If Eder Rojas spent as much time in federal court as he does updating his MySpace page, we'd probably be able to clear up whether he's "iNoCeNt" or guilty of setting fire to a Compass Airlines plane on the way to Regina, Saskatchewan on May 7.

The fugitive former flight attendant was supposed to appear in US District Court in Fargo earlier this month but instead disappeared from his halfway house.

Maybe he's "ExciTeD!!!" because cops haven't tracked him down yet?

Update: Here's the bench warrant issued for Rojas' arrest. And here it is as a PDF!

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· Fugitive Former Flight Attendant Eder Rojas Still Has Time for MySpace [Jaunted]
· Eder Rojas May Update Myspace Status Soon [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-09-29T13:15:36-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/24/16573/1361

Shareholders of Delta and Northwest will vote tomorrow on whether to merge the two beleaguered carriers. One little problem though: No one has any idea exactly how a tie-up will save the two airlines $2 billion a year. Still, it looks like the vote will be "yes" all around. (Why not, right?)

There's another problem left to contend with, too: Regulatory approval from the US Department of Justice. But while Delta and Northwest wait to hear on that, they can at least toast to a small victory with the FAA, which has approved an operating certificate for the proposed combined carrier.

Related Stories:
· Delta, Northwest Merger Goes to Vote [WSJ]
· Delta, Northwest Shareholders to Vote Thursday [AJC]
· Merger Vote Hangs on "Leap of Faith" [Bloomberg]
· From August: Delta-Northwest Deal May Actually Happen [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-09-24T17:00:33-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/10/1186/96820

ZOMG. We thought Eder Rojas' decision to abscond from his halfway house just before his trial in Fargo was proof enough that he has trouble making smart decisions. But that was before he logged into MySpace while on the run from the law today.

Last seen in the wee hours of September 5, Rojas--who's been accused of setting fire to a Compass Airlines jet flying between Minneapolis and Regina, Saskatchewan--was supposed to make an appearance at US District Court in Fargo on the morning of September 8. He didn't, and he's been on the lam since--though wherever he is, he apparently has internet access.

Related Stories:
· Eder Rojas [MySpace]
· Accused Fire-Setting Flight Attendant Disappears from Halfway House, Skips Court Appearance [Jaunted]
· Eder Rojas coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-09-10T11:08:53-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/6/104013/7663

Eder Rojas, a 19-year-old former Compass Airlines flight attendant accused of starting a fire in an airplane's lavatory while in flight, has slipped away from a Fargo halfway house and skipped a court appearance that was scheduled for Friday. Authorities have no idea where he is, but if there was any doubt in the court of public opinion that Rojas has a couple of screws loose in his noggin and shouldn't have a position of authority on an aircraft, it's pretty much gone now. Just like Rojas.

The charges stem from a May 7 flight from Minneapolis to Regina, during which Rojas allegedly used a lighter to set fire to some paper towels in the plane's lavatory because he was upset at having to work the route. The fire was extinguished and the plane diverted to Fargo with no injuries but plenty of white knuckles. You don't want a fire on your airplane.

It makes us wonder, were there no warning signs during his hiring and training process of his (allegedly) unstable mind? Did anybody in the chain of command get a feeling that Rojas was a little bit "off" and might not be the best fit for a job in which people's lives are on the line every day? We're 100% behind every measure that protects people from workplace bias, but in a position where so much is on the line, we'd hope that any glimmer of destructive behavior in a candidate would be addressed aggressively.

Related Stories:
· Attendant Charged in Fire a No-Show in Court [Canadian Press]
· Eder Rojas Profile [MySpace]
· Eder Rojas Coverage [Jaunted]]]> Victor Ozols 2008-09-06T10:40:13-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/22/15175/7459

Once (and if) Delta and Northwest finally wrap up that merger they've been hyping, all 22,000 flight attendants at the new super-carrier will be wearing the same, Richard Tyler-designed duds.

Northwest cabin crews are probably looking forward to the change, even though it'll mean switching up their wardrobe: The carrier originally promised new uniforms after emerging from bankruptcy last year, but they never materialized.

As for other corporate stuff, Delta is prepping a quick shift in cocktail napkins, in-flight magazines and other logo gear to wipe the word Northwest from the post-merger carrier. If all goes to plan, NWA could be but a memory as soon as next summer.

Related Stories:
· Ahead of Merger, Delta Preps New Look [WSJ]
· Airline Mergers coverage [Jaunted]

[Not a photo of the Tyler uniforms: The Atlantic]]]> pbb 2008-08-22T15:30:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/11/17344/9726

It's been a bit since we last heard from Delta and Northwest about their forthcoming tie-up. But today Delta announced that pilots for both airlines have agreed to a "joint contract" that will cover all 12,000 of them when the merger is completed "later this year."

According to the Associated Press, the pilots still haven't figured out a way to combine their seniority lists--which decide who flies where and how much they're paid--but will agree to binding arbitration if they can't make a deal.

Though European regulators have already approved the merger, antitrust G-men in the US still have to give it the OK, as do shareholders. That later group might be encouraged to give it a nod if they believe what one industry analyst said today: Delta could turn a profit in 2009 if oil stays at its current price of about $115 a barrel.

Related Stories:
· Delta and Northwest Pilots Approve Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement [Official Site]
· Voting Deadline Looms for Delta, NWA Agreement [AP, via Google]
· UAL, Delta May Lead Carriers to Profit [Bloomberg]
· Airline Mergers coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Drewski2112]]]> pbb 2008-08-11T17:04:36-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/8/11278/10585

More bad news for the Milwaukee-based airline: Northwest Airlines' 47-percent share in the carrier has lost so much value that NWA has written off its $213 million investment in Midwest Airlines, which it bought with TPG Capital in January.

Paying passenger traffic for Midwest also dropped 16 percent in July compared to last year's numbers with 324,002 brave souls taking the ailing carrier. Northwest ended up buying Midwest to keep budget carrier AirTran from gaining a toehold in Milwaukee; now it's looking like they just ended up with a white elephant.

Related Stories:
· Northwest Writes off Midwest Investment [Milwaukee JS]
· Midwest Passenger Loads Down in July [Biz Journals]
· Midwest Death Watch coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: md11forever]]]> egw 2008-08-08T11:45:06-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/