Laptop ban on Middle East flights likely to be lifted

 A ban on passengers carrying laptops and ipads in hand luggage on flights to the UK from the Middle East is set to be lifted, The Daily Telegraph understands.

Travellers flying from Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon have been banned from carrying electronic devices larger than a smartphone in their cabin baggage since March.

The ban was introduced in response to intelligence reports about terrorists developing bombs that could be hidden in laptops. However, the US, which was the first country to ban laptops earlier this year, has eased restrictions on flights from some Middle Eastern airports in response to enhanced security there.

Now, government sources have told The Telegraph that the UK is considering lifting its own ban following a review of the latest available intelligence.

A spokesman said: “We keep our aviation security measures under constant review.”