spain, where he stayed for three weeks in critical condition, then flown back to the U.S. He now cannot speak or write and depends on round-the-clock care.
Last week, a federal jury ruled in favor of the passenger and ordered the airline to pay $9 million for delaying care. The airline did not call for medical assistance or divert the plane, which the lawsuit claimed might have led to a better outcome for the passenger.
NO.5
FAMILY OF D.C. CRASH VICTIM SUES AMERICAN AIRLINES, FAA, ARMY
One of the families of the victims of the D.C. plane crash earlier this year has sued American Airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Army over the Washington Reagan collision that killed 67 people. Other families are expected to join the lawsuit, which blames the airline and the government for missing warning signs even after more than 30 near-misses.
Rachel Crafton, the widow of passenger Casey Crafton, filed the lawsuit. The couple has three children, and Crafton described her husband in a statement read by her brother-in-law as a “devoted father and husband” who was “betrayed by the system he trusted.”
Related: Washington Plane Crash Has Chilling Echoes of 46-Year-Old Accident
