Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly recently called European Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc to discuss international aviation security.
The officials agreed that aviation security needs to be raised on a global level and vowed to continue working together.
Kelly also told the officials that a ban on laptops in the cabin of European flights was still a possibility. Politico had recently reported that the ban would not expand to include Europe, a report Homeland Security calls false.
“The secretary made it clear that an expansion is still on the table,” Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan said. “Secretary Kelly affirmed he will implement any and all measures necessary to secure commercial aircraft flying to the United States — including prohibiting large electronic devices from the passenger cabin — if the intelligence and threat level warrant it.”
In March, Homeland Security banned electronic devices larger than a cellphone from carry-on bags on flights originating from 10 airports in Africa and the Middle East. The ban affects approximately 50 daily flights.
If the ban were expanded to include Europe, nearly 400 additional daily flights would be affected. These flights carry 65 million people annually.
Kelly told Fox News Sunday that the ban could be expanded to include all international flights.