Vaping is smoking, a federal appeals court ruled, upholding regulation that adds e-cigarettes to an existing ban on the use of traditional tobacco-burning products on commercial flights in the US. The decision Friday by the Washington-based court leaves in place the DoT’s new rule barring e-cigarettes in flight to protect people from the devices’ second-hand vapour. The prohibition announced last year applies to scheduled airlines, charter operators and foreign carriers flying to or from the US. The court’s decision came with a whiff of uncertainty as the 2-judge majority struggled to reconcile regulations dating back decades with the modern-day technology. The lone dissenting judge accused his colleagues of manufacturing ambiguity about what it means to smoke. <br/>
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UK Transport secretary Chris Grayling said there’s no chance that planes will be grounded when Britain leaves the EU in 2019 and that any transitional arrangements on border controls are likely to be contingent on maintaining maximum access for airlines. The notion that jets could be forced to stop flying once Brexit is implemented shouldn’t be taken seriously, Grayling said. Airlines including Ryanair have said it’s possible flights could be curtailed for weeks or months if negotiators fail to make early progress on the issue. “It’s inconceivable that anyone on either side would want to stop planes flying,” Grayling said Friday. “The implications for the tourist industries of parts of the EU of not having the aviation links that they have at the moment are deep and profound....and I haven’t the slightest doubt that post-2019 we will retain them.” <br/>
British officials announced plans Saturday to further regulate drone use in a bid to prevent accidents and threats to commercial aviation. The new rules will require drones that weigh 8 ounces or more to be registered and users will have to pass a safety awareness exam. The govt acted because of concerns that a mid-air collision between a drone and an aircraft could cause a major disaster. Pilots have reported numerous near-misses in the last year alone in Britain. Earlier this month London's Gatwick briefly closed its runway over safety concerns when a drone was spotted in the area and several planes had to be diverted. The British Airline Pilots Association said independent tests show even a small drone could cause severe damage to a helicopter or an airline windscreen. <br/>