Trump’s Laptop Ban Could Be Expanded to Arrivals From the UK

U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering extending his laptop ban to the UK.

Two UK newspapers, The Times and The Guardian, carried stories quoting anonymous sources that suggested the current proposals might  widen the current U.S. laptop ban to include one of the U.S.’s biggest allies.

Expanding the ban would have a major impact on transatlantic traffic, and would be a significant blow to the U.S. travel industry. There are already plenty of reports from airlines and tourism bodies suggesting that Trump’s policies and rhetoric have negatively impacted visitations to the U.S.

[Update: Bloomberg quotes a U.S. Transportation Security Administration offiicial as saying there are no “imminent” plans to change security measures for arriving flights from the UK.

“There are no imminent changes to the electronics ban,” U.S. Transportation Security Administration spokesman Michael England wrote to Bloomberg in an email. “However, we are continuously assessing security directives based on intelligence and will make changes when necessary to keep travelers safe.”]

Currently passengers travelling from affected airports in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cannot take any electronic devices larger than a smartphone in their carry-on luggage.

The UK has its own ban, which affects a slightly different set of counties.

One source told The Guardian that it wasn’t certain that the ban would be extended but that it was under consideration.