Emirates and Turkish Airways said yesterday they have also been exempted from a U.S. ban on laptops in airplane cabins, joining Etihad in satisfying American security concerns that had cut into the long-haul carriers’ business.
It remains unclear how the airlines addressed fears that the Islamic State or other militant groups might smuggle explosives in electronic devices.
But in Turkey, authorities now use CT scanners to take cross-section images of passengers’ electronics just before they board airplanes heading to the U.S.
Both airlines alerted the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees airplane safety in the United States, that “they are ready to comply with the enhanced security measures,” said David Lapan, a Homeland Security spokesman in Washington. He declined to discuss specifics.
