US & UK: Electronic Devices Banned on Flights

March 21, 2017


It has been announced this week that both the US and UK have banned electronic devices from being brought onto flights in hand-luggage.

The bans which affect electronic devices such as laptops, tablets (including Kindles), cameras, DVD players, and electronic games consoles larger than 16cm long, 9.3cm wide or 1.5cm deep which will now only be permitted on flights in checked luggage. Mobile phones or smartphones and medical devices are not subject to this ban, and will continue to be allowed on flights in hand luggage as long as they do not exceed the requirements above.

US and UK officials have advised that the ban currently has no end date, but US airlines have been given 96 hours from 3am ET on Tuesday 21st March to ban any electronic devices bigger than a smartphone from cabins, and UK airlines have been given until Saturday 25th March to implement the ban.

The UK ban will affect direct passenger flights to the UK from:

  • Turkey
  • Lebanon
  • Jordon
  • Egypt
  • Tunisia
  • Saudi Arabia

The airlines which are affected by the UK ban are as follows:

Six UK carriers:

  • British Airways
  • EasyJet
  • Jet2.com
  • Monarch
  • Thomas Cook
  • Thomson

Eight overseas carriers:

  • Turkish Airlines
  • Pegasus Airways
  • Atlas-Global Airlines
  • Middle East Airlines
  • Egyptair
  • Royal Jordanian
  • Tunis Air
  • Saudia

The US ban will affect nine airlines operating out of ten airports in eight countries, these include:

  • Cairo International Airport, Egypt
  • Queen Alia International, Amman, Jordan
  • Kuwait International Airport
  • Mohammed V International, Casablanca, Morocco
  • Hamad International, Doha, Qatar
  • King Abdulaziz International, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • King Khalid International, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Ataturk Airport, Istanbul, Turkey
  • Abu Dhabi International, United Arab Emirates
  • Dubai International, United Arab Emirates

The airlines operating out of these airports that will be affected are as follows:

  • Egypt Air
  • Emirates
  • Etihad Airways
  • Royal Jordanian
  • Kuwait Airways
  • Royal Air Maroc
  • Qatar Airways
  • Saudi Arabian Airlines
  • Turkish Airlines

Should you require further information on the US ban, please refer to the factsheet released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

If you require advice or assistance regarding travelling to the US or UK, please email us at [email protected].