New terror threat behind iPad ban
Fears over Al-Qaeda plot lead to veto on laptops and tablets on flights from N Africa and Middle East
BRITISH passengers on holiday flights from the Middle East and North Africa will be banned within days from carrying laptops, tablets and other electronic devices on board after security services identified a new al-Qaeda terrorist threat.
Some 2.4 million passengers a year flying into the UK on airlines including British Airways, Thomson, Thomas Cook and easyJet will have to store electronic devices larger than a phone in their hold luggage, despite concerns they may be stolen or damaged. It will affect anyone flying from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia or Saudi Arabia. The Government is introducing the ban after a similar move in the US, where officials revealed “evaluated intelligence” showed that terrorists are “aggressively pursuing innovative measures” to carry out attacks with devices such as laptop bombs.
The intelligence is believed to have come from a raid by US Navy Seals in Yemen in January that targeted alQaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP) and yielded “important intelligence”, according to President Trump.
Reports at the time said AQAP’s bomb-maker, Ibrahim al-Asiri, was trying to build compact bombs containing only trace amounts of metal that could be smuggled on to planes. US security analysts are also said to have picked up increased “chatter” in recent weeks from militants saying they want to hide explosives in computers.
Last year the insurgent group alShabaab used an explosive-filled laptop on a flight out of Mogadishu, Somalia, to blow a hole in the side of a plane.
The ban, which has been under consideration for weeks, represents the most significant restriction on air travel since passengers were stopped from carrying liquids of more than 100ml in their carry-on baggage in 2006.
Theresa May’s official spokesman admitted the restrictions would cause “disruption”, but said that they were necessary for the safety of passengers.
He said: “Safety of the travelling public is our highest priority. That is why we keep aviation security under constant review and put in place measures that are necessary, effective and proportionate. Over the last few weeks, the PM has chaired a number of meetings on aviation security, most recently this morning, where it was agreed new measures will be introduced.”
The restrictions will cover all electronic devices more than 6.3ins (16cm) long, 3.6ins (9.3cm) wide and 0.6ins (1.5cms) deep. The ban will hit tablets, laptops, handheld games consoles, e-readers such as Kindles and portable DVD players. Insurers warned last night that laptops and tablets were not typically covered by policies for loss, damage or theft if placed in a hold.
Airlines will be given a few days to adjust to the new regulations, and those which refuse to do so will be barred from flying to the UK.
The move will affect in-bound passengers from the six countries on flights operated by British Airways, easyJet, Jet 2, Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomson as well as those flying with foreign carriers including Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, AtlasGlobal, Egyptair, Tunisair, Royal Jordanian, Saudi and Middle East airlines.
Anyone who flies on an aircraft which starts its journey outside the six
countries but which stops in one of them en route to Britain will have to stow their devices in the hold from the start of the first leg of their flight.
The US restrictions are wider and also apply to passengers flying from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait and Morocco. Asked why the US ban was more extensive, a Downing Street spokesman said: “We have spoken closely [with the US authorities] but have each taken our own decision.”
Extending the restriction to the UAE would have caused significant disruption because its capital, Dubai, is hugely popular with British tourists.
Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, said: “We understand the frustration that these measures may cause and we are working with the aviation industry to minimise any impact.
“Our top priority will always be to maintain the safety of British nationals.
“These new measures apply to flights into the UK and we are not currently advising against flying to and from those countries.”
The ban refers only to direct flights to Britain, leaving a potential loophole for people who fly via other European hubs. Government sources suggested that other European nations are likely to follow the UK’s example.
The US Department for Homeland Security said the procedures would “remain in place until the threat changes”, and did not rule out extending them.
John Strickland, an air industry consultant, said that while the ban will cause “headaches for airlines and customers” carriers have “no choice but to put security first” when official advice is given.