Brian Pascus

It was a busy year for the aviation industry, with nearly four billion people from around the world <a id="fcc25511-b31d-3bc2-a25f-da63976f503d" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/564717/airline-industry-passenger-traffic-globally/"> estimated </a> to have used airplanes to travel. The <a id="f74abcec-23ce-30ae-a0d1-d6473a2b1d13" href="https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/by_the_numbers/"> Federal Aviation Administration estimates </a> that 43,000 flights are operated into and out of the United States each day.

While the vast majority of worldwide flights departed and landed without incident, there were several times when shocking stories made headlines for the airline industry.

Perhaps no aviation incident gathered more headlines in 2018 than the engine explosion onboard Southwest Airlines Flight 1380, which led to the death of Jennifer Riordan, a mother of two from New Mexico.

Read more: <a id="19ca9715-447f-3e0a-ac23-e6c15471454a" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-airports-in-america-according-to-the-points-guy-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> These are the 15 best airports in America </a>

But other airline stories made headlines this year for other, less tragic reasons. They include the Delta Air Lines passenger who stepped in the <a id="30863ada-7431-35cc-acd0-14e9f7a7e2f9" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-passenger-find-dog-feces-plane-seat-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> leftover feces </a> of an emotional support dog, the United Airlines flight attendant who was said to be <a id="d5ccbe34-e7b7-3833-a3e2-9a566839c9e2" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-flight-attendant-drunk-report-2018-5?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> "drunk and disorderly" </a> while onboard the plane, the monkey <a id="f2125bb8-dc73-3064-a052-7456b6bb7d4a" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monkey-escapes-american-airlines-flight-in-san-antonio-2018-5?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> who escaped </a> an American Airlines flight at San Antonio International Airport, the man who hopped the fence at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and <a id="16740fa0-f9a0-3484-a486-f6396f2b7209" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/man-jumps-on-wing-of-delta-plane-at-atlanta-airport-2018-6?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> ran onto the tarmac </a> in his underwear, and, of course, the <a id="123436b2-dc99-3e1b-ade6-0b3f3710d8bf" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/frontier-passenger-removed-from-plane-for-emotional-support-squirrel-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> emotional-support squirrel. </a>

Here were some of the most shocking airline stories of 2018:

<a id="4cdd1cb6-0179-311a-a369-252d35ab1706" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-shocking-airline-stories-of-year-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest#/#a-bomb-cyclone-snowstorm-shut-down-john-f-kennedy-international-airport-january-1"> See the rest of the story at Business Insider </a>

<ul><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chevy-bolt-review-best-features-and-charging-challenges-2018-8?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">I drove a $44,000 Chevy Bolt for a weekend and saw just how far electric cars have come — but I also discovered a huge problem</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-executive-departures-list-2018-9?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Tesla's top lawyer has left the company — here are all the key names who have departed this year</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cars-lowest-depreciation-retain-most-value-five-years-after-purchase-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">10 cars and trucks that retain the most value 5 years after purchase</a> </li></ul>

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A bomb cyclone snowstorm shut down John F. Kennedy International Airport (January)

The 17 most shocking airline stories of 2018

Purchasing a car is one of the biggest financial investments a person can make. Aside from the joy of driving a specific vehicle and its unique connection forged with each owner, one of the more important aspects of owning the vehicle is the value it retains.

iSeeCars.com, the automotive search engine, <a id="781ff8d7-398d-33d2-a47b-0b26e8385028" href="https://www.iseecars.com/cars-low-high-depreciation-2018-study"> analyzed </a> more than 4.3 million new and used car sales to find which models carry the highest and lowest depreciation five years after being purchased.

Read More: <a id="c55be645-57b4-303f-a985-523173595e0e" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-cars-resold-after-one-year-of-ownership-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest#6-bmw-x3-1st-year-resale-rate-39-6"> The 11 new cars people most regularly ditch after just one year of ownership </a>

The data that came back pointed to one conclusion: Pickup trucks are the best buys if you're looking for your car to hold onto its value—six of the top 10 cars were of that model.

“Pickup trucks depreciate the least of any vehicle segment at 41.3 percent, while cars depreciate at 54.1 percent and SUVs at 51.9 percent,” said Phong Ly, CEO of iSeeCars, <a id="9daecebf-3876-349b-ad2d-cac81e125b87" href="https://www.iseecars.com/cars-low-high-depreciation-2018-study"> in a public statement. </a> “The lower depreciation for pickup trucks is likely because it is a growing vehicle segment and their popularity is keeping values high.”

The iSeeCars.com average 5-year depreciation for all vehicles was 50.2%.

One reason for the low depreciation of pickup trucks is their durability.

Speaking of the Toyota 4Runner, Ly said, "The Toyota 4Runner is a body-on-frame SUV, which means it’s built like a truck and has truck-like durability," adding that, "Its ruggedness and reputation for being a reliable vehicle help contribute to its value retention."

Let's take a look below at the 10 cars and trucks with the lowest depreciation.

<a id="48c4f63a-22c1-3e7f-ad93-eb8838bae095" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cars-lowest-depreciation-retain-most-value-five-years-after-purchase-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest#/#10-ram-pickup-1500-average-5-year-depreciation-427-1"> See the rest of the story at Business Insider </a>

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10. Ram Pickup 1500 - Average 5-year Depreciation: 42.7%

These are the cars that retain the most value five years after being purchased

An American Airlines traveler in a wheelchair was left stranded for hours at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport after her flight was canceled and the porter assigned to assist her left her alone once his shift ended, multiple news sources have reported.

According to <a id="51c29761-2775-399e-ae95-59d92e804559" href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/12/01/woman-left-in-wheelchair-overnight-after-flight-at-ohare-canceled/"> CBS Chicago </a> , 67-year-old Olympia Warsaw was left behind at O'Hare after her flight to Detroit was canceled and the porter assigned to watch her left at the end of his shift.Warsaw, who lives in Detroit, was in Chicago to attend the funeral of her ex-husband.

The local CBS affiliate reported that Warsaw has Parkinson's Disease and diabetes, which means that she has difficulties communicating and must use a wheelchair.

Read more: <a id="7527f6e5-9157-3f44-a4d2-a0606c1a9093" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-peanut-policy-early-boarding-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> American Airlines will soon allow passengers with peanut allergies to board flights early </a>

Warsaw's son, Claude Coltea, told CBS he walked her to the gate and confirmed with the agent that the flight was on time and that the airline would take care of his mother.

"She said, 'Yup, all's fine. We'll take good care of your mom,'" he <a id="9bbbfbbc-618c-3034-a8d8-c99178913d88" href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/12/01/woman-left-in-wheelchair-overnight-after-flight-at-ohare-canceled/"> said. </a>

Once the flight was canceled, the airline reportedly offered Warsaw a hotel room voucher, but because Warsaw has trouble communicating, she couldn't call anyone for transportation. Once the porter left her at the end of his shift, Warsaw had to ask a random passenger to help her use the bathroom, her son Julian Coltea told CBS Chicago.

It was only after Warsaw did not arrive in Detroit that her family reportedly called the airport and the airline to track her down. She was eventually located hours later by O'Hare airport security in the wheelchair and the same clothes she had worn to the funeral.

In a statement to Business Insider, a spokesperson for American Airlines said, "The American Airlines team is deeply concerned about what occurred Friday evening at Chicago O'Hare. This is not the level of service we aspire to provide to our customers, and we apologize to Ms. Warsaw and her family for letting them down."

The spokesperson added that the airline had launched an investigation with its Chicago team and the vendor it utilizes for wheelchair serves at O'Hare, and that it is "developing a process with our vendor to ensure this does not happen again."

The airline told Business Insider it has refunded Warsaw's ticket, adding: "Our customer relations team has spoken with the family multiple times, and other team members met with the family in Chicago and Detroit on Saturday."

The <a id="d9df7b14-55de-367b-a505-3c3929fb8108" href="https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-service/contact-american/special-assistance.jsp"> special assistance page </a> on American Airlines' website states that coordinators are available for travelers upon request and that American Airlines also has a disability team that travelers can call.

NOW WATCH: <a id="af86523a-d567-3dd0-ac1a-daa4ed33ff97" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-shouldnt-be-afraid-to-fly-2016-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Why you shouldn't be afraid to fly, according to a pilot with over 20 years of experience </a>

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SEE ALSO: An American Airlines flight attendant is suing the airline for $1 million, accusing another crew member of assaulting her with a scarf and dragging her down the aisle

An American Airlines passenger in a wheelchair was reportedly stranded for hours at the airport in Chicago after her flight was canceled (AAL)

Mexico's newly inaugurated President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is to set to make some sweeping changes. His first order of business is to sell the presidential jet used by his predecessor.

According to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-03/mexico-s-amlo-sends-president-s-plane-to-boeing-before-a-sale" id="99372846-6186-30a6-a4ea-3059ff729c28"> Bloomberg, </a> Lopez Obrador's decision to sell the plane, which he deemed to be "too lavish," is the fulfillment of a campaign promise.

The plane in question is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner acquired by the Mexican government in March 2016 and was used by former President Pena Nieto.

<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-politics-airplane/mexicos-new-government-prepares-sale-of-former-presidents-plane-idUSKBN1O203K" id="fc3fc4a9-3670-3954-a38d-48d0e8886841"> Reuters </a> reports that Lopez Obrador told a rally in Xalapa, Veracruz, on Saturday near the end of his first full day as president, "We are selling all the planes and helicopters that the corrupt politicians used," as the crowd roared its approval.

Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-mexico-overturns-law-meant-to-regulate-troops-in-drug-war-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="b730eb12-f609-3ac2-ab2d-4c3093260d66"> Mexico's supreme court overturned a law meant to regulate the use of troops to fight the drug war. </a>

The $218 million-presidential jet that will be sold off along with 60 government planes and 70 helicopters, Reuters reported.

According to <a href="https://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b787-40695.htm" id="e77583a4-1df4-3855-a4de-685124c2284a"> AirFleets.net, </a> the Mexican jet was the sixth Boeing Dreamliner ever produced and made its first flight on October 4, 2010. The aircraft was part of an early batch of Boeing 787s that rolled off the line while the company worked through production issues.

The plane sat for half a decade before the Mexican Air Force decided to convert the airliner for use as a Presidential transport.

Mexican Finance Minister Carlos Urzua allowed journalists and photographers to tour the interior of the plane on Saturday.

Here's a closer look at the Mexican President's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner private jet.

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mexico-president-private-jet-boeing-tour-for-sale-too-lavish-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest#/#the-boeing-787-8-dreamliner-is-the-first-in-a-new-generation-of-ultra-fuel-efficient-wideboy-airliners-1" id="b2f84269-7241-37bc-ad0d-457f6b8f90ec"> See the rest of the story at Business Insider </a>

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SEE ALSO: Mexico's new president took aim at violence during his first day in office, but his plan already has people worried

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is the first in a new generation of ultra-fuel-efficient wideboy airliners.

Take a look inside the $218 million Boeing Dreamliner private jet the new President of Mexico is selling because it's 'too lavish'

A Southwest Airlines boarding agent mocked the name of a five-year-old girl with epilepsy, multiple sources have reported.

According to <a id="e02c56ba-0e34-3ecd-a06f-3bb1e15cb60e" href="https://www.newsweek.com/southwest-airline-apologizes-employee-who-mocked-name-5-year-old-girl-called-1235901"> Newsweek, </a> a Southwest Airlines staff member at John Wayne airport in Orange County, California singled out five-year-old Abcde (pronounced ab-city) Redford during the pre-flight boarding process.

Newsweek <a id="35f1edd8-cba2-3ca9-a8ea-e0ca7c3d5dbc" href="https://www.newsweek.com/southwest-airline-apologizes-employee-who-mocked-name-5-year-old-girl-called-1235901"> reports </a> the girl's mother, Traci Redford, said the agent "mocked" her daughter's unusual name as he checked her boarding pass, pointing and laughing and talking about her name to other employees.

"The gate agent started laughing, pointing at me and my daughter, talking to other employees. So I turned around and said, 'Hey if I can hear you, my daughter can hear you, so I'd appreciate if you'd just stop,'" Traci Redford said, according to <a id="188b8be4-49dc-3303-a384-4d76c1d09bd5" href="https://abc7.com/travel/oc-southwest-gate-agent-mocks-5-year-old-girls-name/4784236/"> ABC 7. </a>

ABC 7 <a id="6783e97b-4db2-367b-a0d2-d5f3055c2838" href="https://abc7.com/travel/oc-southwest-gate-agent-mocks-5-year-old-girls-name/4784236/"> reports </a> Abcde has epilepsy, so the Redfords always board early. During the boarding the gate agent took a picture of Abcde's boarding pass and later posted it on social media, presumably to draw attention to her name.

Read More: <a id="df25ff5e-0077-3a86-abad-9737016504c6" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southwest-airlines-baggage-handler-caught-camera-throwing-luggage-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> A Southwest Airlines baggage handler was caught on camera recklessly throwing luggage around </a>

"While I was sitting there, she took a picture of my boarding pass and chose to post it on social media, mocking my daughter. It was actually brought to my attention by somebody who had seen it on Facebook and reported it to Southwest Airlines. And after two weeks of doing a formal complaint, Southwest hadn't done anything," said Redford, according to ABC 7.

In a statement to Business Insider, Southwest Airlines apologized to the family and said, "We take great pride in extending our Southwest Hospitality to all of our Customers, which includes living by the Golden Rule and treating every individual with respect, in person or online."

"The post is not indicative of the care, respect, and civility we expect from all of our Employees. We have followed up with the Employee involved, and while we do not disclose personnel actions publicly, we are using this as an opportunity to reinforce our policies and emphasize our expectations for all Employees."

Traci Redford's experience was posted on social media by ABC 7 reporter <a id="fa329329-16c0-3003-a22b-0eacca5d2d4a" href="https://twitter.com/ABC7Veronica"> Veronica Miracle: </a>

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SEE ALSO: Southwest Airlines employees discover a noose at a Houston airport — and this isn't the first time it's happened, one lawsuit claims

Southwest Airlines apologizes after an agent mocked the name of a 5-year-old girl with epilepsy (LUV)

Traveling isn't for everybody, but there are those who absolutely love going through different airports and experiencing all the unique offerings of various terminals.

The travel website, <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/" id="dd3a3bc2-5804-34b0-a338-d34d8eda4d92"> The Points Guy, </a> recently <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/guide/best-and-worst-airports-2018/" id="70443ab4-fdb4-38f0-ad30-000c749f4ec3"> released a ranking </a> of the 15 best airports in America. Using datacollected from the Department of Transportation, the airports themselves, and third parties, The Points Guys ranked America's 15 best and 15 worst airports and aspects like timeliness of arrivals and departures, number of lounges, restaurantsand shopping options, and transportation costs.

By looking at amenities, accessibility, and timeliness,The Points Guy was able to compile a report that ranked airports based on aspects that are most important to travelers.

Read More: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-worst-airports-america-stranded-holiday-orbitz-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="67a6cb30-d629-3c3c-a8ba-339aecbba0be"> These are the best and worst airports in America to get stranded at over the holiday season </a>

Anyone who has passed through Washington Dulles International Airport knows it is a gigantic airport with multiple restaurants, bars, and shops—it is ranked first in The Points Guy's "amenities" category and also was the "Most Improved" airport from <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/guide/best-and-worst-airports-2016/" id="006666db-3088-35ec-a00e-651a552d5994"> the 2016 rankings. </a>

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was voted the nation's best airport by the editors for the second time in a row.

The Points Guy editors <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/guide/best-and-worst-airports-2018/" id="4df5f167-2a84-344b-aba1-ff4536baf7a9"> write </a> that Sky Harbor, "didn’t come in first in any one category but made strong showings in nearly all of them, including being easily reached by car or bus, having cheap parking, negligible wait times at security compared to other airports and respectably low delay and cancellation rates(though it could use more lounges for its size)."

Take a look below for photos of the 15 best airports in America.

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-airports-in-america-according-to-the-points-guy-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest#/#15-chicago-midway-international-airport-1" id="f6fc2f03-0ae1-3451-a7a2-84cd2aa3a376"> See the rest of the story at Business Insider </a>

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SEE ALSO: These are the best and worst airports in America to get stranded at over the holiday season

These are the 15 best airports in America

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