ABC News(WASHINGTON) — U.S.-bound passengers on Emirates and Turkish Airlines flights are allowed to use their laptops and other larger personal electronic devices in the cabin, the Transportation Security Administration announced Wednesday.
TSA spokesperson David Lapan congratulated Etihad Airlines earlier in the week for “swift security changes,” allowing the personal electronic device ban to be lifted on the airline.
The new Department of Homeland Security mandate, which went into effect last week, requires that all carriers flying into the U.S. implement “enhanced screening” of passengers and their electronic devices. According to the DHS, the new requirements affect more than 280 airports in 105 countries. Officials would not elaborate on the details of the requirements, but a document obtained by ABC News indicates that inbound carriers must have Explosive Trace Detection technology employed at their security checkpoints within 21 days of the mandate’s implementation.
If carriers or airports do not comply with the directive, DHS will ban passengers on those flights from transporting personal electronic devices. DHS could also ban carriers from flying into the U.S. entirely, officials warned.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly previously expressed the need to improve aviation security as terrorist threats continue to target commercial aviation.
“We cannot play international whack-a-mole with each new threat,” Kelly said. “Instead, we must put in place new measures across the board to keep the traveling public safe and make it harder for terrorists to succeed.”
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