WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) — The U.S. government is temporarily barring passengers on certain nonstop flights from eight Middle Eastern and North African countries from bringing larger electronics in carry-on luggage. The ban applies for nonstop flights to the U.S. from 10 airports based in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Quatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The policy includes any electronics larger than a smartphone, including laptops, iPads, cameras and other electronics. Those devices will now have to be checked. The Department of Homeland Security said the ban is needed because, “Evaluated intelligence indicates that terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation and are aggressively pursuing innovative methods to undertake their attacks, to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items.” The policy goes into effect Tuesday, but airlines have 96 hours, or four days, to comply, CBS2’s Janelle Burrell reported. It is unclear how long the ban will last. It does not apply to any U.S. airlines. “There’s probably more flights coming from Middle East to New York and L.A. than any other airport,” airline expert Brian Sumers said. “We could see somewhere between three and seven a day that are affected by this ban.” Officials say the new policy is based on intelligence developed overseas, although they say there is no specific threat. “It’s going to be a mess over the next several days,” Sumer said. The carriers impacted by the ban are Royal Jordanian, Egypt Air, Turkish Airline, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, royal Air Marac, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways, CBS News reported. The affected airports are in Cairo; Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar; Riyadah and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia; Istanbul; and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The Mideast’s biggest airline, Dubai-based Emirates, confirmed that U.S.-bound passengers will be prevented from carrying electronic gadgets larger than cellphones on its planes. Emirates said the new rules apply until October 14 and apply to all U.S.-bound passengers, including those transiting from other departure cities. Government-backed Emirates flies from Dubai to a dozen U.S. destinations, including New York, Chicago, Washington and Los Angeles. But some other regional airlines appeared unaware of the ban. Egyptian officials at the Cairo International Airport say they have not received any instructions on banning passengers from bringing electronics on board direct flights to the U.S. The officials say that a New York-bound EgyptAir flight departed on Tuesday and that passengers were allowed to take their laptops and other electronics on board in their carry-on luggage. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media. The United Arab Emirates’ national carrier, Etihad Airways, also says it has not changed its policies regarding electronics in aircraft cabins. It said in a statement on Tuesday that it will continue to work closely with American officials in the U.S. and at its base in Abu Dhabi, but for now its “policies have not changed.” A spokesman for Royal Jordanian says the airliner has not yet started to enforce the new regulation. Basel Kilani told The Associated Press that the airline is still awaiting formal instructions from the relevant U.S. departments, which could possibly come later on Tuesday. Kilani says the new rules were not applied to Royal Jordanian’s direct flight that already departed on Tuesday from Jordan’s capital of Amman to New York. (© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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Most Electronics Banned In Carry-On Bags From Certain Flights To US From 8 Countries
