U.S. Restricts Electronic Devices On Flights From 8 Muslim Countries

By Greg Myre, NPR
Emirates passenger planes are parked at their gates at the Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. is imposing new restrictions that require most electronic devices, including laptops, tablets and cameras, to be placed in checked baggage on direct flights to the U.S. from eight mostly Muslim countries, including the UAE. Passengers can still carry smartphones.
Emirates passenger planes are parked at their gates at the Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. is imposing new restrictions that require most electronic devices, including laptops, tablets and cameras, to be placed in checked baggage on direct flights to the U.S. from eight mostly Muslim countries, including the UAE. Passengers can still carry smartphones. Kamran Jebreili/AP
Emirates passenger planes are parked at their gates at the Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. is imposing new restrictions that require most electronic devices, including laptops, tablets and cameras, to be placed in checked baggage on direct flights to the U.S. from eight mostly Muslim countries, including the UAE. Passengers can still carry smartphones.
Emirates passenger planes are parked at their gates at the Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. is imposing new restrictions that require most electronic devices, including laptops, tablets and cameras, to be placed in checked baggage on direct flights to the U.S. from eight mostly Muslim countries, including the UAE. Passengers can still carry smartphones. Kamran Jebreili/AP

U.S. Restricts Electronic Devices On Flights From 8 Muslim Countries

By Greg Myre, NPR
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Airline passengers coming to the U.S. on direct flights from eight majority-Muslim nations can still carry smartphones into the cabin of the planes, but must now place larger electronic devices, like laptops and cameras, in checked baggage under stepped-up security measures, U.S. officials said.

The measures announced Tuesday morning cover about 50 incoming flights a day from the eight countries — Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

All are traditional U.S. allies and none is among the six majority-Muslim nations on President Trump’s controversial executive order that seeks to temporarily suspend immigration. The president issued a revised executive order on March 6, and this one, like the original in January, has been blocked by the courts.

The six countries cited in Trump’s order all have fraught relations with the U.S., and several are plagued by unrest or civil war, including Syria, Libya and Yemen.

In contrast, the countries on the new airline list are mostly stable, have generally good relations with the U.S., and include four wealthy states in the Gulf.

The U.S. officials said the airplane restrictions are based on intelligence indicating that terror groups are still plotting to blow up civilian planes. The officials stress that the latest measure is not related to the president’s executive order, but it’s certain to draw comparisons amid the ongoing political and legal battle over Trump’s immigration order.

Royal Jordanian informs passengers

Royal Jordanian Airline announced the security steps on Twitter on Monday afternoon. The tweet was deleted shortly afterward, but it prompted administration officials to speak to reporters and announce the planned move.

U.S. authorities have expressed concerns in the past that explosives could be placed inside electronic devices.

However, the administration officials declined to say specifically why they thought this move would enhance security since it doesn’t ban electronic items currently permitted on planes, it just requires that they be placed into checked baggage.

Passengers can still take smartphones or essential medical devices into the cabin. But larger items, including laptops, tablets, cameras, DVD players and electronic games will have to be checked, the U.S. officials said.

The officials cited attacks in recent years by extremists, including the downing of a Russian charter plane in Egypt in 2015, which was apparently caused by an explosive device on the aircraft. The officials also noted airport attacks carried out by gunmen in Brussels and Istanbul in 2016.

U.S. carriers are not affected because none travels directly to the U.S. from airports in the eight named countries.

American officials said they started reaching out on Sunday to make sure the countries and airlines knew these new regulations were coming.

For the past several years, U.S. authorities have expressed great concerns about the bombmaking skills of the al-Qaida satellite in Yemen, and have cited group member Ibrahim al-Asiri in particular.

Yemen is on Trump’s immigration ban, but there are no direct flights from that country to the U.S. However, Yemen is relatively close to the four Gulf states that are on the airline list.

To see more, visit NPR.org.