Laptops May Soon Be Banned on Flights In and Out of the U.S.

The news comes from Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, who told Fox News Sunday that it would be part of a bigger airline security effort against “a real sophisticated threat.”

“That’s the thing that they are obsessed with, the terrorists, the idea of knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly if it’s a U.S. carrier, particularly if it’s full of U.S. people,” he said.

No official ban has been placed as of this writing. It can be recalled, however, that restrictions were imposed on large electronic devices — those “larger than a smartphone” — in airline cabins back in March, affecting flights from Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, CNN noted.

Kelly further explained:

Airline companies were quick to express their concern following Kelly’s statements, as such ban could hurt ticket sales.

Still, none would want to be responsible for letting “sophisticated threats” in the country. United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz, for one, said last week (via Reuters):

“We’ve had constant updates on the subject. We know more than most. And again, if there’s a credible threat out there, we need to make sure we take the appropriate measures,” he commented over the government’s prompt notice.

According to Bloomberg, at least four manufacturers of airline security equipment are currently working on scanners far more advanced than existing x-ray machines, but whether governments would be interested in deploying them remains a question.