Brits Could Face Laptop Ban on U.S. Flights

Similar to the proposed ban imposed on travelers from several Middle Eastern countries, the Trump administration is considering barring passengers flying to the US from UK airports carrying laptops. Quoting anonymous sources, Guardian suggested the current proposals might widen the current U.S. laptop ban to include one of the U.S.’s biggest allies.

The US government unexpectedly imposed the electronic ban and the British officials understand that their US counterparts are looking at extending the ban. It technically means that there will be prevention of any device larger than a Smartphone to be taken as a carry-on luggage on flights.

One Whitehall source suggested to the Guardian that although it was not certain that the ban would be extended to the UK, the US was considering doing so.

Travelers have been advised to stow their devices in checked-in baggage on flights from the airports in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Gillian Christensen, a spokeswoman for the US Department of Homeland Security, said: “We’ve said we will continue to evaluate the threat environment and make determinations based on that assessment, but we have not made any decisions on expanding the current restrictions against large electronic devices in aircraft cabins from selected airports.”

Restricting electronic devices to checked baggage for flights from the Middle East has been a commercial boost to US carriers at the expense of their Gulf rivals, which include Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. To manage the loss, some major Middle Eastern airlines have resorted to lending tablets to business and first-class passengers.