On March 20, Royal Jordanian was the first to drop a “bombshell” on Twitter, claiming that after receiving notice from relevant U.S. authorities, passengers would be banned from bringing large electronic devices (anything larger than a phone) onto nonstop flights to the United States. Although the airline later withdrew the statement, today the U.S. and U.K. governments officially announced that, based on intelligence related to potential terrorist attacks, they will impose bans on large electronic devices on flights departing from several airports and heading to the U.S. or the U.K. Reports also indicate that Canada and other countries are considering similar measures.

Airports affected by the ban

The U.S. and U.K. versions of the ban differ slightly. The U.K. list does not include every country covered by the U.S. ban.

  • (U.S. only) United Arab Emirates, Dubai Dubai (DXB): Emirates’ largest hub;
  • (U.S. only) United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (AUH): Etihad Airways’ largest hub;
  • (U.S. only) Qatar, Doha Doha (DOH): Qatar Airways’ largest hub;
  • Turkey, Istanbul Istanbul (IST): Turkish Airlines’ largest hub;
  • Jordan, Amman Amman (AMM): Royal Jordanian’s largest hub;
  • (U.S. only) Kuwait, Kuwait City Kuwait City (KWI);
  • Egypt, Cairo Cairo (CAI);
  • (U.S. only) Morocco, Casablanca Casablanca (CMN);
  • Saudi Arabia, Riyadh Riyadh (RUH);
  • Saudi Arabia, Jeddah Jeddah (JED);

Although Abu Dhabi (AUH) has a U.S. CBP pre-clearance facility, CBP cannot replace the security screening process, so the airport is still subject to the same ban.

Countries affected by the electronics ban (Source: BBC)

What the ban covers

Restrictions for flights to the U.S.

For details, see the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s press release. On nonstop flights to the United States departing from the restricted airports listed above, passengers may not carry on electronic devices larger than a smartphone. This includes laptops, tablets, cameras, e-readers, and handheld game consoles larger than a phone (sorry, Nintendo Switch). Necessary medical devices may be exempted.
The prohibited electronic devices must be checked. Because the FAA prohibits checking lithium-ion batteries that are not installed in an electronic device, you still need to carry spare batteries with you on board, such as extra camera batteries. The ban has no stated end date and will only be reassessed in the future.

Restrictions for flights to the U.K.

On nonstop flights to the U.K. departing from the restricted airports listed above, passengers may not carry on electronic devices larger than 16cm x 9.3cm x 1.5cm. Almost all phones should fall within this limit (including the Pixel XL and iPhone 7 Plus
Passengers carrying such devices must place them in checked baggage.

Flights affected

None of the three major U.S. airlines operates nonstop service to these Middle Eastern airports, so they are not affected at all. However, the three major Middle Eastern carriers—Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways—are all affected, except for some flights departing the UAE that stop in another country before continuing to the U.S.
Because flights from the above countries to the U.K. include many low-cost carriers, those airlines have not yet said whether they will increase free checked baggage allowances so passengers are not forced to pay more because of the ban.

Terrorism intelligence

Both the U.S. and U.K. bans are based on intelligence concerns. DHS believes terrorists may use innovative methods to destroy aircraft, including hiding explosives inside electronic devices.
The ban does not prevent passengers from checking electronic devices in their luggage, and in the U.S. it has never been prohibited to check electronic devices containing lithium batteries. What is prohibited is checking unprotected loose lithium batteries by themselves. This new rule does not conflict with FAA lithium battery regulations.

Will the large-electronics ban work?

Many people have questioned how effective this ban will be, and whether explosives hidden in checked baggage might actually be even more dangerous. DHS surely understands that an explosive device that would otherwise have been in the cabin could be more dangerous if it detonates in the cargo hold.
One possible reason for this policy is that if someone carries multiple large electronic devices into the cabin, and secretly conceals some explosive material in each one, there may be an opportunity to combine them on board and detonate them together. Or, to evade explosives screening during security checks, terrorists might use multiple substances and synthesize explosives on the aircraft itself. If the devices are checked instead, either they cannot be combined into an explosive device, or they cannot be detonated together, making them far less effective.
Of course, this still does not prevent terrorists from flying to the U.S. via another country, and adding one more connection does not seem especially difficult.

What can I do?

Naturally, the author has no way to know for sure. But if multiple countries are responding to the same intelligence, that suggests they do not view it as entirely baseless. If you are flying one of the affected airlines, first, your ability to work or entertain yourself on board may be significantly affected; second, if the intelligence is real, that means terrorists may be planning to target these flights, which is obviously not good news. So if you plan to connect through or travel in the Middle East, pay attention. If you really cannot change your plans, bring a good book or prepare other entertainment options instead (Qatar Airways: don’t forget you’ll soon be able to play mahjong on board).
Emirates even released a short video reminding passengers that its in-flight entertainment system still offers plenty to watch.