TSA approves airport friendly laptop bags

From August 16th the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will stop asking air travelers to remove their laptops, provided they are in the right sort of bag.

In March the agency issued specifications for bags it would consider safe for x-raying without the need to remove the laptop. It says 40 manufacturers have submitted prototypes and it has now approved most for use in American airports.

"This is a solid example of government collaborating with the private sector to conceptualize and produce a product that really works to improve and advance the security process," said TSA administrator Kip Hawley.

"We put the challenge out there and bag manufacturers overwhelming responded with innovative products that provide a win-win for travelers and TSA."

The rules for the bags are that the laptop must be carried in a separate partition without pockets which can be laid flat on the x-ray. The TSA has set up a web page showing suitable designs but doesn’t specify manufacturers.