Airlines based in the United Kingdom will have a number of days to enforce the restrictions.
All laptops and tablets will be banned on incoming flights into the United Kingdom from six Middle East countries as the UK Government takes similar measures to those adopted by the United States.
The UK Government has announced a ban on electronic devices larger than a regular smartphone on incoming flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
Airlines in the United Kingdom will be given a few days to enforce the restrictions, which are similar to measures introduced by the United States, which has banned laptops, tablets and large electronic devices in cabins on airlines from eight nations.
In a statement announcing the ban on Tuesday, transport secretary Chris Grayling said that phones laptops and tablets larger than the measurements listed below will not be allowed in the cabin on selected flights to the UK from the countries affected.
Length: 16.0cm
Width: 9.3cm
Depth: 1.5cm
Most smart phones, such as the iPhone 7 or the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, for example, fall within these limits and will continue to be allowed on board.
Devices larger than these dimensions, such as the Amazon Kindle, for example, may not be carried in the cabin in addition to other existing security arrangements.
Grayling said the government understood “the frustration that these measures may cause” and that they are working with the aviation industry to minimise any impact.
“Our top priority will always be to maintain the safety of British nationals. These new measures apply to flights into the UK and we are not currently advising against flying to and from those countries,” the statement read.
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