CNN: Something strange happening with some inbound flights to US

[brooklynite]

11. UPDATE: This is NOT an airline ban; it's an AIRPORT ban...

The US Is Banning Laptops And Tablets On Flights From Major Middle Eastern Airports

The US is barring passengers from bringing laptops, tablet computers, and other electronic devices as carry-on items on non-stop flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa.

The ban was revealed Monday after two Middle Eastern airlines began telling passengers about the new restrictions. A representative of Saudi Arabian Airlines, based at JFK International Airport in New York, told BuzzFeed News that the ban begins immediately, and covers all electronic devices, excluding cell phones. The airline said the ban applies on flights headed to the US.

The representative declined to answer further questions and said inquiries should be directed to the Transportation Security Administration.

The ban will hit every major air travel hub in the Middle East, including the home airports of global airline industry giants like Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines. A US official told the Associated Press that the ban covers all direct flights to to the US from Cairo, Egypt; Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar; Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia; Istanbul, Turkey; and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/leticiamiranda/middle-eastern-airlines-report-surprise-us-electronics-ban