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Travelers are being strongly advised not to place power banks or vaping devices in their checked luggage as the UK’s summer holiday season approaches. The aviation regulator has highlighted a significant safety concern related to lithium batteries, citing them as the foremost fire risk on aircraft. This warning comes after a marked increase in the number of such devices being discovered in hold bags, nearly doubling within a single year.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reports that passengers now typically carry four lithium-powered devices per flight. With the school summer holidays commencing first in Scotland this week, travelers are urged to keep these items with them in the cabin rather than in the aircraft hold. Lithium batteries, commonly integrated into everyday electronics like laptops, vapes, power banks, smartphones, and smartwatches, can store large amounts of energy in compact formats. While this enables convenience and versatility, defective or overheating batteries pose a severe fire hazard, spreading flames quickly and making containment difficult.
Statistics reveal a sharp rise in incidents involving lithium battery-powered devices in checked luggage, with 316 cases reported in 2024 and climbing to 643 in 2025. Similarly, instances of devices overheating or malfunctioning nearly doubled from 123 to 206 within the same period. Although the majority of these events have taken place in passenger cabins—where flight crews can respond rapidly—the chief concern remains potential fires in the hold, where early detection is far less likely, increasing the risk of uncontrollable damage.
The CAA also emphasizes ongoing passenger misunderstanding regarding luggage rules. Important reminders include carrying mobile phones, vapes, and power banks exclusively in the cabin, limiting power banks to a maximum of two per person, and ensuring they are not charged during the flight. Laptops intended for checked baggage must be fully powered off. Airlines UK Chief Executive Tim Alderslade acknowledges the increasing challenge posed by the rising number of electronic devices, noting that prevention through careful packing is the best strategy. Additionally, product safety engineer Giuseppe Capanna from Electrical Safety First warns about the dangers of counterfeit or substandard lithium batteries, stressing the importance of using only tested and reliable products to avoid “ferocious” and potentially catastrophic fires during travel
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