WASHINGTON — New security procedures for carry-on items are being phased in at BWI Marshall Airport.
All personal electronic devices bigger than a cellphone, not just laptops, will have to be taken out of your carry-on bag.
“Things like tablets and e-readers and those big bulky headsets and cameras — things like that. We’re not talking about things like a hair dryer,” said Lisa Farbstein with the Transportation Security Administration.
The devices need to be put in a bin with nothing underneath or stacked on top.
“We want to be able to get a nice, good, clean X-ray image of those electronic devices as well as everything else in the carry-on bag. We understand that people are trying to cram as many things (as possible) into their carry-on bags in an effort to avoid any checked baggage fees. Trust me, we get that,” Farbstein said.
So far, the new rules are in place at two TSA security lanes at BWI Marshall.
More lanes will make the switch in the next few weeks as more TSA officers get trained in how to implement the new rules.
The new procedures will eventually come to other area airports as well.
“We’re expecting to see this [also] get ramped up at both Reagan National Airport and Dulles Airport,” said Farbstein.
The changes are part of a nationwide effort to beef up aviation security that was announced in July.
“We know that terrorists are out there … targeting aviation, and we know that they have means to be able to alter electronic devices and convert those into improvised explosive devices,” Farbstein added.
