The United States has banned passengers from taking large electronic devices in carry-on luggage for flights from eight African and Middle Eastern majority-Muslim countries.
The reasons for the ban were not wholly clear, though officials said the measure was based on concerns that terrorists could attack aircraft using bombs hidden in laptops, iPads and other electronic devices, according to the New York Times.
Officials described the ban as preventative, rather than based on a particular threat.
A Department of Homeland Security statement said: “The US government is concerned about terrorists’ ongoing interest in targeting commercial aviation, including transportation hubs over the past two years, as evidenced by the 2015 airliner downing in Egypt; the 2016 attempted airliner downing in Somalia; and the 2016 armed attacks against airports in Brussels and Istanbul.”
“Evaluated intelligence indicates that terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation, to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items.”
The ban would prevent passengers from taking laptops, tablets, cameras and any other device larger than a smartphone with them on non-stop flights to the US leaving from ten airports. These devices will need to be checked in with luggage.
Airlines will be responsible for enforcing the cabin ban and could lose their rights to operate US routes if they fail to do so. US carriers are unaffected by the ban.
This measure is likely to affect the following nine non-American airlines: Royal Jordanian, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.
The Department of Homeland did not return a request for comment on whether this new directive was motivated by the recent surge in electronic devices “exploding” on airplanes due to faulty lithium-powered batteries.
In October, a Southwest Airlines flight was canceled after a passenger’s Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone caught fire on board, resulting in the device getting banned from three airlines: Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia.