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The US Government is temporarily barring passengers on certain nonstop US-bound flights from bringing laptops, iPads, cameras and some other electronics in carry-on luggage.
Key Points:
- Ban revealed by Royal Jordanian Airlines
- Unclear exactly which countries will be affected by the ban
- Similar ban tried in Britain in 2006 led to increased theft from baggage
The ban was revealed Monday in statements from Royal Jordanian Airlines and the official news agency of Saudi Arabia.
A US official said the ban would apply to nonstop flights to the US from 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
The official did not name the airports or the countries but said no American carriers would be affected by the ban.
The official was not authorised to disclose the details of the ban ahead of a public announcement and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The reason for the ban was not immediately clear. David Lapan, a spokesman for Homeland Security Department, declined to comment.
The Transportation Security Administration, part of Homeland Security, also declined to comment.
Royal Jordanian Airlines said in a tweet on Monday that US-bound passengers would be barred from carrying most electronic devices aboard aircraft starting Tuesday at the request of US officials, including those that transit through Canada.
Saudia Airlines confirmed in a tweet that US transportation authorities had barred carrying larger electronic devices in cabin luggage.
It was unclear to what other countries and airlines the ban would apply.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly phoned politicians over the weekend to brief them on aviation security issues that have prompted the impending electronics ban, according a congressional aide briefed on the discussion.
The aide was not authorised to speak publicly about the issue and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
A US Government official said such a ban had been considered for several weeks.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose the internal security discussions by the Federal Government.
Electronics ban has been tried before
Professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver and aviation-security expert Jeffrey Price said there could be downsides to the policy.
"There would be a huge disadvantage to having everyone put their electronics in checked baggage," he said.
He said thefts from baggage would skyrocket, as when Britain tried a similar ban in 2006, and some laptops have batteries that can catch fire — an event easier to detect in the cabin than the hold.
Most major airports in the United States have a computer tomography or CT scanner for checked baggage, which creates a detailed picture of a bag's contents.
They can warn an operator of potentially dangerous material, and may provide better security than the X-ray machines used to screen passengers and their carry-on bags. All checked baggage must be screened for explosives.
AP/Reuters
Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, donald-trump, information-technology, united-states
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