Official: Plan to put explosives in batteries led to electronics ban on airplanes

Intelligence has found that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is developing ways to hide explosives in batteries and battery compartments, and that's why the U.S. and U.K. told certain airlines to keep passengers from carrying large electronics in the cabin, a U.S. official told CNN.

Airlines based in the Middle East and North Africa have been given 96 hours to comply with this request, and told passengers must place any electronics larger than a cellphone inside their checked luggage. The intelligence was obtained within the last few weeks, the official said, and the Trump administration did not come up with the request solo, but rather while working with intelligence officials. Questions have been raised by airlines and travelers alike regarding the ban, including why, if there is an imminent security threat, the plan has not been immediately implemented.

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