Latest news with #lithiumbatteries
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Another airline restricts the use of portable chargers onboard. What to know.
More people than ever are flying with electronics (we are all addicted to our screens, after all) but airlines and aviation regulators are increasingly cracking down on what you can and can't do with electronic devices on airplanes in an effort to reduce the risk of fires on planes. Emirates, the Dubai-based mega-carrier, is the latest to announce restrictions on portable battery packs in its cabins. Beginning Oct. 1, passengers will be prohibited from charging devices using external power packs, will only be allowed to bring one power bank onboard and only in their at-seat carry-on bag. "After a comprehensive safety review, Emirates is taking a firm and proactive stance to mitigate risk when it comes to power banks onboard. There has been a significant growth in customers using power banks in recent years, resulting in an increasing number of lithium battery-related incidents onboard flights across the wider aviation industry," a statement from the airline said. Emirates already prohibits passengers from flying with batteries in their checked luggage, and will soon also bar its customers from stowing portable power packs in the overhead bins. A full list of the new rules for Emirates passengers is available on the carrier's website. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there have been 43 incidents caused by lithium batteries on aircraft so far in 2025, and there were 89 such incidents in 2024. Cruising Altitude: How to play your part in preventing fires on airplanes Southwest Airlines announced its own restrictions on portable power packs in May. Its policy requires passengers to keep the devices visible while they're in use on its planes. U.S. airlines already prohibit passengers from traveling with lithium batteries in their checked bags partly because it's harder to address a fire if it starts in the cargo hold, and experts say caution around electronics onboard is the right move to keep travelers safe. 'The visibility of the devices is a smart choice,' Rich Henderson, a flight attendant at a major U.S. airline and one of the authors of the Two Guys on a Plane blog, previously told USA TODAY. 'Every regulation we have in aviation comes from an incident happening. Clearly, this is something that's getting increasingly dangerous as time goes on, and more devices come onboard.' Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why more airlines are cracking down on onboard electronics
The Sun
01-08-2025
- The Sun
Major airline introduces strict new luggage ban due to safety fears
TURKISH Airlines has become the latest to enforce a ban on certain types of luggage. New baggage restrictions mean customers can no longer take smart luggage with non-removable lithium batteries in the hold. 3 3 Smart luggage is a great idea in theory, having everything you need built into your suitcase - including battery packs for charging your phone or laptop. But over the years, battery packs and chargers been proven to be potential fire hazards. As a result, a number of airlines have been introduce bans on smart luggage in the hold with a non-removable battery since 2017. Turkish Airlines has since followed suit, after an incident on a flight involving a portable charger that fell between the seats The safety issue prompted the aircraft to return to Istanbul Airport as a precaution. The concern has now stretched to smart luggage with built-in batteries and has ended in a ban. On its website, the new policy on smart bags reads: "Smart luggage with non-removable lithium batteries cannot be transported as cabin baggage or checked baggage. "The lithium battery has to be detached from the smart baggage, carried as cabin baggage and cannot be reinserted until the destination is reached. "To protect the detached lithium battery from short-circuiting, the battery should be placed in its original packaging, or its terminals should be insulated, or the battery should be placed in secure plastic bags." However, most smart luggage now come with removable batteries because of airline regulations. Parents are racing to B&M desperate to nab 'the cutest' kids' cabin cases - they're ideal for EasyJet & Jet2 passengers The UK enforced the change on removing the battery in smart luggage in 2017. UK airlines have banned portable chargers from being in checked luggage since 2016. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) warned that faulty and misused lithium batteries could short circuit and if they get too hot, could ignite and cause a fire, While taking portable chargers in hand luggage is becoming the new normal for most, taking the battery out of a smart suitcase can be easily forgotten about. If this is the case, passengers run the risk of their case not making it onto the plane. A few years ago, one customer was kicked off a flight when her smart luggage battery wasn't removed before check-in. So if you choose to get yourself some smart luggage - just make sure you disconnect and remove the battery pack before boarding. Here are Sun Travel's bags, plane outfits and accessories we can't live without – and they start from just 99p. Plus, the . 3
The Guardian
22-07-2025
- The Guardian
Could my power bank start a fire on board a plane? Here are the rules and the risks
Virgin Australia says it is considering changes to its rules around lithium batteries after a fire on a flight from Sydney was thought to have been caused by a power bank in a passenger's carry-on luggage. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Casa) has said the average passenger travels with at least four rechargeable lithium battery devices, which can be contained in smartphones, laptops and portable power banks. If you're wondering what the rules are, and why lithium-ion batteries are considered a risk on flights, here's a quick overview. Yes. But rules vary, so you should check the airline's restrictions before you fly. Generally, laptops and cameras can be packed in checked luggage as long as they are completely switched off, according to Casa. But spare batteries and power banks should only go into carry-on baggage because batteries and power banks can short circuit, overheat and catch fire during a flight. Lithium-ion batteries that exceed 160Wh are not permitted at all, unless they are used for mobility aids. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Smart bags with power banks or lithium-ion batteries are allowed as long as the battery can be removed before check-in and carried in a passenger's cabin baggage. Virgin Australia says any spare or loose batteries, including power banks, must be in carry-on baggage only and must be protected by placing them in their original retail packaging, or placing each battery in a separate plastic bag or protective pouch, or taping over exposed terminals. Qantas says passengers travelling with power banks, including Apple AirPod cases, and spare or loose batteries, must only take them in carry-on baggage. The airline says it does not recommend the use or charging of power banks onboard due to safety. Several international airlines have banned the use of power banks on board, including Thai Airways, South Korean Airlines, EVA Air, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Singapore Airlines and its budget subsidiary, Scoot. If you're flying with an international carrier, you should check its rules before your flight. Generally, passengers are required to pack their power banks in their carry-on luggage. But whether they can be used on the plane depends on the specific airline. Not necessarily. Prof Neeraj Sharma, a battery expert at the University of New South Wales, says lithium-ion batteries can have 20 different components, some of which are liquids, making them more volatile than other, solid parts such as the electrodes or casing. Applying pressure to a lithium-ion battery can lead to 'thermal runaway' – an uncontrollable increase in temperature – but a battery exploding is incredibly rare. Sharma says airlines still instruct people to carry batteries in their hand luggage as a way to mitigate risk, because there is a minimal pressure difference in a plane cabin compared to the baggage hold. Sharma says power banks and other lithium-ion battery devices that aren't as well regulated as mobile phones or laptops – such as e-scooters and vapes – pose more of a risk and may have lower quality batteries. Prof Amanda Ellis, the head of the University of Melbourne's School of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, says lithium battery fires aren't more likely on planes. She says airline cabin pressure wouldn't get to the batteries because they are covered by 'multiple layers of casing' but any enclosed environment makes fires particularly dangerous, especially as a plane can't be evacuated mid-air. 'They give off a very toxic gas and in a confined space that's not ideal,' she says. Ellis says lithium-ion battery fires are difficult to extinguish because often the lithium metal catches on fire, along with all the casing and the plastic – high energy materials that can burn for much longer. 'You wouldn't want to put water on a lithium fire. And that's the first thing people [on a plane] might think of doing.' The batteries contain lithium ions suspended in an electrolyte solution. The ions flow through the electrolyte, travelling back and forth between two electrodes as the battery charges and discharges. Ellis says a common cause is from people overcharging their batteries, so they overheat, which results in thermal runaway. If there's too much energy in the battery, it can crack, causing the highly flammable electrolyte inside it to burst into flames when exposed to air. She says phones and other, more sophisticated lithium battery-powered devices have an internal 'trickle system' which slowly adds current into the battery to prevent overcharging. But cheaper power banks typically don't have this safeguard, Ellis says, making them more of a risk. 'Never charge your power bank overnight,' she says. 'Never charge it more than it has to be charged. In a way you've got to watch the power bank for when the light goes from red to green, and unplug it.' Ellis says that, overall, batteries are very safe if used appropriately and in the right conditions, and people shouldn't be worried about flying because of them.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
Delta Flight Forced to Make Emergency Landing for Increasingly Common Reason
A Delta flight from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale International Airport made an emergency landing on Monday after a fire on board. A Delta Airlines spokesperson said that a passenger's portable battery caught on fire, causing Flight 1334 to land in Fort Meyers, Florida. Flight attendants extinguished the fire, but residual smoke from the flames remained in the aircraft, pushing an emergency decision and diverting the flight from its intended destination. "We appreciate the quick work and actions by our people to follow their training, and we apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels," said a spokesperson for Delta Airlines in a statement to CBS News. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the number of lithium battery fires on U.S. flights rose by 388% from 2015 to 2024, now happening nearly twice a week. There have been 34 incidents involving lithium batteries this year alone, on average six per month. Southwest Airlines implemented a new rule on May 28, requiring passengers to use batteries and portable chargers in plain sight. The airline stated that charging devices will not be permitted in overhead bins or bags. It's a safety measure in order to allow crew members quick and efficient responses to potential fires. Most airlines and the Transportation Security Administration will permit power banks in carry-on bags, but not in checked luggage. 'Lithium batteries power everything from vapes and mobile phones to cameras and power banks. If they become faulty or damaged, they can cause an intense fire that is difficult to extinguish – both in the cabin or hold of an aircraft," said Glenn Bradley, head of flight operations at the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Delta Flight Forced to Make Emergency Landing for Increasingly Common Reason first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 8, 2025
South China Morning Post
02-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
China air travellers caught off guard after regulator grounds mobile power banks
An emergency ban on some power banks imposed by China's aviation regulator over the weekend caught travellers off guard, many of whom arrived at airports only to be told that such portable devices could not be taken onto their flights. Advertisement The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) began enforcing the strict ban on lithium-based power banks over safety risks on Saturday, two days after issuing the notice. The ban applies to devices without proper safety and quality certifications or those that have been associated with product recalls. The products are not allowed in either carry-on or checked luggage for domestic flights. International flights are not affected for the time being. A CAAC spokesperson told People's Daily on Wednesday that the decisions followed reports of several incidents globally this year involving lithium battery products overheating on planes. Lithium batteries without China Compulsory Certification (3C) safety certifications would be barred from domestic flights, the spokesperson said. The certification applies to products that could impact health, safety and environmental protection. Travellers have reported seeing restricted portable power banks piling up at airport security checks in China. Photo: Handout According to the notice, several leading portable battery manufacturers recently recalled batches of products due to safety risks such as overheating and fire hazards. China's market regulators have also revoked or suspended 3C certification for several battery manufacturers. Advertisement
