London: Britain has relaxed a ban on laptops and tablets in airline cabins, lifting the prohibition on some flights from Turkey. The Department for Transport said on Friday that the rule no longer applies to flights from Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport.
Britain had banned carrying personal electronic devices larger than smartphones on direct flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia, in the month of March, reports HT.
But the restrictions remain in place for Istanbul Ataturk, Turkey’s biggest airport, as well as the Mediterranean coastal cities of Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman and Izmir, which are popular with tourists.
Turkish Airlines had Tweeted: “Now you can enjoy your electronic devices on the flights to the United Kingdom. Have fun!”
The department says restrictions at other airports “will be lifted on a case-by-case basis once the U.K. government has verified that airlines have put in place alternative security measures.”
Britain’s ban came after the US had put restrictions on laptops in cabins on flights from 10 Middle East airports over concerns about explosives hidden in them. The ban has since been lifted for several airlines.