The U.S. government is in an unenviable position. On the one hand, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) feels strongly enough about intelligence regarding terrorists potentially hiding explosives inside personal electronic devices (PEDs) that it now requires that laptops, tablets and other PEDs larger than a cell phone be carried in checked baggage on passenger flights from 10 Middle East and North African airports to the United States.
And for the past few weeks, DHS has been talking to European authorities about the possibility of extending the restrictions to cover U.S.-bound flights from Europe, which would increase the scope of the ban from one affecting a few hundred flights a week to one possibly affecting a few hundred flights per day.
On the other hand, the United States is well aware that aviation safety experts recommend that laptops, tablets and similar devices be carried in carry-on bags in the passenger cabin so if a problem occurs with a device’s lithium battery…
