US to ban electronic devices from airplane cabins on some US-bound flights

With a (now deleted) tweet, Royal Jordanian Airlines has jumped the gun on a new ban by the US government expected to be announced today: air travellers to the US from several Middle Eastern and African countries, and vice versa, will be forced to stow all electronic devices in the airplane’s cargo hold.

The only exceptions are phones and medical devices needed during the flight. Laptops, tablets, cameras, DVD players, electronic games and other gadgets will all have to be transported in the checked luggage. The other alternative for the passenger is not to bring those devices with them.

A BBC source from inside the US government said that the ban will affect travellers of nine airlines’ US-bound flights from and to ten airports:

• Dubai International and Abu Dhabi International (United Arab Emirates),
• King Abdulaziz International, Jeddah, and King Khalid International, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
• Ataturk Airport, Istanbul (Turkey)
• Cairo International Airport (Egypt)
• Queen Alia International, Amman (Jordan)
• Kuwait International Airport
• Mohammed V International, Casablanca (Morocco)
• Hamad International, Doha (Qatar)

The airlines have apparently been notified of the ban a few day in advance, so they could comply with it as soon as it is officially announced by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today.

The reason behind the ban is still unknown.

from Help Net Security http://ift.tt/2mogp5j

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