Enhanced security rules imposed for all flights to U.S.

Ban on laptops, other devices could be lifted if airlines and airports adopt new rules

WASHINGTON — U.S. officials on Wednesday announced enhanced security and screening measures for all commercial flights to the United States, but backed away from a proposal to expand a ban on laptops and other electronic devices — unless airlines and airports refuse to comply with the new rules.

Since March, passengers on flights to the United States from certain primarily Muslim-majority countries, have been prohibited from bringing electronic devices larger than a cellphone on board with them.

But those restrictions could be lifted if the affected airlines and airports adopt the new security protocols, officials said.

Department of Homeland Security officials said airlines and airports will be responsible for implementing the changes and communicating new procedures to the traveling public.

Officials declined to offer specifics about the changes, citing security concerns, but said they could include enhanced screening of laptops and smartphones and increased security around aircraft and in passenger areas.

The hope is that the new requirements will not result in longer wait times at security checkpoints or be prohibitively costly for airlines and airports to implement.

In a briefing with reporters, senior Department of Homeland Security officials said the requirements will “raise the baseline” on aviation security worldwide.

The directives are focused on preventing terrorists from circumventing aviation security.

“It is time that we raise the global baseline of aviation security,” Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said. “We cannot play international whack-a-mole with each new threat.”

Department of Homeland Security officials said they have been in “constant contact with our interagency, industry and foreign partners to address evolving threats” and had a shared goal of putting measures in place that would pose a minimum of disruption to the traveling public.

However, airlines and airports that do not comply with the new requirements could face repercussions, including a full ban on all personal electronics on board flights, even in cargo; fines and possible loss of their permission to fly to the United States.