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Thu, 25 Jun 2026

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 Warning over power bank fire risk on flights as summer holidays begin

Lithium battery fires are the number one safety risk to aircraft, yet the number of devices found in hold bags has nearly doubled in a year.
Lithium batteries can store huge amounts of energy and if they overheat or are defective, a fire can result which spreads quickly and is hard to control. In 2024, there were 316 incidents of devices with lithium batteries detected in hold bags reported to UK authorities, rising to 643 in 2025. Reports of devices overheating or malfunctioning also nearly doubled the same year, from 123 to 206. The CAA believes many passengers still aren't aware of the rules and are reminding them:
* To take items like mobile phones, vapes and power banks on board in the cabin.
* Only two power banks per person are allowed on a flight, and they can never be charged onboard.
* To turn off laptops completely if they're going to be put in check-in bags. Experts say lithium batteries carry enormous amounts of energy and when things go wrong, they can cause "ferocious" fires which are difficult to put out.