VANCOUVER, Nov 17, 2007 (AFP) - Some 650 people attended the funeral Saturday of a Polish emigree who died at Vancouver airport after police stunned him with a Taser, a disturbing incident that was videotaped by a bystander and shown around the world.

'We were quite surprised. People came from everywhere,' said Kamloops Funeral Home employee Lawrence Schrader. The funeral home owner, Zofia Cisowski, also the mother of the 40-year-old victim, Robert Dziekanski, had planned for 100 mourners, he said.

SINGAPORE, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - Singapore's Changi Airport International (CAI) said it has signed a contract to prepare a masterplan for development of the King Hussein International Airport in Jordan.

The plan will lay out development of the airport and surrounding land in the resort town of Aqaba -- a gateway to the Petra heritage site -- to meet expected bigger demand for passenger and air cargo traffic, CAI said in a statement issued late Thursday.

MONTREAL, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - A man suspected of drunk driving died in hospital overnight after police used a taser to subdue him, in Canada's second recent death plugged to the 50,000-volt stun guns, authorities said Thursday.

According to reports, Quilem Registre, 39, had been stopped Sunday for driving erratically, ramming his car into several vehicles, then became aggressive during questioning by police.

He was taken to hospital for an examination, and died later of heart and kidney failure.

LONDON, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - Two aircraft collided on the ground at London's Heathrow Airport on Monday evening, an airport spokesman told AFP.

'Heathrow Airport can confirm that two aircraft were involved in an incident on the ground earlier this evening,' the spokesman said.

'There are no reported injuries and passengers are in the process of being offloaded from the aircraft.'

VANCOUVER, Canada, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - A man died on the weekend at Vancouver airport, Canada's main Pacific hub, following a scuffle with federal police, authorities said Monday.

Sergeant Pierre Lemaitre of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) told AFP they subdued a man in his late 30s or 40s with a taser and detained him for behaving wildly at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday (0830 GMT) in the arrivals area.

He died shortly afterwards.

FRANKFURT, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - Fraport, which operates six airports including the biggest German airport in Frankfurt, said Friday that passenger traffic had grown overall by 3.6 percent in September to 7.572 million people.

The results were boosted in particular by stronger traffic at Frankfurt's second airport, Frankfurt-Hahn and in Lima, Peru, a statement said.

Frankfurt-Hahn, which is served by low-cost carriers Ryanair, Wizz Air and Iceland Express, recorded a 10.0 percent gain in the number of passengers.

Lima airport saw a 26.8 percent increase.

MUMBAI, Oct 4, 2007 (AFP) - Air traffic control officials in Mumbai said Thursday they were investigating a power failure that left them unable to direct planes over India's financial capital for several minutes.

The incident on Wednesday morning saw controllers at Mumbai's airport biting their nails as electricity was cut and battery back-up devices failed to kick in.

Around 20 flights were in the air at the time of the black-out, although no accidents or delays were caused by the incident.

BAGHDAD, Sept 28, 2007 (AFP) - US forces have detained three senior workers at Baghdad international airport suspected of involvement in kidnappings and attacks on Iraqi and American troops, the US military said on Friday.

The three were arrested at the airport Thursday, a military statement said.

'The corrupt workers are suspected of having positioned themselves in several high-level jobs at the airport to establish a base and conduct kidnapping operations against Iraqi Security Forces and innocent civilians,' the statement said.

BOSTON, Sept 21, 2007 (AFP) - A 19-year-old female student was arrested at gunpoint at Boston airport Friday after walking into the terminal with what authorities believed to be a bomb strapped to her chest, police said.

The woman had a computer circuit board, a battery and exposed wires in plain view over a black hooded sweatshirt, state police major Scott Pare, the commanding officer at the airport, told reporters.

NEW YORK, Sept 21, 2007 (AFP) - A 19-year-old female student was arrested at gunpoint at Boston airport on Friday after walking into the terminal with a fake bomb strapped to her chest, according to US media reports.

Star Simpson had a computer circuit board, wires and a putty that turned out to be play-dough in plain view over a black hooded sweatshirt she was wearing, CNN television reported.

Simpson is a student at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to the report.

MADRID, Sept 20, 2007 (AFP) - A car park at Madrid's international airport destroyed in December by a bomb planted by the Basque separatist group ETA, killing two men, reopened on Thursday.

Speaking at a ceremony the public works minister, Magdalena Alvarez, said the two spaces where the bodies of the two men were found after the blast at Terminal 4 would permanently remain empty in their honour.

The two men, both immigrants from Ecuador, were sleeping in their cars when the bomb went off in a stolen van on the morning of December 30.

THE HAGUE, Sept 20, 2007 (AFP) - The military police at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport made a startling discovery when it found a small dog in a luggage locker who had been left there for 36 hours, the ANP news agency reported Thursday.

An airport employee heard a strange noise coming from one of the lockers Tuesday morning and warned the military police, who are responsible for security at Schiphol. When the locker was opened the police found a small keeshond dog in a carrier bag stuffed between several suitcases.

HAVANA, Sept 19, 2007 (AFP) - A Cuban military court sentenced two army deserters who tried to hijack an airliner in May to life in prison, a Cuban rights group said Wednesday.

Sergeants Leandro Cerezo Sirut, 20, and Yoan Torres Martinez, 21, were sentenced for the May 3 hijack attempt at Havana's Jose Marti airport's international terminal, the rights group headed by activist Elizardo Sanchez said.

BANGKOK, Sept 17, 2007 (AFP) - Phuket International Airport reopened Monday, one day after a passenger jet packed with tourists crashed on landing at the southern Thai resort island, killing 89 people, airport officials said.

'Airports of Thailand (AOT) announced that Phuket airport resumed operations at 3:30 pm (0830 GMT),' an airport spokeswoman told AFP.

'But so far there have been no incoming or outgoing flights.'

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 10, 2007 (AFP) - South African Airways (SAA) said Monday it could eliminate more than 2,000 jobs as part of a restructuring programme aimed at cutting costs.

The government-owned airline plans to save a total of 638 million rand (88 million dollars, 64 million euros) in operating costs under the programme, which calls for 'grounding the fleet of Boeing 747-400 aircraft, reviewing the route network and re-negotiating supplier contracts,' the national carrier said in a newspaper advertisement.

ISLAMABAD, Sept 10, 2007 (AFP) - Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's plane arrived in Pakistan on Monday, airport officials told AFP.

'The plane carrying Nawaz Sharif has landed,' a senior official at Islamabad airport said on condition of anonymity.

Television showed Pakistan International Airlines flight PK 786, the plane Sharif boarded in London on Sunday night, touching down and taxiing to the terminal building.

WELLINGTON, Sept 6, 2007 (AFP) - Dubai Aerospace Enterprise Thursday abandoned its controversial bid to take a majority stake in New Zealand's aviation hub, Auckland International Airport.

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) and Auckland International Airport Ltd (AIAL) said they had terminated their merger agreement.

Under the deal, the United Arab Emirates-based aerospace and aviation company would have taken a stake of between 51 and 60 percent of the airport company for up to 2.6 billion dollars (1.78 billion US).

WELLINGTON, Sept 3, 2007 (AFP) - A Canadian pension fund said Monday it intends to bid for up to 49 percent of New Zealand's aviation hub, Auckland International Airport.

The news comes after a bid by Dubai Aviation Enterprise (DAE) worth up to 2.6 billion dollars (1.82 billion US) for a stake of up to 60 percent in the airport was thrown into doubt amid widespread opposition to foreign control.

LONDON, Aug 30, 2007 (AFP) - BAA, the main operator of Britain's airports, is planning to cut 2,000 jobs in a bid to cut costs after its Spanish owner Ferrovial told its seven British airports to conduct cost and staffing reviews, The Times reported on Thursday.

The newspaper's report, which cited an unidentified BAA source, comes amid severe criticism of the airports operator from British airlines, which have called for BAA's break-up.

'Ferrovial have a huge debt burden and they can't sustain that,' the source told the daily.

BRUSSELS, Aug 28, 2007 (AFP) - Ryanair resumed on Tuesday taking reservations for Belgian flights after receiving guarantees minimising the impact of strikes at its Belgian base, the Irish low-cost carrier said.

On August 22, the carrier stopped taking reservations for flights to and from Charleroi airport, and demanded that authorities take action to avoid strikes after a stoppage in June grounded flights there.

BRUSSELS, Aug 22, 2007 (AFP) - Irish low-cost airline Ryanair threatened Wednesday to stop serving the southern Belgian city of Charleroi from November 12 unless airport authorities took action to avoid crippling strikes.

'Ryanair is determined to offer its flights only if the company receives assurance that a strike will not be able to block the international airport,' the Irish airline said in a statement on its website.

'An emergency plan must be made operational,' it added.

LONDON, Aug 20, 2007 (AFP) - Climate change activists demonstrating against proposed expansion at Heathrow, the world's busiest airport, began leaving their camp near the aviation hub Monday after a week of protests, officials said.

By the end of the afternoon, hundreds of demonstrators had left the camp of tents set up last week from where they denounced the impact of the aviation industry on global warming and against plans for a third runway at Heathrow.

LONDON, Aug 20, 2007 (AFP) - Between 100 and 200 environmental protesters picketed offices of London Heathrow airport operator BAA Monday, as demonstrations began elsewhere at a nuclear power station and at oil company BP.

Environmental campaigners set up camp outside the premises at the west London airport Sunday after a demonstration and week-long 'Camp for Climate Action' against what they said was aviation's role in fuelling global warming.

They are also opposing the construction of a third runway at Heathrow, which is the world's busiest hub.

HEATHROW, England, Aug 19, 2007 (AFP) - A small group of climate change activists clashed with riot police Sunday in the vicinity of Heathrow airport during a protest against plans for a third runway at the world's busiest hub.

Officers, some armed with shields and batons, tackled protesters as they headed towards the headquarters of Heathrow operator BAA.

Police said that six demonstrators had been arrested on Sunday for minor offences, while far fewer activists descended on the airport than had been expected.

HEATHROW, England, Aug 19, 2007 (AFP) - Climate change activists began marching in the vicinity of Heathrow airport on Sunday in protest at plans for a third runway at the world's busiest hub.

Police said Saturday that around 2,000 demonstrators would converge on Heathrow for what organisers have described as '24 hours of mass action' as their week-long protest reaches a climax.

'We have had enough of the prioritisation of economic growth over the future of our planet,' protestor Layla Harris told a news conference at a campsite neighbouring the airport.

HEATHROW, England, Aug 19, 2007 (AFP) - Activists opposed to plans for a third runway at London's Heathrow were Sunday gearing up for a major protest at the world's busiest airport, organisers said.

Police said Saturday that up to 2,000 demonstrators were set to converge on Heathrow for what organisers have described as '24 hours of mass action' as their week-long demonstration reaches its climax.

LONDON, Aug 18, 2007 (AFP) - The British Airline Pilots' Association called Saturday for talks with demonstrators staging an ongoing climate change protest at Heathrow airport west of London.

Several hundred activists have set up temporary home near the village of Harlington, close to Heathrow, in a tented village called the 'Camp for Climate Action.'

'We would like to come to a common understanding about carbon dioxide emissions from aircraft,' said Captain Mervyn Granshaw, chairman of the BALPA trade union.

LONDON, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - Demonstrators from the ongoing climate change protest at London Heathrow Airport glued themselves to Britain's Department of Transport on Friday.

Seven protesters glued their hands to the ministry's revolving doors while two others climbed atop the doorway with a banner against airport expansion.

Police and paramedics arrived and the protesters were unglued. No arrests were made.

'You will see we are all quite young,' said Miko Minio, 26, who had been at the Heathrow protest camp since Saturday.

MANILA, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - Philippine President Gloria Arroyo welcomed an international arbitration decision dismissing a suit by a German company that accused the government of corruption over Manila airport's controversial third terminal, the government said Friday.

Terminal 3, which has been mothballed since its completion three years ago, has never seen a single passenger pass through its doors.

HARLINGTON, England, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - A stone's throw from the runways of London's main Heathrow airport, environmentalists are gearing up for the fight against global warming, amid fears of disruption to tourists and flights.

Braving wind, rain and the scream of jets climbing skyward from under nearby rooftops, hundreds of people young and old have set up temporary home here in a tented village called the 'Camp for Climate Action'.

LONDON, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - Eleven people were arrested Thursday after environmental activists staged protests at two airports in south-east England to highlight what they say is a rise in the use of private air travel.

About 30 people in two separate groups chained themselves to the entrance of Biggin Hill and Farnborough airports and lay down in the road to protest against the 'super-rich' who were shunning attempts to cut carbon emissions.

LONDON, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - Environmental activists on Thursday staged protests at two airports in south-east England to highlight what they say is a growing number of people using private jets instead of scheduled flights.

About 20 people in two separate groups chained themselves to the entrance of Biggin Hill and Farnborough airports and lay down in the road to protest against the 'super-rich' who were shunning attempts to cut carbon emissions.

BEIJING, Aug 15, 2007 (AFP) - The number of daily flights at Beijing airport will be cut by nearly 400 in an effort to deal with the long delays and other problems at the increasingly crowded hub, aviation authorities said Wednesday.

The cut comes a year away from the 2008 Olympic Games in the Chinese capital, as authorities try to cope with a massive boom in transport that has accompanied the country's meteoric economic rise.

BEIJING, Aug 15, 2007 (AFP) - The number of daily flights at Beijing airport will be cut by nearly 400 in an effort to deal with long delays and other problems at the increasingly crowded hub, aviation authorities said Wednesday.

The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China said it had ordered Beijing airport to cut daily domestic flights by 336 to 1,050 by the end of October, and the number must fall to 1,000 by March next year.

New applications for domestic aviation licenses will also not be accepted before 2010, the administration said on its website.

LONDON, Aug 13, 2007 (AFP) - Environmental protestors at a camp near London's Heathrow airport criticised the police Monday for using heavy-handed tactics ahead of an expected protest on climate change.

Around 250 demonstrators have set up the Camp for Climate Action ahead of a week of protests set to attract more than 1,500 people when it formally kicks off Tuesday ahead of a day of action Sunday.

LONDON, Aug 13, 2007 (AFP) - Environmental protestors camping near Heathrow ahead of a major protest against the impact of London's main airport on climate change slammed the police Monday for using heavy-handed tactics against them.

Around 250 demonstrators have set up the Camp for Climate Action ahead of a week of protests and workshops which is expected to attract more than 1,500 people when it formally kicks off Tuesday.