Brace Yourself: Electronics Travel Ban Coming Soon for US Flights
It looks like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is about to impose a ban on laptop flights from Europe to the United States. The ban will be officially announced on Thursday, The Daily Beast reported, citing unnamed European security officials.
The Trump administration first imposed a ban on the use of electronics in March on flights to the United States from 10 airports in eight Muslim-majority countries in North Africa and the Middle East. At the time, US officials expressed concern about intelligence reports suggesting terrorist groups were developing technology to hide bombs in portable electronic devices.
The upcoming ban appears to be a geographic extension of this electronics block. DHS hinted in March that more airports could be added in the future. “As threats evolve, so will the TSA’s security requirements,” reads a FAQ on the DHS website .
There are no reported or official parameters yet. There is no information available on whether some airports are affected or whether flights to the United States from all European airports will be affected. Or precision electronics that should be banned.
If the pending regulations meet the criteria of the current ban on electronics, travelers should expect just that: banning laptops, tablets, cameras, portable DVD players, electronic gaming devices, and electronics larger than mobile phones on board aircraft. Rather than keeping these devices in carry-on baggage, passengers will have to keep them in checked baggage. Smartphones and basic medical equipment are still allowed in cabins.
What will this mean for the average traveler heading to the United States?
First, if you’re hoping to get the job done while in transit, you’re probably out of luck (unless you can go the pen and paper route). Secondly, waiting at the gate and enduring many hours of flight will become much more boring: be prepared to rely on in-flight entertainment or read books and magazines in what is called “print.” (Smartphones are still allowed, so you can download entertainment to your phone and access it in airplane mode.) And if you’re transferring to an affected airport, consider your packaging strategy ahead of time: TSA recommends putting electronics at the checkout counter. bags at the airport of departure.
In terms of how long the ban will last, DHS does not have a set timetable for the March ban – and it will likely do the same with the upcoming restrictions.
The government said the bans are intended to improve security, but in reality the move carries its own risks. Many devices, including laptops, are powered by lithium-ion batteries; Storing these devices in the cargo hold increases the risk of the cargo catching fire. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration announced last year that shipping lithium-ion batteries in cargo could prove to be a ” disaster .”