The International Air Transport Association met in Cancun, Mexico, on June 5.
The IATA, which represents all the major commercial airlines, is opposed to the the ban on laptops on flights.
“We have seen a dip in traffic between the airports that are involved in the ban in the U.S., so there’s an influence in the traffic, obviously,” said IATA General Director Alexandre de Juniac.
“We are actively advocating a removal of the ban. Of course, not an extension but also a removal of the existing ban, mainly to the U.S. and to the U.K. authorities,” he said.
In March the United States banned large electronic devices from plane cabins for some flights, mostly from nations the United States feared might harbor would-be terrorists. Laptops and tablets had to go into the cargo hold.
Now, Homeland Security is considering widening the ban.
The United States seems to think people will bring bombs on board in tablets.
Some airlines officials think the ban is survivable.
“Of course any security, any additional security measure will be taken if necessary but it would mean a complication if laptops would be banned on board of the aircraft,” said Finnair CEO Pekka Vauramo. “It is a short complication. I’m sure that airlines and the airports would be able to comply with it reasonably quickly.”
Air travel continues to thrive despite a less-than-robust global economy. IATA raised its 2017 annual profit projection from $29.8 billion to $31.4 billion.
