UK set to ban passengers from carrying large electronic devices

Britain on Tuesday said that it is set to ban passengers from carrying most electronic devices on flights from certain countries in the Middle East.

This it said followed similar measures that were introduced in the U.S.

The U.S. imposed restrictions on electronic devices bigger than cellphones on planes coming from 10 airports in Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and North Africa in response to unspecified security threats. 

According to security sources, the details of the British ban, which might differ from the U.S. measures, would possibly be confirmed later on Tuesday. The British government had no immediate comment as at the time of this report. 

In a related development, EgyptAir  said it received instructions from U.S. transport authorities imposing restrictions on electronic devices carried by incoming travelers and will bring them into effect on March 24. 

A spokesperson said: “based on the instructions coming from transport authorities in the U.  S. regarding placing electronic devices in the hold beneath the plane and not the cabin, EgyptAir will implement this decision on all travelers heading to the U.S. as of Friday, March 24.”

The devices include laptops, tablets, cameras, E-readers, portable DVD players, electronic games units, travel printers, and scanners from cabin luggage on certain flights originating from eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa. 

The biggest carrier in the Middle East Emirates Airline from Dubai said in an e-mailed statement the directive comes into effect on March 25, and is valid until Oct. 14. The new rule, which took effect on Tuesday, applies to nonstop U.S.-bound flights from 10 international airports in the cities of Cairo in Egypt, Amman in Jordan, Kuwait City in Kuwait. 

Others are Casablanca in Morocco, Doha in Qatar, Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Istanbul in Turkey, and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.