China's civil aviation authority said on Monday that it will lift its ban on the use of portable electronic devices on aircraft, and airlines will make the decision themselves. A newly revised administrative rule that will take effect in October said airline companies will be allowed to make their own assessments of the influence of portable electronic devices. Airline companies will decide what electronic devices can be used on their planes, and make their own rules. Since 1999, China's aviation authority has banned the use of any portable electronic devices on the plane. It was thought the wireless signals from those could affect flight safety. "But now, the government will give airlines the right to decide on their own," said Zhu Tao, deputy director of the Department of Flight Standard of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. "I believe we will see various Chinese airline companies allowing passengers to use portable electronic devices on planes in the near future." The reason for the change is that the anti-interference characteristics of aircraft have been enhanced, Li Yuan, an expert in civil aviation, was quoted as saying by the Beijing News. Many foreign airlines have long allowed passengers to use certain electronic devices during a flight's cruise phase, including phones and laptops. Some Chinese airlines also allow laptops during the cruise phase, though they prohibit cellphones. The CAAC also updated its physical requirements for selecting student pilots for civil aviation. The new rules took effect on Sept 10. Now, a student can qualify with a visual acuity higher than 4.0 on an E Snellen chart, compared with 4.5 in the past. "This change was designed to recruit more talent that meets both the physical and knowledge demands pilots. It will have a positive and far-reaching effect on the development of the civil aviation industry," Zhu said. Jiang Chenglong contributed to this story. bulk custom braceletscustom silicone bandscustom printed wristbandscustom livestrong braceletscustom fidget spinnersbracelet maker online24 hour bracelets
North China's Hebei province issued an orange alert for air quality on Thursday because of severe air pollution that will envelop the province and neighboring regions from Friday to Sunday, according to the Hebei Environmental Protection Bureau. It is the second time this year that Hebei, typically shrouded by heavy smog in winter, has issued a regional alert. The first orange alert - the second-highest level for air pollution - was issued in early November. "Because of a new round of disadvantageous weather, including low atmospheric pressure, slow winds and high humidity, it is hard for airborne pollutants to disperse," said Wang Xiaoli, director of Hebei province's Environmental Emergency and Heavy Pollution Weather Forewarning Center. Though weather conditions will keep severe smog around for three days, pollutants discharged into the air remain the primary source, he said. Under an orange alert, emergency responses to the pollution were started on Thursday in 10 cities in the province. More than 6,000 polluting companies will take turns suspending operations and another 8,000 firms will temporarily reduce emissions to ensure a reduction of at least 20 percent during the period. Cities in neighboring Henan province, such an Anyang, will also suffer from severe air pollution, while the air in Beijing and Tianjin will be slightly affected, Wang said. Air quality is expected to improve starting on Sunday night, with the influence of a cold front that will disperse pollutants. Northern China usually experiences worsening air quality in late autumn and winter partly due to less wind and increased emissions from heating sources, especially coal burning. According to the provincial environmental protection bureau, 30 percent more pollutants are discharged in Hebei during the heating season. To cope with that, Hebei is replacing coal for family heating with electricity or gas, shutting down illegal polluting companies and limiting production in heavy industries such as iron, steel and coking. The province is also increasing its investment in technology for environmental monitoring to better forecast smog and control pollutants. "We are considering introducing high-tech instruments that use a LIDAR - or light detection and ranging system - to precisely monitor particulate matter in the air," said Huang Yunlong, who works at the bureau's development service center. According to Huang, the instruments are carried in a vehicle and can monitor a certain area's pollutants in three-dimensional space, unlike traditional stationary monitors. The province's average density of PM 2.5 - particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 microns - fell by 25.3 percent year-on-year in the last two months to 62 micrograms per cubic meter, according to the monitoring center. [email protected]
