Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly has said he "might" be considering expanding a ban on larger electronics in carry-on baggage to include all international flights entering or departing from the United States.
During an interview with Fox News Sunday, Kelly was asked by host Chris Wallace if he was planning on banning "laptops from the cabin on all international flights both into and out of the United States," to which Kelly responded, "I might."
When Wallace asked him to "expand a little bit," He responded that terrorists are "obsessed" with the idea of "knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly a U.S. carrier, if it's full of mostly U.S. folks."
In March, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) enacted a restriction on laptops and other large electronics on flights originating from nine Middle Eastern airports, a ruling that affected some 10 Middle East carriers and about 50 flights a day.
At least one carrier, Emirates, claimed the ban was at least partially responsible for a significant drop in profits. The airline has recently cut at least 20 percent of its flights to the U.S., citing tougher security measures and the political situation in the United States as a cause.
In April, rumors began circulating that DHS was considering further expanding its restriction on large electronics to include inbound flights into the United States from some European airports.
Earlier this month, DHS gave credence to those rumors in a statement to the Daily Beast. "No final decisions have been made on expanding the restriction on large electronic devices in aircraft cabins; however, it is under consideration," said the statement. "DHS continues to evaluate the threat environment and will make changes when necessary to keep air travelers safe."
Following the rumored expansion of the restriction, the International Air Transport Transportation (IATA) released a statement stating that such an expansion could potentially cost the aviation industry in excess of $1 billion.
Meanwhile, the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) released its own statement, calling for exemptions from the ban for passengers enrolled in trusted traveler programs.
"With regard to the rumored expansion of the electronics ban to additional European airports, we suggest that serious consideration be given to the possibility of exempting travelers enrolled in Global Entry and equivalent trusted traveler programs from the electronics ban," said Eben Peck, senior vice president of government and public affairs for ASTA.
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While currently there are more question than answers, Kelly said that the good news is that DHS is working "incredibly close with friends and partners around the world. We are going to raise the bar for, generally speaking, aviation security, much higher than it is now."
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