The Trump administration is considering prohibiting electronic devices larger than a smartphone from being carried onto passenger cabins of aircraft on some flights originating from yet-to-named European airports. If the proposal goes through, devices such as laptops, tablets and e-readers would fall under the ban. The administration has not yet said which European countries and airports will be subject to the ban but Britain is considered to be one of them.
An official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said while nothing is definite yet, such a proposal “is not far off.” DHS is continuing to monitor threats and will make decisions based upon evaluations of those threats.
Currently, such a ban is in place on planes flying to the United States from 10 airports in Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., Qatar, Turkey, Morocco, Jordan and Egypt. The ban is not in place in any of the majority Muslim countries made subject to the travel ban Trump first imposed in January. The U.K. imposed a similar ban on large electronic devices from airports in Turkey, Lebanon, Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia shortly after the American ban was introduced.
The ban was first put into place after it was believed terrorists have created a new type of bomb that could be placed in these large electronic devices.
Passengers flying from airports subject to the ban can still bring these large electronic devices but the items must be placed in the hold of the plane. Besides not being able to access them during flight, both passengers and airlines are not happy with the ban because of the greater risk these devices will get damaged in the cargo hold. The airlines are expected to pay more in damages and face higher insurance premiums.
Commenting on the proposed extension of the ban, one British official said, “As with everything from Trump’s America, there are conflicting reports about where, when and what.”
