UK lifts personal electronic device restrictions on some Cairo flights

The UK government has lifted restrictions on passengers bringing large personal electronic devices into the cabin of UK-bound flights from Cairo—but apparently only on BA services. The UK announced bans on PEDs on UK-bound flights from Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia in March 2017. It has gradually been lifting these, apparently as security arrangements at individual airports are deemed to have been brought up to the necessary standards to prevent explosives being smuggled on board inside large PEDs such as laptops, tablet computers and large cellphones. The Department for Transport announced Aug. 30 that there were no longer restrictions on PEDs being brought on board BA services departing Cairo. However, the announcement made no mention of whether the easing of restrictions also applied to Egyptair flights and a DfT spokeswoman was unable to clarify the matter. If the ban continues to be enforced on Egyptair services, this is likely to further annoy the Egyptian government, which is already irritated at the UK government’s continued refusal to allow UK airlines to operate into the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh.<br/>