US, UK ease laptop bans

THE controversial
personal electronics
(PED) ban on flights from
the Middle East to the US
has ended, after Saudi
Arabian Airlines (Saudia)
was given clearance. The
UK has also eased its
laptop ban.
US government
officials have lifted the
restrictions at Saudia’s
hub, King Abdulaziz
International Airport in
Jeddah. Officials are
set to visit King Khalid
International Airport
in Jeddah to confirm
compliance there too.
The airport is expected
to be deemed compliant,
signalling a complete end
of the PED ban.
The UK government
has begun easing the
restrictions it introduced
earlier this year, which
prevented passengers
travelling to the UK from
carrying laptops and
tablets in their hand
luggage.
Security measures
introduced in March
placed restrictions on
passengers carrying
large electronic devices
into aircraft cabins.
But on July 28, the UK
government announced
that the ruling no
longer applied on all
UK-bound flights from
Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen
International Airport.