The new US-led in flight electronics ban could potentially have the opposite effect of making air travel safer, says one business travel trade group.
Apart from impacting business travel demand, checked bags filled with electronic devices severely increases the risk of fire during a flight, the Business Travel Coalition said.
Many electronic devices banned from the cabin contain lithium-ion batteries which have been known to ignite without warning.
"Few aviation experts would suggest that it is prudent to load an aircraft hold with hundreds of electronics with lithium batteries, some of which could be overcharged or damaged," said Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition.
"If a battery catches fire in an aircraft cabin, as with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, it can be dealt with promptly. A fire in the hold a thousand miles out in the Atlantic Ocean is another matter."
The new security protocol, which has also been adopted by the UK, requires all laptops, tablets, portable DVD players and cameras to be placed in checked baggage.
It affects direct US-bound flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa.
Analysts question how effective the ban will be but there is widespread agreement business travel will be impacted.
"The productivity hit on business travelers and their organizations will be significant, if not intolerable," Mitchell said.
"Of deeper concern will be trade secrets and other sensitive and valuable information that are stored on many business travelers’ laptops that could be copied or stolen."
There is real concern it could be open season for widespread theft from baggage at the relevant airports, with virtually every checked bag likely to contain electronic items of high value.
