Emirates airline might offer passengers loaner laptops as the world’s biggest long-haul carrier seeks to soften the blow from a US ban on electronics in airplane cabins.
The Dubai-based airline may explore “creative” ways to work around the ban if it remains in place over the long term, the airline’s president, Tim Clark, said in an interview. That could include providing government-approved laptops that “can be used in-flight to help people do what they need to do in the absence of devices that are in the hold.”
The airline’s routes to the US could be at risk if travellers book with rivals, Mr Clark indicated. If customer demand diminishes due to “whatever actions the United States government takes, we will have to adjust accordingly, that’s just good business,” he said.
Under a rule that came into effect on Saturday, the US prohibits travelers on flights from 10 Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai, from bringing large electronics into the aircraft cabin. The UK partially followed, but didn’t target the Arabian Gulf hubs. The ban deals a blow to the likes of Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways after Donald Trump earlier this year attempted to restrict citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.
Mr Clark was critical of the selective targeting of the laptop ban, saying if there’s a risk that laptops can be used during flights for terrorist activity, then the restriction “should be applied to the airline industry universally”.
After Mr Trump’s initial travel ban, Emirates said the rate of bookings growth to the US dropped. The latest policy won’t “help” demand for Emirates’ 18 flights a day to the US, Mr Clark said, adding that a true assessment of the ban’s impact will come next month as travelers plan summer vacations.
Still, no changes are planned yet, and Emirates expects “robust demand” on its new Athens-Newark route this year, which will be exempt from the US order.
While there have been some difficulties on the US side, the first 48 hours of the ban’s implementation, including allowing passengers to use laptops up until boarding, have proceeded without customer complaints, according to the Emirates chief.
“So far, so good,” he said. “It’s still early days, we have to see what the next few months will bring us.”
* Bloomberg
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The years Ramadan fell in May
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
