Holidaymakers are being cautioned about the growing prevalence of certain items being brought onto airplanes, leading to pilots encountering multiple incidents and even having to divert flights. Passengers are being advised against packing power banks or vapes in their checked luggage due to the significant fire hazard posed by lithium batteries, now considered the primary safety concern for aircraft.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the quantity of devices containing lithium batteries found in checked bags has nearly doubled in a year, with the average traveler now carrying four different lithium-powered gadgets on a flight.
Lithium batteries are now commonly found in electronic devices like laptops, vapes, power banks, mobile phones, and smartwatches. When these batteries malfunction, they can ignite fires that are challenging to contain and spread quickly.
In the past year, the CAA received reports of almost 650 incidents involving batteries in checked luggage, double the number of reports from 2024. Additionally, the number of reports concerning batteries overheating or malfunctioning also saw a significant increase to 206 cases.
Malfunctioning batteries in the cabin can be detected and addressed promptly. However, if a fire starts in the cargo hold where the luggage is stored during a flight, it might go unnoticed until it becomes uncontrollable.
The CAA has reported that two lithium battery incidents occur weekly, leading to hazards and flight delays. Recently, an easyJet flight had to divert due to a power bank in the cargo hold. Furthermore, a video circulating online in October depicted a fire onboard an Air China flight.
The CAA is emphasizing the importance of passengers being cautious when packing their belongings. Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of Airlines UK, stressed the significance of prevention, highlighting that it all begins with passengers packing their bags responsibly.
Giuseppe Capanna, a product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, expressed concerns about the dangers posed by packing such products in baggage, emphasizing the potential for devastating fires with severe consequences. He underscored the necessity of ensuring that only safe and tested products are taken on holiday trips.
