Passengers flying on about a dozen Middle Eastern and North African airlines will be banned from bringing laptops and other large electronics into the cabin of direct flights to the U.S.
The ban was revealed Monday in statements from Royal Jordanian Airlines and the official news agency of Saudi Arabia. It is expected to go into effect Tuesday.
Royal Jordanian Airlines said in a tweet that U.S.-bound passengers would be barred from carrying most electronic devices aboard aircraft at the request of U.S. officials, including those that transit through Canada. The tweet has since been deleted.
The ban does not apply to cellphones or medical devices, but does include laptops, tablets, electronic games and cameras. Those items can be stowed in checked baggage.
U.S. airlines will not be affected since none fly nonstop to any of the counties being singled out.
The reason for the ban was not immediately clear. David Lapan, a spokesman for Homeland Security Department, declined to comment. The Transportation Security Administration, part of Homeland Security, also declined to comment.
The ban would begin just before Wednesday’s meeting of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Washington. A number of top Arab officials were expected to attend the State Department gathering.
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