Thursday

Aug 11 2006

Laptops, iPods banned on UK Flights

Authorities in the United Kingdom banned passengers from taking electronic items – such as iPods and notebook computers – as carry-on on planes following the arrests of 21 people Thursday in connection with an alleged plot to blow up aircraft mid-flight en route to the US.

Other items, including liquids, food, and prettymuch anything that isn’t a medical necessity, are also banned, with few exceptions. The rules, available here, apply for all flights leaving or transferring through the UK, the British government said. The US government also banned liquids of all forms, including beverages and personal hygiene products, from being carried on to flights. Additional information on heightened security measures in the U.S. can be found here and here.

Notebooks, iPods and mobile phones must be placed in checked baggage on flights out of the UK. Airline passengers have become accustomed to additional checks following the September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. Airport security checks require that laptops must be removed from their cases and X-rayed. But the new security measures in the UK could mean an increased chance of theft or damage to laptops and devices that must be checked and not carried on.

Read the rest of the article at Macworld UK for ideas on how to protect your laptop and data if you need to check it through in the UK.

We don’t think we could make a transatlantic flight without an iPod. Kinda makes Snakes on a Plane look good…

Note:

By admin • General News, News, newsbite • Comments Off • Tags: Airline, airline passengers, baggage, chance, laptop, Macworld, macworld uk, mid flight, Necessity, new security measures, notebook computers, personal hygiene products, Plot, security, security checks, snakes on a plane, theft, Thursday, uk airline, uk flights