Qatar Airways left out as US lifts laptop ban for Gulf rivals Security checks at Doha airport required to make sure that the hub meets standards

DUBAI: Qatar Airways remains the only major airline in the Gulf region still subject to the ongoing enforcement of the US government’s “gadget ban” in flight cabins, or without a date in place for the restriction to be lifted.

The US Department of Homeland Security has started lifting the restrictions on electronic items inside cabins of airplanes taking off from locations in the Middle East and North Africa, after security measures were put in place last March because of concerns about terrorism.

On Sunday, Etihad Airways became the first airline to be exempt from the ban on all its flights emanating from Abu Dhabi airport, while on Tuesday Saudi Arabian Airlines, which is also known as Saudia, said it expects to be free of the curbs by July 19.

Emirates and Turkish Airlines meanwhile announced on Wednesday that passengers could now bring their laptops and other devices bigger than smartphones on board. Royal Jordanian is awaiting approval of its response to new guidelines requiring stricter security scans and checks.

It is possible the laptop ban will be lifted on Qatar Airways flights to the US in the future.

A spokesperson for the Transportation Security Authority in Arlington, Virginia, said Doha was one of the regional hubs being inspected “to verify that the measures have been implemented correctly and to the full extent required.”

Qatar Airways faces additional pressure amid the diplomatic breakdown between Doha and its Gulf neighbors, which resulted in airspace restrictions that impact the airline’s flight paths.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE also ordered Qatar Airways offices in their territories closed, following coordinated action with Egypt and Bahrain to cut links with Qatar after accusing the country of supporting terrorism.

As many as 50 flights a day have been lost because of the airspace closure, with Qatar Airways aircraft now taking longer routes through Iran to avoid flying over Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Syria, Israel and Iraq.

Dubai’s Emirates plans US revival following lifting of laptop ban — page 12