Sure, the 11-inch MacBook Air isn’t all that smaller than the 13-inch MacBook Air. But one reason why smaller is better: you won’t have to dig through your bags and remove the 11-inch MacBook Air the next time you board a plane.

That’s because, according to a PC World report, the new 11-inch MacBook Air from Apple has been preapproved for airport security. Apple isn’t pitching its 11-inch device as a netbook, but its diminutive size has guaranteed its certification with the TSA. As far as Homeland Security is concerned, the device fits in the same category as a netbook and therefore can stay inside your carry-on at the airport. Also part of the government-approved carry-on category: iPads and ereaders.

The Apple CEO today unveiled the thinnest, lightest Mac laptop the company has offered to date. The MacBook Air has features borrowed from iPhones and iPads, hoping to grab more market share from Microsoft's Windows PCs. The new MacBook Air will be priced (to start) from $999. It weighs as little as 2.3 pounds and measures 0.11 inches at its thinnest to 0.68 inches at the rear. It was designed to replicate the versatility of popular devices like the iPhoneand iPad on the company's line of laptops. The Air will also incorporate Facetime video chats and an apps store.

According to the company, the MacBook Air will run on flash storage – like the iPad – rather than a hard drive like most computers. Because of this, it can power up instantly and store data twice as fast, said Apple.

“We asked ourselves what would happen if a MacBook and an iPad hooked up? Well, this is the result,” said Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs, during a media event in Cupertino, Calif.

Plenty of analysts have conjectured that MacBook Air is to ensure that sales of the company's popular iPad tablet device won't cannibalize sales of Mac laptop and desktop computers.