A ban on electronic items larger than a mobile phone still applies to flights from Egypt to the United Kingdom
Ahram Online , Wednesday 12 Jul 2017
EgyptAir has announced the lifting of a US-imposed ban on electronics being carried in the cabins of flights from Egypt to the United States, the Egyptan national carrier said in a statement on Wednesday.
However, the airline said a similar ban still applies to flights from Egypt to the United Kingdom.
Egypt's Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy said the measures on flights to the US will be lifted for one year or until another emergency rule is introduced, state-run news agency MENA reported.
On 25 March, US authorities imposed a ban on devices larger than mobile phones being carried on flights from 10 airports in Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey.
The measures were introduced by the US Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) to reduce the risk of terrorist bombings. US officials said at the time that the ban would be lifted once these airports – including Cairo – imposed stricter security procedures.
Earlier this month, the USDHS said it would be lifting the electronics ban for some countries that had applied improved security procedures at airports.
On 7 July, US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said the US has imposed a number of security measures to all commercial flights heading to the US.
These measures, according to Kelly, include enhanced screening of electronic devices, more thorough passenger vetting, and new measures designed to mitigate the potential threat of insider attacks.
EgyptAir is the only Egyptian airline that flies to the United States, operating flights between Cairo and New York.
