Laptop ban lifted on Emirates flights

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Emirates airline has said the cabin ban on laptops no longer applies on its flights to the United States, BBC News reports.

In March, the U.S. banned cabin laptops and other large electronic devices to and from eight mostly Muslim nations, fearing bombs may be concealed in them.

An Emirates spokeswoman said it had worked with U.S. authorities to meet the requirements of the new security guidelines for all U.S. bound flights.

Emirates, the Middle East's largest airline, flies to 12 U.S. cities.

It comes after the U.S. lifted the laptop ban on Sunday, July 2 for Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi to the U.S..

The boss of Turkish Airlines has said he expects the ban to be lifted for his airline soon as well.

Under the U.S. rules, devices "larger than a smartphone" were not allowed in the cabins of flights from Turkey, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

The U.S. Homeland Security department unveiled further measures last week to enhance security on flights entering the country.

The new measures require enhanced screening, more thorough vetting of passengers and the wider use of bomb-sniffer dogs in 105 countries.