Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

The UK on Tuesday joined the U.S. in <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2017-03-21/us-ban-pax-electronics-flights-eight-countries">banning passengers from carrying large electronic devices</a> in the cabins of airplanes originating from certain Middle Eastern and North African countries. The UK directive bans electronic devices larger than a cell phone and applies to airplanes departing from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt. It affects 14 airlines, including six based in the UK.


The U.S. ban, which came to light when Royal Jordanian Airlines on Monday sent a tweet outlining details of the ban, affects 10 airports located in eight countries. It takes effect on March 25.


British officials said the UK based its ban on the same intelligence cited by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It remains unclear when the UK directive takes effect.


U.S. officials cited unspecified threats gathered by new intelligence as the reason for its action.


“Although the U.S. has instituted robust aviation security measures since 9/11, our information indicates that terrorist groups’ efforts to execute an attack against the aviation sector are intensifying given that aviation attacks provide an opportunity to cause mass casualties and inflict significant economic damage, as well as generate overwhelming media coverage,” DHS said in a statement.


The department cited as examples of recent terrorist attacks on civil aviation an October 2015 incident in Egypt where attackers packed a soda can with explosives and one in Somalia, where terrorists detonated an explosives-laden laptop in February 2016.

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

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News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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