Britain lifts laptop ban on some flights from Turkey

LONDON – Britain on Friday eased a ban on laptops and tablets in airline cabins, lifting the prohibition on some flights from Turkey.

In March, British authorities banned electronic devices larger than smartphones on direct flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

The Department for Transport said Friday that the rule no longer applied on all flights to the U.K. from Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport, and on some flights from Izmir and Istanbul’s Ataturk airport.

The changes apply to U.K.-bound flights operated by Turkish Airlines and the budget airline Pegasus.

The department says restrictions at other airports “will be lifted on a case-by-case basis once the U.K. government has verified that airlines have put in place alternative security measures.”

Britain’s ban came after the U.S. barred laptops in cabins on flights from 10 Mideast airports over concerns about explosives on planes. The ban has since been lifted for several airlines.