The Department of Homeland Security has outlined new
security requirements for inbound international flights to the U.S. If
followed, these requirements will dispel the need to expand onboard laptop bans,
according to the DHS.
The requirements include heightened screening of personal
electronic devices, enhanced overall security, additional security measures
around aircraft and passenger areas and more use of canine screening and
"advanced technology," according to the DHS. The department also will
work to establish more Preclearance locations, at which passengers go through
U.S. Customs and Border Protection screening prior to boarding.
The DHS did not detail the timeline of the requirements,
saying only that some would be required immediately and some would be phased in
over time.
"It is time to raise the global baseline of aviation
security," DHS Secretary John Kelly. "We cannot play international
whack-a-mole with each new threat. Instead, we must put in place new measures
across the board to keep the traveling public safe."
One such "mole" of late has been the threat of an
explosive device hidden in a laptop or other large electronic device brought
aboard an aircraft, which prompted the U.S. in March to ban
those devices on board inbound flights from 10 airports, largely in the
Middle East and North Africa. Those bans remain in effect but will be removed
when the Transportation Security Administration verifies that the new security
requirements are in place at those airports, according to the DHS.
While there had been talk of expanding
the ban to Europe and beyond, the DHS said the new requirements are
designed to "mitigate threats to aviation with minimum passenger inconvenience."
Airports that do not comply, however, could face additional security
restrictions, such as laptop bans, or even be prevented from flying to the U.S.
altogether, Kelly said.