New US restrictions on passengers carrying electronics on some flights to the US will be in place initially for nearly seven months before it is reviewed. An Emirates spokeswoman said Tuesday the airline understood that "the directive comes into effect on 25 March 2017 and is valid until 14 October 2017." A US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman termed that date "a placeholder for review" of the rule. The US will this week restrict passengers traveling from Middle East airports in eight countries from carrying electronic devices larger than a mobile phone on board. Passengers will instead have to stow larger devices such as tablets and laptops with their checked baggage. The rule has been imposed because of unspecified security threats. Earlier, DHS said the procedures would "remain in place until the threat changes" and did not rule out expanding to other airports if circumstances changed. The restrictions apply to airlines flying direct to the US from airports in Muslim-majority countries Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Morocco and Qatar. The airports affected are in Amman, Cairo, Kuwait City, Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Casablanca, Morocco; Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The restrictions will not affect any US airline as they do not fly to the ten airports.<br/>
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With electronic devices larger than mobile phones soon to be banned in cabins on many Gulf carrier direct flights to the US, and the UK announcing a similar ban, in-flight entertainment options could once again become a selling point for airlines. Emirates celebrity spokesperson Jennifer Aniston is featured in a new Twitter video that asks the question: Who needs tablets and laptops anyway? Story has link to watch.<br/>
HNA Holding Group, the Hong Kong-listed unit of the Chinese conglomerate and owner of Hainan Airlines HNA Group, has posted a sixth consecutive year of losses. The company Tuesday reported an annual net loss of HK$21.9m (US$2.8m) for 2016 after persistent bad weather and fierce competition hit golf and hotel revenues at its Dongguan Hillview Golf Club. The company’s revenue rose 12.6% to HK$182.54m last year. Looking ahead, Xu Haohao, executive director of HNA Holding said the group would actively explore relevant businesses that can create synergy effect between us and HNA group.<br/>
A pilot who passed out in a cockpit before a scheduled flight in Canada pleaded guilty Tuesday to being impaired while in control of an aircraft. Miroslav Gronych was employed by Sunwing Airlines on a work visa from Slovakia. His flight was to leave Calgary, Alberta, on Dec. 31 with stops in Regina, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, before continuing to Cancun, Mexico. Gronych, 37, was found slumped over in his seat and escorted off the plane. "I can't even describe how ashamed I am," he told court. "My kids will be punished for my mistakes." A statement of facts agreed to by the prosecution and defense and read in court said police saw his pilot's wings were attached upside down on his uniform and a maid discovered an empty bottle of vodka in his hotel room. It also said he was an hour late for check-in and that he explained his tardiness by saying he had become lost going through security. When Gronych got on the plane around 7 a.m., the court was told, he struggled to hang up his coat, was slurring his words and was staggering. When the co-pilot suggested Gronych was impaired and should leave the plane, "he seemed very nonchalant and said 'OK, if that's what you feel.'" But Gronych returned to the cockpit, sat in the pilot's chair and appeared to pass out "resting his face on the window," the statement said. He was asked to leave the plane again and was held by gate agents until police arrived. The defense asked for a three- to six-month sentence while the prosecution asked the judge for one year in jail. <br/>
An Antonov AN26 passenger aircraft, operated by South Sudanese carrier South Supreme Airlines, has reportedly crashed and been destroyed by fire with no fatalities. Images from the scene show the remains of the aircraft fuselage, which has been completely gutted by fire. Only the tail section remains intact. According to local media reports, the AN-26 was flying from South Supreme Airlines’ Juba home base to Wau in South Sudan with 45 people on board. The aircraft apparently collided with a fire truck after landing in poor weather conditions, possibly after a gear collapse. While there were no reported fatalities, a number of passengers were injured and taken to hospital for treatment.<br/>