Yahoo News Parents complain about tablet ban as they worry about how to occupy children on flights
Parents have taken to social media to complain about how difficult it will be to occupy their children on flights after it was announced laptops, tablets and other large electronics will be banned in the cabin on flights from countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Giving a child a tablet is usually a sure-fire way to stop them from complaining or getting restless, but now parents will have to find other ways to occupy them on flights from those countries due to a new al-Qaeda terrorist threat.
More than 2 million passengers a year flying on airlines including British Airways, Thomson, Thomas Cook and Easyjet will be prevented from taking devices larger than a mobile phone into the cabin.
Parents have taken to social media to express their concerns about the new restrictions.
One social media user wrote: "Making kids sit through a 14 hour flight with no screens to distract is a form of terrorism."
@KamahlAJE that's a bit of an understatement... all those kids on the plane without iPads! pic.twitter.com/8yt8icB1gd
— Hamad Al-Amari (@hamadalamari) March 21, 2017
In case the flight over with a child with autism wasn't difficult enough, now the US has taken away our use of his tablet on the flight back
— Jessi Frenzel (@jessifrenzel) March 21, 2017
In case the flight over with a child with autism wasn't difficult enough, now the US has taken away our use of his tablet on the flight back
— Jessi Frenzel (@jessifrenzel) March 21, 2017
what if tablets are the only thing that shut their kids up on a plane? Asking for a friend https://t.co/EM36cJe5u9
— Katie Martin (@katie_martin_fx) March 21, 2017
They shld put Trump in a plane full of kids without ipads kindle laptops etc for 12 hrs let's see what he's gonna do pic.twitter.com/fipN4oyHqQ
— Abi ® (@AbiBb9) March 21, 2017
@nytimes god help all those parents with young children and their plane-mates too. #ipad is saving grace traveling with kids. https://t.co/NRp9gIDlst
— Katie (@greenkate) March 21, 2017
Making kids sit through a 14 hour flight with no screens to distract is a form of terrorism.
— Emily of the State (@EmilyGorcenski) March 21, 2017
The Government introduced the ban after a similar move by the US, where officials revealed “evaluated intelligence” showed that terrorists are “aggressively pursuing innovative measures” to carry out attacks with devices such as laptop bombs.
Theresa May’s official spokesman admitted that the restrictions will cause “disruption”, but said that they are necessary for the safety of passengers.
The spokesman said: “Safety of the travelling public is our highest priority. That is why we keep aviation security under constant review and put in place measures that are necessary, effective and proportionate.
“Over the last few weeks, the PM has chaired a number of meetings on aviation security, most recently this morning, where it was agreed new measures will be introduced.”
International airports affected by UK electronics ban
