Qatar Airways joins Gulf carriers off US laptop ban list
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Qatar Airways joined two other major long-haul Gulf carriers on Thursday in getting off a U.S. ban on laptops and large electronics in airplane cabins, despite facing logistical challenges amid the country’s diplomatic dispute with several Arab nations.
Doha-based Qatar Airways, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, Dubai-based Emirates and Istanbul-based Turkish Airlines all have put security procedures in place to satisfy American authorities. U.S. officials instituted the ban in March across 10 Middle East cities over concerns Islamic State fighters and other extremists could hide bombs inside of laptops.
Qatar Airways said that with “immediate effect, all personal electronic devices can be carried on board all departures from Hamad International Airport to destinations in the United States.” Hamad in Doha is the hub of Qatar Airways.
“Safety and security are always our highest priority,” Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker said in a statement. “They are expressed throughout all of our corporate values and must never be compromised.”