A deal between Delta Air Lines and U.S. Airways will end all U.S. Airways flights from Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport to New York City’s LaGuardia Airport. The flights will cease starting March 24, according to Robert Nicholas, airport manager of Tompkins County Regional Airport.

NEW YORK (AP) — Some of the nation’s busiest airports will soon begin testing experimental radar systems designed to track flocks of birds and help pilots avoid the type of collision believed to have crippled a US Airways jet nearly two weeks ago.

Proponents say air traffic controllers could someday use the technology to delay takeoffs, reroute flights before they leave the ground, and perhaps even radio warnings to pilots to take evasive action.

The new technology uses a combination of inexpensive marine radar antennas, much like the kind used on fishing boats, and powerful computer software to monitor birds as they gather and soar as far as six miles away from an airport.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nine Muslim passengers were kicked off a flight from Washington, D.C., to Florida after other passengers reported hearing a suspicious remark about airplane security.

AirTran Airways spokesman Tad Hutcheson called the incident on the New Year's Day flight from Reagan National Airport to Orlando, Fla., a misunderstanding, but defended the company's response. He said the airline followed federal rules and did nothing wrong.

One of the Muslim passengers, Kashif Irfan, told The Washington Post the confusion began when his brother was talking about the safest place to sit on an airplane.

"My brother and his wife were discussing some aspect of airport security," Irfan said. "The only thing my brother said was, 'Wow, the jets are right next to my window.'"

Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport made a surprising announcement last week that it would expand service with the addition of Continental Airlines flights. This comes in the midst of service cutbacks across the country as airlines struggle to deal with skyrocketing fuel costs.

Larry Baum, President of the Ithaca Air Service Board, announced during a July 1 meeting of the Tompkins County Legislature that the airport would welcome back Continental this October. Continental, which left the airport in 1996 due to inadequate demand, plans to offer four daily non-stop flights from Ithaca to its hub, Newark Liberty Airport.

Baum also said that, beginning in August, Northwest Airlines' morning flight from Ithaca to Detroit will be upgraded to a larger plane.

DALLAS (AP) — Continental Airlines said Thursday it is cutting 3,000 jobs and reducing capacity by 11 percent, citing record fuel costs that have pushed the industry into its worst crisis since 2001. It also said its two top executives will forgo pay for the rest of the year.

The job cuts represent about 6.5 percent of the company's work force of 45,000.

Houston-based Continental said it will begin pulling back on flights in September, when departures on its mainline operations will drop about 16 percent below September 2007 levels. Fourth-quarter capacity will fall 11 percent.

Shares of Continental rose 68 cents, or 4.7 percent, to $15.18 in the opening minutes of trading.