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And other news that you may have missed.
This week in travel, we have several stories that may have flown under your radar. Among them: Tourists to the United States might be required to share their social media history; a JetBlue plane avoided a midair collision with an Air Force plane; and the transport safety authority in Australia released a heart-stopping video of a skydiver’s parachute getting stuck on an airplane wing.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
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U.S. Wants Tourists to Share Five-Year Social Media History
The Trump administration is seeking increased vigilance for visitors to the United States. In a recent notice, the Department of Homeland Security stated it is looking to require social media history from travelers from 42 nations that do not need a visa to visit the United States. These travelers instead complete an online application to obtain ESTA.
Visa-exempt tourists from European countries, as well as Australia, Japan, and Israel, would be asked to provide five years of social media activity. Additionally, they may have to disclose any email addresses used in the past decade and the phone numbers and addresses of immediate family members. Officials also plan to use metadata from submitted images, including location, date, time, and other details.
The notice is under review and open for public comment, but the administration has already begun vetting visa applicants in a similar manner for foreign students and highly skilled workers on H-1B visas.
There is no clear guideline for what may be considered a threat to safety. Immigration officers have also been inspecting devices of visitors at borders, and one traveler was denied entry for having a meme of Vice President JD Vance on his phone.
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Shooters Kills 15 at Popular Australian Beach
On Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach, two shooters killed at least 15 people and injured 27 others in a terrorist attack during a celebration of the first night of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. A Slovakian citizen and a French national were killed in the anti-Semitic attack by the father-son duo. A refugee disarmed the son, getting shot in the process; the father was killed at the scene.
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Flight Returns to Washington After Engine Failure
On Saturday, a United Airlines flight from Washington Dulles to Tokyo was forced to return when one of the engines failed during takeoff. The flight was carrying 275 passengers and 15 crew members when the engine lost power during departure, igniting a brush fire around the runway. Emergency responders acted quickly and extinguished the fire, while air traffic controllers coordinated the United flight’s return. The jet dumped fuel over Dale City, Virginia, in order to land safely. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
The plane landed safely, and United rebooked the passengers and arranged another aircraft to bring them to their destination.
Related: What Happens to Toilet Waste on Airplanes?
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Skydiver’s Parachute Gets Entangled in Plane Wing
In a video released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), a skydiver’s parachute is seen getting caught on the airplane wing. The incident occurred over Mission Beach, near Cairns, in September and triggered an investigation. The skydive was part of a multi-day event featuring experienced parachutists. There were 17 divers on board, and as the first one jumped, his emergency parachute deployed accidentally and became snagged in the airplane wing. The parachutist, who was hanging from the plane, used a knife to cut himself free and deployed his parachute. While this was happening, another parachutist fell from the plane.
In the end, all parachutists landed safely, and the pilot descended the plane slowly. The investigation found that everyone acted calmly, resulting in a positive outcome.
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JetBlue Pilot Avoids Midair Collision
Last Friday, a JetBlue flight from Curaçao to New York narrowly avoided a midair collision with a U.S. military jet that had its transponder off and was not sharing its location. The pilot is recorded telling air traffic control that a military aircraft was within five miles directly in front of them. Flight tracking data showed that the JetBlue plane stopped its climb to cruising altitude to avoid a collision with the Air Force refueling tanker.
In the recording, the pilot says, “We almost had a midair collision up here. They don’t have their transponder turned on; it’s outrageous.”
Curaçao is a Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela, and the U.S. military has increased its activity in the region. A day later, air traffic control also alerted other pilots to watch for planes flying without reporting their positions.
The U.S. Southern Command told ABC News in a statement that it is aware of the incident and is reviewing it. “Military aircrews are highly trained professionals who operate in accordance with established procedures and applicable airspace requirements. Safety remains a top priority, and we are working through the appropriate channels to assess the facts surrounding the situation,” it added.