Turkey: UK bans electronics on direct flights from six countries

Event

The government of the United Kingdom announced on Tuesday, March 21, that passengers on direct flights from six countries to the UK will be banned from carrying onto the airplane electronic devices larger than 16 cm (6.3 in) long, 9.3 cm (3.7 in) wide, or 1.5 cm (0.6 in) deep (i.e., most laptops, DVD players, tablets, e-readers, and digital cameras). Most cell phones do not exceed these measurements and are allowed in the cabin. Larger devices will need to be packed into luggage and checked in before going through airport security.

The UK ban applies to direct flights from: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Turkey. The ban will impact six UK airlines: British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch, Thomas Cook, and Thomson. It will also impact eight foreign carriers: Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Egyptair, Royal Jordanian, Tunis Air, and Saudia.

Context

The announcement comes shortly after a similar ban was implemented earlier March 21 by the United States. Officials from both countries cited security concerns as reasoning for the change in policy; experts are concerned that explosive devices could be hidden inside certain larger electronic devices and detonated inside the cabin.

In 2016, it is believed the militant Islamist group Al-Shabaab smuggled an explosive device inside a laptop onto a flight out of Mogadishu that exploded 15 minutes after takeoff, blowing a hole in the fuselage of the plane. The explosion occurred while the plane was at only 3350 m (11,000 ft) elevation and the pilot was able to successfully land the aircraft.

Advice

Those traveling to the United Kingdom from the impacted countries are advised comply with all airline regulations, monitor the situation via reliable media, and contact their airlines for further information.