ALTOUR shares information on Transportation Security Administration policy
If you are traveling by plane with more than 12 ounces of cosmetics powder, dry spices, protein mix or talcum, you may want to check it. Passengers will now be asked to check containers holding 350 ml/12 oz of powder (about the size of a soda can).
That is because the Transportation Security Administration has been taking a closer look at containers of powder that fit more than the volume of a standard soda can. The TSA's new scrutiny about powders in carry-on luggage stems from a foiled plot to blow up a passenger plane in Australia. The would-be attackers planned to place the improvised explosive device on an Etihad Airways flight last July, but the device did not get past the airline's check-in desk.
If packed in a carry-on bag, such containers of powder could be subject to extra screening or banned from the airplane cabin. If TSA officers cannot figure out what the powder is, it may be discarded or put into checked baggage. To cut the risk of having items thrown out, the TSA encourages passengers to put powder substances of more than 12 ounces into checked bags. The rule about powders goes into effect June 30 on international flights bound for the United States, according to the TSA.
A TSA official said the "Australia plot contributed to the current focus on powders." But the official said the plot wasn't the only reason for the scrutiny, saying improvised explosive devises containing powder explosives have always been a concern. Most international airlines "have been doing this voluntarily since last year," referring to scrutinizing powders in carry-on bags.
The powders rule was part of expanded security measures that began last summer, according to the TSA. In April, the agency said it had completed rolling out stronger regulations for carry-on screening, including the requirement to separate items such as foods and powders that could "clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine." The agency had warned that "items that cannot be identified and resolved at the checkpoint are prohibited from entering the cabin of the aircraft."
TSA is communicating with international partners to ensure last points of departure airports align with pre-clearance requirements and domestic procedures as part of efforts to raise the global aviation security baseline.
For more information on the policy, visit the following websites:
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/protein-or-energy-powders
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/all