US Airline Security Measures Stop Short Of Laptop Airplane Cabin Ban
Busy passengers can still work on airlines travelling to the US
The US is holding off banning laptops in the cabins of aircraft, but has increased its security measures for flights entering the nation.
The news measures include enhances passenger screening, more screening of electronic devices and dogs, and increased security protocols around aircraft and passenger areas.
The news measures will cover 280 airports and 180 airlines involved in flights from 105 countries. Airlines have 120 days to comply with the new security measures or face having a ban imposed on all electronic devices form being carried in airplane cabins.
Laptop ban
Under the leadership of the Trump administration, the US had banned the carrying of laptops in aircraft cabins from flights coming from eight predominately Muslim nations, due to concerns that bombs could be hidden among them.
Previous concerns over bombs being carries in laptops had prompted a measure that forces people to turn on their laptops if requested to prove the battery pack had not be replaced to smuggle explosives.
However, the US has stopped shot of banning laptops on all flights to it, which is likely a relief for regular cross-Atlantic travellers who wish to work while making the long-haul voyage.
The US has adopted a heightened level of concern and paranoia over the security of flights entering its borders; some may find this to be wryly amusing given the majority of violent deaths in the US are caused by its own citizens shooting each other due to the easy access to fire arms.
However, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly noted the US is not taking airline security with a pinch of salt.
“Make no mistake: our enemies are constantly working to find new methods for disguising explosives, recruiting insiders, and hijacking aircraft,” he said.
“We cannot play international whack-a-mole with each new threat. Instead, we must put in place new measures across the board to keep the travelling public safe and make it harder for terrorists to succeed.”
There is an argument that the batteries on laptop should not be a as pressing a concern as the lithium ion batteries in smartphones which could over heat and explode if faulty, as Samsung disastrously found out with its Galaxy Note 7.
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