NEW DELHI: In a bid to capture market share from its Middle Eastern competitors, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has notified prospective passengers that it remains unaffected by a recent ban on electronic items on US and UK-bound flights.
"Did you know? You can carry your laptop/tablets onboard US bound PIA flights," the airline tweeted, reports Dawn.
Earlier this week, the US had announced a ban on large electronic devices such as laptops or cameras on board flights from up to a dozen Middle East nations, prompted by reports that terrorist groups want to smuggle explosive devices in electronic gadgets. The UK soon followed suit.
The restrictions are especially unfortunate for Gulf carriers like Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, since a large proportion of their revenue comes from passengers who change planes at their hubs and have other options that avoid affected airports.
The US ban on electronics affects flights from international airports in Amman, Jordan, Kuwait City, Kuwait, Cairo, Egypt; Istanbul, Turkey, Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
The British government also banned passengers flying directly to Britain from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey from taking laptops and tablet computers into the plane cabin.
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