CAAT:US cabin baggage ban on electronic devices not affect Thailand

BANGKOK, March 23 (TNA) - The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) confirms that the US government's cabin baggage ban on all electronic devices larger than mobile phones from 10 airports of eight Islamic countries in the Middle East and North Africa for a terrorism prevention reason has not affected the Thai aviation system. CAAT Director-General Chula Sukmanop told journalists on March 22 that the indefinite ban, issued by the US Department of Homeland Security and effective as of March 21, will affect only all inbound flights to the United States from the 10 airports of the eight countries. According to the US Department of Homeland Security's notification, all passengers, non-Americans and Americans alike, who fly to the United States from the 10 targeted airports are prohibited from taking with them in their carry-on bags or baggage aboard the cabin all the electronic devices larger than cellular phones, namely laptops, iPads, tablets, portable DVD players and cameras, but they must put the devices in checked-in baggage, instead. However, approved medical devices larger than mobile phones that must be used by passengers are allowed to be taken aboard the cabin. The 10 targeted airports are in Abu Dhabi and Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, Amman of Jordan, Cairo of Egypt, Casablanca of Morocco, Doha of Qatar, Jeddah and Riyadh of Saudi Arabia, Istanbul of Turkey and Kuwait City of Kuwait. The US Department of Homeland Security cited a security precaution against feared smuggle of explosives in any electronic component for the enforcement of the new aviation rule, requiring all airlines from the 10 targeted airports to comply with it within March 24. Airlines affected by the new US regulation include Royal Jordanian Airlines, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways , Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways. The CAAT chief explained that a security precaution notification is normally sent to targeted airlines directly, but the new US cabin baggage ban needs to be publicly announced to international passengers. The CAAT chief also noted that aviation security precautions in regular cases have all been notified by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has already imposed a similar ban on inbound flights from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. According to the new UK aviation regulation, all electronic devices larger than 16 centimeters long, 9.3 centimeters wide or 1.5 centimeters deep must be put in check-in baggage instead. (TNA)