Dubai airport chief says electronics ban will have minimal impact on passenger numbers

A ban on most carry-on electronics on flights to the United States will not significantly affect passenger numbers at Dubai International, where flights depart to 12 US cities daily, the airport's CE said Thursday. The US announced Tuesday new restrictions on flights from airports in eight Muslim-majority countries, including the United Arab Emirates, affecting international airline Emirates which flies from Dubai. The restrictions apply to any device larger than a mobile phone, according to US officials, such as a laptop, tablet and portable DVD player. Industry experts say the ban starting this Saturday could see business travellers who use laptops to work during flights switch to unaffected carriers. "If we are very, very diligent in both communicating exactly what the restrictions are and actually have an efficient process to deal with the situation, I don't suggest it will have an impact on numbers," Dubai Airports CE Paul Griffiths said, adding that a "very tiny proportion" may choose to switch airlines. Dubai International, the world's busiest international airport, is targeting 89m passengers this year.<br/>