Travel industry lobbying groups are expressing concern about
the prohibitions on carry-on electronics that the U.S. and UK issued for
airports in the Middle East and North Africa on Tuesday.
In a statement, the U.S. Travel Association noted that it
supports efforts to make flying more secure. But it also urged the U.S.
government to do a better job of communicating the policy.
"We continue to hope that highly visible changes to
security protocols in the future will be accompanied by a clear message that
the government's intent is not to suppress, but to secure travel, and that
legitimate international business and leisure travelers remain welcomed and
valued by the United States," reads a statement by U.S. Travel executive
vice president of public affairs Jonathan Grella.
IATA, which earlier criticized the Trump administration for
not informing airlines prior to the chaotic rollout in late January of its
original travel ban against citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations, sounded
a similar note in its statement about electronics prohibition.
"Safety and security is the top priority of everyone
involved in aviation. Airlines comply with government requirements and they can
do this most effectively when measures are well coordinated," the carrier
noted.
The new U.S. directive requires flyers traveling to the U.S.
from Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar and the United
Arab Emirates to check all electronics that are larger than smartphones, including
computers, tablets, e-readers, cameras and portable DVD devices. Travelers can
still take smartphones with them on the plane.
The U.K. prohibition applies to flyers traveling from
Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. It bans those
travelers from carrying-on computers, tablets and e-readers.
Both countries cited ongoing but unspecified terrorist
threats to commercial aviation as the reason for the new policy.
Emirates CEO Tim Clark, whose carrier makes its hub in the
United Arab Emirates airport of Dubai, told the Associated Press Wednesday that
he wasn't informed of the impending carry-on ban until Tuesday. Airlines have
until Saturday to comply with the U.S. directive.
Business travel groups also expressed anxiety about the new
rule.
"Nearly half (49%) of business travelers prefer to stay
connected and get work done while flying," Global Business Travel
Association executive director Michael McCormick said in a Tuesday statement. "Not
allowing them to bring their devices on the plane cuts productivity, taking
away time that they can be getting business done. Many business travelers also
prefer to keep their devices close for security purposes because they may
contain sensitive company information."
Like Grella, McCormick also said that his organization
supports necessary security measures.
"We are awaiting more information as to whether this
addresses a specific security threat and also reaching out to our members to
assess the impact on business travel," McCormick said.