Laptop ban lifted on US-bound flights for four airlines [Update]
Passengers of Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Etihad and Saudi Arabian Airlines can now bring laptops on board
Update July 17: The last airline to have restrictions on passengers bringing large electronic devices on board has had the ban lifted.
Saudi Arabian Airlines passengers can now carry laptops and other devices larger than smartphones into plane cabins, Reuters reports.
Airlines and airports have had to increase security measures in order to have the so-called laptop ban lifted, and a deadline of July 19 to meet additional new requirements is looming.
Original story below...
Passengers on Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Etihad flights bound for the US can now bring laptops and other large electronic devices inside the plane cabins.
This marks the lift of the ban on devices larger than a smartphone for the airlines. The so-called laptop ban was implemented in March for non-stop flights to the US leaving from 10 airports in eight countries.
- Look forward to using the Surface Book 2 during air travel
Emirates flies to the US from Dubai, while Turkish Airlines is headquartered in Istanbul. It was announced on Sunday that Etihad, which departs to the US from Abu Dhabi, will now allow passengers to bring large electronics on board.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
The electronics ban was put into effect because US intelligence indicated terrorist groups were creating explosives to be concealed inside large electronic device batteries, according to The New York Times. Banned devices included laptops, tablets, e-readers, portable game players and DVD players.
Tighter security measures at the airports where Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Etihad fly from are said to be in effect, reports the BBC.
It's unclear if the ban at the remaining airports will be lifted anytime soon. The UK has a similar ban on electronic devices aboard direct flights from six countries which remains in effect. However, Turkish Airlines has indicated the UK ban may be lifted on its flights soon.
- These are the best laptops you can now bring on your next flight
Michelle was previously a news editor at TechRadar, leading consumer tech news and reviews. Michelle is now a Content Strategist at Facebook. A versatile, highly effective content writer and skilled editor with a keen eye for detail, Michelle is a collaborative problem solver and covered everything from smartwatches and microprocessors to VR and self-driving cars.