A new travel ban may mean laptops, tablets and other large electronics have to stay in checked luggage on non-stop flights to the U.S. from certain airports in the Middle East and Africa.
USA TODAY
The United Kingdom banned electronics in the cabin of flights from six countries, joining a similar U.S. ban that began the same day, a government spokesman said Tuesday.
Unlike the U.S. ban, which began Tuesday and covered more countries, the British ban covers domestic airlines.
“The additional security measures may cause some disruption for passengers and flights, and we understand the frustration that will cause, but our top priority will always be to maintain the safety of British nationals,” a spokesman for the prime minister said. The ban covers electronics larger than cellphones.
The ban covers non-stop flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. The list includes two countries that the U.S. ban didn’t cover — Lebanon and Tunisia — and didn’t include several on the U.S. list: Morocco, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
Airlines affected by the ban include British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomson.
Foreign airlines that are affected are: Turkish, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global Airlines, Middle East Airlines, EgyptAir, Royal Jordanian, Tunis Air and Saudia.
“Direct flights to the UK from these destinations can continue to operate to the UK subject to these new measures being in place,” the government spokesman said.
UK joins the US, bans electronics in the cabin on flights from 6 countries – USA TODAY