The U.S. and U.K. bans on laptops and other large electronic
devices onboard flights from certain Middle East and North Africa destinations likely
will last months, not days or weeks, according to International SOS.
ISOS advises corporate travelers who must travel through affected
countries to take extra precautions to secure their devices before checking
them. This includes locking luggage with U.S. Transportation Security
Administration-approved locks, moving sensitive information off checked items onto
the cloud or a shared drive and leaving behind nonessential electronic devices.
In addition, passengers should allow extra time for security
procedures when traveling through those airports. "Affected airports will
have to review how they process and move passengers through the terminals as
efficiently as possible while maintaining an adherence to the scheme,"
according to ISOS and Control Risks travel security expert James Wood.
"Disruption while the restriction beds in should be expected, particularly
while the airports refine and review their security procedures."
In the meantime, several carriers are offering services to
comply with the bans. Some are allowing passengers to gate-check banned items
so passengers connecting through affected airport can keep their devices on the
first legs of their trips. Policies as of Monday include:
British Airways
(affected by the U.K. ban): The carrier is allowing passengers who are
partway through a trip that includes travel home from an affected country and
those about to start such a trip to rebook for a later date should they not be
able to comply immediately with the checked electronics requirements.
Emirates (affected by
the U.S. ban): At no charge, passengers may hand over devices at the gate
to be packed in a box that will have priority unloading upon arrival.
Etihad (affected by the
U.S. ban): Etihad's home airport of Abu Dhabi hosts the only U.S. Customs
Preclearance facility in the Middle East. Passengers must place their devices
in checked baggage before going through Preclearance. Etihad plans to add staff
to the Preclearance facility while the ban is in effect.
Kuwait Airlines
(affected by the U.S. ban): The carrier warns of "significant delays
and/or the possible confiscation of restricted items by security
personnel" should passengers traveling from or through Kuwait to the U.S.
not put prohibited items in checked luggage at their first point of departure.
Qatar Airways
(affected by the U.S. ban): The carrier reports making arrangements to help
passengers secure prohibited devices in the baggage hold and reportedly is
gate-checking banned items, though it has made no official announcement that it
is doing so.
Turkish
Airlines (affected by both bans):
The carrier is allowing passengers in Istanbul to keep their devices at their
gates until they are ready to board. At that point, they will hand over the
devices and collect them at a designated place in the baggage claim area.