Lebanon's Middle East Airlines lifts electronics ban on London flights

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's national carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) on Friday lifted restrictions on carry-on electronic devices on planes travelling from Beirut to London, the airline said.

Britain implemented curbs on electronic items in the cabin in March on direct flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia in response to unspecified security threats.

Passengers had to check devices larger than a mobile phone such as laptops into the plane's hold.

These devices can as of Friday be carried in the cabin on direct MEA flights from Beirut to London, "provided specific random additional security measures are implemented at the London flight segregated gate," MEA said in a statement.

Britain's Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter confirmed the ban had been lifted for MEA flights to London with immediate effect on his Twitter page on Friday.

British Airways, which operate the only other direct route from Beirut to London, has not lifted the restrictions, the airline told Reuters on Friday.

(Reporting by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Mark Potter)