Australian authorities have stopped short of an all-out ban on electronic devices in the cabin but will beef up security checks for passengers on flights from the Gulf.
It will affect passengers arriving direct from Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. on flag carrier Qantas, Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways.
New enhanced security procedures begin this week.
"In response to national security advice, the Federal Government has made precautionary changes and instructed airlines to implement new protocols," Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester said in a statement.
"Australia will conduct additional security checks on passengers flying directly from Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East to prevent security threats."
Checks may also target passengers’ electronic devices, Chester said.
It falls short of measures taken by the British and US governments which have banned electronics larger than a mobile phone inside the aircraft cabin and the Australian federal government says it is a precautionary measure rather than due to a specific threat.
