Air India's largest employees' union will hold its general body meeting this week to "organise its members for a movement" against the govt's decision to privatise the debt-ridden carrier. The Air Corporations Employees' Union (ACEU) is also planning to meet a group of ministers to be set up by the govt to look into the disinvestment of its stake in the airline. The ACEU is a grouping of Air India's non-technical staff and comprises nearly 8,000 of the total 21,137 employees. Seven unions of Air India have already joined hands to oppose the privatisation of the financially bleeding airline. Their representatives met last month and wrote to Union minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapthi Raju, warning him of an "industrial unrest". <br/>
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"Govt has decided to transfer funds from the National Revenue Fund (NRF) to South African Airways to allow the airline to pay back its debt to Standard Chartered Bank, thereby avoiding a default," the Treasury said. A default by the airline would have triggered a call on the guarantee, leading to an outflow from the NRF and possibly resulting in "elevated perceptions of risk related to the rest of SAA's guaranteed debt". Improving the financial positions of the airline through recapitalisation had been on govt’s agenda "for a while". Several options were being explored and an update would be provided during the medium-term budget policy statement in October. "Govt will do everything in its power to ensure that the airline's turnaround strategy is implemented," the Treasury said. <br/>
Istanbul Ataturk Airport (IST) is expected to be removed from the list of airports from which US-bound passengers are required to check large personal electronic devices by July 5, according to Turkish Airlines CE Bilal Eksi. “We have received a confirmation letter” that Turkish Airlines flights from IST to the US will no longer have restrictions regarding electronic devices,” Eksi said. The US Department of Homeland Security removed Abu Dhabi International from the so-called laptop ban list over the weekend, saying the airport and Etihad Airways were complying with new security requirements being imposed on all US-bound commercial flights. Turkish Airlines operates from IST to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago O´Hare, Houston Intercontinental, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Miami, San Francisco and Washington Dulles. <br/>