Etihad offers iPads to some US-bound passengers following ban on electronic devices

The airline said free Wi-Fi is also available on US-bound flights.

Etihad Airways has offered passengers in business and first class free iPads in response to a ban on electronic devices on US-bound flights.

The airline said free Wi-Fi and iPads are now available on request and can be charged up at each seat.

The move comes after the Trump administration said any electronic devices larger than a phone must be checked-in with luggage and stored in the hold on flights from eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

The ban, which affects US-bound flights from Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, came into effect last Saturday.

Etihad, Emirates and Royal Jordanian and other carriers have been hit by the ban but have sought to offer alternatives to business travellers and families facing long-haul flights of up to 17 hours.

The latter two have run humorous ads highlighting their on-board alternatives to working on laptops and playing on devices.