The CAA believes many passengers still aren’t aware of the rules.
Passengers are being reminded:
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.
Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of Airlines UK, says the risk of lithium battery incidents was a “growing challenge” as the number of electronic devices people use increases.
“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 says.
Giuseppe Capanna, a product safety engineer at the campaigning charity Electrical Safety First, said lithium batteries carry enormous amounts of energy, which is handy for recharging devices.
However, it also means that when things go wrong, they can cause “ferocious” fires which are difficult to put out.
“When these products are packed in your baggage, there is no access to them. So if something goes wrong, they can cause a really devastating fire that can have real dangerous consequences,” he said.
While most devices with these batteries are safe, Capanna said it was “substandard versions” bought through third-party sellers that usually caused these problems.
“It is really important that we make sure that we only bring safe, tested products with us on holiday,” he added.
Additional reporting from Danielle Codd
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