LA Times Letter Error: Michael Bloomberg Took Private Jet
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu greets former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg at Ben-Gurion Airport, July 23, 2014. Photo: HAIM ZACH/GPO
Jean-Claude Demirdjian of Los Angeles, a retired Boeing 747 captain whose letters are frequently published in The Los Angeles Times, writes today:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement last week about the Federal Aviation Administration’s brief ban on U.S. flights to Israel — that “there’s no reason whatsoever for the mistaken FAA decision to instruct American planes not to come here” — is wrong. (“FAA caution on Israel flights reflects concern after Ukraine incident,” July 23)
Although Netanyahu believes that the rocket that landed near Ben Gurion International Airport does not make the airport unsafe, he should know that the U.S. Air Force planes that transport Secretary of State John Kerry, contrary to passenger airliners, are equipped with anti-missile defenses. And former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was willing to take a calculated risk by flying in his own plane to Israel.
Commercial airline passengers, on the other hand, have a right to assume that there is no risk of being blown out of the sky. The FAA acted within its mission to provide the safest air travel possible.
Except that Former Mayor Bloomberg, himself a former pilot, did not fly in his own plane to Israel. As was widely reported, including also in The Los Angeles Times, Mayor Bloomberg flew to Israel this month on a commercial El Al flight. The Times’ Timothy M. Phelps and Rebecca Bratek reported July 24 (“FAA caution reflects downing of airliner”):
Kerry at least gave Israel a psychological boost Wednesday, flying in his government jet into Ben Gurion Airport from Egypt. So did former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, on El Al.
While Los Angeles Times editors are free to publish challenges to assertions that commercial flights to Ben-Gurion Airport are safe, they are not free to publish factual misinformation. Stay tuned for news about a correction.
1:30 PM EST Update: The Los Angeles Times has promised to publish a correction tomorrow.
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