Electronics Ban: 1.1m Passengers Are Expected To Hit Dubai International Airport

Few weeks earlier: Trump administration declared ban on the flights coming into the US mainly from UAE and North Africa, Now Dubai international airport and its flagship carrier Emirate Airline started to implement the ban requirements of not taking the Laptops and Tablets on the direct flight to US.

1.1million people are expected to cross the busiest airport in U.A.E during the spring holiday season. Airport’s senior vice president communications Anita Mehra said on Monday.

It is estimated that 260 hundred thousand commuters were expected to go through Dubai Airport from Friday to Monday. Moreover, 89 million passengers are expected this year.

Trump administration has already announced ban on electronics, this ban specifically targets larger electronics including Laptops, Tablets but passengers can take along standard smartphones. It is not clear from the US government officials that how long this ban would last. Emirates Dubai representatives told that they have been instructed to implement the ban for at least 7 months till October 14.

Travellers switching between 10 announced airports in Middle East and North Africa are subject to ban.

Travellers should not buy any electronics from the duty free shops either because the ban also covers all electronics sold at Duty Free, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths informed local radio earlier this week.

Emirates have taken measures to facilitate its customers and announced it would be offering complimentary packing and shipping services at gates to enable passengers to use their electronic devices after check-in and until boarding.

Adding to the complication on Saturday, a number of flights out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports were delayed due to thunderstorms, including an Emirates flight to Houston.

The US ban affects nine airlines from eight countries: Turkey, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Britain is not behind in this, UK government also announced a parallel ban, effective Saturday, targeting all flights out of Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Lebanon.

Abu Dhabi, home to UAE national carrier Etihad Airways, is one of the few international airports with a US Customs and Border Protection Facility, which processes immigration and customs inspections before departure.

“All Etihad Airways guests travelling to the United States clear US Immigration and Customs at the US Preclearance facility in Terminal 3, the only one of its kind in the Middle East,” read a statement emailed to AFP.

The bans have come under criticism for targeting majority-Muslim countries. The US ban in particular has raised eyebrows for covering airports from which US airlines do not operate direct flights.

In counter argument The United States and Britain says they have intelligence reports indicating passenger jets could be targeted with explosives planted in such devices.