TSA bans three new items in checked bags for US travellers

Frequent flyers in (or to) the US should be aware of three new banned items in checked luggage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have updated their prohibited items list - and it's not the best news for people who travel with popular hair styling tools (Picture: Getty Images)

The three items now prohibited from checked bags are: cordless curling irons or flatirons containing gas cartridges, butane-fueled curling irons and flatirons, and gas refill cartridges for these tools, as reported by The Street. If any of these items are found in your checked luggage by TSA agents, they could be confiscated (Picture: Getty Images)

However, it's not all bad news. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) states that these tools can still be packed in hand luggage. But note: all hair tools must be secured with a safety cover over the heating element. The FAA also says that the device must be 'protected from accidental activation.' To make things even clearer hair-wise, electric curling irons and hair straighteners that can be plugged into an electric outlet are not restricted. Travellers can still pack these in both checked and carry-on luggage (Picture: Getty Images)

These banned items come hot off the heels (every pun intended) of the TSA retracting the shoes-off rule when going through security. Previously, travellers were required to remove their shoes and place them in the plastic trays to be scanned before walking through the body scanner (Picture: Getty Images)

The rule was implemented back in 2006, following the December 2001 incident where a British man named Richard Reid boarded an American Airlines flight to Miami with explosives hidden in his shoe. The bomb did not explode during the flight as the crew and passengers held Reid down to prevent him from igniting the device. The FBI revealed that the explosive was strong enough to blow a hole in the fuselage and crash the plane. The plane landed safely in Boston (Picture: Getty Images)

Last month, the TSA issued a press release sharing the news. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called ending the shoes-off policy one of the DHS's latest efforts to 'modernize and enhance traveler experience across [the] nation’s airports.' Noem added: 'We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience' (Picture: Getty Images)

Noem stressed that, as always, security remains the top priority. She said: 'Thanks to our cutting-edge technological advancements and multi-layered security approach, we are confident we can implement this change while maintaining the highest security standards' (Picture: Getty Images)