DUBAI: The US has ended a four-month ban on passengers carrying laptops onboard US bound flights from certain airports in the Middle East and North Africa, bringing to an end one of the controversial travel restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport was the last of 10 airports to be exempted from the ban, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed in a tweet.
Middle East carriers have blamed Trump’s travel restrictions, which include banning citizens of some Muslim majority countries from visiting the US, for a downturn in demand on US routes.
In March, the US banned large electronics in cabins on flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa over concerns that explosives could be concealed in the devices taken onboard aircraft.
The ban has been lifted on the nine airlines affected — Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Kuwait Airways, EgyptAir and Royal Air Maroc — which are the only carriers to fly direct to the US from the region.
A ban on citizens of six Muslim-majority countries — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, — remains in place though has been limited after several US court hearings challenged the restrictions.
“The aviation industry has been trying to come together with a united message to governments and stakeholders about regulation and supporting the industry,” said Will Horton, senior analyst at Australian aviation consultancy CAPA.
“That was dealt a first blow from the travel ban and then a second from the large electronics ban.”
Leading industry group the International Air Transport Association (IATA) criticized the laptop ban as ineffective, as security experts argued that militants could travel to the US via Europe or elsewhere where the restrictions did not apply.
The restrictions were imposed as major US carriers American Airlines Group, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines resumed their campaign against the Gulf carriers Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways by pressuring the new US administration to renegotiate its open skies agreements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar.
However, US and Middle East officials said the campaign and the travel restrictions were not related.
US officials lifted the ban after visiting the 10 airports in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and Turkey over the past three weeks to confirm new security measures announced last month were being implemented.
On Thursday, the US issued a revised directive to airlines around the world in response to requests that it clarify aviation security measures scheduled to start taking effect this week. The new requirements include enhanced passenger screening at foreign airports, increased security protocols around aircraft and in passenger areas and expanded canine screening. They affect 325,000 airline passengers on about 2,000 commercial flights arriving daily in the US, on 180 airlines from 280 airports in 105 countries.
Airlines that fail to meet the new security requirements could face in-cabin electronics restrictions.
The UK continues to enforce a similar in-cabin ban on electronics ban on flights from some Middle Eastern airports. Those restrictions apply to flights from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Tunisia.
US lifts laptop ban for all Mideast airlines and airports
US lifts laptop ban for all Mideast airlines and airports
Qatari minister reaffirms support for Lebanon, calls stability a regional priority
- Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi said Lebanon remains key foreign policy priority, reveals economic, development and humanitarian measures
- US ambassadors to Lebanon, Israel meet in Jordan to discuss peace efforts amid latest escalations
BEIRUT: Qatar’s Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi on Monday reaffirmed Doha’s support for Lebanon during a meeting with President Joseph Aoun.
In a press conference he said that “Lebanon’s stability is a fundamental pillar for the stability of the entire region” and announced a package of economic, development and humanitarian measures.
The Qatari minister’s visit to Beirut coincided with Israeli military escalation in southern Lebanon, including the assassination of Hezbollah members by drones, incursions into the border area, and the demolition of more residences.
While the date for the meeting of the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (Mechanism) agreement has yet to be confirmed, the US Embassy in Lebanon said in a press release on Monday that Washingt’s ambassadors to Beirut and Israel met in Jordan to discuss peace efforts through diplomacy and dialogue.
The meeting, hosted by the US Embassy in Amman last weekend, focused on the steps needed to achieve a more peaceful and prosperous region.
The visit by Qatar’s minister to Lebanon was made “upon the instructions of Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani,” according to Aoun’s media office.
“It is crucial to involve Lebanon in regional discussions, and Qatar is keen on this matter, as well as on following the situation in the country, especially the internal developments, Israeli attacks, the work of the committee, the dialogue, and efforts to find the necessary solutions,” Al-Khulaifi said.
Aoun expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Qatari minister for the visit and initiatives.
He said that the Lebanese military is carrying out its duties south of the Litani River in full, while Israeli attacks on southern villages and towns continue, destroying residential areas and displacing residents, at times extending to villages in the Bekaa Valley.
“Israel has not responded to repeated calls to abide by the agreement announced in November 2024 and implement Resolution 1701. This Israeli stance prevents the return of security and safety to the south, in addition to its repercussions on all levels,” he stated.
Aoun revealed that “contacts are ongoing before the meeting of the Mechanism committee scheduled for next month to reach practical results that will expedite the restoration of stability to the south, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of prisoners, and enable the army to deploy to the internationally recognized southern border.”
He stressed that “pressuring Israel to facilitate the work of the Mechanism committee is essential to achieving the full implementation of Resolution 1701 in all its aspects.”
Aoun also spoke about the Lebanese military’s “need for equipment, vehicles, and supplies that would enable it to carry out its required tasks not only in the south but throughout all Lebanese territory.”
Regarding relations with Syria, Aoun affirmed that the situation on the Lebanese-Syrian border is better than before, and that negotiations are ongoing between the two countries to address several issues, particularly the return of Syrian refugees.
He added that Lebanon welcomes any Arab support in general, and Qatari support in particular, to help facilitate this return.
Al-Khulaifi also met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and in a joint press conference stressed “the necessity for all parties to adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and respect the full sovereignty of the Lebanese Republic over its territory.
“We reiterate our complete condemnation of the Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory, which constitute an infringement on the sovereignty of our sister nation, Lebanon, and we emphasize the need for the Security Council to assume its responsibilities to stop these violations and to preserve Lebanon’s stability,” he said.
The minister announced a Qatar Fund for Development package — coordinated with Lebanese authorities within legal frameworks — including a $40 million grant and $360 million economic project to bolster Lebanon’s electricity sector, benefiting 1.5 million people nationwide.
Other measures include 185 scholarships over three years for Lebanese youth, the Sports for Development and Peace initiative to protect 4,400 children and young people in conflict areas, and reconstruction of Beirut’s Karantina Hospital, destroyed in the port explosion, with further health projects under review.
Qatar will also fund a $20 million first phase, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, to support the voluntary return of 100,000 Syrian refugees. It guarantees housing upon return, plus three months of food and medicine to ensure stability and social reintegration.
“We thank the Syrian government for its constructive cooperation in facilitating the implementation of this humanitarian and development project,” the minister said.
Elsewhere on Monday, the Syrian Internal Security Directorate said it thwarted an attempt to smuggle missiles and ammunition through the Syrian town of Breij into Lebanon, according to SANA.
Breij, located east of Talkalakh on the border with Lebanon’s Akkar region, is considered a smuggling hub, according to a Lebanese security source.
