Two More Airlines Have US Laptop Ban Lifted

July 10, 2017

Royal Jordanian and Kuwait Airways have joined the list of carriers now allowing passengers to carry-on larger electronic devices onto flights to the United States.

Royal Jordanian said the ban, dating back to March of this year, had been lifted on flights to the US from Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport.

Royal Jordanian's chief executive Stefan Pichler said in a statement: “Enhanced security measures are now implemented to meet the requirements of the US Department of Homeland Security’s new security guidelines for all US bound flights.”

Royal Jordanian operates 16 flights each week to three US cities - Chicago, New York and Detroit.

Kuwait Airways said it had worked with the US DHS to ensure security checks at Kuwait International Airport met the department's requirements. The airline flies to New York from Kuwait.

The airlines join Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines, which have already been approved by US authorities.

Saudi Arabian Airlines expects to have its ban lifted by July 19, and Royal Air Maroc says it expects its ban to be lifted on the same day.

The US Department of Homeland Security issued a directive in March that applied to ten airports and nine airlines. Passengers flying to the US from those airports can only take mobile phones into the aircraft cabin. Larger devices such as laptops and tablets must be put in checked baggage.

The British government later issued a similar order, banning larger electronic devices from aircraft cabins for flights to the UK from six Middle East and North African countries.

(Airwise)