Beirut airport to ban laptops on U.K. flights from Saturday

23 March 2017

BEIRUT: Passengers departing from Beiruts Rafik Hariri International Airport will no longer be allowed to carry large electronics in cabin baggage on United Kingdom-bound aircraft as of Saturday, airport manager Fadi al-Hasan said Wednesday. Britain announced new travel restrictions Tuesday, after the United States imposed a similar ban on planes arriving from 10 airports in Muslim-majority countries.

Lebanon was not on the U.S. list, but will be affected by Britains ban.

An airport source told The Daily Star that Rafik Hariri International Airport would abide by the new rules, and urged London-bound passengers to arrive at least three hours prior to takeoff.

The only electronic devices that passengers can carry into the cabin are mobile phones, the source said. Authorities had notified all airlines operating in Beirut, he added.

Passengers will not be allowed to bring into the cabin any laptops, tablets or cellular devices exceeding 16 centimeters in length, 9.3 centimeters in width, and 1.5 centimeters in depth. These items will now have to be stowed inside luggage and checked into the hold, the source said. The ban applies to all carriers that fly between Beirut and London.

Our aim is to protect the safety of British nationals and travellers to the U.K., while also ensuring that the links between the U.K. and Lebanon remain open: These new measures ensure both of these goals can be achieved, a statement from the British Embassy in Beirut read.

Speaking of the new travel restrictions, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters: Direct flights to the U.K. from these destinations continue to operate subject to these new measures being in place.

The embassy statement added that it was not discouraging passengers from flying to and from the countries on the list. The British regulations affect Lebanons Middle East Airlines, British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2, Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson, Atlas-Global, Pegasus, EgyptAir, Royal Jordanian, Saudia, Turkish Airlines and Tunisair.

Copyright The Daily Star 2017.