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Flying to the US from Turkey or Dubai? You’ll be glad to hear you can now carry your laptop again on flights.
Emirates and Turkish Airlines became the latest Middle-Eastern airlines to announce that the electronics ban affecting passengers on flights to the US was no longer applicable on Wednesday.
The US government put the ban in place back in March, claiming specific intelligence threats indicated that large electronics could be used to conceal bombs. The ban applied to airlines flying from eight Middle-Eastern and North-African nations to cities in the US and meant any electronics larger than a phone had to be stored in the hold.
In order for the ban to be lifted, airlines must prove they are carrying out more rigorous security checks on passengers, both at the airport and before they arrive, as well as using bomb-detecting sniffer dogs.
Etihad became the first airline to be free of the ban on Sunday this week.
Emirates flies to 12 US cities from Dubai, but had to cut flights to five of those cities in May as demand tailed off following the ban.
Both airlines took to Twitter on Wednesday to share news with passengers.
“Effective immediately laptops & electronic devices can be taken onboard all Emirates flights from Dubai to the US,” tweeted Emirates.
“Dear Passengers, #WelcomeOnBoard to our US-bound flight. Please fasten your seatbelts and enjoy your own electronic devices,” followed Turkish Airlines shortly after.