Back in March, the Trump administration banned passengers on nonstop, U.S.-bound flights from several countries from bringing laptops, tablets, and numerous other devices aboard flights. The reason was due to the threat of bombs being hidden within the devices. Eight countries and a reported six airlines were affected.
According to TechCrunch, the “laptop ban” as it’s been called, has been lifted from three major airlines with U.S.-bound routes: Emirates Airline and Turkish Airlines. The electronic ban was also lifted on Etihad Airways on Sunday for its flights from Abu Dhabi. This was after the carrier implemented "enhanced security measures,” which is ultimately what lessened regulations with Emirates and Turkish Airlines.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
"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 U.S. Department of Homeland Security's new security guidelines for all U.S. bound flights," the Dubai-based airline said in a statement, as noted by CNN. This means Qatar, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait are still affected by the ban.
After the Trump administration's controversial electronics ban on eight mostly muslim countries, some feared that Europe was next. In June, officials confirmed that while more efficient security measures will more than likely be implemented, the ban will not be as stringent as it’s been for the Middle Eastern and North African countries.
After the announcement in March, airlines had 96 hours to comply with the new regulation. This ultimately caused a great deal of confusion for both the airline companies and passengers. One airline, The Royal Jordanian, even went as far as trolling Donald Trump online. Not only did the airline tweet out a list of activities passengers could partake in instead of fidgeting with electronic devices, they even resorted to tweeting a little poetry.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT