McCaul: Laptop Bomb Threat Most Dangerous to Airlines Since 9/11

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly is taking the right steps with his demand that airlines step up security for passengers coming into the United States, as a laptop bomb devised by terrorists is one of the most dangerous devices in the aviation sector since the 9/11 attacks, Rep. Michael McCaul said Thursday.

"I think the secretary is taking the right precautions by having outright ban in the top 10 last point of departure airports, the highest threat, into the United States," the Texas Republican, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, told Fox News' "America's Newsroom."

McCaul noted that he expanded his comments to include 280 airports that are the last port of departure airports to the United States.

The order doesn't ban, outright, laptops on the flights, but increases the screening of such devices and of passengers, said McCaul, and if the airports can't come up to standards, they'll be included on the outright ban list.

"I haven't seen a threat like this, really to the aviation sector since the 9/11 [attacks]," said McCaul. "They have been able to turn laptop devices into explosive devices. And so the concern is an inbound flight coming into the United States and blowing up over the skies of America. I can't put it more simply than that."

The threat is real, not hypothetical, he continued.

"They have developed that capability," said McCaul "We are trying to develop technologies to screen this stuff properly to keep it off of airplanes, and I think our biggest concern is that it gets into the United States domestically. At that point we have to reassess the response. I think it's an evolving threat."

McCaul said he also thinks the technology is moving along to include smaller devices, such as the iPad.

"We have to balance, you know, the traveling public versus the safety of Americans traveling down into the United States, and that's a great balance," said McCaul. "I'm going to err on the side of Americans on airplanes every time."

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