US tells EU: No laptop ban for now

The US side took into account European concerns about the safety of storing devices with lithium batteries in cargo holds.

The U.S. opted Tuesday not to introduce a ban on bringing laptops into the cabins of flights to the United States from Europe, European sources told POLITICO — although the Trump administration said later that such a move “is still on the table.”

“No ban,” a European Commission official said. “Both sides have agreed to intensify technical talks and try to find a common solution.”

After weeks of back and forth negotiations and panicked responses from airlines, this matter is closed, for now. However, the decision not to impose the ban could change based on future intelligence.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly was on a conference call Tuesday afternoon with European Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc.

“While a much-discussed expansion of the ban on large electronic devices in the cabin on flights to the United States was not announced today, the secretary made it clear that an expansion is still on the table,” said a department statement. “Secretary Kelly affirmed he will implement any and all measures necessary to secure commercial aircraft flying to the United States — including prohibiting large electronic devices from the passenger cabin — if the intelligence and threat level warrant it.

The two sides also discussed improving  aviation security and working together to secure global aviation.

The U.S. side took into account European concerns about the safety implications of storing personal electronic devices (PEDs) with lithium batteries in aircraft cargo holds, a source with knowledge of the conversation said.

Lithium batteries can ignite in rare cases, which can make it dangerous to place them in holds where they cannot be extinguished by cabin crew.

The European Aviation Safety Agency in April updated its safety recommendation, stating clearly that “PEDs containing lithium batteries are considered as dangerous goods. When carried by passengers, they should preferably be carried in the passenger cabin. This would enable the crew to react quickly in case an incident involving such PED occurs.”

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In March, the U.S. imposed a ban on personal electronic devices in the cabins of direct flights to the U.S. from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa. The current U.S. ban affects 350 flights per week. If it were extended to Europe, it would impact 390 flights per day, according to the International Air Transport Association.

The Americans were acting on apparent intelligence that terrorists have figured out how to place bombs inside laptops and tablets.

Stephanie Beasley contributed reporting from Washington.

This article has been updated with the statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.