Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Wednesday seemed to be looking at grabbing some market share from its Middle Eastern competition.

In a Twitter post, the national flag carrier reminded prospective passengers that it remains unaffected by a recent ban on passengers carrying electronic items on US and UK-bound flights.

"Did you know? You can carry your laptop/tablets onboard US bound #PIA flights," the airline tweeted.

Earlier this week, the US had announced a ban on large electronic devices such as laptops or cameras on board flights from up to a dozen Middle East nations.

Passengers flying to the United States from 10 airports will be allowed only cellphones and smartphones in the passenger cabins, senior Trump administration officials said. Larger electronic items must be checked.

The electronics ban affects flights from international airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Cairo, Egypt; Istanbul, Turkey; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar; and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

The rules took effect early Tuesday morning and airlines will have until 3am Saturday to implement them or face being barred from flying to the United States, the officials said.

Following suit, the British government also banned passengers flying directly to Britain from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey from taking laptops and tablet computers into the plane cabin.

Follow Dawn Business on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

Iran stalemate
Updated 02 May, 2026

Iran stalemate

THE US and Iran are currently somewhere between war and peace. While a tenuous ceasefire — extended largely due to...
Tax shortfall
02 May, 2026

Tax shortfall

THE Rs684bn shortfall in tax collection during the first 10 months of the fiscal year is a continuation of a...
Teaching inclusion
02 May, 2026

Teaching inclusion

DISCRIMINATORY and exclusionary content in Punjab’s textbooks has been flagged in Inclusive Education for a United...
Water vision
01 May, 2026

Water vision

WATER insecurity in Pakistan has been building up for decades as per capita water availability has declined from...
Vaccine policy
01 May, 2026

Vaccine policy

PAKISTAN has finally approved its first National Vaccine Policy; a step the health ministry has rightly described as...
Labour rights
Updated 01 May, 2026

Labour rights

THE annual observance of May Day should move beyond statements about the state’s commitment to the rights of...