Tools, Cartridges and Gadgets: What’s Now Allowed on Planes

When the TSA was set up after 9/11, its job was to make flying safer. Over time the rules about what you can bring on a plane have changed because new scanners, better detection tech and smarter training help keep the skies safe. The agency still balances protecting millions of passengers with limited resources, so sometimes it lets small items on board that were once banned. Tools used to be outlawed in airport and cabin areas. By the end of 2005, TSA had stopped that blanket ban after finding almost half a million tools in the first six months of the year. The new rule lets tools that are shorter than seven inches, and scissors with blades no longer than four inches, travel in carry‑on bags. Bigger knives, even common Swiss Army knives, must go into checked luggage. Some multi‑tools still fit the new size limits and are allowed.Printer cartridges were another item that faced a ban. In 2010, authorities in Britain and the UAE found two cartridges turned into improvised explosive devices on flights to Yemen. The TSA then prohibited cartridges over 16 ounces in both carry‑on and checked bags. As detection technology improved, the agency relaxed the rule again, so today you can bring cartridges on a flight if they meet standard screening checks. Large personal electronics once faced temporary restrictions. Intelligence suggested bombs could be hidden in laptops and tablets, especially after a bomb was detonated on a Somali flight that landed safely. The ban targeted specific airlines and departure airports, affecting carriers from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and others. The move raised worries about data loss, theft and the fire risk of lithium‑ion batteries in cargo holds. Once new screening methods were installed at those airports, the restrictions were lifted and electronics could again travel in cabin luggage. These examples show how security policy shifts with new information and better technology. Items that once seemed dangerous are now allowed when they can be safely detected and monitored.