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We shouldn't be included in ban, argue some airlines and airports

Ben Mutzabaugh
USA TODAY

Airline and aviation officials are reacting to the new laptop and electronics bans announced Tuesday by the U.S. and United Kingdom.

The bans – which affect specific airports in several countries across Africa, the Middle East and Turkey – have led to uncertainty about travel plans on the affected carriers. Now, some officials are publicly pushing back.

The president of Dubai-based Emirates carrier tells The Associated Press the ban came as a complete surprise, adding he only learned around the same time reports began to surface in the media.

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Emirates, of course, is one of the carriers most likely to be affected by the electronics ban. One of the world’s largest international carriers, it operates a busy connecting hub at Dubai International Airport. The airport is among those singled out in the U.S. ban, though it's not included in the one issued by the United Kingdom.

In light of the ban, Clark tells AP his airline is working on a way to allow customers to keep their laptops right up until boarding begins. But he also defended security at Dubai’s main airport.

While operations are undeniably shoddy at some of the airports included the U.S. ban, Dubai’s airport is regarded as one of the most sophisticated in the world. It was just in February that President Trump pointed to Dubai's airport as an example of what U.S. airports should be seeking to emulate.

Still, Emirates' Clark added to the Financial Times “our job is to comply, and manage the commercial and operational challenge."

Still, other airports with highly regarded operations were included in the ban. Among those are the international airport in neighboring Abu Dhabi and the brand-new airport in Doha, Qatar.

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Officials from Turkey also questioned Istanbul's inclusion in the U.S. ban, suggesting the bustling international airport there should be removed.

“Turkey obeys international security rules, and this practice affects the comfort of passengers,” Turkish Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan wrote in a formal letter asking the U.S. to reconsider, according the Financial Times.

International aviation groups also spoke out on the ban.

Among those was the global International Air Transport Association (IATA) trade group, whose top executive warned just this month of a “future of more restricted borders and protectionism.”

On Tuesday, the group said it was seeking “greater clarity” on the electronics bans. IATA also appeared to make a veiled dig at the U.S. for the manner in which its ban was rolled out.

“Airlines comply with government requirements and they can do this most effectively when measures are well coordinated,” IATA said in statement.

The U.S. Travel Association (USTA) was more direct.

Jonathan Grella, USTA’s EVP for Public Affairs, said the group “supports efforts to make flying more secure,” but followed by adding:

“We urge the federal government to make every effort to minimize disruption to legitimate travelers by clearly and quickly articulating the details of the new policy to enforcement personnel and the flying public. Even with security as a justification, it does not absolve authorities of the responsibility to communicate.”

TWITTER: You can follow Today in the Sky editor Ben Mutzabaugh at twitter.com/TodayInTheSky

Emirates planes are seen at Dubai International Airport on March 22, 2017.
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