US Airways notes improvements in operations

After passengers' and airlines' plans were thrown into disarray last week when a British security scare disrupted both transatlantic and domestic services, US Airways has now reported that it is improving its operations within the new restrictions.

The alert was reported at London Heathrow Airport last Thursday (August 10) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has since issued a new set of rules for boarding aircraft and checking passengers.

Travelers are no longer able to take liquids onto airplanes in carry-on baggage and at some airports hand luggage was restricted to essential items such as wallets, passports, and boarding passes and tickets.

US Airways was one of several airlines to announce an amendment to its ticketing and rebooking policy for cancellations and changed flights to the UK (effective through September 1).

In response to the other changes in TSA rules, US Airways also increased the amount of bottled water and other beverages on its flights. Since last week, the airline has also seen a marked increase in checked luggage (around 23 percent) and it says it has increased its staffing to cope with this, as well as to reduce delays caused by the stepped-up security.

"Our focus has been and will always be to get our customers to their destinations safely, on-time, with their bags and as comfortably as possible," said US Airways CEO Doug Parker.

"We appreciate our customers' patience and forbearance during this time, and I'd like to personally thank and acknowledge the dedication our front-line employees have displayed to our customers during the past week."

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