Travelling with your electronic devices just became more difficult if you’re flying to the UK or the USA via these six Middle Eastern countries.
Passengers on flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia, will not be able to take any electronic device larger than a smartphone on board. This means that laptops, tablet devices and larger cameras will need to be placed in the hold.
Passengers have voiced concern that this will lead to their devices being damaged or stolen but UK Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said in a statement to parliament, “We understand the frustration that these measures may cause and we are working with the aviation industry to minimise any impact. Our top priority will always be to maintain the safety of British nationals.”
The ban will only affect those flying direct from these countries to the UK. However, if passengers transit through Europe, they will not be subject to the ban. Other European countries could soon follow suit.
The USA on Monday went further than the UK, banning electronic devices from eight countries (10 airports):
- Queen Alia International in Jordan
- Cairo International in Egypt
- Ataturk International in Turkey
- King Abdulaziz International and King Khalid International in Saudi Arabia
- Kuwait International in Kuwait, Mohammed V International in Morocco
- Doha International in Qatar
- Dubai International and Abu Dhabi International in the United Arab Emirates.
With Qatar Airways, Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways all operating flights from Australia, passengers using these airlines to travel to the USA should check what they can take on board before commencing travel.
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