Which countries are affected by the travel ban on electronics?

October 3, 2019

The United States and United Kingdom governments are preventing passengers from putting in their carry-on luggage larger electronic devices than a smartphone or cell phone from certain destinations. The new ban applies to electronic devices whose width is greater than that of 3.7, that of 6.3 and that of 0.6. Among these devices are electronic readers, tablets, laptops, portable DVD players, cameras, travel printers, Kindles and electronic games larger than a smartphone. The ban represents some of the strictest travel restrictions to implement since 9/11.

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Reasons Behind The Ban

Citing unspecified threats, US government officials who had been considering the ban for several weeks before revealing that the decision had been taken as a result of “evaluated information” regarding potential threats to airlines for states -United. The US government is concerned that terrorist groups have put in place new ways to develop bombs that are difficult to detect and hide in electronic devices. There are also concerns about explosive devices made from non-metallic materials, as most airports around the world do not have high-tech screening machines that can detect such bombs.

Who is affected?

The ban in the United Kingdom concerns six countries, while the US ban affects airports 10 in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa. More specifically, the new ban affects passengers flying from Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. In the United Kingdom, a total of 14 airlines is concerned, including British Airways, Monarch, Jet 2, Thompson, EasyJet and Thompson Cook. Other carriers include Egyptair, Royal Jordanian, Saudia Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Turkish Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Tunis Air and Atlas Global Airlines.

Airports affected by the US ban on consumer electronics include Dubai International in the United Arab Emirates, King Khalid International in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Hamid International in Doha, Qatar, Ataturk in Istanbul, Turkey, Abu Dhabi International in the UAE , Mohammed V International in Casablanca Morocco, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia, Cairo International Airport in Egypt, Kuwait International Airport and Queen Alia International in Amman (Jordan).

Implications

Critics of the recently introduced ban argue that this will reduce passenger comfort, ultimately reducing the number of passengers traveling with the airlines involved. Most people who work on their laptops during the flight will not be able to benefit from this possibility, which is a major drawback. Problems such as stealing such devices remain a concern for many passengers. Many of the affected airports are among the busiest in the world.

Limits to the prohibition

The ban is aimed at maintaining security measures without making flight impossible, but there are some limitations. One of the issues raised was what makes it safer to store the devices in the cargo area of the aircraft while an attacker can use a phone to blow the device up. Passengers may also take connecting flights from other unaffected areas before boarding an aircraft bound for the United States or the United Kingdom, thereby complicating the logistics behind the ban.