U.S., Europe seek measures to avert
expanded airline laptop ban
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[June 14, 2017]
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department
of Homeland Security will meet European officials this week to discuss
new security measures that could prevent the U.S. government expanding a
ban on laptops beyond flights from ten airports primarily in the Middle
East.
David Lapan, a DHS spokesman, said in a briefing Tuesday that he would
not disclose specific security enhancements but said they were "in the
way of information sharing, passenger information, detection types of
steps."
Homeland Security chief John Kelly told a congressional panel last week
he was looking at an additional 71 airports in Europe, Africa and the
Middle East for a possible expansion of the ban.
A European airline industry official told Reuters the United States had
suggested possible enhancements including explosive trace detection
screening, increased vetting of airports' staff and additional detection
dogs.
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U.S. restrictions on laptops announced in March, including on flights
originating from airports in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia,
Qatar and Turkey, came amid fears a concealed bomb could be installed in
electronic devices taken aboard aircraft. Britain followed suit with
restrictions.
Any expansion of the ban could impact U.S. carriers such as United
Airlines, Delta Air Lines Inc and American Airlines Group.
Lapan said the United States would not present a definitive list to
Europeans to avoid a ban but rather options under consideration. He
added that it "remains to be seen" if enhanced security measure could
allow reversal of existing airports under the ban.
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![](../images/061417pics/news_b5.jpg)
A TSA official removes a laptop from a bag for scanning using the
Transport Security Administration's new Automated Screening Lane
technology at Terminal 4 of JFK airport in New York City, U.S., May
17, 2017. REUTERS/Joe Penney
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Jun/14/images/ads/current/st_claras_lda_082114.png)
DHS officials are attending the meeting in Malta "to present what we
think are the minimum increased security standards ... and present
those to people to say if you meet these standards we will not ban
large electronics," Kelly said.
Reuters and other media outlets reported in early May that an
expansion was likely, but more than a month later, the U.S.
government has offered no timetable for making a decision. Lapan
said no decision was expected this week.
(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington Additional reporting by
Julia Fioretti; Editing by Chris Sanders and Andrew Hay)
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