Clipping wings

Travel ban — these set of words seem to be doing the round far too often now than ever. The recent one is the UK and US banning electronics no larger than a mobile phone in the cabin luggage from certain countries in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Turkey. The airports of Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Tunisia, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE are affected by the ban. The ban they say is being imposed as an anti-terrorist precaution. However, airlines have come around and are suggesting alternatives to passengers. Nevertheless, corporate travel may take a hit initially as longhaul flights offering Wi-Fi services often help business travellers catch up on work. This might result in a drop in business and First Class bookings as they may shift to European carriers, which do not fall under the purview of the ban. However, many expect this to be a short-term arrangement. It remains to be seen how long this ban shall last.