Planes spend more time on the groundNEW YORK — An Associated Press analysis finds airplanes spent an average of 23 minutes, 32 seconds taxiing between gates and runways during the first nine months of this year.That’s the longest it’s been since the Bureau of Transportation Statistics started tracking taxi times in 1995. It’s a 50-second increase over last year.The top offender is Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Of all the additional time, one of out of five extra minutes can be traced back to delays at O’Hare. Planes in Chicago spent an average of 1 minute and 18 seconds extra navigating taxiways.

Ford stops using Takata inflatorsFord will not be using air bag inflators made by Takata in future vehicles, another blow to the troubled Japanese parts supplier as the auto industry continues to shun its product.Ford joins Honda, Toyota and Nissan is deciding against putting the inflators in cars, trucks and SUVs now under development.Takata inflators can explode with too much force, sending shrapnel into drivers and passengers. At least eight people have been killed worldwide and hundreds injured. The inflators have led to the recall of 19.2 million vehicles in the U.S., and government regulators are investigating the possibility of millions more.

Ford recalls 450K midsize carsDETROIT — Ford is recalling nearly 452,000 midsize cars because the gas tanks potentially can leak fuel.The recall covers certain 2010 to 2011 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans built in Mexico from July 21, 2008 through March 4, 2011.Ford says a valve on a gasoline vapor recovery canister can get stuck, causing repeated air pressure changes in the gas tank. That can eventually cause a crack on top of the tank and a possible fuel leak. The company says it has no reports of fires or injuries from the problem.