Paul Ryan campaign flight temporarily stuck Wednesday morning at Hobby Airport

Paul Ryan's campaign flight was temporarily stuck Wednesday morning at Houston's Hobby Airport due to a minor mechanical issue. (CNN)

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A mechanical issue Wednesday morning temporarily stranded Paul Ryan's campaign flight at Houston's Hobby Airport.

The DC-9 Romney-Ryan campaign plane had an "minor mechanical issue" according to Ryan spokesperson Michael Steel. They held the place at Hobby Airport, putting them more than 85 minutes behind schedule.

It's believed that a leak in one of the lavatories in the back of the plane is the cause of the delay, but Steel would not confirm this.

The press corp's luggage was taken off the plane and put on the tarmac while technicians attempted to resolve the issue.

Ryan did eventually make it out of Houston in time for a scheduled appearance in Ft. Collins, Colorado on Wednesday afternoon.

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Small plane makes emergency landing at airport

  GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- A pilot and a passenger of a small plane were able to walk away from a crash landing in Galveston.

It happened around 9:40am at Scholes International Airport. Airport officials say the plane made a belly landing on the runway.

Emergency crews responded to the scene. There were reports the pilot may have had issues with the landing gear but that hasn't been confirmed.

Both the pilot and a passenger were not injured in the crash.

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Hidden camera discovered in Hobby Airport bathroom

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Violated -- that's how dozens of women feel after a hidden camera was discovered in one of the restrooms at Hobby Airport. The camera was discovered in a secure area used by employees, so travelers never came across it.

Houston police are investigating the discovery. It's made many female employees at Hobby Airport very uncomfortable and as we told travelers what happened, it was alarming to them, too.

For one Houston Hobby Airport employee, going to work hasn't been the same the past few days.

"It was in a secure area. How can that happen to us?" said the employee, who did not want to be identified.

It's a discovery that left female employees speechless.

"I didn't know what to say. I was like, 'Oh my God, a camera,'" she said.

This employee says she saw a wire coming out of what appeared to be an old thermostat but didn't think much about it until another employee took a closer look and could even see the lens of the hidden camera.

"That's your most private moment in the whole wide world is in the bathroom. You don't even share that with your husband, and all of us ladies are completely devastated over that," the employee told us.

Houston police say the camera has been removed and the vice division is now investigating how it got there.

"I feel like a victim. I've been totally violated," the employee said.

Investigators say the camera in the bathroom is a criminal violation, and while this one was discovered in an employee restroom, female travelers throughout the entire airport were disturbed when we told them about the discovery.

"That's absolutely scary. I'm from Atlanta and that's been in the news there as well, so I hope this isn't a disturbing trend about Peeping Toms," traveler Janet Hill said.

"I think it's awful. I think they probably need to make sure that all of the restrooms are cleared out," traveler Pamela Barrett said.

"If it's that easy for them to get into the employee restroom, how easy would it be to get into any restroom or any place that it's supposed to be private, a fitting room?" traveler Charla St. Amant said.

This employee says she is speaking on behalf of the many women with whom she works.

"I want him to go to jail. I want him to go to jail for what he has done to us," the employee said.

The Houston Airport System is referring all comments to investigators.

If you have any information, you are asked to call Houston police.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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City Council approves Hobby Airport expansion deal

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston is one step closer to having two international airports. City Council Wednesday morning approved the $100 million expansion of Hobby Airport in southeast Houston to allow for international flights.

The roar of approval from Southwest Airlines employees was deafening. The months long fight for international flights out of Hobby Airport was finally over as City Council approved the memorandum of understanding in a landslide 16-1 vote.

"We have had tremendous support. We have always had the best interest of Houston in our minds and it's a great opportunity to lower fairs and allow more people to fly," said Southwest CEO Gary Kelly.

As Kelly beamed, United Airlines, which fought vehemently against the expansion, says flights and jobs would be lost at Bush Intercontinental Airport as early as later this year.

"We're going to be looking to cut our fall flight schedule as a result of this and there is going to be jobs that are associated with that are going to be lost. We are going to do our best to help our employees with voluntary programs and finding them locations in other places if we can. So we want to mitigate the harm, but we said all along this would be the outcome of this," said Stephanie Buchanan with United Airlines.

The only 'No' vote was by City Council Member Jerry Davis, who also said he is worried.

"We just were not confident in everything going the way it was proposed," Davis said.

However, Mayor Annise Parker points out flights are not scheduled until 2015, and she believes the greater Houston community is big enough to support two international airports.

"Once everything calms down a little bit, we're going to have a rational discussion, and we'll be long-term partners and have a productive partnership," Mayor Parker said. "The competition is at least three years away, so for United to say that there are going to be 1,300 people laid off next week or so, that's just not reasonable."

The mayor announced the deal last week. The $100 million plan would be paid by Southwest Airlines. The airline would add a customs facility and five international gates and offer flights to the Caribbean and Latin America.

United says it already operates some flights at a loss at Bush Intercontinental Airport because it was anticipating growth, but with Southwest taking away that potential growth, they say they want to stem the bleeding and move the non-profitable flights away sooner, and bringing in fewer international flights.

"The Dreamliner was, you know, going to come to Houston based on the assumption that we'd have, you know, international service that made sense," Buchanon said. "Flights like Auckland which we were going to do on the Dreamliner isn't going to make sense anymore."

Southwest brushes away United's doom and gloom projections, convinced that competition will be good for both airlines.

"It's all about competition, it's all about lowering fares and making travel more affordable, and for the first time now international markets to the south," said Kelly.

Houston leaders say there is enough business for two international airports in America's fourth largest city.

"It's just a bit puzzling to me that they would make the announcement right after the council vote," said Council Member James Rodriguez. "Southwest hasn't built the facility yet, they haven't started international flights. We are looking at 2015. And so to announce that they are not competing yet is probably a bit premature."

Last week, United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek spoke with Eyewitness News and said that the airline maintains that any job losses are not retaliation.

"I am not threatening anything. This is what will be forced to happen. This isn't a threat. I mean, this is nothing I want to do. Why would I ever want to do that? This is a natural reaction to a decrease in demand and a decrease in the profitability of the flights here," Smisek told Eyewitness News.

United on Wednesday sent out an employee bulletin about layoff possibilities which you can read here.

Stay with Eyewitness News for the latest on this story.

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Mayor, Southwest Airlines agree on Hobby Airport expansion

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- After months of debate over job losses, job creation, increased competion and increased confusion, Mayor Annise Parker says Hobby Airport will expand to allow for international flights.

Surrounded by Southwest employees and the airline's CEO, Mayor Parker officially announced that she is ready for the Hobby expansion plans to take off.

"Southwest Airlines has agreed to pay for all off the expenses associated with building this expansion," she said.

Southwest Airlines now says it will pay for the $100 million expansion project that, when finished, will result in five new international gates at Hobby. Southwest would control four of them.

CEO Gary Kelly made big promises.

"We will bring lower fares. We will bring more competition. It will be more jobs and we're very, very excited about all of those opportunities," he said.

United Airlines, which has been long against the expansion, on Wednesday released a statement, saying in part, "Splitting the city's international air service will harm the city's competitive advantage and cost jobs."

Mayor Parker defended the job growth scenario with Southwest's expansion, but would not say exactly how many will be created.

"I'm not going to get into discussion of how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Is it 10,000 jobs, is it 5,000 jobs? Jobs are good for Houston," Parker said.

It will be awhile before we know if this plan will actually create jobs at all.

First, it needs City Council approval, which is scheduled for a vote next week.

Passengers we talked to say they hope it will lower fares.

"I would say more convenient, hopefully more cost effective, if they can balance out the cost versus other airlines cost," Southwest passenger Cindia Strauss said.

The big vote is scheduled for next week, but it could face the standard one-week delay. The proposal needs nine yes votes. On Wednesday, seven council members and Mayor Parker attended the conference, so that makes eight. But Mayor Parker says she's confident she has the votes. We'll see.

Before the announcement of this morning's news conference, United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek, in an ABC13 exclusive interview, said United would lose 1,300 jobs if the Southwest expansion at Hobby happens.

United said earlier this month it might cancel $700 million in improvements to Terminal B at IAH and it might drop some service from Houston.

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Airport security cracks down on illegal imports, exports

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It's video you wont see anywhere else -- the most shocking and bizarre things seized at Houston's big airport. We have an inside look at how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is cracking down on illegal imports and exports, some of which has actually been smuggled into the country.

They come from every corner of the world to Bush Intercontinental Airport's international terminal. And for many passengers, the long trip means lots of luggage. But what may seem like a regular bag sometimes holds a shocking and illegal secret.

"When I started this job, I never thought I'd see some of the things I've seen," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspector Bead Wendt said.

Things brought or smuggled into the country by passengers who don't have the proper permits. That's where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service comes in.

"To try and help the United States protect its wildlife," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspector Demarion McKinney said.

Inspectors and agents, along with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers, are constantly checking, searching and scanning baggage.

"We are most concerned with the endangered species, the most threatened species globally," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspector Agent Hampton said.

And often, they find and seize it before it ends up on the black market.

But not even that could prepare us for what we were about to see. Several shelves of some of the most bizarre things, including a llama fetus, have been seized at the airport.

The llama fetus was found wrapped in a plastic bag and stuffed in a passenger's purse.

"A newlywed couple brought that in and they were going to bury it under their front door for good luck. It wasn't lucky for the llama," Customs Chief Jerry Akin said.

And Akin had another surprise for us.

"It's packed with camel dung, feces," Akin said.

It doesn't matter how it's disguised, feces can carry disease, and the Department of Agriculture tells us, it could affect our livestock.

"We are serious about protecting the U.S. and its resources," McKinney said.

So when the plane lands, the hunt is on, and for those caught smuggling, Houston Intercontinental Airport may not be their final destination.

"If it's smuggling, then we are going to investigate it fully and thoroughly," Hampton said. "Absolutely, we will seek prison sentences."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires passengers to declare all imported and exported items and in some cases present a permit as well.

Those caught smuggling for the illegal commercial trade could face numerous felony charges and up to 10 years in prison.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Fight over international flights at Hobby Airport heads to City Hall

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- New developments in the ongoing battle over whether Houston should be home to not one, but two international airports.

City Hall was packed Tuesday with people on both sides of the issue, and Southwest Airlines made an offer on how to pay for the expansion at Hobby Airport.

That offer by Southwest is that the airline would pay for a customs facility at Hobby if City Council agrees to the deal. For now, there is no deal on the table, but both sides are lining up their forces, as witnessed by the crowds at Tuesday's presentation.

In airline terms, it was a cramped cabin in City Council chambers, full of executives and airline workers from Southwest and United Airlines; so many that two overflow rooms were required.

Hobby is where Southwest Airlines first operated in Houston 32 years ago. It wants Hobby to launch its first international operations in the next few years, but it needs the city to build five new gates and a $100 million customs facility to do it.

"There are any variety of ways that we can finance this $100 million project. If we can reach an agreement with you, I'll pay for the $100 million project," said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines Chairman.

Higher passenger fees on the flights to Mexico and South America would help pay for that.

Southwest claims the expansion would create more direct jobs at Hobby, have a trickle effect on support businesses in the area; but less than what a Houston Airport System study claims.

Southwest also claims it would make international fares more competitive. But United argues it would cost more jobs than it would create, saying that Houston doesn't need a second international airport, just Bush International Airport.

"So we all vigorously compete with each other there, and we would invited them to come use the facility that has already been built for that purpose at Intercontinental that the rest of us use," said John Gebo, VP of Finance for United Airlines.

The city airport system is backing the Hobby expansion, and so apparently are some city council members, judging by the tone toward United.

"Why'd you buy Continental Airlines anyway? Why'd you do it?" asked City Council Member Andrew Burks.

United says it might cancel $700 million in improvements to Terminal B at IAH and it might drop some service from Houston.

Earlier Tuesday

Community meetings are giving the public the chance to weigh in on the plan and what it would truly mean for residents, as well as Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. The fight between the two airlines has led to a standing-room-only crowd during today's public debate.

Whether council members think the expansion is good or bad, City Attorney David Feldman says Houston may not have a choice in the matter.

Speaking to a packed crowd of airline employees, the city attorney gave a legal opinion saying that due to funding the city receives from the FAA it is essentially obligated to accommodate any reasonable plan from Southwest for its proposed $100 million expansion to Hobby Airport.

The city could reject a proposal for Hobby to have those international flights if the airport lacks the capacity to accommodate international flights, if there were to be noise, environmental concerns or a threat to public safety. Groups have been canvassing the area near Hobby trying to inform residents about the project.

"Ten thousand jobs, which sounds like a good idea for the city, if they are 10,000 good-paying jobs," said Communications Coordinator Durrel Douglas with Texas Organized Project. "The people who live and work around Hobby want to make sure that if 10,000 jobs are coming to Hobby, that they are going to hire locally and that they are not going to implant people from outside of Texas in order to fill these jobs."

The international terminals at Hobby would be funded by city revenue bonds. The money would come from a $1.50 fee tacked onto tickets.

United disagrees and claims the deal places an undue burden on the city. According to United, the Hobby project would mean the loss of 3,700 jobs at Bush Intercontinental Airport and $300 million each year.

A Houston Airport System study favored the expansion saying it would create more than 10,000 jobs and put $1.6 billion into the local economy every year. Opinions also differ about the potential impact on passengers.

"It would divide the amount of FIS workers that we have because the government only funds so many for Houston, but about having to divide the resources between two airports and delays," said Patty Higgenbottom, United Flight Coordinator

"I think their benefit is lower fares and I think again we have a 40 year history; it's a mutually beneficial for everybody," said Southwest Airline spokesperson Paul Flannigan.

Bottom line is that the city attorney says the city would be wise to negotiate a deal now because if the city declines and the FAA gives approval for this international terminal, the terms could be less desirable for the city later on.

Presentations from Southwest and United are going on today at City Hall, and there will be public comments as well.

There are two more public meetings scheduled:

Doubletree Hotel JFK
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
6pm to 8pm
15747 JFK Boulevard
Houston, TX 77032
Presentation by Aviation Director Mario Diaz
Public Comment

Marriott Houston South at Hobby Airport
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
6pm to 8pm
9100 Gulf Freeway
Houston, TX 77017
Presentation by Aviation Director Mario Diaz
Public Comment

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Small plane makes emergency landing at Hobby Airport

  Pooja LodhiaHOUSTON (KTRK) -- A warning light on a small plane triggered an air scare this morning. The pilot made an emergency landing at Hobby Airport.

The FAA says the pilot declared an emergency around 4:15am after a fire warning light came on the plane.

Emergency crews responded to the scene. The pilot landed the plane and there was no fire found.

There is no word on whether the plane has any flat tires. Officials say there was no danger to those on board. It's still unclear how many people were on board.

Crews are looking into exactly what happened to the plane to cause the warning light to come on.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Plane makes emergency landing at Sugar Land airport

Officials say the Cessna twin-engine plane landed without its landing gear down at the Sugar Land airport Tuesday afternoon.

  SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- A private plane made an emergency landing at the Sugar Land Airport Tuesday afternoon.

Officials say the Cessna twin-engine plane landed without its landing gear down. No one was injured, but the runway was closed as crews try to clear a fuel spill from the landing.

Investigators will have to determine whether the landing gear issue was a mechanical failure or a pilot error.

We will bring you more information as it becomes available.

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Local soldier surprises girlfriend with proposal at airport

A Houston soldier had a big idea when he popped the big question to his girlfriend.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A local soldier made sure his proposal was one to remember -- even getting the help of other passengers on his flight home.

Each of his fellow travelers gave a rose to Army Lieutenant George Dalton's girlfriend, Lauren Raabe before Dalton came in to ask the big question.

"Will you marry me," he asked.

She replied, "yes."

Dalton worked with his parents back here in Houston to get permission from American Airlines to have the roses at the gate when the flight arrived at Bush Intercontinental Airport. Dalton says all the planning kept him on edge.

"I've been nervous for the past couple of hours," said Dalton. "I haven't been able to eat or think about anything else."

Dalton is home from a tour in Iraq for two weeks. The couple says they will get married when his tour is complete in a few months.

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$1B renovation for Bush Intercontinental Airport

  HOUSTON -- Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport is getting an updated look.

A news conference was planned Monday afternoon to announce the $1 billion renovation project for Terminal B.

Mayor Annise Parker was scheduled to be joined by leaders of United Continental Holdings Inc. and the Houston Airport System to provide details of the upgrade.

George Bush Intercontinental is Houston's largest airport. The airport, which opened in 1969, handled more than 40 million passengers in 2010.

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