Ahead of the summer season and a busy holiday period for many, passengers aboard flights are being told not to take power banks and vapes within their hold luggage as instead they're advised to take these devices in the cabin with them.
As per the BBC, the Civil Aviation Authority now says that the average person takes four different lithium powered devices with them on a flight. These batteries store lots of energy in a small space, but if they are subject to overheating, they can catch fire. These fires spread quickly and can be very difficult to control, especially on an aircraft.
In 2025 alone, 643 instances where devices with lithium batteries were found in hold bags were reported to authorities. That's more than double the figure from 2024. Reports of these devices overheating also almost doubled in the same time frame.
Tim Alderslade of Airlines UK says that the risk of lithium batteries is only going to increase the more people become dependent on their devices. "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.
So, if you're flying anywhere this summer, it's best just to keep your lithium battery-powered devices on you.
