Airlines
U.S Security Measures Smack of Protectionism in Middle East
Region’s airlines suffer from efforts by Trump administration to restrict travel
Gulf airlines such as Emirates had to implement special handling procedures to ensure it complied with a U.S. ban on small electronic devices in aircraft cabins. (Photo: Dubai Airports)
Gulf airlines such as Emirates had to implement special handling procedures to ensure it complied with a U.S. ban on small electronic devices in aircraft cabins. (Photo: Dubai Airports)

Some of the stiffest measures ever taken to augment homeland security in U.S. history, partly the result of a campaign promise by President Donald Trump to ban Muslim entry to the country entirely, hit the Middle East and its airlines hard this year. Executive orders issued in January and March and a presidential proclamation on September 24 effectively proscribed entry into the U.S. for nationals of certain countries. Although they met with stiff resistance from opposition lawmakers, their very existence sent a chill through the region and, as in the case of the so-called laptop ban enacted by the U.S. and the UK in March, discouraged travel to both those countries. 


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