Going to US by Emirates or Turkish airlines? You must now check in your laptops, cameras

Nigerians travelling to the US by Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways cannot longer take large electronic devices, such as laptops and games, on board.

Also affected are Royal Jordanian, Egypt Air, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, and Etihad Airways.

The US on Tuesday announced the new security measure prohibiting large electronic devices in the cabin of passenger flights from 10 airports in the middle east and north Africa.

The affected airports are: Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan; Cairo International Airport; Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey; King Abdul-Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Kuwait International Airport; Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco; Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar; Dubai International Airport; Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the devices must now be placed in checked baggage.

The policy applies to any device larger than a “commonly available smartphone” — such as laptops, tablets, e-readers, cameras, and electronic game systems, including medical devices.

A FAQ issued by the department didn’t say specifically what prompted the  new policy, but stated that “we have reason to be concerned about attempts by terrorist groups to circumvent aviation security”.

The policy is coming up just as the Trump-led administration prepares to defend its controversial travel ban in court.

In defence of the policy, the DHS document cited a February 2016 laptop bombing on board a flight from Mogadishu, Somalia, to Djibouti, the soda can bomb that brought down a Russian airliner in 2015, and hits like the shoe bomber, the underwear bomber, and the liquid explosives plots of 2016.

It said Dubai alone — the busiest airport for international travel in the world — serves 90 airlines flying from all over the world. This new device policy will affect a large number of passengers from Africa, South Asia, and East Asia, as well as the Middle East.