Updates On DHS Ban On Laptops From European Flights

Recently this week in the beautiful city of Brussels in Belgium, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) held discussions with the European Union with regards to the subject of possibly banning big electronic devices from being taken aboard the cabin of commercial flights coming from the European continent to the US, according to a report recently published by the Associated Press. After the talks, a decision was made, and it favors not going through with the ban. 

On a daily basis, there are close to 400 flights between the US and European countries. As estimated by the International Air Transport Association, a laptop ban would result to $1.1 billion in lost time for passengers.

The laptop ban was put forward by the DHS largely due to concerns of security. It goes without saying that airlines companies were not very happy with that proposed idea, which has spurred some debate over which devices should be allowed and which should not. Tech experts have even started to chime in, saying that placing laptop devices in checked luggage actually does not make things any safer, due to the fact that the lithium ion batteries inside them could catch fire.

Despite the decision not to ban bigger electronic devices from the cabin of European flights, the DHS appears to be still convinced that the ban is called for. The agency recently tweeted an image that contains the text: “DHS STATEMENT ON AVIATION SECURITY -- We value our partnership with the European Commission and our friends in Europe. The meetings held yesterday in Brussels provided our partners a high-level briefing on current and evolving threats to global aviation security. While the Secretary has not made a final decision on expanding the restriction on large electronic devices in aircraft cabins to additional last points of departure, it is still under consideration. DHS continues to evaluate the threat environment and will make changes to our security requirement when necessary to keep air travelers safe.”

Around a couple of months ago, the DHS had temporarily restricted passengers from bringing devices such as laptops, tablets, and other gadgets bigger than mobile phones aboard commercial flights from a total of 10 countries from the Middle East and Africa. Those types of devices were to be put in checked luggage. 

Then earlier this month, the agency had announced that it may move to ban all laptop devices on all flights originating from Europe and coming to America. The DHS proposed the ban based on intelligence that terrorist elements were trying to build a bomb that could be placed inside portable electronic devices.