The irritating laptop ban has been lifted, first for one airline, and now a second has been added to the list of carrier’s flights leaving for the US.
According to The Independent, Abu Dhabi became the first airport to lift the US ban on electronics, with Etihad announcing its hub airport had been given the green light to lift the ban. Emirates wasn’t far behind, since announcing its own airline has been freed of the ban.
The US recently upped the ante on security, with a whole range of extra security measures put into place, but this lift on the laptop ban is at least one positive for travellers flying on Etihad Airways or Emirates.
The lift has taken place with immediate effect, per The Independent, after the Transport Security Administration (TSA) – part of the Department of Homeland Security – completed an “observation and verification session”.
Passengers were immediately allowed to take electronic devices onboard flights to the US.
Recently, a number of airlines were looking for loopholes around the inconvenient ban, while Australia looked at starting its own electronics boycott.
The “laptop ban” was brought in by the US government in March on the basis of “innovative methods” being used by terrorists, and affected affects airports from eight Muslim-majority countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey.
The decision to exempt flights from Abu Dhabi to the US “allows passengers to have all laptops, tablets, and other gadgets as carry-on items, after going through enhanced inspection procedures,” Etihad said in a statement on Sunday, per news.com.au.
The carrier operates 45 flights per week from the capital Abu Dhabi to six US airports.
An Emirates spokesperson said on their own laptop ban end, “Effective immediately, the electronics ban has been lifted for Emirates’ flights from Dubai International Airport to the U.S.A.
“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 for all US bound flights.
“We would like to express our gratitude to the US and local authorities for their support and thank our customers for their understanding and patience during the last few months when the ban was in place.”
Last week, the TSA announced it was demanding extra screening requirements for electronics as a security measure at 280 airports around the world, impacting 2000 flights a day, per The Independent.
It was said to be a bid to ensure the electronics ban was not expanded, and Abu Dhabi fast became the first airport to meet with its approval.
