US, UK ban laptops, tablets on flights from Turkey and Arab countries

The U.S. and British governments, citing unspecified threats, are barring passengers on some international flights from mostly Middle Eastern and North African countries from bringing laptops, tablets, electronic games and other devices on board in carry-on bags
Tuesday, 21 March 2017 20:11

The United States warned Tuesday that extremists plan to target planes with bombs in electronic devices and banned such equipment from passenger cabins on flights from 10 airports in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa. It had been instructed to enforce it until at least October 14.

Senior US officials told reporters that nine airlines from eight countries had been given 96 hours to tell travellers to pack any device bigger than a smartphone in their checked luggage. Laptops, tablets and portable game consoles are affected by the ban -- which only applies to direct flights to the United States from the blacklisted airports.

No US carriers are affected by the ban, but passengers on approximately 50 flights per day from some of the busiest hubs in Turkey and the Arab world will be obliged to follow the new emergency ruling.

The airports touched by the ban are Queen Alia International in Amman, Jordan; Cairo International in Egypt; Ataturk in Istanbul, Turkey; King Abdulaziz International in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; King Khalid International in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Kuwait International; Mohammed V International in Casablanca, Morocco; Hamad International in Doha, Qatar; and the Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports in the United Arab Emirates.

The ban will hit flights operated by Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.

Reaction from the affected airports' host governments was generally low-key, but one, Turkey, denounced the order and demanded that it be rescinded or scaled back.

"We particularly emphasise how this will not benefit the passenger and that reverse steps or a softening should be adopted," Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan told reporters. "We already take all kinds of security measures," he said, arguing that with 80 million flights per year coming from Istanbul, it should "not be confused" with less prominent destinations. 

UK ISSUES LAPTOP, TABLET FLIGHT BAN AFTER US WARNING

Britain tightened airline security on flights from Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa on Tuesday, banning laptops and tablet computers from the plane cabin following a US security warning.

Passengers flying directly to Britain from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey will be required to place those devices and large phones into hold luggage, a government spokesman said.

The British ban only involves six countries, two of which -- Lebanon and Tunisia -- do not feature on the US list. Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar and United Arab Emirates are on the US list, but not the British one.