New security measures have been put in place for customers flying from the UK to the USA. Electronic devices, including mobile phones and laptop computers, may now need to be switched on as part of the security screening process for hand baggage.
Devices that don’t switch on will not be allowed through the security area.
This new policy follows last week’s announcement by US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, in which he said the Transport Security Administration (TSA) had been directed to implement ‘enhanced security measures’.
As a result, the UK government has now updated its rules on hand luggage. Under the heading ‘Flying to the US’ on its website, customers are told “Make sure your electronic devices are charged before you travel. If your device doesn’t switch on, you won’t be allowed to bring it onto the aircraft.”