Laptops prohibited on all flights from Europe in the cabin

Update: 25/04/2017

Trump wanted to make a laptop ban on all flights from Europe to the US, but fortunately this has not happened yet. Laptop bans do not apply to all flights from Europe to America.

Trump has proposed to introduce a laptop ban for all flights from Europe to the US. Now there is only a laptop ban for some Islamic countries. And for the moment, this remains in place.

No real ban

According to a Politico spokesman, there is no real ‘ban’. ‘Both sides have agreed to advance technical consultation and to come up with a joint solution.’ John Kelly, US Secretary of State for Security, has indicated that America is thinking about banning laptops in the cabin on all flights to and from America. This ban may be imposed because of the fear that terrorists would hide explosives in laptops.

Conversation between EU and US officials

America does not want to go into detail about what has been said during the conversation between US officials and the EU. But rumours are raining that America is showing an understanding of the concerns the EU has regarding the ban on the laptop. Laptops contain lithium batteries, and when they are stored during a flight they could catch fire. None of the staff could quickly get access to it and avoid an accident so this is exactly what the EU is worried about and why they wish to solve this.

Lots of money

However, the EU is not just about the dangers of such a ban, but also there is a lot of money involved. Only checking of the luggage already takes more time with longer queues as a result. The laptops of the passengers must be taken first and re-packed completely so that they are stored in a safe way.

Currently this does not seem to be prohibited, but Trump is known for its perseverance so in due course changes might be made.

Initially, it was only flights from Egypt, Turkey, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates where laptops were banned, but now this measure also applies to flights from Europe.

Laptops prohibited on all flights from Europe in the cabin

The government of America has decided that travellers from Europe should not be allowed to carry electrical appliances in their hand luggage.

Europe

After announcing the decision to ban laptops in cabins, several ministers from EU member states contacted John Kelly to express their concerns. John Kelly is Minister of Internal Security in America. The ministers wanted to be informed as much as possible of new developments regarding the decision. They therefore asked for more intensive contact.

March

In March this measure was only applied to flights from Egypt, Turkey, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. This measure has now been extended to all European countries. From now on, no European country is allowed to carry laptops in hand luggage while travelling to America. They need to be checked in before the flight.

Terrorism

This decision was recently taken after quite a few terrorist attacks had been committed and the amount of threat increased. The US government seems to be afraid that terrorists hide bombs in laptops in order to make casualties on the plane. It is not clear yet whether this applies to laptops only, or this ban also applies to tablets.

Final

This decision is not final yet and may therefore be changed by the US government where necessary. For now, it is important that action needs to be taken, but if the threat is diminished in the future, it may be reversed. ‘We continue to follow the threats and make adjustments if necessary to protect our passengers.’

The Military Aviation Authority

Not everybody seems to agree with this decision. The Military Aviation Authority has indicated that measures need to be taken. When laptops and other electrical appliances are stored in the luggage compartment in the aircraft’s cabin, the staff cannot quickly get to them and this risk needs to be avoided.