Travel Industry Reacts With Caution and Frustration to New Airline Electronics Ban
Photo Credit: A Turkish Airlines Boeing 737 taxis in Manchester, England. Turkish will be affected by both the U.S. and EU electronics bans. Flickr / Alec Wilson
Skift Take
A ban on large electronic devices may be necessary to keep travelers safe, but many in the travel community are not happy with how U.S. and UK authorities announced the new policy. Could we see some tweaks to the rules in the near future?
With the United States and the UK enacting sweeping restrictions on the electronic devices passengers can carry in the cabin on inbound flights, the world's airlines have reacted publicly as you might expect — with a shrug.
Behind the scenes, carriers might be lobbying governments to loosen regulations on some routes. They know that their most lucrative customers, who generally fly in business and first class, expect to have laptops, tablets, and e-readers with them at all times. They also know baggage handlers are not equipped to handle high-value items, which can easily break at some point between the check-in desk and the cargo hold. Some carriers, especially Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad Airways, may be miffed that they are covered by the U.S. ban — though not the UK one — as their hubs in Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi employ some of the most advanced security techniques and screening in the world.
But in aviation, security and safety are considered sacrosanct, and
