Emirates wins laptop-ban exemption, leaving Qatar isolated

Emirates said measures barring laptops from the cabins of aircraft departing its Dubai base for the US have been lifted, leaving Qatar Airways as the only major carrier still affected by the ban. The moratorium, imposed in March, was removed Wednesday following work with local authorities and regulators on implementing the “heightened security measures and protocols” required by the US Department of Homeland Security, Emirates said. Dubai becomes the third major airport to normalise access to personal devices on US-bound flights. Istanbul, home to Turkish Airlines, also declared itself free of the ban Wednesday after saying Monday that that the restrictions would be dropped, while Etihad Airways hub Abu Dhabi secured exemption last Sunday, aided by the presence of a US “pre-clearance” border post there. <br/>