Aug. 5 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. air travelers can keep laptop computers in some types of carry-on bags at security checkpoints starting Aug. 16 as part of an effort to speed up screening.

The bag must have a ``laptop only'' section that can unfold and lay flat on the X-ray belt, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration said in a statement. Some bags that meet the standard can be purchased now and others will be available by mid-month, the agency said.

``There will certainly be many business travelers who are willing to get that bag,'' said Caleb Tiller, spokesman for the National Business Travel Association in Alexandria, Virginia. ``You're going to save some significant time'' daily, with possibly thousands of people no longer taking laptops from bags.

The TSA, which runs 2,500 security lanes at U.S. airports, has been trying to cut waits through steps such as designating checkpoints for frequent flyers and lifting a 20-airport cap for so-called Registered Travelers to speed check-ins.

Nationwide, average peak wait times are 15 minutes, Kip Hawley, who heads TSA, said earlier this year. Those stoppages can run longer at busier times. At New York LaGuardia's Marine Air Terminal, delays for passengers can be as long as 24 minutes at 7 a.m. on a Monday, according to TSA's Web site.

Slowing the Process

Air travelers are currently instructed to take laptops out of luggage and put them on conveyor belts at airport security checkpoints, a process that can slow down the screening process.

The agency asked manufacturers in March to come up with a bag design that allows an unobstructed image of the laptop. More than 60 companies responded, with 40 submitting prototypes for testing, the agency said.

No other items can be included with the laptop in its section of the bag, and there can be no metal snaps, zippers or buckles inside, underneath or on top of that section, the agency said. There are a small percentage of bags currently on the market that meet the new standards, the TSA said.

Travelers will continue to need to accommodate their computer as part of their carry-on bag or as a personal item, said Tiller, whose group represents more than 4,000 corporate and government travel managers.

To contact the reporter on this story: John Hughes in Washington at jhughes5@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: August 5, 2008 17:39 EDT