It looks like the TSA in the USA is limiting what you can carry-on on any carriers aside from USA carriers on inbound flights to the USA, but will allow bigger items in checked baggage.
The article says that more info will be released on Tuesday, with hopefully some clarification on which 13 countries and airlines are affected. This ban seems to come on the heels of the travel ban proposed (but currently in limbo) by the USA from 7 countries which are Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, but Saudi Arabia and Airlines is not one of them, yet they were notified of the equipment ban so maybe its a narrower (or broader?) ban and applies to an implicit threat (real or made-up).
As luck would have it, Im on an inbound flight from asia on Thursday March 23 with my mavic. These sudden, sweeping, random travel restrictions put every international traveler at an inconvenience, because many airlines will comply with the ban even if means saying no to carrying on a drone from a country that is not affected. In addition, Im not looking forward to the additional delays this will cause due to confusion at the airports as the TSA and foreign security staff are forced to be more diligent in their searches of flights inbound to the USA. Many travelers will not have heard about the sudden ban, and will be stopped with larger items than what is banned, and be forced to deal with the banned items as they deal with trying to carry on liquids or other forbidden objects.
On my way on board a flight out of the USA to Hong Kong at Newark New Jersey 2 weeks ago, there were probably 20 plainclothed US government officials with badges standing on the jetway with dogs and guns. This is the portal between the gate and the airplane. Looked like my wife and I were having to run a gauntlet to get on our flight. What were they looking for? Are they still looking? Are they afraid of a possible 911 recurrence? United Airlines had advised us by email 2 days before of expected delays at security and to arrive at least 3-4 hours before our flight was to leave. It turned out that security wasnt that bad at TSA because we were TSA prechecked, but boarding really slowed as we tried to get on the plane. They took our passports and asked us questions such as our names, dates of birth, occupation, intended destination, reason for travel, how much money do we have. Seems they were doing this to every single traveler boarding the plane regardless of demographic.
I want to ask if anyone here on MP has come back from an international trip abroad on any carrier in the past 2 weeks, and if they were hassled by security when boarding or deplaning their flight? I have been traveling abroad for business for over 30 years, and only 1 time before had I ever experienced this type of scrutiny while trying to board an airplane. That was the day after shoe bomber Richard Reid tried to blow up his flight into the USA. I was in Holland and I never saw mayhem at an airport as bad as that day, travelers didnt know what they could carry on or what they couldnt. I feel like history is going to repeat itself.
