The fire risk posed by lithium batteries is now the number one safety risk to aircraft, according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Millions of air passengers have been warned to take portable chargers and vapes into the cabin rather than the hold, as around two lithium-battery-related incidents a week disrupt flights.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has told travellers to “pack right for a safe flight” as part of a summer campaign to prevent “uncontrollable” lithium battery fires on board.
Rechargeable lithium batteries, such as those in power banks and vapes, can bring a “fire risk that could be uncontrollable if packed in checked baggage”, said the CAA.
It added that CAA figures for overheating passenger devices nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025.
Travellers are reminded by the UK’s aviation regulator to take mobile phones, vapes and power banks on board with them and never charge a power bank on a flight.
Cases of lithium battery-powered devices being incorrectly packed in checked baggage also rose by 91 per cent in 2025.
Generally, air passengers are not permitted to fly with more than two power banks or charge their devices on board an aircraft.
The CAA added that if each passenger carried four different lithium-powered devices, there could be more than 2,000 on a busy Airbus A380 flight.
“Getting it wrong could lead to your bags being removed from the flight, causing significant delays or, even worse, result in a fire that may be impossible to contain,” said the CAA.
Laptops packed in hold luggage must also be turned off completely.
Giancarlo Buono, director of aviation safety at the CAA, said: “Flying is by far the safest way to travel and we want to keep it that way.
“Pack right for a safe flight and that means don’t put your batteries in your checked bag. Take them into the cabin with you. This simple tip will make your flight safer for you and the other passengers you’re flying with.”
The new warning comes during the build-up to the school summer holidays in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, added: “UK airlines support this important campaign. Flying is the safest form of travel, but as the number of electronic devices we use increases, the risk of lithium battery incidents is a growing challenge.”
Aldeslade said: “Electronic devices like tablets, power banks and vapes belong in your hand luggage, not the hold. We’d urge every passenger heading away this summer to take a moment to check before they zip up their bag.”
Read more: easyJet London flight forced to divert to Rome due to power bank charging in passenger’s luggage
