The Wall Street Journal | By: Susan Carey | Updated June 14, 2017 4:07 p.m. ET:
Head of European Aviation Safety Agency highlights potential fire hazards with U.S. plans to relegate passenger laptops to cargo holds.
Europe’s top air-safety regulator issued the most explicit criticism yet of U.S. proposals to ban laptops from the cabins of more foreign airliners destined for American airports, even as officials in Washington indicated they may compromise by accepting less-sweeping security measures.
Highlighting the extent of European opposition to an expanded ban on taking large electronic devices in carry-on bags–a measure intended to combat possible terrorist threats–Patrick Ky, head of the European Aviation Safety Agency, on Wednesday said months of laboratory tests likely are required to properly assess the potential fire hazards of flying large numbers of laptops with lithium batteries in cargo holds.
In remarks delivered during the kickoff of a joint European-U.S. safety conference here and in a subsequent interview, Mr. Ky also warned that “we should be very careful” because “by dealing with the security risk we can increase the safety risk” stemming from the possibility of rechargeable lithium batteries catching fire or even exploding.
EASA’s executive director vowed to play a greater role in current and future debates over such trade-offs. “This is going to be a very strong position on our side,” he said.
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