US looks to expand electronics ban to flights departing Europe

The US is expected to broaden its ban on electronic devices to include flights from the European Union.

 

Operational chaos on the world’s busiest corridor of air travel is soon upon us after the US began looking into expanding the electronics ban to flights departing Europe.

 

The current ban, which affects only eight countries in the Middle-East and North Africa, has been in place since March 2017. Electronic devices “larger than a smartphone” must be placed in checked-in luggage. Approximately, only 50 flights per day are affected.

 

However, if the US decides to go through with a European ban, hundreds of thousands of passengers daily will be forced to change the way they travel.

 

Passengers of low-cost transatlantic carriers, where many opt-out of paying extra for check-in luggage will not be able take electronic devices abroad with them, including cameras.

 

Passengers on a business trip who use their time in the skies to get work done will no doubt also be inconvenienced.

 

European regulators have warned that the shipment of lithium batteries in aircraft cargo poses a serious fire risk. A position also shared by the Federal Aviation Administration.

 

The EU seemed to hold off any immediate US decision during a telephone call, pending a meeting in Brussels later this week.

 

“The EU invited the US to come to Brussels next week for talks at political and expert level… to jointly assess the potential risks and review future measures,” an EU spokeswoman said on Friday.