Blames Lower Demand Due To President Trump's Proposed Travel Ban, Tighter Security

A travel ban on certain countries and tighter security measures proposed by President Donald Trump have lowered demand to travel from the Mideast to the U.S., According to Emirates airline, and that's why the carrier has slashed its flights to the United States by 20 percent, the airline said.

The McClatchy news service reports that the airline, which is owned by the Dubai government, could be taking a hit to its bottom line because of increased security measures that ban laptops and other personal electronics in carry-on luggage. The tighter security measures were imposed on 10 Muslim-majority cities, Dubai among them.

The travel ban was intended to suspend new visas for people traveling to the U.S. from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and temporarily froze the country's refugee program. The first version of the ban also included Iraq. Both have been prevented from going into effect by legal challenges.

Emirates plans to reduce flights to five of its 12 U.S. destinations. The first flights will be cut in May, the airline said.

In a statement, the carrier said that "recent actions taken by the U.S. government relating to the issuance of entry visas, heightened security vetting, and restrictions on electronic devices in aircraft cabins, have had a direct impact on consumer interest and demand for air travel into the U.S."

(Image from file)

FMI: www.emirates.com/us‎