A U.S. ban on carrying laptops and tablets in the cabin of inbound international flights may be extended to European countries, including the UK. Any electronic device larger than a phone would have to be placed in hold baggage.
The U.S. government currently applies the ban to flights from 10 airports, mostly Middle Eastern and North African. The measure was introduced last month, the Department of Homeland Security stating that it was in response to intelligence suggesting that terrorists planned to smuggle explosives inside consumer electronics items …
The Guardian reports that the Trump administration is ‘considering’ extending the ban to flights from Europe.
The DHS neither confirmed nor denied the report.
Such a move would likely hit both business travel and tourism. For business travellers, being able to work during flights enables them to remain productive while travelling, while many tourists may prefer to choose a different destination to avoid entrusting valuable equipment to the vagaries of hold baggage.
As the ban would also apply to American citizens returning home, it would likely also hit demand for U.S. travel to Europe.
Photo: Lufthansa
