Finally, the electronics ban has been lifted.It’s been four months since passengers flying from 10 airports in the Middle East had their laptop (and other devices) privileges taken away. On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced the ban was over, according to Reuters.
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King Khalid International Airport and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia were the last airports to have the ban lifted. Other airlines have been relieved of the restrictions in recent weeks.
SEE ALSO:Travelers flying to the U.S. from Mexico and Canada will now face additional security screeningsIn March, the United States placed a ban on all electronics bigger than a smartphone on incoming flights to the U.S. from nine airlines: Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudia Airlines, and Royal Jordanian Airlines, which operated from 10 airports.
A few of the airlines took the ban in stride, sharing ways to get around the ban as well as jokes meant to lighten the mood for irritated travelers.
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Though no specific threats were confirmed, the ban was the result of intelligence suggesting people could hide explosives in the batteries of devices such as laptops.
At the Aspen Security Forum, DHS Secretary John Kelly shared that officials have actually tested out a laptop bomb on an airplane. The result?
"To say the least, it destroyed the plane," he said, according to The Daily Beast.
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But this isn't the end for scrutiny of devices on airplanes. The announcement of the end of the laptop ban comes on the heels of new restrictions for U.S.-bound flights from Canada and Mexico.
The new restrictions include heightened canine screenings and screenings of personal devices, as well as "increased security protocols."
Passengers on these flights can, however, use electronics freely, meaning the protocols aren't as restrictive as those previously faced by travelers from the Middle East.
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