Etihad passengers travelling from Abu Dhabi to US can now carry electronic devices in cabin luggage
The ban was lifted after reviewing the security measures taken by Etihad Airways, the Department of Homeland Security said.
The Department of Homeland Security on Sunday lifted the ban on electronic devices in carry-on luggage on flights between Abu Dhabi and United States. The ban, which was introduced on March 21 to purportedly plug loopholes in aviation security, was lifted after the department reviewed the security measures taken by Etihad Airways, the only airline that runs flights to the US from the Saudi Arabia’s capital.
Transportation Security Administration officials had assessed the procedures at the Abu Dhabi International Airport Pre-clearance Centre on July 1, Abdul Majeed al-Khoori, the acting chief executive operator of Abu Dhabi Airports, told Reuters on Monday. They were satisfied with measures Etihad had implemented .
Etihad operates 45 direct flights from Abu Dhabi to the US every week. Department of Homeland Security Spokesperson David Lapan said that Etihad’s efforts would set an example for foreign and domestic airlines. The restriction is still in place for other airports and airlines such as Emirates and Qatar Airways. “We look forward to working with other airlines to ensure implementation of these critical measures as quickly as possible,” said Lapan, according to Reuters.
In March, the US had banned electronic devices larger than a phone in carry-on luggage on flights from 10 selected countries on the basis of “evaluated intelligence”, saying it was a means to prevent terror attacks. The 10 airports are located across eight countries: the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Morocco. Saudi Arabia is one of the US’ biggest allies, and did not feature on the list of countries affected by Donald Trump’s travel ban, even though the terrorists behind 9/11 came from there.
After the US, the United Kingdom had also imposed a ban on large electronic items in the cabin luggage on flights coming to the country from six countries: Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.