Royal Air Maroc expects the US ban on laptops and other large electronic devices in aircraft cabins on direct flights to the US to be lifted by July 19, a senior official from the airline said Thursday. The US banned laptops in cabins on flights originating at 10 airports in 8 countries - Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey - in March to address fears that bombs could be concealed in them. A US Transportation Security Administration spokesman said that it was too early to confirm Royal Air Maroc's compliance. Royal Air Maroc operates flights to the US from Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport. <br/>
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The chairman of Sun Country Airlines has fired its president and CE following several challenging months for the carrier. Marty Davis informed staff Wednesday that Zarir Erani, who has led the company since 2015, is no longer with Sun Country. The Davis family, which owns a number of well-known Minnesota companies including Cambria and Davis Family Dairies, bought the airline in 2011. Davis would not elaborate on the move, but did say the decision had nothing to do with the company’s financial results. The decision comes after a several-month review of the airline’s activities and management by owners. The airline has failed to meet monthly forecasts for more than a year, and its financial results reflect that struggle. Sun Country’s 2016 operating income was US$16m, a 41% decline over the previous year. <br/>
Virgin Australia has launched a play for the lucrative Chinese tourist market, with flights to Hong Kong beginning from Thursday. Virgin Australia CE John Borghetti said that Hong Kong was the perfect gateway to China. "You're geographically situated in a position where, within a 5-hour flight time, you can access half of the globe's population. So, it's very important for us. It's the spearhead of our Asian expansion," Borghetti said. "China is the future for us, in terms of in-bound tourism to Australia, certainly, but as Virgin Australia, we see this as a huge potential," he said. The airline has begun with 5 flights a week to Hong Kong, but Borghetti said that, ideally, the carrier would like 21 flights a week, although he said getting slots at Hong Kong's busy airport was challenging. <br/>