Laptop Bans: What Does This Mean For Your Travels?

Recent laptop restrictions are a pain when checking in, but where do these bans come from and how do they affect or flight safety?
Laptops were banned in March as carry-on items on flights originating from eight Middle Eastern and African countries flying to the US and UK. Questions are now circulating about the nature of the ban and why it was implemented. With more rumors claiming the ban may extend to flights from Europe to the US, we need answers.

Laptops as a Threat

Laptops have always been subject to additional security screening. This is why you will often see airport security agents swabbing laptops. And why all passengers are required to remove laptops from their bags. This additional layer of security is to verify that laptops do not contain explosive devices. So what is the difference of bringing a laptop in the cabin versus the plane’s cargo section? Is it really safer to check in a laptop or carry it as hand luggage?

According to Wired: “the reason behind the ban has not been explicitly revealed, [but] a statement cited the 2016 incident in Somalia, and the attacks in Brussels and Istanbul, adding: “Evaluated intelligence indicates terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation, to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items.”

Mashable reported previously than an “unspecified al Qaeda affiliate was in fact working to disguise explosives as laptop components” and that the “standard screening process that passengers and carry-on luggage go through may not always be sufficient to detect certain explosives.”

Unintentional Threats

From what we can tell, there was a specific threat that prompted the move. That doesn’t change the fact that it is a major inconvenience to passengers, airlines, and the industry in general – who must comply with the ban without knowing the severity of the threat. However, what officials have not made entirely clear is if this new security measure is worth exposing passengers to another risk. Should authorities place a number of lithium ion batteries together in the cargo space? After all, there have been multiple product recalls on batteries that overheat and catch fire. These models include HP, Compaq, HP ProBook, HP Envy, Compaq Presario and HP Pavilion laptops. Some officials are worried that solving one problem could create another.
Apparently, the security screening process for checked baggage detects this type of explosive. This is why officials see the trade-off as worthwhile. Still, EU officials wondering about the future of the ban on flights from Europe to the US are not entirely convinced. The Guardian quoted a senior source in the industry saying “If the ban comes in then security may or may not be improved, but because of the risk of batteries being put in the hold, safety will not be.”

Westward Expansion

A recent meeting with EU and US officials calmed fears that the laptop ban will soon extend to the US. Naturally, passengers are not happy with the situation. These decisions make air travel even more inconvenient and worrisome for those with expensive laptops or sensitive data. If the Europe ban goes into effect, it will be a huge disruption to the “3,257 flights a week scheduled to fly to the US from airports in 28 European Union countries this summer.”

Taking Precautions

All passengers can do is stay tuned to the news, buy a hard-shell laptop case to protected from cracked screens and backup data in multiple places – just in case.

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