Giant American carrier Delta today took a 49% stake in Richard Branson’s airline Virgin Atlantic following the clearing of two regulatory hurdles in the way of the joint venture.

With a few words in Latin, Pope Benedict XVI did what no pope has done in more than half a millennium, stunning the world by announcing his resignation and leaving the already troubled Catholic Church to replace the leader of its one billion followers by Easter.

US AIRLINES have failed to block an EU law charging carriers flying to Europe for their carbon pollution.

A STRATEGY change on oil and gas exploration licensing off the west coast opening up a record amount of acreage for development is expected to result in fresh drilling activity.

AN advanced system for forecasting volcanic ash in Irish airspace has been developed by researchers at NUI Galway.

The Government's Taskforce on Emergency Planning is forecasting minimal disruption at Irish airports this week as a result of the ash cloud.

In the latest update from the Irish Aviation Authority, Irish airports are to remain open until at least 1am tomorrow morning, following on from some disruption yesterday.

A number of airports in the west and south of the country are to close later today due to the volcanic ash cloud, officials said this afternoon.

Further flight disruptions were expected in European airspace today as a plume of volcanic ash snaked its way through southern France, Switzerland and northern Italy, the European air management agency in Brussels said.

HOPING to renew long-standing trans-Atlantic crossing links is Kerry’s Valentia Island.

A British suspect in an alleged plot to blow up trans-Atlantic jetliners escaped from police custody in Pakistan today.

Investors have been warned about the impact of the United States subprime mortgage crisis on stocks on this stide of the Atlantic.

Two major multi-million euro tourism investment packages in the south-west of Ireland have been put on hold since Aer Lingus announced its scrapping of the Shannon Heathrow service.

An overseas flight from London’s Heathrow Airport to Washington, D.C. was diverted to Boston today after the pilot declared an emergency because of a passenger disturbance, the airline said.

Airline and travel shares were badly hit today as details emerged of the terrorist plot to blow up planes in mid-air.

Alaska’s governor says BP should pay compensation for a state employment freeze because of the millions of dollars lost through the shutdown of America’s biggest oil field.

British airports group BAA reported a mixed performance for January today as new services to India offset a sharp decline in trans-Atlantic travel.

Airbus parent European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company today approved the official launch of the new Airbus A350 plane, designed to rival Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

The European Parliament today approved plans to provide €1bn from the EU budget over the period 2007-2013 to fund the deployment and commercial operations of the Galileo satellite system.

Stateside audiences still their mindless pap; so step forward Mr. Diesel, running on fumes!

AER LINGUS is poised to launch a trans-Atlantic service to the USA from Cork when the current open skies negotiations with the US are concluded, Cork Chamber of Commerce president Robin O'Sullivan said last night.

UK aerospace group BAE Systems has dismissed speculation that it was holding merger talks with a US defence contractor.

IONA, and Connexion by Boeing, a business unit of the Boeing company, has announced that IONA's Orbix and Orbix/E are serving as the integration broker technologies helping to power the delivery of high-speed internet connectivity services to mobile travellers.

Airport operating company Aer Rianta has welcomed yesterday's news that an American airline is to begin two new services to Ireland next year.

AFTER a court settlement by Microsoft in the US, the battle now shifts to Europe where Competition Commissioner Mario Monti may soon impose his own set of sanctions against the software giant.

US IMMIGRATION authorities are adopting a new hard-line attitude to GAA players travelling to America on weekend passes.

The FBI are hunting six men thought to be connected with the FBI's latest terrorist alert.

Darren Clarke has entered the video age in a bid to prevent any dips in his form becoming a real crisis.

The Real IRA has been cracked wide open by an MI5 spy who is set to testify at the trial of the dissident terror grouping’s suspected leader, according to reports.