#AIRLINE PRANK NAMES TV#

When an airline decides to name one of its airplanes, though, it typically chooses a meaningful name. Some simply use the manufacturer’s original name. It’s important to note that not all airlines name their airplanes. Several years ago, Virgin Atlantic named one of its airplanes “#nerdbird,” which not surprisingly became a trending hashtag on Twitter and other social media networks. For example, Virgin Atlantic named one of its airplanes “Jefferson Airplane,” and it named another one of its airplanes “Screw it, let’s do it.” Furthermore, Virgin Atlantic became the first airline to use a hashtag as an airplane name. The U.S.-based airline often chooses funny names for its airplanes, avoiding the more traditional naming methods employed by other airlines. Virgin Atlantic arguably has the most unorthodox method of airplane nomenclature. Qantas Airways named an airplane Alice Springs, which as you may know is a territory in Australia. Nearly all of the airline’s 707 airplanes, for instance, are named after major cities included in the company’s flight routes. Qantas Airways has also named many of its airplanes after locations. Other airlines have followed suit by naming their airplanes after locations as well. El Al, for example, has named several of its airplanes after locations, including Jerusalem and Rehovot. If a particular airplane performs a significant number of flights to a specific location, the airline may name the respective airplane after that location. Other airlines use location-based names for their airplanes. In addition to star constellations, some airlines name their airplanes after native birds, whereas other airlines name their airplanes after specific wind currents, such as Hawaii’s Ohana. Specifically, Hawaii Airlines named an A330 Makali’l, which was the star constellation used by sailors to navigate the oceans. Rather, they use a more meaningful method to name their airplanes.Īccording to CNN, Hawaii Airlines recently named some of its Airbus A330s airplanes after star constellations. With that said, airlines don’t just randomly choose a name. It’s a common practice that’s been around for decades. The NTSB said it does not release or confirm the identities of crew members or other people involved in transportation accidents.Have you ever wondered how airlines choose the names for their airplanes? In the United States, as well as many other countries, it’s not uncommon for commercial airlines to name their airplanes. “The intern did not make up the names and provide them to the station.” “The names were presented, by the station, to the intern for confirmation,” NTSB spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said. It was not immediately clear who produced the fake names, but the NTSB said it was not the intern. “Where is the real damage? Yes, it was tasteless and undoubtedly it caused some short-term emotional distress, but nothing that rises to the level of litigation,” he said. Paulson notes that the real names of pilots were not given in the news report. And as ludicrous as the report was, at least the news station made a call to try to check,” he said.

“Everyone who heard this understood it was a prank. Passengers begin legal action against Boeing

The key to such a case is to determine whether what was said damages an entity’s reputation and causes injury, and what care was taken, if any, to prevent that, he told CNN. Ken Paulson, president of the First Amendment Center and the dean of the College of Mass Communication at Middle Tennessee State University, said “it’s very difficult to conceive of a defamation suit prevailing here.”

#AIRLINE PRANK NAMES TV#

But the airline continued to move ahead with a defamation claim against the TV station until the Wednesday announcement. The news station, a CNN affiliate, later apologized on air and on its website. A government official with knowledge of the situation said Monday the intern is no longer with the agency.Īs for KTVU, in Oakland, anchor Tori Campbell read the names Friday. The agency apologized for the “inaccurate and offensive” names, which it said were erroneously confirmed by a summer intern.

Over the weekend, the Korean airline had said it would sue the NTSB and the station after an intern at the NTSB mistakenly confirmed “inaccurate and offensive” names as those of the pilots.īut at the beginning of the week, the airline seemed to have a change of heart.Ī spokesman said the company didn’t have plans to file a separate suit against the NTSB.

Airline prank names