As millions of holidaymakers take to the skies this summer, aviation authorities are renewing warnings over one of the most common items found in travellers’ luggage.
Passengers are being urged not to pack power banks, vapes and other lithium battery-powered devices in checked bags following a sharp rise in battery-related incidents on aircraft.
The warning comes as airlines in Europe and around the world tighten their own rules amid growing concerns over the fire risk posed by faulty lithium batteries in the cargo hold.
The British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has revealed that the fire risk posed by this type of battery is now the number one safety risk to aircraft.
The body says that the number of devices found in hold bags has nearly doubled in a year and, on average, one individual takes four different lithium powered devices on each flight.
Rising incidents of lithium battery-related issues
While the use of lithium batteries is extremely commonplace, due to their ability to store significant amounts of energy in a small package, they can be dangerous.
If these batteries overheat, or have defects, they can catch fire. These electrical fires can spread quickly and can be hard to control.
In the UK in 2024, there were some 316 incidents involving devices with lithium batteries detected in hold bags and, in 2025, that figure more than doubled to 643.
If these incidents occur in an aircraft’s cabin, they are relatively easy to deal with, but it’s far riskier if they malfunction when in luggage in the hold.
The CAA says that, on average, two lithium battery-related incidents happen on a weekly basis and, as well as the risk of fire, having to remove bags from the hold can cause delays to flights, or diversions.
In May, an easyJet flight from Hurghada in Egypt to London was forced to divert to Rome after a passenger told crew during the flight that their portable charger was in the hold.
In October, video was widely shared of flames belching from the overhead storage compartment of an Air China flight, reportedly caused by a lithium battery.
What we all need to know about lithium battery usage on planes
In March, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommended that passengers should be limited to carrying just two power banks, and that they should not be recharged, using the in-flight power outlets or otherwise, while onboard.
The CAA has reiterated this rule, and says it doesn’t believe that many passengers are aware of the regulations around power banks and other items containing lithium batteries on planes.
As well as the laws surrounding power banks, travellers should also make sure to turn off their laptops completely if they’re put in check-in bags.
Tim Alderslade, the Chief Executive of Airlines UK, acknowledged that the risk of lithium battery incidents was a “growing challenge”.
“Whilst pilots and cabin crew are trained to deal with any situation the best outcome is always prevention, which starts when passengers pack their bags,” he said.
Airlines globally are taking precautions
Power banks specifically are an issue among many Europe-based and global airlines, too.
Operators including Qantas, Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines have already banned passengers from using power banks during flights or charging them using the plane’s power outlets.
In January, German-based Lufthansa Group updated its rules to limit the number per passenger, and to ban their usage in flight.
The group, which owns numerous airlines including the German flag carrier as well as Austrian Airlines, Eurowings and SWISS, announced passengers would need to keep them either in the seat pocket in front of them, in their bag under the seat, or on their person.
In April this year, Türkiye became the latest country to change its rules, following an update from the ICAO in March.
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