World News – The United States is giving nine airlines until Saturday morning to make sure that passengers on flights from 10 overseas airports aren’t carrying any electronic devices larger than smartphones with them.
A senior Trump administration official said the airlines are being given 96 hours to fully implement the rules, starting 3 a.m. ET Tuesday, because “evaluated intelligence indicates that terror groups continue to target aviation, to include smuggling explosives in electronic devices.”
Officials wouldn’t say how long the restrictions will be in place.
U.S. officials wouldn’t be more specific about the intelligence or say how recently it was obtained.
The outlines of the new policy were revealed Monday when Royal Jordanian Airlines “jumped the gun” and sent an advisory to passengers, a U.S. official told NBC News.
Officials said devices like tablets, cameras, laptops, portable DVD players, e-readers, portable printers and scanners, and video games will have to be placed in checked baggage under the new policy, but medical devices will be permitted. The restrictions won’t affect crew members.
The policy covers about 50 direct daily flights into the United States from nine airlines flying from 10 overseas airports.
The airlines are:
- Royal Jordanian
- EgyptAir
- Turkish Airlines
- Saudi Arabia Airlines
- Kuwait Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Qatar Airways
- Emirates Air
- Etihad Airways
The airports are:
- Queen Alia International, Amman, Jordan
- Cairo International, Egypt
- Ataturk International, Istanbul, Turkey
- King Abdulaziz, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- King Khalid International, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Kuwait International, Farwaniya, Kuwait
- Mohammed V International, Casablanca, Morocco
- Doha International, Qatar
- Dubai International, United Arab Emirates
- Abu Dhabi International, United Arab Emirates
No U.S. airlines are affected because none operate flights directly to the United States from those airports.
Domestic U.S. flights are also unaffected.
by ALEX JOHNSON, NBCNews.com
