EU Bracing For Trump's Flight Electronics Ban, Warning Airports, Airlines

U.S. and EU officials are set to meet this week for talks on aviation security, but before that happens European officials already have started warning airports and airlines about a possible electronics ban, Reuters reported.

The EU is preparing for the electronics ban by telling airports and airlines to get ready for the possible rule, according to notes seen by Reuters from a meeting in which the European Commission debriefed industry representatives and member states after the EU and U.S. talks.

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The Trump administration implemented an electronics ban in March that barred passengers from taking laptops, tablets, e-readers, cameras, portable DVD players, travel printers/scanners and other electronics bigger than a smartphone into the passenger cabins for flights to the United States from 10 airports in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

U.S. and EU officials met last week in Brussels after it was reported Homeland Security was considering extending the electronics ban to flights coming into the U.S. from European countries. The possible ban in Europe would resemble the rule in the Middle East and has airlines concerned. United, Delta, American Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways and Air France-KLM are among the airlines that could be affected.

After the meeting, it seemed like the ban was pushed aside — sort of.

The EU representatives and the U.S. delegation, led by Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke, did not discuss putting in place an electronics ban for flights from European countries, but there also was no guarantee a laptop ban was off the table. U.S. officials instead promised members of the EU delegation they would be kept informed if any other measures were to be implemented. After the meeting, the EU said in a statement officials from both sides spoke about security enhancements, including large electronics in checked baggage.

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However, Tuesday’s report said European officials say they believe the U.S. already has decided to implement the electronics ban. The notes from the debriefing said it seemed the decision to put the ban in place already had been taken, and the more the EU talked with the U.S., the more the decision could be postponed. The notes added if the U.S. moved on with the ban, the EU would be given three weeks advance notice.

The ban on Middle Eastern airports was put in place because U.S. officials were “concerned about terrorists' ongoing interest in targeting commercial aviation.” Homeland Security also cited the explosion at Brussels Airport last year and other incidents.

“Evaluated intelligence indicates that terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation, to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items,” the Department of Homeland Security said.