Following U.S. restrictions on carrying large electronic devices into the cabin, Emirates has extended its laptop handling service on affected flights.
Initially introduced for passengers traveling to the United States and transiting through Dubai International (DBX), the service lets travelers use their laptops in the terminal and then hand them over at the gate for secure storage during the flight.
Other regional carriers, including Qatar Airways and Etihad, introduced similar measures such as providing loaner devices on these routes, and Emirates expanded its offering in line with those responses.
Now, business- and first-class passengers can request a Microsoft Surface tablet preloaded with Microsoft Office 2016. These loaner devices allow customers to continue working inflight using files saved on USB drives.
Emirates reports that nearly 8,000 passengers have taken advantage of the laptop handling service since its introduction two months ago, reflecting strong demand for solutions that balance security requirements with passengers’ need to remain productive while traveling.