WHILE direct US flights operated
by SAA and Delta Air Lines
are not affected by
the US Department of
Homeland Security’s
(DHS) ban on carrying
certain electronic devices
in the cabin, many SA
passengers travelling
via Mid-East hubs are
nevertheless affected.
On March 21, the DHS
announced a ban on
all electronic devices
larger than a cellphone/
smart phone on board
the aircraft in carryon
luggage or other
accessible property
on flights from certain
airports to the US. Six
airlines operating indirect
services to the US out of SA use hubs
included in the ban.
The airlines and hubs are Emirates
(DXB), Turkish Airlines (IST), Etihad
(AUH), Qatar (DOH), EgyptAir (CAI) and
Saudia (JED).
The UK then followed with its own
ban on devices larger than 16cm x
9,3cm x 1,5cm on flights from Turkey,
Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Middle
East countries that do not have
services to SA. At this stage, the UK
has not included flights from Dubai,
Abu Dhabi and Doha.
The DHS made the announcement
earlier this week as a result of
intelligence they received that terrorist
groups were looking at innovative
ways to smuggle explosive devices
on board commercial flights. It is a
trend rather than a specific alert and
the measure is seen as an enhanced
security measure. At this point it
affects 10 of the 250 airports with
flights into the US. No
domestic flights in the
US are affected.
Medical devices are
excluded.
In South Africa,
where theft out of
suitcases passing
through its airports
has been rampant and
check-in staff routinely
caution travellers to
leave nothing of value
in their checked-in
luggage, this ban poses
a particular problem.
The DHS said that, as the
threat picture changed, other airports
and even domestic flights might be
affected.
