DUBAI: Dubai's Emirates Airlines has banned passengers from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on its flights, following last month's attacks on Lebanese group Hezbollah involving communication devices that exploded.
"All passengers travelling to, from, or via Dubai are prohibited from transporting pagers and walkie-talkies in checked or cabin baggage," the airline said in a statement on its website on Friday (Oct 4). It added that any prohibited items found will be confiscated by Dubai Police as part of heightened security measures.
In the deadly September attacks, thousands of booby-trapped Hezbollah pagers and hundreds of radios exploded - attacks that were widely blamed on Israel but which it has not claimed.
The Middle East's largest airline also announced that flights to Iraq and Iran will remain suspended until Tuesday (Oct 8), while services to Jordan will resume on Sunday (Oct 6).
Flights to Lebanon will remain suspended until Oct. 15 due to escalating Israeli attacks against Iran-backed Hezbollah, including strikes near Beirut's airport.
Several other airlines have also suspended flights to Beirut and other regional airports amid heightened tensions. – Reuters
(Reporting by Maha El Dahan, Writing by Ahmed Tolba and Adam Makary, Editing by Frances Kerry)