IATA request US and UK to immediately find out an alternative solution on electronic device ban
March 30, 2017-Monterial
IATA has sent out an immediate request to the government of US and UK to come up with the alternatives for their bans on larger electronic devices in some aircraft cabins operating from the Middle East and Northern Africa.
The two superpower nations had recently imposed a new rule requiring airline passengers flying non-stop to their country from some Middle Eastern and Northern African airports to place the entire electronic device apart from a cell phone in checked luggage.
During a speech at the Montreal Council of Foreign Relations, IATA director General Mr.Alexandre de Juniac spoke that the ban exposed by the two super powers on carrying the electronic device on the flight connecting their countries territory from the Middle East and North Africa are not an acceptable long-term solution to prevent threat they are trying to mitigate. Even in the short term, it has made difficulties for the passengers to travel with the ban.
He also notified that both passengers and airlines have surrounded him with “valid questions” about rules. “Why don’t the super powers have a common list of airports? How can laptops be secured in some flight cabin and not in the cabin of Middle Easter and North African airlines, though the flights depart from the same airport? And also there must be a secured provision to screen electronic equipment effectively?”
The UK had exposed ban on the flights connecting the country directly from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
Similarly, US have exposed the ban on nonstop flights penetrating the country from 10 airports in Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
No of US airlines have been affected; none of the US airlines flies directly from any of the countries from the ban list.
Nine of the airlines based in the Middle East and North African region are affected by the US ban.
Britain’s rule has affected six of the UK based airlines and eight foreign carriers.
The differences in the US and UK lists of affected countries is that the U.S. list of ban includes even Qatar and U.A.E whereas UK list does not.
As been analyzed the countries are home to the Middle East’s three pioneer airlines i.e. Qatar Airways, Etihad and Emirates are found to have clashed with the other three counterpart pioneer airlines of the U.S. i.e. American, Delta and United airlines since moreover past two years.
The U.S. lines report that their counterparts Middle Eastern receive government subsidies which are disallowed under U.S Open Skies agreements and that enable the three Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi-based airlines to expand their US operations and offer lavish premium cabins.
The pioneers of the Middle East skies scoff at these complaints, saying the US lines should stop complaining and start competing.
Meanwhile, the commercial distortions created by the new electronics rules “are severe,” added de Juniac.
“IATA must find a better way. And western super powering governments must act quickly,” he said.
