The in-flight ban on laptops and other large electronics from several airports to the United States was rooted in a test that showed an explosive hidden in a laptop could bring down an airplane.
According to NBC News, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly spoke at a security conference in Aspen, Colo., on Wednesday and said the U.S. government conducted tests after a laptop bomb blew a hole in the side of an airplane earlier this year.
"We tested it on a real airplane on the ground, pressurized, and to say the least, it destroyed the airplane," Kelly said.
The ban on laptops and devices such as iPads took effect in March. It was recently lifted after the 10 airports listed in the ban upgraded their security systems so they could detect bombs hidden in the aforementioned devices.
"They'd like to knock down a U.S. airplane in flight on the way to the United States," Kelly said Wednesday, referring to terror groups.
The ban did not apply to electronic devices in the cargo hold of airplanes, because Kelly said it was unlikely someone would be able to remotely detonate a bomb from the cabin.
The Department of Homeland Security worked with foreign countries to help them implement improved systems and procedures that would be better able to detect hidden bombs during airport security screenings.
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