Qatar Airways will begin a free laptop loan program next week for business class passengers traveling to the U.S.
The move is an effort to alleviate the inconvenience caused by the Trump administration’s recently imposed ban on carry-on electronics for passengers flying from eight Middle Eastern and North Africa countries, including Qatar.
«While other airlines have relied on their existing onboard offering to comfort passengers, we did not rest until we could offer a true solution to our passengers,» Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker said in a prepared remark.
Under the program, business-class passengers on any Qatar flight to the U.S. will be able to borrow a PC for the duration of the trip. They can then upload their work from a USB.
The move goes beyond efforts by other impacted airlines, which have also sought to reduce the impact of the electronics ban. Qatar and Emirates, for example, have begun collecting electronics at the gate and then packing and stowing them so that passengers can hold onto their equipment for as long as possible.
The Department of Homeland Security enacted the electronics ban on March 25, citing unspecified efforts by terrorist organizations to smuggle explosive devices onto planes in consumer items…
