The United Kingdom government has updated the list of countries that are restricted from allowing passengers to carry large phones, laptops and tablets in cabin on all UK-bound flights. The list now excludes Turkish Antalya, Bodrum, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen and Izmir airports, Hurghada, Luxor and Marsa Alam airports in Egypt and Tunis-Carthage International in Tunisia.
UK government also announced that restriction on individual airlines operating from other airports has also been lifted. Most of the carriers operating out of Turkish airports are no longer subject to these restrictions.
The ban was lifted for two Saudi Arabian airports ─ King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, starting from December 21, 2017, according to the General Authority for Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia.
On March 2017, UK restricted on carrying large phones, laptops, tablets and accessories into the cabin of UK-bound flights from Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia affecting 14 airlines, including 6 UK carriers at the time. Similar restrictions were implemented in the United States fearing that IS terrorists could attempt to hide explosives in batteries and battery compartments.
The ban applied to electronics that exceed the size of a regular cell phone, in hand luggage on direct flights to the United States from 10 – mostly Muslim – countries that was gradually lifted with Saudi Arabia becoming the last airline on July 2017.
