US Homeland Security chief John Kelly has not made a final decision on extending a ban on larger electronic devices on airplanes, but the department still believes an expansion is likely, a spokesman said Tuesday. Fears that a bomb could be concealed in electronic devices prompted the USs to announce in March it would restrict passengers from bringing devices larger than cellphones on flights originating from 10 airports, including in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. Britain followed suit with restrictions on a slightly different set of routes. DHS spokesman David Lapan declined to offer guidance on when a decision on an expansion would be made, but reiterated it was likely the restrictions would be expanded. He also said any expansion could affect international airports in Europe and elsewhere. EU and US officials will meet Wednesday to discuss airline security, including a possible extension of a ban on passengers carrying laptops in aircraft cabins, an EC spokesman said. The meeting was arranged during a phone call between Kelly and EU ministers on Friday. DHS Deputy Secretary Elaine Duke will attend the meeting. In Australia, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Tuesday the country may ban passengers from bringing laptop computers into the cabin on some international flights.<br/>
general
Delta scored the best for on-time flights in the latest government rankings, and United and American weren't far behind. Virgin America had the highest rate of delayed flights, and discount carrier Spirit Airlines drew the highest rate of consumer complaints. The DoT released figures for March on Tuesday. The report covers the 12 largest US airlines. Through the first three months of the year, airlines bumped one in every 16,000 passengers off a flight — the same rate as in early 2016. More commonly, airlines find volunteers to give up their seats on overbooked flights — that happened to about one in every 1,500 passengers, slightly less often than in early 2016. JetBlue had the highest rate of bumping, which it says can occur when a smaller plane replaces a larger one. Delta had the lowest bumping rate and the highest number of volunteers who gave up their seats. United ranks in the middle of the pack for bumping passengers against their will. In March, 79.9% of flights on the 12 largest airlines arrived on time — that's within 14 minutes of schedule. That was down from the 81.5% rate in March 2016. Delta had an 86.9% on-time rate, followed by Hawaiian, United and American. Only 65.5% of Virgin America flights arrived on time.<br/>
The Canadian government unveiled new rules that could help carriers form joint ventures and attract foreign investment, while bolstering passenger rights Tuesday. Transport Minister Marc Garneau said he would consider approving joint ventures that allow two or more carriers to coordinate items like scheduling and pricing on certain routes, and confirmed plans announced last November to relax international ownership restrictions on Canadian air carriers, lifting investment limits to 49 from 25%. Canada aims to have the rules in place by 2018. Air Canada said in a statement the rules would improve its access to "international investors and global capital markets," while the joint venture changes could open new markets "and accelerate projects that are currently under consideration." Air Canada has recently said it is on track to complete a joint venture with Air China. The regulatory change would give Garneau a say in the approval of airline joint ventures which are now only subject to review under the Competition Act. The change, which would take the public good into consideration, increases the odds of joint ventures being approved, RBC analyst Walter Spracklin wrote in a note. "This should be a positive for both (airlines) as they seek to grow and expand their respective networks into new markets," he wrote.<br/>
No one who has bought a ticket for a domestic or international flight in Canada will be allowed to be removed because of overbooking under a new passenger bill of rights, the transportation minister announced Tuesday. Minister Marc Garneau said the shoddy treatment of air passengers outlined in recent news reports will not be tolerated on any domestic flight as well as any flight leaving or arriving to Canada. He says said the rules would ensure "travelers are treated like people and not numbers." The new regulation comes a month after cellphone video captured a passenger being dragged off a United Airlines flight in Chicago after he refused to leave his seat to accommodate airline crew members. Garneau said if airlines can't get a volunteer with a minimum level of compensation, they will have to increase the amount offered. "When Canadians buy an airline ticket they expect the airline to keep its part of the deal," he said. Minimum compensation standards would also be set for damaged baggage.<br/>
The EU has removed all airlines from Benin and Mozambique from its air safety blacklist after the companies addressed the bloc's safety concerns. EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said Tuesday that the airlines' removal from the blacklist showed their reforms and cooperation have paid off. The blacklist is widely seen as a major business incentive for airlines to uphold safety standards. Four carriers were added to the list Tuesday over safety shortfalls: Nigeria's Med-View, Mustique Airways from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ukraine's Aviation Company Urga and Air Zimbabwe. They add up to a total of 181 airlines from 16 countries that are currently banned from EU skies, while an additional six can only fly to the 28 EU member countries using certain types of aircraft.<br/>
Hundreds of passengers were evacuated from Singapore’s Changi Airport after a small fire erupted in a terminal that was later extinguished, authorities and witnesses said, delaying flights at the global hub. Smoke swept through the airport’s Terminal 2 building after a fire broke out in the departure hall, spurring authorities to seal off the area. Three people were sent to hospital for smoke inhalation, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said. “A small fire occurred at the departure hall of Changi Airport Terminal 2. The fire has been extinguished by SCDF,” the Singapore Police said. Police said the fire alarm was activated at around 5.40pm local time as smoke poured from air vents, sparking an evacuation order and closure of the terminal. Passengers on flights departing from the terminal on Tuesday evening “should expect significant delays”, airport management said. Singapore Airlines said it was “working closely with the airport authority and various agencies to ensure flights can be resumed in the shortest time possible”. A reporter at the airport said the scene was generally calm as the departure and arrival halls were evacuated. Airport staff were also seen leaving but there was no panic.<br/>
The first time China attempted to build a large passenger jet, it tried — and failed — to reverse-engineer a Boeing 707 that crash-landed in Xinjiang in 1971. The latest vehicle for China’s aviation dream, the Comac C919, has just completed its first test flight after Beijing decided to take a different path: buying parts from European and US aviation companies rather than stealing their technology. After many mis-steps, the maiden flight of the 158-174 seat aircraft was a big moment for China, economically and politically. The government told state-owned Comac in a congratulatory note that the C919 “carries great weight and importance to the country’s innovation drive”. Seeing it “flying in the blue sky makes generations of Chinese people’s dream come true”, it added. The C919 is designed to compete with the workhorses of modern short-haul aviation, the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. It has a ready-made customer base as China is forecast to overtake the US as the world’s biggest aviation market in 2024. Comac has also built a smaller regional jet, called the ARJ21, and is developing a long-haul aircraft alongside Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. China has been trying to build large passenger aircraft since the Mao Zedong era, when Communist officials bridled at the prospect of having to fly overseas on foreign-made aircraft. President Xi Jinping, who often travels abroad on a Boeing 747 operated by Air China, is unlikely to start flying on the C919 soon, as it will be at least a couple of years before it goes into mass production. But China’s airliner project is still driven by politics as much as policy.<br/>