After US, UK also issues laptop, tablet flight ban for 6 nations

LONDON: Britain will follow the US and bar passengers from taking laptops and tablets on Uk-bound flights from six Middle Eastern countries.

Theresa May, the Prime Minister, announced that passengers will be barred from taking laptops into flights from Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The move will affect inbound passengers from those countries on flights by UK carriers including British Airways, Easyjet, Jet 2, Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomson flights.

It will also affect those flying with foreign carriers including Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, Atlas Global, Egypt Air, Tunisair, Royal Jordanian and Saudia.

Airlines which fail to meet the requirements will be barred from flying to the UK. Passen- gers will be barred from taking on board devices that are “larger than a normal sized mobile or smart phone”, equivalent to 16 cm long, 9.3 cm wide and 1.5 cm deep. These devises will have to be placed in the hold.

Airlines will be given a “few days” to adjust to the new regulations, and Downing Street acknowledged that the measure would cause disruption for passengers.

However the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman said: “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.”

The Department of Homeland Security in the US announced a ban on Tuesday after revealing that extremists are seeking “innovative methods” to bring down jets amid concerns that bombs will be hidden in laptops.

The US ban goes significantly further than the UK’S by affecting flights from the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

May’s spokesman said that the UK has been “in close touch” with the US to “fully understand their position.

The spokesman said: “The safety and security of the travelling public is our highest priority. That is why we keep our aviation security under constant review and put in place measures we believe are necessary, effective and proportionate.”