How much for that dead hedgehog on the runway?
For the French government, a hedgehog cost it the equivalent of about $4 million. It all started in 1998, when the carcass of a hedgehog was lying at the end of a runway at Marseille. That attracted about 20 hungry seagulls. An Air France Airbus A320 roared past and the plane’s right engine sucked in some of the birds, forcing an emergency stop and damaging the engine, The Associated Press reports. A court has held the government was responsible for keeping runways clear and that its staff should have noticed “such a large group of birds” in the path of the jet. The court ordered the government to pay $4.2 million to Air France and the five insurance companies that paid out claims following the accident. Posted at 10 a.m. ET Continental revamps upgrade process: Beginning March 16, the priority order for obtaining Elite-status upgrades at the airport on the day of departure will be revised. The new priority order begins with full economy (Y) fares, with upgrades based on Elite status an
