African airlines fret over extension of US laptop ban

With over four weeks gone on the US Travel ban on the use of laptop on board flight cabin from some middle-east countries, it appears there is uncertainty about a possible extension to other parts of the world, including Asia and possibly some specific countries of Africa, of a prohibition of large electronic devices on flights to the US.

 

Extending the policy to other African and Asian countries would hurt seriously the fortunes of many airlines in the continent.

Laptop Ban

This could have a far reaching effect on the continent’s airlines such as South African Airways, Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways.

 

Experts said African carriers such as South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and Egypt Air that have access to Europe and the US market in particular need to continuously watch the threat levels of their aviation security operations to guarantee not only the use of laptops or other electronics devices, but even their continuous operations to these continents.

 

What is certain is that whatever the situation is and going by the recent disputes of conversations between Europe and the US, the US is still not ruling out a future extension. Therefore, the simple logic would suggest that others should follow suit.

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For instance, on the ever busy Trans-Pacific market route from Asia to the US, there are approximately 186 daily flights, offering about 51,351 seats, this is more than the 49 daily flights and about 16,683 seats to the US from the 10 airports, mostly in the Middle East, covered under the first phase of the ban. Interestingly, the Asia-US market is smaller than the Europe-US market, but flights are considerably longer.

Delta, United Airlines, Korean Air and EVA Air are the largest on the Asia-US airlines route, but United, Korean, ANA and JAL have the largest Business and First class cabins, where presumably there is greater demand for electronic device usage on board and demand could taper from lack of confidence.

Now, it’s often said that every cloud has a silver lining, therefore, extending the ban could benefit carriers such as Air Canada, which is growing its US-Asia/Europe sixth-freedom traffic (although mostly with economy seats).

Many Nigerians travelling to the United States and the United Kingdom through Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia are affected by the new policy that barred them from carrying their laptop on board aircraft, but to be put in hold luggage, this newspaper learnt. Although, Nigeria is not among the countries under ban, majority who transit through these countries, particularly Turkey, because of proximity to Europe and other destinations, coupled with the cheap fares they offer, would be subjected to laptop scrutiny.

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Passengers on flights from many Middle Eastern and North African airports are already banned from taking devices larger than a smartphone into the cabin on flights to the US. The Trump administration wants to enforce the same restrictions on flights from some key EU airports, including, it is understood, Heathrow.

A frequent traveller, Olu Adegbenro, said those who have a stopover in one of the six countries on their way back to Britain will also be affected by the ban, adding that flight routes run by Emirates and Etihad, for example, are very popular with holidaymakers who are travelling to south-east Asia and Australia.

This new policy is, however, making many of them to choose their connections as they are avoiding those countries in their choice of travel. Meanwhile, major airlines have warned that proposals to extend the laptop ban to transatlantic flights could cost passengers over a billion dollars a year.

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Ultimately, this could see airlines cutting flights from their transatlantic timetables. The industry’s warning about the risks of placing laptops in the hold were echoed by a US-based aviation consultant, Bob Mann. Director-General, International Air Transport Association (IATA), Alexandre de Junaic, said this could be creating far greater dangers than they are solving by putting poorly packed batteries and devices, which are not completely turned off into the hold.

He stated that the ban would lead to significant airport delays as airlines struggle to bring in new screening measures. “Businesses will cancel trips rather than risk having laptops checked-in due to risk to confidential information,” he added.

One of the biggest pinch points, he warned, would be dealing with 3.5 million passengers a year who take connecting flights to the US from EU airports, who had been allowed to use their laptops on the initial leg of the journey.

Wole Shadare