Qatar Airways left out as US lifts laptop ban for Gulf rivals

Qatar Airways remains the only major airline in the Gulf region still subject to the ongoing enforcement of the US government’s “gadget ban” in flight cabins.
The US Department of Homeland Security has started lifting the restriction of electronic items inside the cabins of airplanes taking off from 10 airports in the Gulf, Middle East and North Africa, after security measures were put in place last March because of concerns about terrorism.
On Sunday, Etihad Airways became the first airline to be exempt from the ban on all its flights emanating from Abu Dhabi airport, while on Tuesday Saudi Arabia Airlines said it expects to be free of the curbs by July 19.
Emirates and Turkish Airlines meanwhile announced on Wednesday that passengers could now bring their laptops and other devices bigger than smartphones on board. Royal Jordanian is awaiting approval of its response to new guidelines requiring stricter security scans and checks.
The Doha flag carrier faces additional pressure after a diplomatic breakdown between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors resulted in an air blockade, limiting the regional airspace that it can fly into.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE also ordered Qatar Airways offices in their territories closed, following coordinated action with Egypt and Bahrain to cut links with Qatar after accusing the country of funding terrorism.
As many as 50 flights a day have been lost because of the airspace closure, with Qatar Airways aircraft now taking longer routes through Iran to avoid flying over Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Syria, Israel and Iraq.
There have been no indications from the US government that the gadget ban imposed on Qatar Airways may be lifted soon.
President Donald Trump last month called on Qatar to stop funding terrorism and has claimed credit for the decision of the Gulf nations to impose the blockade.
“The nation of Qatar has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level … the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding, they have to end that funding and its extremist ideology,” Trump said.
The US air-travel market is a vital segment particularly for the Gulf’s big three operators – Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways – since most of their major American rivals have stopped directly servicing the eastward route, aside from some code-sharing arrangements with other airlines.
Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al-Baker, in an earlier interview with CNNMoney, criticized the rush in introducing the US gadget ban without proper discussion.
“I didn’t think this ban was necessary at all,” Al Baker said.
“People who want to disrupt aviation will do it from other places where there is no ban.”
Al Baker has been openly disdainful of the three US legacy carriers – American, Delta and United – after accusing Gulf rivals of receiving unfair state subsidies and engaging in anti-competitive business practices, putting them in breach of open-skies agreements.
The Qatar Airways chief executive, speaking during an Arabian Travel
Market event in Dubai in April, described the US airlines as "self-centered who swindle their customers."

Source: Arab News