The United Kingdom could follow the United States in preventing passengers on flights from some countries in the Middle East and Africa from carrying devices such as laptops and tablets in the cabin, government sources said Tuesday.
Prime Minister Theresa May is privy to the same information and intelligence as U.S. officials, a Downing Street source told CNN. She has discussed security several times with U.S. officials over the past few weeks, the source said.
A decision may be announced later on Tuesday, the source added.
The Trump administration has ordered nine airlines flying from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa to stop passengers from bringing most types of electronic devices into the cabin for U.S.-bound flights. Instead, they’ll have to check them in.
The ban covers any devices bigger than a smartphone — including iPads, Kindles and laptops.
The indefinite U.S. ban will affect more than 50 flights from the airports in the mainly Muslim countries, including major hubs such as Dubai and Istanbul, according to senior U.S. administration officials.
The nine airlines affected by the U.S. ban were notified of the procedures by the Transportation Security Administration at 3 a.m. ET Tuesday and must comply within 96 hours.
It’s not clear whether other countries will sign on to the ban.
Germany is not currently considering similar measures, according to Annegret Korff, a spokesperson for the country’s interior ministry. Korff said that Germany had prior notice of the U.S. regulations.
French authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is not the first time that electronic devices have been banned on certain flights.
In 2006, passengers traveling from Britain to the U.S. were allowed to carry only essential items in cabins after intelligence officials discovered a plot to blow up airplanes flying between the countries.
Passengers had to check all items except absolute essentials, such as passports, wallets and eye glasses. All personal items had to be carried in a clear plastic bag and all electronics had to be checked.
The restrictions, which were eased after about five days, led airport security times to increase fourfold and caused significant delays and cancellations.
— Carol Jordan and Alanna Petroff contributed to this article.
