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A ban on laptops and other large electronic devices from the cabins of direct flights to the US from Saudi Arabia has been lifted, Saudi Arabian Airlines said Wednesday. In March, the United States imposed restrictions on passengers carrying laptops and other large electronic gear in cabins on flights from certain airports in the Middle East and North Africa in response to unspecified security threats. The US Department of Homeland Security has inspected and cleared flights from Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport from the ban, said the state-owned carrier. The US TSA is to visit Saudia on Wednesday to confirm that Riyadh airport is complying with new security measures announced last month, TSA spokeswoman Michelle Negron said. A lifting of the ban would be based on visual confirmation by TSA officials that the measures were being implemented correctly, she said.<br/>

EasyJet has brought forward the start date of Moya Greene, the Royal Mail boss, on to its board as the low-cost airline accelerates its search for a new CE. Greene will join easyJet’s board as a non-executive with immediate effect, six weeks earlier than the September date initially announced in June. The airline said the expedited appointment of Ms Greene, who has been chief executive of Royal Mail since 2010, was aimed to “support the chief executive search process”. On Monday, easyJet confirmed that Dame Carolyn McCall was leaving at the end of the year to become CE of ITV. Keith Hamill, a non-executive director, will also delay his retirement from the board, originally planned for July 31, until the end of the year to help with the search. Greene’s early appointment is likely to raise questions since it comes at a delicate moment for Royal Mail, which is attempting to push through a pension reform in the face of a strike threat. The timing drew criticism from the Communication Workers Union, which represents blue-collar staff.<br/>

Wizz Air is accelerating contingency planning for Brexit as the group warned of the risks of Britain crashing out of the EU. Jozsef Varadi, CE, remains committed to increasing the carrier’s capacity on UK-European flights despite the regulatory challenges that might be thrown up by a failure to reach agreement on regulation and other areas. “What we are seeing, is that it is becoming increasingly likely that there will not be an early deal [on aviation]. Uncertainty will remain the context,” he said. “We need to protect interests of our consumers and of our investors.” Varadi said Wizz Air would proceed with plans to secure a British air operating certificate, AOC, to allow it to continue operating flights to and from Britain, even if the country leaves the EU without agreeing a new bilateral arrangement. But he warned that there was a growing likelihood of a no-deal scenario. Airlines are grappling with a range of regulatory puzzles in the wake of Britain’s decision to exit the EU. These include agreeing a new legal basis for British airlines to operate flights between EU countries and ownership rules requiring airlines operating in the region to be majority controlled by entities in the bloc. Ryanair has even warned it will have to halt flights from the UK for “weeks or months” if London is unable to secure quickly an international deal with Brussels securing “open skies” for aviation.<br/>

Wizz Air Holdings plans to stop charging customers for carry-on luggage, bringing it into line with rivals Ryanair Holdings and EasyJet as low fuel prices boost earnings. While Wizz had allowed customers to bring aboard small items and laptop bags for free, it imposed a fee of between 10 and 35 euros ($11.50-$50) for standard-sized cabin luggage, depending on the time booked. Those levies will be dropped from Oct. 29, allowing free carriage of bags up to 50% bigger, it said Wednesday. “We are listening to our customers,” CEO Jozsef Varadi said. “Charging for cabin bags was one of the critiques we have been getting. It will post some operational challenges obviously, but I think the industry has figured it out. All in all, I don’t think we will see significant distress as a result of this change.” Ryanair already allows passengers to carry two bags into its cabins, one weighing up to 10 kilograms and the other being a small personal bag or handbag. EasyJet permits one free item that must fit in an overhead locker, with Plus card, flexi-fare and extra-legroom customers permitted a second. Wizz is easing baggage charges after net income jumped 50% in Q1, prompting the Budapest-based carrier to predict that full-year earnings will be close to the top of a E250m-270m range. The company has also introduced a priority-boarding option, something that should help make up for any shortfall in baggage revenue.<br/>

Hawaiian Airlines has changed its surfboard policy in response to customer feedback. KHON2-TV reported Friday that the airline states it will allow passengers to carry as many boards in one bag as they want, as long as the bag weighs 23 kilograms or less. Surfers complained in masses last year when the airline would not allow more than two boards per passenger. An airlines spokeswoman says the two-board limit was based on experience that three or more boards packed together are more likely to be damaged. She says the surfers' feedback is the reason for the change.<br/>

Frontier Airlines will begin offering service between Albuquerque and Denver later this year. Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry and city aviation officials made the announcement Tuesday. Ticket sales for the daily, nonstop flight began immediately and the flights will take off starting Oct. 24. Since 2009, the Albuquerque airport has added four airlines with service to three new destinations and expanded options to six existing destinations. Officials say year-to-date traffic at the airport is up 2% over 2016. The airport is currently undergoing a $30m renovation to the pre-security area of the terminal. Modernization of the baggage claim, ticketing and curbside areas is scheduled to be done in late 2108.<br/>

JetBlue Airways pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), requested mediation services from the National Mediation Board (NMB) July 18 to assist with contract negotiations. The request was made after two years of negotiations between the pilots and management of the New York-based carrier have shown little progress. JetBlue’s pilots made their first request of JetBlue management for open contract negotiations in March 2015, in an effort to secure the pilots’ first contract with JetBlue since organizing as a union in 2014. “We’re hopeful that a mediator will help us speed along the process and come to an agreement that recognizes our contributions to JetBlue’s success,” ALPA’s JetBlue unit chairman Patrick Walsh said. ALPA said the pace of negotiations “has slowed in the last few months, prompting the pilots to request professional mediation from the NMB.” JetBlue’s pilots are in “pursuit of a contract that includes market-rate compensation, compared to pilots who fly similar routes and aircraft,” ALPA said in a statement, adding JetBlue’s recently proposed pay structure would provide limited increases and keep pilots “near the bottom among major carriers.”<br/>

Taiwanese carrier Mandarin Airlines has ordered six ATR 72-600s, valued at $160m at current list prices. The airline is a new customer for the Franco-Italian turboprop manufacturer. Mandarin Airlines is a regional subsidiary of Taiwanese flag carrier China Airlines. The new aircraft will operate on Taiwan’s domestic network, in what ATR describes as a competitive and highly challenging market. The first aircraft will be delivered in 2018 and will be outfitted in a single-class, 70-seat configuration. “China Airlines and Mandarin Airlines … have conducted a very thorough and comprehensive evaluation of alternatives for their regional network in Taiwan,” ATR CEO Christian Scherer said. “The outcome proves once again that when assessed competitively, the ATR 72-600 logically prevails in the eyes of the most discerning airlines. We look forward to our partnership with Mandarin, and to supporting a stellar operation.”<br/>