Executives at two of the biggest US airlines, Delta and Northwest, were locked in the final stages of merger talks yesterday that would create the world's largest passenger carrier, and just might provide a solution to the losses that have plagued the industry.

Tens of thousands of airline passengers were stranded yesterday as American Airlines, the world's biggest carrier, was forced to conduct emergency inspections on MD-80 aircraft.

British Airways agreed to emergency talks with pilots yesterday in a last-ditch effort to avoid a strike that would ground the airline for the first time in nearly three decades.

Fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen, we're anticipating some turbulence. So it was that before Christmas a small panel of us took a bumpy ride without even reaching an airport, by tasting our way though 229 wines from 26 business- and first-class airline lists for the Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky Awards.

America's biggest airlines have for years struggled to turn a profit. Could a round of consolidation be the solution to all their problems? By Stephen Foley

British Airways launched a service between America and continental Europe yesterday, becoming the first national carrier in either region to unveil plans to operate routes that neither take off nor land in its home market.

The battle between American and British airlines over the industry's most lucrative route, London to New York , is set to intensify as US carriers push through major revamps of their business- and first-class cabins.

The creator of an inflatable artwork that lifted off its moorings, killing two women, has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

The Spanish infrastructure group Ferrovial is considering raising its hostile bid for BAA, after the British airports operator suggested it may consider the possibility of a break-up.

NORTH AMERICA will be easier to reach from regional airports this summer. Continental Airlines continues its expansion from UK airports with the launch, on 20 May, of flights from Bristol to Newark, New Jersey. A week later, Belfast will also be linked to the east-coast city. Besides offering easy access to New York, Newark has connections across the US and into Canada and Mexico. On 2 May, Continental restarts its summer- only flight from Gatwick to Cleveland.

From Lara Flynn Boyle climbing univited into your club-class bed to Liam Gallagher on a scone rampage, the sky's the limit when it comes to bad behaviour at 30,000ft. Stuart Husband checks out 10 moments of plane madness