The TSA’s going to want to take a closer look at your iPhone and notebooks on U.S.-bound flights. Per NBC News, The Transportation Security Administration will not allow cellphones or other electronic devices on U.S.-bound planes at some overseas airports if the devices are not charged and functional. The new measure is part of the organization’s effort to boost security amid concerns that Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamist Nusra Front, al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, are plotting to blow up an airliner, U.S. officials said.
As part of the increased scrutiny at certain airports, security agents may ask travelers to turn on their electronic devices at checkpoints and if they do not have power, the devices will not be allowed on planes, the TSA said. A U.S. source close to the story said notebook computers are among the devices security screeners may require passengers to turn on. Officials are concerned that a cellphone, tablet, notebook or other electronic device could be used as a bomb. U.S. officials singled out smartphones including iPhones made by Apple and Galaxy phones made by Samsung Electronics for extra security checks on U.S.-bound direct flights from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The TSA also called for closer checks on travelers’ shoes. Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.