(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Travel agencies are advising their clients to ensure that electronic gadgets they carry, when travelling out of Qatar through the Hamad International Airport (HIA), are fully charged.
"HIA has issued a circular about the new security procedure, which came into effect from December 21," a representative of a leading travel agency told Gulf Times.
The circular says: "From December 21, 2014, you will also be required to remove all large electronic items (e.g. tablets, laptops etc.) from your carry-on baggage and place them in the tray at the security screening.
"You may be asked to turn on any electrical or battery powered devices in front of security teams and/or demonstrate the item's functionality, so it is advised that you bring your charging cables with you," it added.
Many airports around the world have already been implementing the new security procedure, it is learnt.
The travel agency staff pointed out that a gadget which fails to turn on will not be allowed onboard the aircraft. But, the agency does not have information if such gadgets will be returned to the owner when the person returns to Doha.
An Asian female expatriate who travelled to Hong Kong in the early hours of yesterday from HIA told Gulf Times that she was not asked to switch on any of her three gadgets.
"I had charged all my phones, tablets and laptop before leaving for the airport," she said. "Maybe it was a random check, but what I observed is that there are state-of-the-art scanners at HIA."
This was also the observation of many Qatar residents who flew out of HIA yesterday, she added. One Filipino who sent a message on Viber after the security check said it was a usual airport security procedure.
"They just asked us to put all our electronic gadgets in a tray which passed through a scanner along with our hand luggage," she added.
Some airlines such as Fly Dubai also referred to HIA's circular to travel agencies.
The HIA circular also reminded airline passengers to continue adhering to existing airport rules such as prohibiting the carrying of sharp items, firearms, weapons, explosives (including fireworks) and liquids over 100ml in volume.
Personal items such as phones, wallets, watches, keys, belts, shoes, among others, should also be removed before walking through the metal detector.
Any liquid containers of 100ml or less should be packed in a clear and re-sealable plastic bag (available at the airport prior to immigration) and placed in a tray at the security screening.
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