Laptop ban on planes came after plot to put explosives in iPad

Failed attacks using shoes and underwear led to new attempts with electronic devices, security source reveals

The US-UK ban on selected electronic devices from the passenger cabins of flights from some countries in north Africa and the Middle East was partly prompted by a previously undisclosed plot involving explosives hidden in a fake iPad, according to a security source.

The UK ban on tablets, laptops, games consoles and other devices larger than a mobile phone came into effect on Saturday. It applies to inbound flights from six countries - Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey. Six UK airlines - British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2, Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomson - and eight foreign carriers are affected.

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