Airlines making progress in getting flight laptop ban lifted, DHS says

Airlines have been making progress in getting a ban on laptops lifted, with more carriers expected to follow suit in the coming days, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says.

So far, six airlines have been able to allow their passengers to once again bring large electronics onto flight cabins:Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Kuwait Airways and Royal Jordanian.

Airlines that have been under the ban, which was initially applied to any U.S.-bound flights leaving from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa, have been able to get the restrictions removed by beefing up their aviation security and screening protocols.

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Egypt Air, Saudi Airlines and Royal Air Maroc, along with four overseas airports, are still subject to the ban.

A DHS spokesman said that the remaining airlines can notify the U.S. government that they are ready to implement the enhanced security measures, at which point the department will send out teams to inspect the new procedures. Once compliance is verified, the laptop ban will be removed.

The U.S. was considering expanding the laptop ban to include all U.S.-bound flights. Instead, the DHS rolled out new security measures that all international flights must follow in order to avoid the restriction on large electronics.

Some critics in the airline industry have criticized the timeline for the enhanced screening standards, which are being required in stages, starting this summer.

But the DHS spokesman said that the department would assist airports and airlines in meeting the new requirements of the heightened security plan.

— Rafael Bernal contributed