Tag Archives: American Eagle

American Airlines reservations system down, flights grounded nationwide

American Airlines flights across the country are grounded because of computer problems.

American asked the Federal Aviation Administration to halt its flights until 5 p.m. EDT. Flights on regional affiliate American Eagle heading to Dallas, Chicago or New York’s LaGuardia Airport have been stopped until 3:30 p.m. EDT.

Some passengers are stuck on planes while others can’t make reservations.

Passengers are using social media to flood the airline with complaints.

American Airlines spokesman Kent Powell said Tuesday that the airline is trying to resolve the issues as quickly as it can.

On Twitter, American is sending out apologies but not offering customers much information about when the problem will be fixed.

From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/4s1C4lVHAKk/

Airlines' On-Time Performance Slips During Winter Months

By The Associated Press

Filed under: , , ,

Bruce Bennett, Getty Images

By SCOTT MAYEROWITZ

NEW YORK — Airlines are struggling this year to get planes to the gate on time.

The government said Thursday that 80.3 percent of flights by U.S. carriers arrived on time in January and February. That’s down from a record 84.9 percent during last year’s storm-free winter.

Mother Nature hasn’t been as cooperative. The percent of flights canceled this February doubled to 2.4 percent from 1.2 percent in the same month in 2012.

Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time rating in February at 91.8 percent. Delta Air Lines (DAL) was best among the nation’s five largest airlines, at 86.2 percent. JetBlue Airways (JBLU) was next to last, at 68.8 percent, as a huge snowstorm hit its hubs in Boston and New York.

As for airports, Phoenix had the best on-time departure and arrival rates in February while Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport had the lowest. A flight is still considered on time if it arrives within 15 minutes of its scheduled time.

The worst day to fly appeared to be Feb. 16 when 34 domestic flights at Charlotte, N.C., were severely delayed. Passengers were left aboard planes on the tarmac during a snowstorm for more than three hours. All of the flights were operated by US Airways or one of its regional carriers.

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US Airways (LCC) spokesman Todd Lehmacher said the airline is cooperating fully with the DOT in investigating the delays. It’s also conducting its own internal review. The weather that day was much worse than had been expected. Passengers were issued partial refunds as well as vouchers toward a future flight on US Airways.

The Department of Transportation imposed new restrictions on airlines in April 2010 limiting how long they could keep passengers waiting on the tarmac. Any airline that exceeded the three hour limit could be fined up to $27,500 per passenger — or about $4 million for a typical domestic jet, like the Airbus A320. However, the DOT has yet to levy a fine of that magnitude. There have only been seven fines to date, the largest being $900,000 for an American Eagle flight that was delayed on May 29, 2011.

Airlines also lost more suitcases in February compared to the prior year. Delays and lost luggage are often tied together. There were 3 bags reported mishandled for every 1,000 passengers that flew in February compared to 2.6 last year.

Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott

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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/11/airlines-on-time-performance-slips/

American Eagle pilot charged after failing alcohol test before flight

An American Eagle pilot was charged Tuesday with three gross misdemeanors after authorities said he failed a blood-alcohol test as he was preparing to fly a plane from Minneapolis to New York City in January.

Kolbjorn Jarle Kristiansen, 48, was arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Jan. 4 after airport police and a Transportation Security Administration officer said they smelled alcohol as they walked past a group of four pilots around 5:30 a.m. Authorities said a preliminary test revealed Kristiansen’s blood-alcohol content was 0.107, more than double the legal limit for pilots.

Kristiansen, of Raleigh, N.C., was charged in Minnesota’s Hennepin County District Court with three counts related to attempting to operate an aircraft under the influence of alcohol. Each count carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a fine of $3,000.

Kristiansen’s attorney, Peter Wold, said he hadn’t seen the charges but they were expected.

“He never operated the aircraft. He never touched the controls,” Wold said. “That’s just the fact.”

According to a criminal complaint, two officers approached Kristiansen and noted he had “glassy and watery eyes and was slow in responses to officer questions.” The complaint said Kristiansen admitted that he consumed alcohol the night before and was planning to fly.

After the preliminary test, a subsequent blood test revealed Kristiansen’s blood-alcohol level was 0.09. Pilots are prohibited from flying if they have a blood-alcohol level of 0.04 or higher, half the level allowed for motorists.

American Airlines uses American Eagle to operate shorter connecting flights. Back in January, American Eagle spokesman Matt Miller said Kristiansen had been suspended, and an internal investigation was being conducted.

“The pilot involved in this matter continues to be withheld from service,” Miller said in an email Tuesday. “American Eagle has a well-established substance abuse policy that is designed to put the safety of our customers and employees first.”

Miller declined to comment when asked about the status of the internal investigation.

A message left with the Air Lines Pilots Association, Kristiansen’s union, was not returned.

The flight, with 53 passengers, was delayed about 2 1/2 hours as the airline found a replacement pilot.

Jeanne Cooney, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota, said that based on the circumstances of the case and the different way federal and state statutes are written, it was appropriate that the case be handled by state court.

While federal law criminalizes the operation of an aircraft while under the influence of alcohol, state statutes make it a crime if a person also makes an “attempt” to operate an aircraft while under the influence.

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

American Eagle pilot charged in alcohol incident

An American Eagle pilot has been charged with three gross misdemeanors after authorities say he failed a blood-alcohol test as he prepared to fly out of the Minneapolis airport in January.

Forty-eight-year-old Kolbjorn Jarle Kristiansen (Kriss-tee-YAHN‘-sen) was arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Jan. 4 after airport police said they smelled alcohol on his breath before a flight to New York City.

Authorities say a preliminary test revealed a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.107. The limit for commercial pilots is 0.04.

Kristiansen, who lives in Raleigh, N.C., was charged Tuesday with three counts related to attempting to operate an aircraft under the influence of alcohol.

Kristiansen’s attorney, Peter Wold, says his client never operated the aircraft or touched the controls.

Wold says Kristiansen remains suspended from American Eagle.

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

KKR to Invest in Colonie Center

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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KKR to Invest in Colonie Center

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR today announced that affiliates and clients of KKR, including KKR Financial Holdings LLC (“KFN”) (NYS: KFN) , in partnership with Colonie Pacific, acquired Colonie Center (“Colonie” or “the Center”). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Colonie is a 1.3 million square foot super-regional mall with over 113 stores that sit on 91 acres in Albany, New York. The Center, located directly off of I-87 at the intersection of Wolf Road and Central Avenue where an average of 117,000 vehicles pass daily, benefits from being in a high-traffic area and within two miles of the University at Albany. The property generates an estimated $245 million in retail sales, including anchors with specialty retail stores producing an estimated $400 per square foot.

Anchored by Macy’s, Boscov’s and Sears, the mall features a strong line-up of national retailers, including Aeropostale, American Eagle, Christmas Tree Shops, Express, Sephora and Victoria’s Secret. Colonie also has a 13-screen Regal Cinemas and a Whole Foods that is anticipated to open in 2014.

In 2007, Colonie Center underwent a significant renovation that incorporated a “lifestyle” retail component and an improved streetscape and attracted national destination tenants such as L.L. Bean, P.F. Chang’s and Cheesecake Factory.

KKR and Colonie Pacific, a partnership between Pacific Retail Capital Partners, Collarmele Partners and Peter Fair (Continuum Partners), plan to make additional capital investments and will also focus on attracting new tenants to the market.

Ralph Rosenberg, a Member of KKR and Head of the firm’s Real Estate group, stated: “Colonie is an institutional-quality asset with tailwinds from a significant recent renovation. With additional investment and a revamped leasing strategy, Colonie will be an even more attractive home for current and prospective retailers in Albany. The transition in ownership will be seamless for shoppers, and our goal is to make the shopping experience even better than it is today.”

Colonie is KKR‘s third retail real estate investment since 2011 and ninth overall. KKR‘s real estate investment team seeks to partner with real estate owners, lenders, operators and developers to provide flexible capital to respond to transaction-specific needs, including the outright purchase or financing of existing assets or companies and the funding of future development or acquisition opportunities.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal Counsel to KKR.

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Google Tests Same-Day Delivery Service in San Francisco

By Chris Neiger, The Motley Fool

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Google is launching a new (very limited) same-day delivery service for retail items, called Google Shopping Express, the company announced on its Google Commerce blog this morning. The trial service is open to a limited amount of people in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Those who sign up will receive unlimited, same-day delivery for free for six months from stores like Target, Walgreen, Staples, American Eagle, Toys “R” Us, Babies “R” Us, and other local retailers. The company said on its blog that the program is in its “incredibly early days and so the service is only available to a small number of people in the Bay Area.” Pricing for the service hasn’t been set.

Google said it’s using this pilot program to test out how the service works, and will expand its testing “as we work out the kinks.” The company said that it hopes to make it possible for consumers to get items they order online the same day and at a low cost.

link

The article Google Tests Same-Day Delivery Service in San Francisco originally appeared on Fool.com.


Chris Neiger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Google and Staples. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Jourdan Dunn's Model Mom, Justin Timberlake's Formal Touch, American Eagle's Spray-On Spoof

By Robert Khederian

  • Jourdan Dunn grew up wanting to model herself after her mother: “She always seemed to make things work without ever complaining. She whips me into shape,” she added in the latest issue of The Edit. [NET-A-PORTER.COM]
  • Carlyne Cerf De Dudzeele has added her voice to the ongoing debate about Fashion Week street style: “It’s ridiculous . . . I love the real street, and this is not what I call the real street. They all dress to be photographed and I don’t think this is real.” [Fashionista]
  • In regards to Justin Timberlake‘s constantly evolving style, GQ‘s Jim Moore says: “None of it works unless the person looks the part and is willing.” [The New York Times]
  • Peter Som definitely knows how to capture an audience – he’s already amassed a Pinterest 3.3 million people. “We’re a small company and we don’t advertise in the conventional way,” he explained. “Pinterest is a great way to get my point of view out there.” [The Business of Fashion]
  • Andrea Casiraghi and fiancée Tatiana Santo Domingo welcomed a baby boy yesterday. [Vogue Italia]
  • After signing with both Toronto and Istanbul Fashion Weeks, IMG has announced a new partnership with leading wholesale marketplace Joor. [Daily Front Row]
  • Anna Wintour’s chef, Hank Tomashevski, catered a recent event celebrating Irene Neuwirth‘s CFDA nomination at the home of Barneys New York CEO Mark Lee. [Page Six]
  • In honor of Easter, Stella McCartney‘s childrenswear website has launched a game which allows its users to playfully decorate animated eggs. [The Cut]
  • Anja Rubik debuted her Giuseppe Zanotti collection with the help of some rocking tunes. [Harper’s Bazaar]
  • The skateboarder isn’t really wearing jeans in American Eagle‘s spray-on spoof. [Lucky]

Source: Courtesy of NET-A-PORTER.COM

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at fashionologie

American Eagle Reports Solid, Underwhelming Quarter

By Andrew Marder, The Motley Fool

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After pulling up sharply over the last week, American Eagle got knocked down 10% today after it reported earnings per share in line with the market‘s expectations. As I mentioned in my preview of the company’s earnings, investors seemed to have overbuilt the success that the brand would have beyond the semi-official analyst estimations. That has lots of implications, but the most important is this: The announcement wasn’t indicative of a failure, just of overhype.

The apparel retailer is in the early middle stages of a brand turnaround, with 2012 being a rousing success. Earnings and comparable sales are increasing, and management has laid down a clear path to growth that’s not overly risky. In short, it wants to focus on the core brand in the U.S., cut back underperforming locations, open new domestic locations, and only then think about international expansion. American Eagle still looks like a good play, and the pullback today puts its price back in line with realistic expectations for the coming year.

The fourth quarter at American Eagle
American Eagle nailed its earnings expectation, which was in line with the market‘s expectation. Earnings per share rose 41% to $0.55 for the quarter and $1.39 for the year. The first reason that American Eagle failed to hit the high bar set by investors this week came down to comparable sales. While it grew comps by 4% in the quarter, it saw a slowdown from its reporting in January. At that time, sales were up 5%, with the company coming off a good holiday season. On the conference call this morning, CEO Robert Hanson said that mall traffic had been lighter than anticipated, which affected comparable sales. 

The second big reason the stock dropped was the company’s less-than-stellar first-quarter outlook. It now expects comparable sales to fall in the first quarter. The company cited macroeconomic problems and bad weather as some of the biggest issues pushing it down. That shortfall in sales is then forecast to turn into a drop in earnings per share between 14% to 27%. Ouch.

So what is there to be excited about?
It’s still not a bad time to look at American Eagle because I think management is being overly cautious. Investors have heard a lot about the economic headwinds, but most strong brands have been able to overcome those issues to keep selling. I never tire of the comparison between American Eagle and Gap . Gap has also undergone a brand turnaround, and the company is pushing its comparable sales up despite the economy.

In its earnings statement last week, Gap said that comps rose 5% in the previous quarter and that it expects to see modest growth this year as well. I think that American Eagle has put enough into the brand over the last year that it should see similar results. While comps dropped off over the past few months, I think they’ll continue to be positive through …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Why American Eagle Shares Plunged

By Brian D. Pacampara, Pacampara, The Motley Fool

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Although we don’t believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes — just in case they’re material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of teen-oriented apparel retailer American Eagle Outfitters sank 11% today after its first-quarter outlook disappointed Wall Street.

So what: The company’s fourth-quarter profit spiked 85% on a solid revenue increase of 8.6%, but downbeat guidance for the current quarter is triggering concerns over slowing growth going forward. Management blamed the weak outlook on the sluggish economy and bad weather, but investors are likely more concerned that the American Eagle brand might be losing some of its appeal.

Now what: Management now sees first-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.16-$0.19, vs. Wall Street‘s view of $0.25. “We remain focused on our strategic plan aimed at fortifying our brands and processes and growing our business across North America,” said CEO Robert Hanson. “Concurrently, we are laying the ground work for transformational global expansion, while continuing to drive strong returns to our shareholders.” With the stock now well off its 52-week highs and trading at a forward P/E of 12, buying into that bullishness might not be a bad idea.

Interested in more info American Eagle? Add it to your watchlist.

The article Why American Eagle Shares Plunged originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Brian Pacampara has no position in any stocks mentioned, and neither does The Motley Fool. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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American Eagle's Plan for Success

By Andrew Marder, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

This Wednesday before the opening bell, American Eagle will report fourth-quarter earnings, and Wall Street is looking for very good things. The stock was up more than 4% yesterday on rumors and whispers — you know, the things that make Wall Street tick. The company updated its guidance in January and is forecasting earnings per share of $0.54 to $0.56 based on mid-single-digit comparable-sales growth. Through early January, comparable sales had increased 5%, when online sales were included — 1% without including online.

Analysts expectations are ostensibly in line with the company’s, with the Street predicting $0.55 per share. Yesterday’s run-up tells a slightly different story, though. That’s likely fired by a suspicion that American Eagle is going to continue matching the turnaround that Gap has undertaken over the past year. Like Gap, American Eagle has redoubled its focus on its core brand, and started to see some success. But will the early turnaround go to its head, or is there more in store for investors?

Location, location, brand
Over the last few years, retailers have been focusing on international expansion to help increase sales and income. That expansion has largely been focused on Asia — specifically on China. The drive was the growth of the Chinese middle class. American Eagle dodged that potentially dangerous bullet and built its first international store in Dubai. Since the company waited so long to move outside of North America, it still has a relatively low international store count. Of its 1,255 stores, only 69 are international, and those are licensed locations.

In early 2012, the company realized that something had to change in the U.S. before it could make a big move internationally. That realization led to American Eagle focusing on its core brand and playing to its strengths. At that point, it was operating underperforming stores and spending more cash that it should have been. To rectify that, the company went on a pruning spree, closing underperforming stores and sinking resources into its online presence to drive cheaper direct sales. Later, the whole turnaround was codified and now American Eagle has a real plan in place.

Through fiscal 2015, the focus is going to be on making the strengths that the company already has even stronger — brand, U.S. stores, and online. Starting in fiscal 2014, international growth and omnichannel will begin to play a larger role. Even though those are exciting areas, the real story has been with the company’s core turnaround, and the value that it’s bringing to investors.

The Gap model
American Eagle is walking right alongside Gap in its turnaround. Over the last year, both companies have seen an increase in comparable sales and earnings. That’s helped investors’ sentiment, and share at both companies are up close to 50% over the last 12 months. The key to that success has been an unwavering focus on the clothing that made the brands what they are. Gap has …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

American Eagle Outfitters: An Early Earnings Look

By Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Earnings season is winding down, with most companies already having reported their quarterly results. But there are still some companies left to report, and American Eagle Outfitters is about to release its quarterly earnings report. The key to making smart investment decisions with stocks releasing their quarter reports is to anticipate how they’ll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you’ll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

As a retailer oriented toward fickle teens, American Eagle Outfitters constantly has to navigate the changing trends of the fashion world. In 2012, the company did a good job capturing profits and impressing shareholders, but can American Eagle keep up its successful ways this year? Let’s take an early look at what’s been happening with American Eagle Outfitters over the past quarter and what we’re likely to see in its quarterly report on Wednesday.

Stats on American Eagle Outfitters

Analyst EPS Estimate

$0.56

Change From Year-Ago EPS

60%

Revenue Estimate

$1.12 billion

Change From Year-Ago Revenue

7.3%

Earnings Beats in Past 4 Quarters

2

Source: Yahoo! Finance.

Will American Eagle Outfitters look pretty this quarter?
Analysts haven’t changed their views on American Eagle at all recently, holding their estimates for the just-ended quarter and for fiscal 2014 earnings steady. After a big run early in 2012, the stock hasn’t moved much either, falling just 1% since early December.

American Eagle has done a good job of keeping itself healthy from a financial standpoint, with strong operating margins. In this dog-eat-dog corner of the retail world, what benefits one company usually comes at the expense of another, and rival Aeropostale has been on the short end of the stick in teen retail lately, as analysts have argued that shoppers with limited money to spend used it at American Eagle and Abercrombie & Fitch instead.

But American Eagle‘s same-store sales have slowed down substantially in recent months, with figures of 5% for the quarter through the beginning of January representing a haircut of more than half from the year-ago quarter and 5 percentage points sequentially. That has gotten the company to work on remodeling stores with good sales and closing ones that have bad sales, as well as working on streamlining inventory delivery on products that look particularly promising.

To grow, American Eagle is looking for ways to expand its coverage to grab new market segments. For instance, the retailer has ramped up its Aerie women’s intimates line, and although Limited Brands Victoria’s Secret has a commanding lead in the space, there’s plenty of room for American Eagle to claim at least some market share in the lucrative niche. Moreover, American Eagle is boosting its international presence, having opened stores in Mexico and …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Republic Airways buys jets from Brazil's Embraer

Brazilian planemaker Embraer says it has signed a contract with Republic Airways Holdings Inc. for the sale of 47 E-175 passenger jets for an estimated US$2 billion.

Embraer says in a Thursday statement that the agreement includes options for an additional 47 aircraft, which would bring the total value of the deal to approximately US$4 billion.

The statement says deliveries of the 76-seat aircraft are expected to begin in mid-2013.

It says the new aircraft will be operated by the Indianapolis, Indiana-based company under the American Eagle brand in American Airlines‘ regional network and that the deal is subject to court approval expected in the first quarter of 2013.

Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA, is one of the world’s largest plane makers.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

3 suffer head injuries during turbulent American Eagle flight

The Chicago Fire Department says three passengers have suffered head injuries as a result of turbulence on an American Eagle flight from New Orleans to Chicago.

On its official media Twitter feed, the Fire Department says it responded to a call after Flight 3720 landed at O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday. The department says it took one of the hurt passengers to a hospital; the two others did not want to go.

According to the flight tracking website FlightAware.com, the flight left New Orleans at 7:40 a.m. and landed at O’Hare at about 9:30 a.m. The website says the aircraft is a Bombardier CRJ-700, a regional jet.

American Airlines spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan referred inquiries to the Chicago Fire Department.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

American cuts New York-Dominican Republic flights

A spokeswoman for American Airlines says the company is canceling service from New York City to two cities in the Dominican Republic, including the capital.

Martha Pantin says the last scheduled American flights from JFK to Santo Domingo and Santiago will be April 1. The decision follows a review of the airline’s global route network.

Pantin said Tuesday that American will still fly to the Dominican Republic from its Miami hub, including four times per day to the capital.

The airline has been shifting more Caribbean flights in recent years to Miami. Also in April, the company will halt inter-island flights from San Juan, Puerto Rico that were served by American Eagle. The company will also serve most of the islands from Miami.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

American Eagle pilot arrested at Minnesota airport

An airport spokesman says an American Eagle pilot preparing for takeoff has been arrested after failing a blood-alcohol test at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Spokesman Patrick Hogan says witnesses alerted airport police that the pilot smelled like alcohol before he boarded the plane. Hogan says the pilot was conducting preflight checks about 6:30 a.m. Friday when officers boarded, conducted a Breathalyzer test and arrested him on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol.

Passengers had not yet boarded the flight to La Guardia, New York City.

American Eagle is owned by American Airlines.

American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller says the pilot has been suspended pending an investigation. Miller says the airline is cooperating with authorities.

Hogan says the pilot was taken to a hospital for a blood test.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

American Eagle pilot arrested at Minn. airport

An airport spokesman says an American Eagle pilot preparing for takeoff has been arrested after failing a blood-alcohol test at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Spokesman Patrick Hogan says witnesses alerted airport police that the pilot smelled like alcohol before he boarded the plane. Hogan says the pilot was conducting preflight checks about 6:30 a.m. Friday when officers boarded, conducted a Breathalyzer test and arrested him on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol.

Passengers had not yet boarded the flight to La Guardia, New York City.

American Eagle is owned by American Airlines.

American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller says the pilot has been suspended pending an investigation. Miller says the airline is cooperating with authorities.

Hogan says the pilot was taken to a hospital for a blood test.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News