The US Government has thrown the
world of travel into chaos again by
banning tablets, laptops and other
electronic devices from cabins of
planes originating in 8 African and
Middle Eastern countries (Morocco,
Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab
Emirates). These devices will have to
be packed in checked-in luggage.
The US transportation safety
administration (TSA) has stated and
other security officials have said that
the move is in response to
intelligence indicating that the group
ISIS is developing the capability of
targeting aircraft with explosives
hidden in batteries in electronic
devices. There has been no
indication that this move is in
response to a specific threat of a
planned attack.
The UK followed with a similar ban
except that it only covers 6 countries:
Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt,
Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
Is it really safer to put them in
the hold?
The TSA is the same agency that has
in the past said :
"Electronics … should be packed
in carry-on luggage because
they are typically fragile,
expensive, and more prone to
breaking if transported in
checked baggage."
Add to that the fact that airlines and
aviation authorities have been
especially cautious of putting devices
with lithium batteries in the cargo
hold and the move of the US starts to
make less sense as a security
measure.
There has already been extra safety
rules regarding electronic devices
being carried to the US with the
requirement that the batteries are
fully charged so that the devices can
be switched on to check if they are
functioning by security staff. That
check, as well as a visual inspection
of the device stopped being an option
when the devices are put in checked
in luggage.
Terrorism experts believe that these
moves will do little to minimize the
threat of a remote-controlled
explosive device. If it is really the
case that these devices will be hard
for regular security to spot, it is
should be as easy to get them onto a
flight from a country not covered by
this ban. There is nothing
intrinsically unsafe about Dubai
International Airport. In fact, Abu
Dhabi International Airport, also
covered by the ban already
implements the US Homeland
Security pre-clearance techniques.
There is then the question devices
with lithium batteries and the
potential for fires. This is actually
made worse by the fact that these
devices could be thrown about when
inside luggage, not only causing
damage to the device but potentially
damaging the battery and causing a
fire.
For travellers, it is not just the
inconvenience of not being able to
work on a laptop or tablet during the
flight, but for the business travellers,
traveling with carry-on luggage only
will no longer be an option. This may
seem like a small thing but waiting
for luggage and risking losing that
luggage will add a significant stress
to business travel.
Why Dubai?
Dubai International Airport in the
United Arab Emirates is the busiest
airport in the world and handled 78
million passengers in 2015. It is the
main hub for Emirates which flies
direct to the US. It has been suggested
that the fact that Emirates, Etihad
Airways and Qatar Airways were
included in this ban by the US but
not the UK could be more to do with
actions by their US competitors than
anything related to safety.
US airlines have long complained
that the Gulf State airlines receive
subsidies from their governments
and so represent unfair competition.
President Trump has been
threatening to deal with these
airlines and protect the US's national
carriers.
Tips for Travellers
For travellers needing to go to the US
who would normally travel through
one of the effected airports, all
electronic devices other than mobile
phones will have to be packed in
checked-in luggage.
All of the advice from insurers, travel
sites and the TSA themselves has
always been not to pack an
expensive laptop in checked in
luggage. If you do, then make sure
that there is a backup left at home or
work, that the computer is locked and
preferably the disks encrypted.
Make sure the device is switched off
and not simply asleep. Putting the
device in a protective sleeve may
help with impacts and using a solid
shell suitcase an advantage.
For some travellers, leaving laptops
in checked in luggage will represent
a security risk and it is highly likely
that security agencies, amongst
others, will take advantage of the
relative ease of access to targeted
devices to examine them.
If at all possible, take an alternative
inexpensive laptop, Chromebook or
tablet instead. Keep sensitive
documents on a USB and not on the
device.
It is entirely possible that other
countries may follow the move of the
US and UK but it may still be possible
to take a different airline using a
route that doesn't go through the
Middle East.
Another option is not to travel to the
US at all. 6,600 academics have
signed a pledge to boycott all
international conferences held in the
US in response to Trump's first
"Muslim Ban".
Device