The UK has followed America’s lead introducing a ban on bringing electronic devices into plane cabins on flights from certain Middle Eastern countries.
Passengers will no longer be able to take laptops, tablets and other portable devices into plane cabins due to an unspecified terror threat when travelling on flights into the UK from six Middle Eastern countries.
These items on the banned list must be checked in and stowed in the baggage hold.
This ban will impact passengers returning home after their holidays on direct flights only from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
Unlike the current liquid ban, products bought after airport security in the duty free area will still need to be checked in to the hold.
Which items are included in the ban?
The ban covers devices which are larger than a typical smartphone measuring 16cm by 9.3cm by 1.5cm, which will now have to go in the plane’s hold.
It includes laptops, iPads (and iPad Minis) oversized smartphones, Kindles and small games consoles.
Which airlines does this include?
UK airlines operating direct flights which will be hit by the new measures are British Airways, easyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomson.
Overseas airlines will also be hit, with Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global Airlines, Middle East Airlines, EgyptAir, Royal Jordanian, Tunis Air and Saudia all facing the same ban.
It will be up to the individual airlines to enforce the ban and tell customers at check-in desks whether they need to stow their devices in the hold.
When does the ban start?
There is no official start date for the ban and it expected to take a few days to implement the new security measures.
Passengers travelling from the affected destinations are asked to be prepared for the changes to be enforced immediately.
Travel trade organisation Abta has warned travellers that laptops and tablets are typically not covered by travel insurance policies for loss, damage or theft if they are placed in the hold.
A spokeswoman for the organisation said: “Passengers travelling to the countries affected may wish to consider leaving their electronic devices at home, although this may be difficult for many, especially business travellers and families travelling with children.”
Passengers should contact their insurer before putting expensive devices in checked baggage.
