New aviation security measure could cause travelers to reroute trips

DALLAS (AP) – A new US security measure banning many electronic devices on flights from eight mostly Muslim countries is leading travellers to reconsider their plans to fly through some airports in the Middle East.

Paula Berger, an energy-company manager, and a co-worker have tickets to fly from Houston through Dubai to Hyderabad, India, where her company has an office.

The new rules would require Berger to surrender the laptop she carries and put it in checked baggage on the return trip next month. She is worried the device could be stolen.

"I've been spending hours this morning trying to find a way to reroute us without it costing $5,000, but I haven't found anything,'' Berger said Tuesday. "We might have to suck it up and go through Dubai.''

The US Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that passengers on US-bound flights at 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa will have to check electronics bigger than a cellphone. The only exception is for medical devices. Laptops, tablets, cameras, and other gadgets will have to be placed in checked baggage.

The order is a concern for business travellers, journalists and other professionals who work on the devices and use them to store sensitive information. Tourism officials worry that the order could heighten people's fears of an attack and