As the summer season and a busy holiday period approach for many, passengers are being urged not to place their external batteries and e-cigarettes in their checked baggage. Instead, they are advised to keep these items with them in the cabin.
According to the BBC, the Civil Aviation Authority now indicates that, on average, each passenger carries four different lithium-powered devices on a flight. These batteries store a lot of energy in a small space, but if they overheat, they can catch fire. Such fires spread rapidly and can be very difficult to control, especially on an airplane.
In 2025 alone, 643 incidents where devices equipped with lithium batteries were discovered in checked baggage were reported to authorities. This is more than double the figure from 2024. Reports of overheating of these devices have also nearly doubled during the same period.
Tim Alderslade from the Airlines UK association explains that the risk associated with lithium batteries will only increase as people become more reliant on their devices. “Although pilots and cabin crew are trained to handle any situation, prevention is always the best solution, and it starts as soon as passengers pack their suitcases,” he stated.
Therefore, if you are flying this summer, it is best to keep your lithium battery-powered devices with you.