Emirates to loan tablets to premium passengers on US flights after ban on electronic devices

Business and first-class passengers can use the airlines’ supplied Microsoft Surface tablets equipped with Microsoft Office 2016 on board for free.

Emirates is the latest of the major Middle East carriers to say it would lend premium passengers devices to use on flights to the US. Marwan Naamani / AFP

Premium seat passengers on Emirates’ US-bound flights can borrow tablets from the airline to continue working on board, Emirates said on Wednesday.

The service is available on non-stop flights from Dubai to all of Emirates’ 12 US destinations.

Emirates had signalled last week that it was considering such a move to counter damage from the US device ban on direct flights from the UAE.

Qatar Airways, meanwhile, said on Wednesday that it will start providing loaner laptops to premium class passengers starting Thursday.

Previously, Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways started offering free iPads and free Wi-Fi to its premium class passengers on flights to the US from April 2.

Under the ban, devices larger than 16cm x 9.3cm are not allowed on board.

Passengers travelling on non-stop flights to the US from the UAE need to check in their laptops, tablets and other electronic devices larger than a smart phone until October 14.

Emirates’ premium class passengers can use the supplied Microsoft Surface tablets equipped with Microsoft Office 2016 on board for free. Emirates suggests that the customers can access their work downloaded in a personal USB device via the loaned laptop.

Emirates had already introduced a device handling service for premium and economy classes that enabled passengers to use their devices until just before boarding.

So far around 8,000 passengers have used Emirates’ laptop and tablet handling service on the airline’s 112 weekly non-stop flights from Dubai to cities in the US.

Currently, around 85 per cent of Emirates’ aircraft fleet is equipped with Wi-Fi on board.

The US ban on electronic devices was announced on March 25. It applies on direct flights to the United States from 10 airports in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, including the UAE and Qatar.

A similar ban by the UK does not include flights from the UAE and Qatar.

The restrictions, prompted by reports that militant groups want to smuggle explosive devices in electronic gadgets, state that electronics larger than a mobile phone – including laptops and tablets – must be stowed with checked baggage on US-bound passenger flights.

Industry experts have warned that the ban could push premium business and first class travellers to carriers not affected by the ban.

* The National, with additional reporting by agencies

Follow The National's Business section on Twitter