Anti-terrorist officials in the US are considering expanding the restrictions on carrying electronic devices in airline cabins beyond the handful of Middle East airports currently covered.
Asked if the laptop ban could be expanded to other countries or electronic products, department of homeland security spokesman David Lapan told reporters on Tuesday that the agency is in discussions with airlines and others. The agency hasn’t yet determined how it will proceed, Lapan said.
“The secretary has alluded to the fact that is likely to be expanded, but a decision hasn’t been made,” he said, referring to homeland security secretary John Kelly. Kelly told Congress on 5 April that he was considering expanding the order issued on 21 March.
“There is a threat out there. We are engaged in a discussion about the threat” before deciding on the next steps, Lapan said.
Lapan said DHS would consider the impact on the northern hemisphere summer travel season in deciding if and when to expand the electronics ban, but the timing “would not drive us” in announcing or implementing it.
The order in March covered electronics devices larger than mobile phones on flights heading to the US that originated from 10 Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Cairo.
Among the issues the agency is grappling with in expanding the order are safety concerns about putting additional devices with potentially volatile lithium-based batteries that can explode or burn into airliner cargo holds. — (c) 2017 Bloomberg LP