This week, it has been rumoured that the Unites States of America is considering extending its ban on carry on laptops on flights destined for USA airports to internal US flights and flights from Europe (which currently includes the UK, don’t you know).
Instead of being taken into the cabin, laptops must be put into the hold. This cannot possibly be about explosives. A laptop loaded with C-4 or some such could definitely be rigged to go off all by itself using either the internal timing circuitry or by a small ‘life hack’ involving one of these, or for the older school, a Wile.E.Coyote style alarm clock.
As you will be aware, we are no aviation specialists here at ITC towers, but a quick straw poll of our technicians leads us to believe that an exploding laptop in the hold (which is conveniently on the same vessel) might do the job as well as a laptop in the cabin.
Maybe the hold-luggage scanners in the world’s biggest airports have explosive sniffing capabilities, who knows? The alternate theories are that this is either an attempt to push stressed out parents over the edge, having to actually interact with their needy, hyperactive and bored offspring, or a blatant ploy to make the entire business community arrive in the USA totally unprepared for the 0800 presentation.
One plausible(ish) proposition doing the rounds in dark circles is that this has nothing to do with ‘things that go bang’ and is actually to do with the potential compromise of flight systems via the entertainment systems, on-board wireless as reported here. Either way, the whole prospect is very worrying, especially for people who understand that doing 500MPH 30,000 feet above the Earth is in itself a dangerous activity.
What we can be sure about is that if this does come to pass we will be seeing a massive surge in Bluetooth keyboards, better multi tasking on handheld devices and possibly, heaven forbid, the resurgence of Psion.
If you would like to discuss your fear of flying (especially to the USA) or any other security related issues, please contact us at: [email protected] or call 020 7517 3900.
Bon voyage!
