Hassle for passengers to be considered before Middle East flight security changes: Prime Minister Bill English

The Civil Aviation Authority is weighing additional security restrictions for some flights. Photo/Supplied

Officials will consider passenger inconvenience when deciding if extra security restrictions are needed on flights from Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East, Prime Minister Bill English says.

Another factor will be whether affected airlines will cut back services to New Zealand.

"I imagine that is something that would be taken into consideration," English said today. "And I think it is quite important that is considered.

"There is a balance there between the inconvenience for passengers, many of whom live off their laptop if they are regular travellers, on the one hand, and on the other hand making sure flying is safe."

Any new rules would follow similar measures introduced last month by the United States, Britain and Australia.

New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority "is assessing the evidence to determine what is appropriate," Transport Minister Simon Bridges told Reuters in an interview in Dubai.

Additional security measures would affect passengers flying from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Doha, Qatar, where carriers Emirates and Qatar Airways, respectively, fly directly to New Zealand.

Bridges declined to say when a decision could be made. He did not say what measures were being considered.

On March 25, the United States banned electronic devices larger than a mobile phone from passenger cabins of direct flights from eight countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, including Qatar and the UAE.

Britain followed the same day with similar measures, including banning larger electronics on flights from some Middle East countries but not Qatar and the UAE where it instead requested additional security checks.

Australia's additional checks on passengers and baggage apply to Qatar and the UAE as they are the only Middle East countries with which it has direct air links.

The additional security measures were made based on intelligence suggesting flights could be targeted for attack.

English said he understood the main reason New Zealand was considering restrictions was because of the action of the US, Britain and Australia.

"I think mainly because some other countries have done it ... these are countries with whom we work pretty closely on security issues. They have made the decision, there will be reasons for that, and CAA is looking at it."

- with AAP