US may extend laptop ban to more incoming flights from Europe

Multiple anonymous sources close to Reuters say that the US Department of Homeland Security has been meeting with major US airlines on potentially more bans on electronic gadgets. This comes on the heels of a similar ban put in place earlier this year that targeted airports near the countries of United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. Since the US has yet to officially comment on the extent of the rumored ban, however, it is unknown if the new restrictions will target all incoming international flights from Europe or only a longer list specific airports.

The fear, of course, is the potential for terrorists to conceal explosives inside of laptops or purposefully use faulty Li-Ion battery packs that can be hazardous during a flight.

Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration limits an individual Li-Ion battery pack to no more than 100 Wh in carry-on luggage. Observant readers may have noticed that essentially no consumer laptop will ship with internal Li-Ion battery packs larger than 100 Wh even if the chassis can technically support larger capacities. Very large gaming systems like the Alienware 17 R4 or MSI GT83VR Titan, for example, will carry internal battery packs in the 80 Wh to 99 Wh range to ensure that buyers can travel with said notebooks without any safety concerns.

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