Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the United States, stressed that the UAE is considered a leading international flight destination, while calling for close co-operation between international partners to continue improving security procedures and protect travellers.
His statement was made in response to the US National Security Agency’s lifting of the ban on electronc devices on board flights between Abu Dhabi and the US, starting today.
Al Otaiba valued the close co-operation with the US government and the Department of Homeland Security in facing new dangers and protecting international aviation, while highlighting that the new procedures should contribute to increasing the number of travellers, as well as strengthening the economies of the UAE and the US.
The US National Security Agency issued a decision to lift the ban on electronic devices on board flights between Abu Dhabi and the US starting today, following its review of the advanced security procedures at the US Preclearance Centre at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Lifting the restrictions will allow travellers to the US to take laptops, tablet devices and other electronic devices on board planes, as they will undergo increased inspection and search procedures.
Etihad Airways currently operates 45 weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and six cities in the US, including two daily trips to New York and a daily trip to Washington D.C., Dallas and Los Angeles, as well as three weekly trips to San Francisco.
The US is considered a major market for Etihad Airways, as the company transported 203,515 passengers to the US from Abu Dhabi between 1st January to 30th April, 2017, an increase of 13,157 passengers, compared to the same period in 2016.

Source: WAM