The Trump administration's likely expansion of its airline electronics ban into Europe will likely cause further complications.
The initial ban of all onboard electronics bigger than a cell phone was put into place last month against flights heading to the US from the Middle East and North Africa. It was based on intelligence reports that ISIS was smuggling bombs or bomb-making material onto flights via laptops and other devices. It affected about 50 daily flights and nine airlines.
Now, the possibility of expanding the ban into Europe would affect 429 flights a day and more than 105,000 passengers traveling to the US, according to NBC News.
That also increases the number of electronic devices in the cargo hold that use a lithium-ion battery-a small amount of which have been known to explode and cause fires
It's a potential catastrophe in the making.
Laurie Price, former Aviation Advisor to the Transport Select Committee in the United Kingdom and himself a private pilot, told The Independent there have been "numerous" incidents of devices with lithium batteries suddenly bursting into flames.
"If that is in the aircraft cabin, it can be dealt with," Price told the paper. "If in the aircraft hold, the fire-suppression systems are unlikely to be able to contain it and there is a lot of material to exacerbate such fires including other baggage, the aircraft structure, fuel and systems in an area which is inaccessible in flight. The consequences could be catastrophic."
Financial issues could also arise.
"I am concerned an expansion of the ban may wreak extensive financial impact on airlines. If demand falls, some airlines may lay off workers," aviation analyst Henry Harteveldt told Business Insider.
Ten airlines that operate between Europe and the US make up 80 percent of the flights that would be affected, and business travelers are big concern.
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"These travelers are often required to keep company-issued electronics with them, and are told not to check laptops or other electronics (as luggage). As a result, these travelers may cancel trips or their companies may explore chartering aircraft," Harteveldt said.
Being forced to check electronics devices as luggage also poses a security and privacy risk. Aviation writer Evan Hill told The Daily Mirror that travelers need to protect their sensitive data.
"Anyone with data they'd like to protect should practice a few fairly simple security habits: put anything truly sensitive in an encrypted external drive, encrypt your computer, use strong and varied passwords, use two-factor authentication, and put everything you don't need in your hands in the cloud," he said.
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