Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah King Abdulaziz and Riyadh King Khalid international airports have been removed from the list of airports banning large personal electronic devices (PEDs) of US-bound passengers, according to a Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) statement July 19.
Saudia—the last Middle Eastern carrier under the restrictions—said the two Saudi Arabian airports have completed inspection and clearance has been granted by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to permit all PEDs on board US flights.
Saudia is the sole carrier operating direct flights between Saudi Arabia and the US, where it operates to three airports—Los Angeles, New York JFK and Washington Dulles.
In March, the US imposed the ban on PEDs larger than a smartphone in carry-on bags aboard direct flights originating at 10 airports in eight countries: Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey, citing unspecified terrorism concerns.
Each of these has worked to meet new US security requirements, announced June 28 by DHS, so the bans could be lifted.
The UK, the only other country to impose a similar electronics ban from certain countries to the UK, has yet to lift the restrictions or indicate that it will change course.
source: ATW
