Possibly a thinly veiled way of getting back at gulf state airlines for their business model?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/03/2...

Isn't this the business model of all national airlines?

Our national airlines don't use the Middle East as a hub.

0. They probably know of a specific attack that we don't, thanks to intelligence gathering.

1. It's much easier to install rootkits on devices when it's in checked baggage.

I think we have 2 plausible options:

1) UK trying to curry favour with the USG 2) There's some concrete intelligence here, which is being shared and acted on

3) as mentioned in the US version of this thread, to make it easier to intercept and search electronic devices. I'll find a link to the comment.

E. Top comment, that was easy.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13919760

Don't you think that odd considering if only affects certain airlines?

But you already have to scan the electronic devices at the security right. how is this different?

You forget option 3, which is nearly always the case:

3) US says jump. UK says "how high"?

cringe