WASHINGTON (AP) — Europe’s busiest airport — Heathrow in London — is telling passengers that they might not be allowed to take electronic devices onto planes if the device can’t be switched on, to show airport security that it isn’t actually a bomb.
U.S. officials have been concerned about new efforts by al-Qaida to produce a bomb that would go undetected through airport security. According to a counterterrorism official, there’s intelligence indicating that al-Qaida and other groups are trying to perfect an explosive that could be hidden in shoes, electronics or cosmetics.
The Transportation Security Administration isn’t saying just which foreign airports are adopting the requirement that cell phones and other electronic devices be turned on at security.
British Airways has issued an update for passengers flying from Britain to the United States. It says if customers are asked to turn on an electronic or battery-powered device, and they’re not able to do so, they won’t be allowed to fly.
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134-w-29-(Matt Small, AP correspondent, with terrorism analyst Robert Strang)–The TSA is introducing a new measure to boost aviation security. AP correspondent Matt Small reports. (7 Jul 2014)
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135-a-07-(Robert Strang, terrorism analyst and CEO of Investigative Management Group, in AP interview)-“individuals very carefully”-Terrorism analyst Robert Strang says TSA officials want to make sure electronic devices being brought on U.S.-bound flights won’t have anything attached to them that could be used as a detonator. (7 Jul 2014)
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APPHOTO NY122: FILE – In this Jan. 20, 2012, file photo, passengers queue up for a security check at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China. The Transportation Security Administration is requiring passengers at some overseas airports that offer U.S.-bound flights to power on their electronic devices, the agency said Sunday, July 6, 2014. It says devices that won’t power up won’t be allowed on planes, and those travelers may have to undergo additional screening. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File) (12 Jul 2013)
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