The German Aviation Association (BDL), which represents the airline industry, released a statement saying that the airlines had voluntarily agreed to introduce the rule "following the tragic accident in France".
BDL sold the equipment to Anas Hasoon Trading, a Damascus-based company with contracts to provide computers to the Syrian government, according to billings records and e-mail exchanges between the companies.
According to internal company e-mails, cash transfer statements, sales receipts and shipping documents, the computer equipment was sold by BDL Gulf, which is based in Saudi Arabia and is a large distributor of computer equipment in the Middle East.
Asked about the evidence of shipments to Syria, a manager at BDL said the company had hundreds of customers and did not keep track of their locations.
Jess Blackburn, a spokesman for Dell in Round Rock, Tex., confirmed that BDL was an authorized reseller.
"We are investigating an allegation we received recently that BDL was involved in a possible transaction involving Syria," Mr. Blackburn said in a statement.
Following a meeting with representatives of the airline industry association BDL and the civil aviation authority, he said the taskforce would re-examine cockpit door mechanisms and the medical and psychological tests for pilots.
Barred by banks from making electronic transfers, Mr. Rifai made several large cash deposits into the bank account of BDL to purchase the computers, the documents show.
The records, which were provided to The Times by an individual who was briefed on the transactions, showed that BDL sold hundreds of laptops, tablets and desktop computers to the Syrian company.
LANDAU--Bernard D. (Bernie, Shimmy, BDL).
