European governments alarmed at a proposed expansion of the U.S. ban on in-flight laptops and tablets to planes from the EU are holding urgent talks Friday with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Currently, passengers flying in to the USA from 10 airports fall under the ambit of the ban that was introduced in March.
The U.S. laptop ban and on other electronic devices larger than cell phones has affected direct flights to the United States by Royal Jordanian Airlines RJAL.AM, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.
US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson David Lapan said the agency was considering the implications of extending the ban to flights arriving from Europe, according to the New York Times. A congressional official said Homeland Security was likely to expand the ban soon, but did not say when or to what airports.
European airlines and regulators are preparing for the possibility that the Trump administration could ban laptops and other large devices from the cabins of flights from Europe to the United States.
The communication says that the bloc has had "a long-standing and fruitful cooperation on security" with the USA and that the two should act together "to provide a joint response to shared threats", spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said Thursday.
More than 350 flights a day travel from Europe to the U.S.
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The afternoon meeting included high level executives from Delta Air Lines Inc, United Airlines Inc, American Airlines Group Inc and trade group Airlines for America, the sources said.
"With regard to the current electronics ban and any future contemplated expansion, as well as other recent Administration actions related to travel, we urge the Administration to expeditiously set clear rules of the road so that travel industry stakeholders can serve their clients, that travel disruptions are kept to a minimum and that the traveling public can maintain confidence in an industry vital to our nation's economy", Peck said. One possible alternative could be additional screening at boarding gates, but "the logistics are very complicated", the source added.
The UK followed up with a similar ban, and now there is a good chance it will affect flights from the UK to the United States soon.
Shortly after the original ban was announced the Flight Safety Foundation, a leading aviation safety group, warned that it could create risks by shifting scores of lithium-battery powered devices to cargo holds.
Kelly is also scheduled to meet President Donald Trump on Friday but a DHS official said the meeting is about a different topic.
The airlines declined to comment.
Among the measures suggested, Bloomberg reported, were using explosive-detection swabs and X-ray technology to detect anything that might make passengers' electronic devices a security risk.
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