After Etihad, Emirates & Turkish off laptop ban list

TIMES NEWS NETWORK





Dubai's Emirates and Is tanbul-based Turkish Airlines on Wednesday said the US has lifted the ban on laptops from their nonstops to America with immediate effect. This comes three days after the US revoked a similar restriction on Abu Dhabi's Etihad.

 

America had on March 25 banned electronic devices larger than a mobile phone in passenger cabins of direct flights to the country from 10 airports in the Gulf, North Africa and Turkey , including Emirates, Etihad, Qatar and Turkish. These devices have to be checked in on these airlines' nonstop flights to the US.But for some airlines, things are going back to normal now. “Effective immediately , electronics ban has been the electronics ban has been lifted for Emirates' flights from Dubai International Airport to the USA. Emirates has been working hard in coordination with various aviation stakeholders and the local authorities to implement heightened security measures and protocols that meet the requirements of the US department of homeland security's new security guidelines,“ an Emirates spokesperson said.

Turkish Airlines said in a tweet: “Dear passengers, welcome on board our US-bound flight. Please fasten your seat belts and enjoy your own electronic devices.“

While Turkish's India operations are only a daily on Delhi-Istanbul and MumbaiIstanbul routes, Emirates is the largest foreign airline in terms of flying people in and out of India. The three Gulf carriers -Emirates, Etihad and Qatar -flew over a crore passengers in and out of India last year with anywhere from 67% to 80% of these flyers taking connecting flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha to fly between India and rest of the world. The US is one of the main destinations for transit travellers to and from India.