UK joins US with electronic devices ban on some air routes

The British government announced on Tuesday a cabin-luggage ban on large electronic devices on flights originating from locations in the Middle East and North Africa, following a similar move by the United States.

Turkish Airlines aircrafts are stationed at Ataturk International Airport covered in snow, in Istanbul, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. Heavy snow continued to clog roads, shipping traffic in Bosphorus and forced hundreds of flight cancellations in the Turkish metropolis.  [Photo/Agencies]

A spokesman for the Prime Minister told reporters that new "necessary, effective and proportionate" security measures will affect passengers on direct flights to the UK from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

Passengers will not be able to board a cabin with phones, laptops or tablets that exceed 16 cm in length, 9.3 cm in width, and 1.5 cm in depth.

The UK airlines that will be affected by the ban include: British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomson Airways. Foreign carriers that will be affected include Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, Atlas Global, Egypt Air, Tunisair, Royal Jordanian and Saudia.

The announcement follows on from a similar ban outlined by the United States Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday.

The US ban affects nine Middle East and North African carriers from 10 international airports in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan.

Passengers destined for the US on certain airlines from these airports - that include one of the world’s busiest, Dubai International Airport - may not bring large electronic devices such as laptops, DVD players and tablets into the cabin.

Passengers are allowed to carry small electronic devices such as phones, though the announcement did not specify dimensions, leaving some to wonder whether large phones or so-called phablets will fall under the ban.

A statement from the US government read: "Evaluated intelligence indicates that terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation, to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items."

In the statement, the US government cited the downing of a plane in Somalia in 2016 as well as attacks on airports in Brussels and Istanbul and the downing of a Russian aircraft in 2015 after it left Sharm-El-Sheik.