Dubai’s Emirates offers Surface tablets to passengers on US flights

Dubai carrier Emirates has followed UAE rival Etihad by offering Microsoft tablets to first and business class passengers on flights bound for the US.

The new service follows the introduction of a ban on passengers carrying large electronics on-board flights to the US from 10 Middle East and North Africa airports including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Read: Dubai passengers subject to US electronics ban until Oct – Emirates

From today, first and business passengers on non-stop Emirates flights bound to the US will be offered the tablets, equipped with Microsoft Office 2016, on loan allowing them to work via a USB stick.

The carrier has also introduced a laptop and tablet handling service for all cabin classes since March 25 allowing passengers to check large electronics for special storage at the gate and receive them upon arrival in the US.

Nearly 8,000 passengers to date have used the service to date on Emirates 112 weekly non-stop flights to the country from Dubai International.

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad and Qatar Airways also introduced similar services last week, with the former offering iPads and free Wi-Fi to premium passengers..

Earlier this week, Etihad said its bookings to the US remained healthy despite the ban, which some have labelled a deliberate attempt to damage competition from Gulf carriers.

Read: Abu Dhabi’s Etihad says bookings to US ‘healthy’ despite laptop ban