Airlines brace for expansion of US laptop ban to European flights

Airlines are preparing for an anticipated widening of a U.S. ban on bringing laptops and other large electronic devices on board planes bound for American airports.

Officials from United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and industry trade group Airlines for America are scheduled to meet with Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly in Washington Thursday afternoon to discuss details of a possible expansion, according to three people familiar with the ongoing discussions.

It wasn’t clear whether there would be an immediate announcement of new electronics restrictions on flights to the U.S. from Europe or other airports, the people said. They asked not to be named because they weren’t authorized to speak about the meeting.

Air France-KLM Group and Deutsche Lufthansa AG are among carriers to say they’re making preparations for the moratorium on devices, including tablets and games consoles, to be expanded to their European hubs after initially targeting Mideast and African airports. The European Commissionhas written to President Donald Trump’s administration to urge cooperation on any new measures.

“We are in contact with our partners and the authorities, and we’re preparing for the possibility,” Air France spokeswoman Ulli Gendrot said by phone. “We understand that there’s a meeting in Washington with airlines on this topic today, so we should know more after that.”

Different Scenarios

Lufthansa has been working internally on different scenarios for responding to any extension of the ban, spokesman Helmut Tolksdorf said. Both companies have close ties to major U.S. operators, with Air France-KLM allied to Delta Air Lines Inc. and Lufthansa partnered with United Continental Holdings Inc.

U.S. airlines have been discussing a potential expansion of the ban with officials at Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration for several weeks, according to one of the U.S. people briefed on the talks.

The U.S. announced on March 21 that electronic devices larger than smartphones would be banned from cabins on flights originating from eight countries, impacting global hubs including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Istanbul. The action, which affects major carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airwaysand Turkish Airlines, resulted from fears that bombs capable of downing an airliner could be hidden in the devices.

Airports Council International, which represents hubs around the world, said it has been liaising with bodies including the International Air Transport Association, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the European Commission and the DHS’s Transportation Security Administration in anticipation of the ban being extended.

“We’re trying to make sure that there is good coordination involving airports and airlines,” said Robert O’Meara, a spokesman for ACI Europe. “The key thing is to make sure the message is communicated in a coherent way.”

British Airways referred calls to the U.K. Department for Transport, which said it doesn’t discuss security measures or comment on speculation. Britain has imposed a laptops ban of its own affecting direct flights from six states.

Dubai-based Emirates said it’s unwilling to comment until an extension has been formally announced and it knows which European countries will be affected. The carrier has suggested the current ban is discriminatory, and is paring capacity to the U.S. as the measures impact occupancy.