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Washington Lifts Laptop Ban for Etihad Airways Flights | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Etihad Airways  plane. (AFP Photo/Hasan Mroue)


Washington- The United States has lifted a ban on passengers taking laptops and tablet computers on Etihad Airways flights from its base in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi.

Etihad is the first airliner to benefit from a lift in the ban, which specified that carry-on laptops and other electronic devices larger than cellphones would not be permitted in the cabin on direct flights from the airports, including Abu Dhabi.

The move — welcomed by Etihad — comes more than three months after the United States prohibited such devices on direct flights from 10 airports in eight Arab countries, in addition to Turkey.

The decision to lift the ban on US-bound Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi came after the airline implemented enhanced security measures, said David Lapan, spokesman for the US Department of Homeland Security.

“We commend Etihad for working swiftly to implement these additional measures,” he said. “Their efforts are a model for both foreign and domestic airlines looking to adopt the new measures.”