The Electronics Ban For US-Bound Flights From The Middle East Is Ending

Cool, some common sense. Tim Clark must be pleased.

For sure our Bitch at downing street will lift the ban to the UK .

@Mohamed : Either learn to communicate your opinions without resorting to insults, or take your medieval vulgarity elsewhere

Hopefully emigrates reinstates its second flight from Dubai to Los Angeles, its third one to New York and makes Orlando and forth Lauderdale daily again now that the ban will be lifted.

Seems very much like a mixed bag. Increase inconvenience, searches, delays, security theatre for everyone flying to the US from several times as many airports in exchange for allowing electronics? My applause is muted.

I agree with that @DaveS. While it seems sensible, be prepared for long lines and a lot of extra time boarding if they are going to make everyone switch on every electronic device as they are boarding

or, they will ban laptops from all inbound flights

Couldn't help thinking that TSA is just annoyed that rest of the world don't enjoy similar queues..

Any word on exactly when the ban may be lifted? Are we talking weeks or days?

@Bernardo Ng- I believe That Emirates Airline only did the New York-JFK change temporarily. I believe the change was from June 1 to July 1. Therefore the New York route is staying the same and won't be affected starting in a couple of days. Though I agree that Orlando should be daily. As that is where I live and I fly emirates quite often.

@Mohamed

Go away until you either grow up or learn some manners.

There needs to be a pre-cleared traveler screening program with full background checks that provides a cleared path through secondary screening.

Otherwise, not impressed, the inconvenience imposed by this will almost certainly be worse than that posed by the laptop ban. And I am a frequent international traveler from the US on business.

Intriguing political discussions to be had here... If the true motivation for the ban was concern over lax security, than it makes more sense. If the true motivation, as some experts argue, was to create financial pressure on the airlines in those banned countries (and the related positive bounce for US carriers), then maybe it is more dubious. Given the current climate in Washington we will never know.... If new processes and technology can overcome the threat, that's good news as I need my laptop in the seat with me!

I sure hope they don't implement a "everyone's bags searched at the gate" policy. I've been selected for gate screening about a dozen times since 2008 and it's never quick - usually 3 to 4 minutes to go through my backpack and carryon bag. Hopefully the 3D CT scanners will test successfully and be implemented.

In Europe there's a slightly different spin on this news, more along the lines that the US is "threatening" a laptop ban if the security measures aren't implemented. In any event, I'm sure all this will end up costing more both in terms of time and money. But on balance, it's hopeful news.

_IF_

LOL it's probably more like Europe told the DHS if they implement an electronics ban, Europe will ensure there's an equivalent ban to make sure to affect US flagged carriers the same as foreign carriers.
At least, the DHS is now approaching this more sensibly. This is how they should have approached it if there was in fact a credible threat, by in a low key manner stepping up security and inspections. Much better than them announcing to the world (and thus the terrorists as well) they know about their plans, giving the said terrorists chances to target unaffected location.

Airports with security screening at the departure gate aside, what I still don't understand is with most European/Asian/S. American airports already enforcing the 100 ml liquid rule at the security entrance, why do they insist on doing a secondary screening at the departure gate (for US bound flights) where they prohibit these liquids, which were bought at concession stands or from a lounge? Some people might bring their empty water bottles through security to fill up airside only to be told they can't bring it on aboard. Isn't all liquids in the terminal screened? That's more irritating to me.

Why is it "good news"? Please explain, and consider passenger safety and world wide terror threats in your reply.

@Mark
Thanks for the laughs bro!

@raksiam Saudia already does that (well did that before the ban started..haven't been to the US post-election and probably won't anytime soon) on flights between Riyadh and the US. Passengers have to turn on every device+go through extra checks.