Britain said
Tuesday that it would ban passengers from carrying laptops and other large
electronic devices on flights into the country from six Middle Eastern nations,
following a similar measure announced by the U.S. The new British
directive will block carry-on electronics larger than 16 centimeters in length,
9.3 centimeters in width and with a depth of over 1.5 centimeters on direct
flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
"Direct
flights to the UK from these destinations continue to operate to the UK subject
to these new measures being in place," a spokesman for Prime Minister
Theresa May told reporters. "We think these steps are necessary and
proportionate to allow passengers to travel safely." Earlier Tuesday,
the U.S. Transportation Safety Agency issued a similar ban on passengers flying
directly to the United States from 10 Middle Eastern airports.
The ban is not
in response to some specific threat, the agency said in a statement, but rather
due to “evaluated intelligence” that shows terrorist groups’ continued interest
in targeting commercial flights. The directive
will require passengers to store electronic devices larger than a cellphone in
checked baggage. The TSA said it chose not to include cellphones due to
logistical reasons. The TSA said it
chose the airports “based on the current threat picture” and after consultation
with intelligence officials, though more airports could be added in the future. “As threats
change, so too will TSA’s security requirements,” the agency said.
Affected
airports
The airports
affected by the U.S. ban are: Queen Alia International Airport, Cairo
International Airport, Ataturk International Airport, King Abdul-Aziz
International Airport, King Khalid International Airport, Kuwait International
Airport, Mohammed V Airport, Hamad International Airport, Dubai International
Airport, and Abu Dhabi International Airport.
“Our information
indicates that terrorist groups’ efforts to execute an attack against the
aviation sector are intensifying given that aviation attacks provide an
opportunity to cause mass casualties and inflict significant economic damage,
as well as generate overwhelming media coverage,” the TSA statement said.
Airlines were
notified of the increased security measures Tuesday and have until Friday to
comply. No end date was included in the order, meaning it will extend
indefinitely.
Several British
airlines will be impacted by the British ban — including British Airways and
low-cost carrier Easyjet as well as package-vacation carriers Thomas Cook and
Thomson. The British ban affects in-bound flights from Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan,
Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. It is unclear why the U.S. and British bans
do not exactly match when it comes to the airports and countries included.
No U.S. airline
is impacted by the U.S. electronics ban — none fly direct to any of the
countries listed by the Department of Homeland Security, which warns militants
are seeking "innovative methods" to bring down jets amid concerns
that bombs will be hidden in laptops.
A U.S.
intelligence official dismissed claims by some security experts that the ban is
as much politics-led as security-informed. He told VOA: “The ban is reflective
of how sophisticated al-Qaida is becoming in the next generation of devices
their bomb-makers are trying to develop.”
U.S.
intelligence agencies have long been focused on militants in the Middle East
exploring a new generation of non-metallic explosives unlikely to be detected
by current airport security equipment.
In 2014 U.S.
intelligence officials were alarmed by what they said was a teaming up of
veteran jihadists in Syria with bomb-makers and terror planners from al Qaida’s
affiliate in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is active in Yemen and Saudi
Arabia. AQAP has been the most persistent al Qaeda affiliate in efforts to bomb
U.S.-bound jets.
The group was
behind the attempted Christmas Day bombing in 2009 of Northwest Airlines flight
253 by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who bungled the detonation of explosives sewn
into his underwear. And it claimed responsibility for a 2010 cargo plane bomb
plot foiled by British intelligence.
Al Qaida isn't
the only group that’s prompting concern. Last year the Somalian insurgent group
al-Shabab smuggled an explosive-filled laptop on a flight out of Mogadishu,
blowing a hole in the side of the plane. The aircraft was still low enough that
the pilot was able to land the plane safely.
Meanwhile.
Turkey said Tuesday it would ask the U.S. to reverse the ban, which affects
travelers departing for the U.S. from Istanbul’s Ataturk airport.
Turkish
Transportation Minister Ahmet Arslan told reporters Turkey already takes “all
kinds of security measures” at its airports and said it was wrong to group the
Turkish airport with those in “less high-profile destinations.”
“We particularly
emphasize how this will not benefit the passenger and that reverse steps or a
softening should be adopted,” he said. Jamie Dettmer contributed to this report
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