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US #ElectronicsBan on flights: What travellers need to know

Source: Traveller 24, 21/03/2017

Cape Town - Travelling to the US has become a roller-coaster headache
for most travellers - as the latest ban issued requires travellers on
flights originating from 10 specific airports to the US to pack
electronic devices bigger than a smartphone into their checked-in
baggage.
While cellphones and medical devices are excluded from the ban, no
laptops will be allowed in hand luggage - officially as of Wednesday
22 March.
On Monday 20 March the US government stated it was temporarily barring
passengers on certain flights originating in eight countries and 10
airports from bringing laptops iPads cameras and most other
electronics in carry-on luggage starting on Tuesday.
AFP reports the reason for the device ban was not immediately clear.
US security officials would not comment
This follows the much-meligned US Travel ban on seven predominantly
Muslim countries Iran Iraq Libya Somalia Sudan Syria and Yemen which
was then suspended by federal judges for being unconstitutional only
for a watered down version to then be put into effect excluding Iraq
but still said to discriminate against people on a religious basis.
The latest US Travel-related ban came to light via statements released
by Royal Jordanian Airlines and the official news agency of Saudi
Arabia and is said to be indefinite and will come into effect just
before Wednesday meeting of the US-led coalition against the Islamic
State group in Washington.
A number of top Arab officials were expected to attend the State
Department gathering. It was unclear whether their travel plans were
related to any increased worry about security threats.
A US official told The Associated Press the ban will apply to nonstop
flights to the US from 10 international airports and would effect nine
airlines:
- Cairo in Egypt
- Amman in Jordan
- Kuwait City in Kuwait
- Casablanca in Morocco
- Doha in Qatar
- Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia
- Istanbul in Turkey
- Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Driven by possible intelligence of possible attack
Royal Jordanian said cellphones and medical devices were excluded from
the ban. Everything else the airline said would need to be packed in
checked luggage. Royal Jordanian said the electronics ban affects its
flights to New York Chicago Detroit and Montreal.
Brian Jenkins an aviation-security expert at the Rand Corp said the
nature of the security measure suggested that it was driven by
intelligence of a possible attack. He added that there could be
concern about inadequate passenger screening or even conspiracies
involving insiders - airport or airline employees - in some countries.
Emirate unaware of laptop ban
On Tuesday the Middle East biggest airline said it was not aware of
any restrictions on electronics in aircraft cabins on US-bound flights.
Dubai-based Emirates says that it would comply with any new
operational or regulatory policies but it so far has not received any
notification of changes to cabin luggage restrictions on US flights.
The government-backed airline operates daily flights from Dubai
International Airport to multiple American cities including New York
Los Angeles Chicago and Washington.
Dubai International is the worlds busiest airport for international
flights. Airport operator Dubai Airports refused to discuss the
reported U.S. policy changes. It referred questions to the UAEs civil
aviation authority which did not immediately respond to questions.
Theft from baggage would skyrocket
Another aviation-security expert professor Jeffrey Price of
Metropolitan State University of Denver said there were disadvantages
to having everyone put their electronics in checked baggage. Thefts
from baggage would skyrocket as when Britain tried a similar ban in
2006 he said and some laptops have batteries that can catch fire - an
event easier to detect in the cabin than in the cargo hold.
Most major airports in the United States have a computer tomography or
CT scanner for checked baggage which creates a detailed picture of a
bags contents. They can warn an operator of potentially dangerous
material and may provide better security than the X-ray machines used
to screen passengers and their carry-on bags. All checked baggage must
be screened for explosives.

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