PIA cashes in on US electronics ban on Middle East airlines

PIA isn't one of the airlines flying to the US that is barred from having electronic devices on board


News Desk March 23, 2017
HOTO: FAISAL MOIN/EXPRESS

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) cashed in on United State's recent ban barring Middle East airlines from having electronic items on board.

The Trump administration on Tuesday imposed new restrictions on electronic devices carried by travelers coming to the United States from 10 airports mainly in the Middle East and North Africa in response to unspecified terror threats.

However, Pakistan's national flight carrier isn't one of the airlines flying to the US that is barred from having electronic devices on board.

PIA, in a tweet, said, "Don't let your work get interrupted onboard"



PIA flies direct to New York from Lahore and has connecting flights to different US cities via Dubai.

US bans large electronics from 10 airports, mainly in Middle East

The Department of Homeland Security will  now require passengers coming to the United States from airports in Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Morocco and Qatar to check electronic devices larger than a cell phone such as tablets, portable DVD players, laptops and cameras.

The airports affected are in Amman, Cairo, Kuwait City, Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Casablanca, Morocco; Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The airports are served by nine carriers that fly directly from those cities to the United States about 50 times a day and include Royal Jordanian Airlines, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways, senior government officials said.

COMMENTS (9)

Breaking Bad | 6 years ago | Reply Mansoor Bhai believe it or not but there is a direct flight between JFK and LHE @Mansoor Khalid:
stevenson | 6 years ago | Reply @Zee: Have you ever been on a PIA flight to Lahore or Islamabad ? It is always near full and many people abroad prefer it over any other airline, especially older expatriates. Despite the preference for PIA by Pakistanis, it is still losing money. This is what bothers people. Now more people will choose PIA over the Gulf airlines ( not big change for most of us) but will it change the profitability? My guess is that will take at least a decade of hard choices and job cuts to make it leaner and more efficient.
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