The U.K. has followed the U.S. in issuing a prohibition on
carry-on electronic devices for incoming travelers from selected Middle East
countries.
"The United States government made a similar
announcement earlier today regarding flights to the United States and we have
been in close contact with them to fully understand their position," Chris
Grayling, Britain's secretary of state for transport, wrote in a statement to
Parliament on Tuesday.
The ban applies to flights departing for the U.K.
from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
That list differs considerably from the U.S. list. Notably,
the U.S. prohibition applies to the United Emirates and Qatar, where the major
worldwide carriers Emirates, Etihad and Qatar are located. The U.S. prohibition
also applies to Morocco, Jordan and Kuwait. But it doesn't impact Lebanon and
Tunisia.
Under the U.K. prohibition, travelers will not be allowed to
carry laptops, tablets and e-readers with them on a plane. Cameras and portable
DVD players aren't banned, but they are under the new U.S. policy. Like the
U.S. directive, cell phones are still allowed as carry-on items.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security cited ongoing but
unspecified terrorist threats to commercial aviation as the reason for the new
policy.
Grayling told Parliament that the move is in response to "a
constantly evolving threat."