Passengers flying between the US and Europe may soon be banned from taking large electronic devices on boar aircraft.

According to CBS News the US Department of Homeland Security is considering banning electronics larger than a mobile phone on all transatlantic flights and a decision is expected soon.

 

This could severely disrupt travel plans on both sides of the Atlantic, especially business passengers hoping to get work done on their laptop to holidaymakers hoping to watch a movie on their iPad.

 

The ban has been discussed for more than a year and the government has been meeting with airlines to weigh the security measures against their impact on passengers.

 

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement: “We have not made any decisions on expanding the electronics ban. However, we are continuously assessing security directives based on intelligence and will make changes when necessary to keep travellers safe.”

 

Requiring laptops and tablets to be checked with luggage could also cause safety concerns, with a larger number potentially dangerous lithium-ion batteries having to be stored in the cargo hold.

There have been several incidents on boar aircraft where the batteries have overheated and caught fire. Several major airline companies including Delta Air Lines now carry AvSax on board which are special fire-resistant bags which can contain overheating electronic devices.

The current ban on large electronic devices affects nine foreign airlines flying nonstop to the US from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa. It requires all laptops, tablet computers, DVD players and cameras to be stowed in checked luggage

 

Intelligence officials said they were worried about the possibility of terrorists smuggling explosives onto planes in large electronic devices, such as a laptop bomb that almost brought down a Somalian passenger last year.