Laptop ban is lifted for seven foreign airlines
Seven of nine foreign airlines have been removed from the March ban against laptops in carry-on bags, even as the U.S. demands tighter security on international flights.
EgyptAir, Kuwait Airways and Royal Jordanian Airlines each announced they were removed from the ban on electronics larger than cellphones that the Department of Homeland Security targeted for direct flights to the U.S. from 10 airports in eight countries.
Etihad Airways, which has Preclearance facility from Customs and Border Protection at Abu Dhabi, was the first removed from the list on July 2. Emirates and Turkish airlines were removed July 5, and Qatar Airways on July 6.
The department adopted the ban because of intelligence about terrorists getting better at hiding explosives. But the department said June 28 that airlines could get off the list if they adopted tougher security measures required worldwide for detecting explosives and thwarting airport workers from smuggling bombs aboard planes. The steps came after airline bombings in Egypt and Somalia. The new measures apply to 180 airlines flying to the U.S. from 280 airports in 105 countries.