Three-year-old low-fare carrier halts flights, says it hopes to
 resume soon
     August 28,1997: 8:14 p.m.  COLUMBIA, S.C., - Air South Airlines
 Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday and ceased
 operations -- at least temporarily -- after three years in the air,
 the low-fare carrier said.
     "We regret to advise you that Air South has temporarily sus-
 pended all operations and has sought protection under Chapter 11 of
 the U.S. Bankruptcy Code," said an answering machine message at the
 airline's Columbia headquarters.
     The company said it stopped flying Thursday afternoon, when it
 made its bankruptcy filing in federal court in Columbia.
     The tape advised customers to contact credit card companies or
 travel agents about tickets they had purchased, or to write to the
 company after Sept. 4.
     "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused
 you, and thank you for your past support," the tape said. "We hope
 to resume operations in the near future.
     Company officials weren't available to provide further details.
     According to local media reports, the company laid off more than
 700 employees because it couldn't meet its payroll.
     Air South flew to Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Miami, Jackson-
 ville, Fla.; Norfolk, Va.; and Myrtle Beach, Charleston and the
 Greenville-Spartanburg Airport in South Carolina.
     The airline began service in August 1994 with two leased Boeing
 737-200 jetliners and was flying seven 737-200s when it declared
 bankruptcy.
     After the bankruptcy was announced, investment bank Hambrecht &
 Quist Group said it expects to take an after-tax charge against
 earnings in its fourth quarter of about $5.5 million, or 22 cents a
 share, related to its investment in the airline.
     According to a July report in The State newspaper of Columbia,
 Hambrecht had invested $25 million in the airline. The newspaper
 also said South Carolina had helped to capitalize the company with
 a $12 million state-backed loan, on which it renegotiated interest
 payments last year.
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 Japan Airlines says flight attendants can tie up rowdy passengers
 August 28, 1997 10:26 a.m. EDT
     TOKYO (Reuter) -- Worried by rising violence on flights, Japan
 Airlines (JAL) has given attendants permission to tie up unruly
 passengers, a company spokesman said on Thursday.
     The spokesman told Reuters the action was one of a number of new
 measures to control raucous passengers authorized in a new manual on
 duties and rights of flight attendants.
     Act nice or find another way to get there
     Under the new guidelines, JAL airport counter staff and the
 pilot of a plane can refuse to allow a drunken passenger to board a
 flight if they believe the passenger could turn violent.
     "Flight personnel can use restraining methods including tying
 up an unruly passenger," the manual says.
     Unruly behavior is defined as drunkenness, sexual harassment and
 violation of anti-smoking regulations.
     The offending passenger can be removed from the plane at the
 next stop.
     "The instruction, it should be realized, is a last resort, and
 is only codifying what is accepted practice for many airlines," the
 spokesman said.
     Don't drink and fly
     According to the spokesman, there have been 15 cases of violence
 by passengers on JAL planes so far this year, continuing a trend of
 rising violence. In 1996, there were 40 such cases, compared with 15
 in 1995.
     In past incidents, flight attendants have been stabbed with
 pens, grabbed by the buttocks or breasts, and been forced to get
 down on their hands and knees to apologize for bringing drinks late
 to drunken passengers.
     "Most cases are attributed to drinking, so we hope passengers
 will refrain from drinking too much," the spokesman said.
     About 60 percent of the violent acts took place aboard inter-
 national flights where alcoholic beverages are available, he added.
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