Britain to make announcement on in-flight electronics amid US ban

CAIRO (AP):
Britain's Department for Transport says it will make an announcement later about electronic devices on aeroplanes.

The department would not disclose details on the measure expected later Tuesday.

Britain's Sky News and the and BBC report that Britain will announce a ban on carrying devices larger than phones in aeroplane cabins on flights from some countries.

The US government has moved to bar passengers in eight Muslim-majority countries from bringing laptops and other electronics onboard direct flights to the United States.

Some airlines in the Middle East began notifying passengers early Tuesday that they had instructions to bar passengers from bringing iPads, laptops and other electronic devices on US bound planes.

It was unclear whether Britain's order would mirror that of the US.

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways has issued a travel alert to passengers about the new US security guidelines prohibiting them from carrying electronics other than mobile phones onto its US-bound planes.

The government-backed carrier said Tuesday it has "made special arrangements to assist passengers in securing their devices in the aircraft's baggage hold," without elaborating.

Qatar Airways flies to multiple American cities from its hub in Doha, Qatar, including New York, Atlanta, Miami and Chicago.