The Newly Proposed #ElectronicsBan Proves The Right Hand Doesn’t Talk To The Left

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I was in Dubai in March when the US announced that they were banning electronics from the cabin when departing from select airports in the Middle East/Africa that weren’t serviced by US airlines. Electronics would have to be checked in as baggage.

I noted then the ban made no sense. It was easily circumvented by booking a connecting or even a direct Emirates flight to the US via Europe, meaning the rule would greatly inconvenience passengers but do nothing to stop terrorism. It excluded airports like Lagos, Nigeria, seemingly just because US carriers fly there. It included Abu Dhabi, despite there being very tight US security and customs checks performed in that airport, so much so that planes from Abu Dhabi land in the domestic airside section of US airports so that you don’t need to re-clear security.

I also noted in that post how odd it was that we were being asked to check electronics with lithium-ion batteries in a baggage compartment where they could start a fire without any way of controlling it.

A week later I shared my experience flying from Abu Dhabi under the new ban.

In May, the US government told airlines to expect the ban to be expanded to include flights from Europe to the US or for all flights from abroad to the US. Delta even printed up a sign about a ban they presumed would go into effect and displayed it in the Cincinnati airport.

Saner heads prevailed. That ban was called off and eventually the ban was lifted from Abu Dhabi and then the other airports.

I’m not against tighter security. But this ban was deeply flawed from day one.

And now the US government is doing a complete 180.

The FAA is lobbying for there to be a worldwide ban on checking electronics in the baggage compartment! That would mean all electronics would have to be carried into the cabin so that measures can be taken if something catches on fire.

In the past 10 years, 3 cargo planes have been destroyed and 4 pilots killed from lithium fires caused by cargo.

As I said, the original carry-on electronics ban made no sense. The new one makes perfect sense. But the irony is just too much too handle without pointing it out.

HT: Something Fishy, via DDF