Posters banning the carriage of electronics in hand luggage have already appeared at airports around the world
The US Department of Homeland Security announced a ban on carrying electronic devices in hand luggage for passengers arriving from eight countries with predominantly Muslim populations. As BBC notes, the department explained the measure as a response to information about attempts by extremists to conceal explosive devices in laptops, tablets, cameras, DVD players and electronic gaming devices.
A few hours later, British authorities announced a ban on carrying devices of roughly the same size in hand luggage on flights of 14 national and foreign airlines operating from six countries where Islam is the state or dominant religion. At the same time, there are notable discrepancies between the British and American lists of countries affected by these measures: the British list, for example, does not include the UAE or Qatar, but does include Lebanon and Tunisia.
In a statement by the British government, the minimum dimensions of electronic devices that are prohibited from being carried in hand luggage are given: 16 x 9.3 x 1.5 cm. The US rules do not specify exact dimensions, but only provide examples, noting that the list is not exhaustive. The list includes portable computers, tablets, e-readers, cameras, portable DVD players, game consoles larger than a smartphone, and portable printers and scanners.
Given that the dimensions are not clearly specified, questions have already arisen about how the US rules will be interpreted with regard to large smartphone models, such as the iPhone 7 Plus.
Which airports are subject to the ban? The US rules list direct flights to the US from the following 10 airports: Queen Alia International Airport (Amman, Jordan), Cairo International Airport (Egypt), Atatürk Airport (Istanbul, Turkey), King Abdulaziz Airport (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), King Khalid Airport (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), Kuwait International Airport, Mohammed V International Airport (Casablanca, Morocco), Hamad International Airport (Doha, Qatar), Dubai International Airport (UAE), Abu Dhabi International Airport (UAE).
The new requirements will also apply to passengers transiting through these airports to the US, regardless of the country of origin of their route.
The British rules apply to all direct flights to the United Kingdom from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
The US rules will affect the following airlines: Royal Jordanian, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways.
The British restrictions will apply to all airlines with direct flights from the six specified countries. These include the following British carriers: British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson; and eight foreign airlines: Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Egyptair, Royal Jordanian, Tunis Air, Saudia.
In a statement, the US Department of Homeland Security said: "The US authorities are concerned about the ongoing interest of terrorists over the past two years in striking commercial aviation, including airports, as evidenced by the [Russian] plane crash in Egypt in 2015; the attempted bombing of a plane in Somalia in 2016; and armed attacks on airports in Brussels and Istanbul in 2016. Intelligence assessments indicate that terrorist groups continue to target commercial airlines, particularly by concealing explosive devices in various household appliances," the department said.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly contacted members of Congress over the weekend and told them what security considerations underlie the restriction on carrying electronics in the aircraft cabin. According to US media, this directive had been discussed for several weeks.
Background
As BBC North America correspondent James Cook recalls, in February 2016, a Dubai airline Daallo aircraft was damaged by an explosion shortly after takeoff from Mogadishu airport in Somalia. Investigators determined that a passenger, who was blown out of the plane by the force of the blast, had an explosive device in his laptop. The pilot managed to land the plane, and the suspected bomber was the only casualty of the incident. But if the explosive device had detonated at cruising altitude, the plane would almost certainly have been destroyed.
The al-Qaeda-linked militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility, and the possibility of similar attacks recurring appears to worry US intelligence officials. But, as is always the case when it comes to intelligence, officials refuse to elaborate on what exactly prompted the current ban. This means that tourists are being asked to trust the US authorities when they say this inconvenience is vital for their own safety, even though trust is currently in short supply.