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Confirmed: TSA bans gear bigger than phones from airplane cabins

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FeedSource: [TheRegister]

Time: 2017-03-20 23:49:24 UTC

Original URL: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/03/20/tsa_bans_devices_bigger_than_phones_certain_airlines/ [theregister.co.uk] using UTF-8 encoding.

Title: Confirmed: TSA bans gear bigger than phones from airplane cabins

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Confirmed: TSA bans gear bigger than phones from airplane cabins

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story [theregister.co.uk]:

People traveling by air to America from an undisclosed list of countries will no longer be allowed to carry devices larger than a mobile phone in carry-on baggage.

Those traveling with such devices will be required to store them in checked baggage.

The new travel rule was reportedly issued by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the form of a confidential email, or circular, on Monday and distributed to nine airlines serving 10 foreign airports in eight countries. Recipients of the missive are said to have been given 96 hours to comply.

Royal Jordanian Airlines on Monday advised passengers via Facebook that "carrying any electronic or electrical device on board in the flight cabins is strictly forbidden," only to later remove the tweet.

After "instructions from concerned US departments," Royal Jordanian Airlines announces a laptop ban (?) on flights to and from the US. pic.twitter.com/V1s0FkLHNn [t.co]

— Allison Deger (@allissonCD)

Cellular phones and required medical devices are exempted. Laptops, tablets, cameras, DVD players, and game players are among the kinds of electronic devices no longer allowed in the airplane cabins of affected airlines. The gadgets have to be left behind – or stowed in the hold, which isn't ideal.

Royal Jordanian Airlines said the new rule will be enforced Tuesday, March 21, 2017, aboard New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Montreal flights. A Royal Jordanian Airlines ticket agent, reached by phone, confirmed the ban. "We received an email from the TSA," the agent told El Reg.

Saudi Arabia's Saudia Airlines has also acknowledged the ban with a notice [twitter.com] to passengers that specifically mentions Kindles and iPads.

Asked about the new restrictions, a TSA spokesperson referred The Register to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS spokesperson David Lapan did not acknowledge the new rules when asked about them. "We have no comment on potential security precautions, but will provide an update when appropriate," he said in an email. We'll update this article as soon as we have more information. ®

-- submitted from IRC

Vague and secretive order bans devices larger than a phone on certain flights to US

GreatAuntAnesthesia [soylentnews.org] writes:

It looks like the TSA has finally got round to reading XKCD 651 [xkcd.com]. They have quietly banned electronic devices [theguardian.com] "larger than a phone" from the cabins of all airlines from a list of 13 countries. It isn't clear whether the ban affects electronic devices used by the aircraft's crew, for example the "electronic flight bag" used by the flight crew, which typically include a tablet.

The affected airlines have just 96 hours to comply.

US Bans Tablets and Laptops on Flights From Eight Muslim-Majority Countries

Fnord666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

The Department of Homeland Security today announced new carry-on restrictions for flights to the US from eight Middle Eastern countries, confirming reports from yesterday that such a ban would be implemented as soon as this week. The restrictions forbid electronic devices larger than a smartphone from being carried in the cabin of the airplane, including laptops, tablets, e-readers, cameras, portable DVD players, and handheld gaming devices (larger than a smartphone).

Those devices can, however, all be placed into checked baggage. Neither DHS nor the Transportation Security Administration provided a firm rationale for the ban, how it chose which airports would be embroiled in the new security measures, or whether the ban is in any way related to an active terrorist plot. News of the ban first began percolating online yesterday when the Royal Jordanian airline partially disclosed it in a since-deleted tweet, which was framed as a message for passengers.

"Evaluated intelligence indicates that terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation, to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items," reads a DHS press release put out this morning. "Based on this trend, the Transportation Security Administration, in consultation with relevant Departments and Agencies, has determined it is prudent to enhance security, to include airport security procedures for passengers at certain last point of departure airports to the United States."

The action will affect nine airlines in eight countries across 10 airports, senior administration officials confirmed in a press briefing Monday. The list of countries includes Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. The list of airlines affected includes Royal Jordanian, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad Airways. The order is being issued as a security directive from the TSA. Airlines will have 96 hours to comply or the DHS will work with the FAA to revoke clearance for those airlines to land in the US, officials said.

Source: The Verge [theverge.com]

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