Celebrity family feud

May this be the first and last time I ever cite People magazine on my blog, but this story is too juicy to pass.

Hairspray star Nikki Blonsky (right) and her father were arrested after fighting with the family of America's Next Top Model contestant Bianca Golden (left) in the departure lounge of the Providenciales International Airport in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Golden was also charged with assault.

Poor airport staff. This isn't Los Angeles International Airport, people.

And you thought flying in the Bermuda Triangle was dangerous!

Pittsburgh Strikes a Pose

Eye candy at Pittsburgh International Airport goes beyond airplanes this fall.

Artist Nancy Judd’s recycled trash fashions will be on display today through December 31.

Six pairs of shoes can be found in Concourse C, including lacy shoes made recycled office paper. Two outfits will be in Concourse D.

Junk mail and how to reduce it is the theme of the exhibit, Judd says.

She likes to display her educational works at airports because of the large, broad audience she reaches.

Recycle Runway creations also include a vintage bathing suit decorated with colourful 2 HDPE post-consumer plastic from detergent bottles (pictured) and a 1950s-style cocktail dress adorned with rusty nails.

While the bathing suit isn’t at Pittsburgh, you can catch it at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport starting in July 2009. Twenty looks will be on display in Concourse E for 12 months. Recycle Runway moves to Orlando International Airport in 2010.

(Photo from Nancy Judd)

Hungry?

JetBlue's forthcoming Terminal 5 at New York JFK Airport will offer eats including tapas, sushi and rustic Italian.

While I'm not sure what rustic Italian is versus plain Italian, reading about it makes my mouth water.

OTG Management will own and operate the restaurants: AeroNuova, Deep Blue, La Vie, Piquillo and Revolución.

Name change update

Earlier in the month, Birmingham Airport Authority voted to rename its airport for civil rights leader Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth.

Shuttlesworth is the founder of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.

Birmingham International Airport will now be known as Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.

The facility was known as Birmingham Municipal Airport when it opened in 1931.

Shuttlesworth is pictured with Dartmouth College professor Susannah Heschel.

(Photo from Susannah Heschel)

No more lounging around

US majors are shuttering lounges in domestic and international airports.

Read the bad news here.

Taxman has a field day

The National Business Travel Association adds up airport taxes.

Cleveland has the highest taxes and Honolulu has the lowest.

USA Today has a handy chart.

Detroit readies wrecking ball

Wayne County Airport Authority voted in favour yesterday of its Master Plan for Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airport, which includes the construction of a seventh runway.

If approved by the US FAA, the forthcoming runway will need around 1,000 acres outside the airport’s current boundary.

Understandably, some property owners aren't happy, but that hasn't stopped progress in the past.

The airport’s fifth parallel runway will run east of the airport and be used for arrivals.

The authority says in a statement it expects the new runway could be needed in the 2018-2027 timeframe.