Travelers, intelligence officials react to new laptop ban on U.S.-bound flights

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Homeland security announced Tuesday they will stop people from eight Muslim-majority countries from bringing any electronics bigger than a cell phone on U.S.-bound planes.

All laptops, iPads and even gaming devices will have to be checked in and put in the cargo hold.

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The announcement comes as homeland security officials continue to be concerned about terrorists targeting airlines similar to the airline downing in Egypt back in 2015 and the 2016 attempted airline downing in Somalia.

"What's likely happened is that the U.S government developed some intelligence that a group or an individual has developed some type of device that they can bring onto an airplane using a laptop or some other electronic appliance," former counter-terrorism official Matt Olson said.

RELATED: Large electronics banned from cabins on some flights to US

The large electronics ban will apply to nonstop flights to the U.S. from 10 international airports in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Travelers won't expect to have to do without their laptop or iPad in the U.S. as Homeland Security says procedures are already in place to mitigate the risks for domestic flights.

"They've done a really good. There has not been anything major like 9/11 so security has done a good job. So I guess I do trust them," Point Reyes Station resident Sue Soule said.

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