US laptop ban lifted on most Mid-East carriers

THE controversial
personal electronic
devices (PED), or
laptop ban, on Middle East
flights to the US is waning.
Turkish Airlines, Qatar
Airways, Etihad and
Emirates all confirmed
that laptops and electronic
devices could, once again,
be taken on board flights
to the US.
For Turkish Airlines, this
is valid for all US-bound
flights from Istanbul
Atatürk Airport, and for
Emirates, it applies to
all US-bound flights from
Dubai. Ceo of Turkish
Airlines, Bilal Eksi, also
tweeted and said he
expected that the ban
could be lifted on flights to
the UK too, but no formal
announcement has yet
been made.
A spokesperson for
Emirates said the lifting of
restrictions came after the
introduction of heightened
security measures.
All passengers carrying
electronic devices on
board US flights from
Abu Dhabi will be subject
to additional security
screening following the
lifting of the ban.
Saudia, the national
carrier of Saudi Arabia,
told the Saudi state
news agency SPA that
it too expected the ban
on electronic devices on
its flights to the US from
Riyadh and Jeddah to be
lifted by July 19. At the
time of going to print this
could not be confirmed.
At time of publication,
EgyptAir could not
comment whether a similar
lifting of restrictions was
expected on its flights to
the US.
The US Department
of Homeland Security
introduced the PED ban on
flights to the US from MidEast
airports on March 21.
Emirates, Turkish Airlines,
Etihad, Qatar, EgyptAir and
Saudia, which operate
indirect services to the US
out of SA, use hubs that
were included in the ban.
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. There
is no word yet on whether
the UK is planning to also
lift restrictions