Flyers in the United States will no longer be allowed to pack certain hairstyling tools in checked baggage, under a new ban announced by the Transport Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The update to the official prohibited items list adds cordless curling or flat irons containing gas cartridges, butane-fuelled curling irons or flat irons, and gas refills (spare cartridges) for curling irons or flat irons, due to the hazardous materials they contain.
If found among packed check-in luggage, the items could be confiscated. However, they will be allowed on board as long as they are in a carry-on bag, the FAA says, providing that “a safety cover” is “securely fitted over the heating element.” The device must be protected from accidental activation. Meanwhile, hair tools with cords will still be permitted, whether in checked luggage or carry-on bags.
•Corded electric curling irons and hair straighteners aren’t restricted.
— TSA (@TSA) August 20, 2025
*Any cordless curling irons containing gas cartridges (butane) discovered in a checked bag will be removed and turned over to the airline as a HAZMAT item. pic.twitter.com/SlSLeNXNmE
The additional restrictions and friction they will bring buck the trend in TSA and FAA security policies, which has recently seen the easing of rules that oblige passengers to remove shoes at security scanning checkpoints – a precaution in place since 2001 when Richard Reid, dubbed the “shoe bomber,” attempted to attack an American Airlines flight by igniting an explosive device embedded in his footwear.
Plans are also afoot to allow more liquids to be taken on aircraft, reducing passenger worry about limits and the need to take travel bottles, as well as plastic waste. E-Gate trials are also taking place at three airports, with a view to rolling them out to nearly 30 in total.
Though she has insisted that “security is our first priority,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has stated her ambition to reduce time-to-gate to just one minute and anticipates such streamlining measures will “decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience.”
If you’ve been planning your summer vacation for months, you’ll also want to double-check what can go in your carry-on bag *before* getting to the airport. Start your late summer getaway off right by checking out our “What Can I Bring?” tool: https://t.co/S3mtG5xIAT pic.twitter.com/KJMGD5kVZ2
— TSA (@TSA) August 20, 2025
In press releases, the relaxation of TSA checkpoint rules has been billed under President Donald Trump’s “vision for a new Golden Age of American travel.” But other evidence suggests that there is instead an ongoing so-called “Trump Slump” – a downturn in international arrivals to the US, particularly from neighbouring Canada, an important source market – since Trump took office. His controversial foreign policies and tightening of border controls, as well as financial uncertainty made worse by his threats of tariffs, appear to have kept visitors away, according to monthly arrivals data from various US destinations, prompting warnings of job losses from industry bodies.
