Power banks and vapes are now the top fire risk on planes

Aviation safety reports reveal a sharp rise in cabin fires triggered by lithium-ion batteries

Power banks and vapes are now the top fire risk on planes, with lithium batteries sparking rising cabin incidents. | ©Image Credit: Markus Winkler
Power banks and vapes are now the top fire risk on planes, with lithium batteries sparking rising cabin incidents. | ©Image Credit: Markus Winkler

A growing safety concern is emerging at 30,000 feet, and it’s not turbulence or storms — it’s what passengers are carrying in their bags. Aviation safety reports are now warning of a sharp rise in cabin fire incidents linked to lithium-ion batteries, with power banks and vapes increasingly identified as the most common triggers. What were once considered harmless travel essentials are now at the center of urgent scrutiny from airlines and regulators, as overheating devices continue to spark smoke warnings and mid-air scares. As investigators dig deeper into these incidents, the findings are raising uncomfortable questions about what’s really safe to bring on board — and whether current rules are keeping up with modern travel habits

Table of Contents show

Lithium-ion batteries are now airlines’ top safety concern

Modern travel thrives on connectivity, but the very devices that keep us plugged in are creating a volatile environment in the skies. According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the fire risk posed by lithium-ion batteries has officially climbed to the number one safety risk to aircraft. The warning arrives just as the busy summer holiday travel period kicks off across parts of the UK, starting with school breaks in Scotland.

The issue isn’t just that we have these gadgets; it’s how many we bring along. The CAA estimates that the average person now carries four different lithium-powered devices onto a flight. On a packed aircraft, those numbers multiply exponentially. These batteries are incredibly useful and versatile because they store massive amounts of energy in tiny spaces, powering everything from laptops and smartphones to smartwatches, vapes, and portable chargers.

However, that dense energy comes with a volatile downside. If these batteries overheat or suffer from manufacturing defects, they can trigger a fire that spreads incredibly fast and is notoriously difficult to control.

A surging threat in the cargo hold

The sheer volume of tech entering airports is pushing safety statistics to new heights. UK authorities reported that incidents of lithium batteries detected inside checked hold baggage nearly doubled in a year — surging from 316 cases in 2024 to 643 in 2025.

Alarmingly, reports of devices actively overheating or malfunctioning experienced a similar spike, jumping from 123 to 206 incidents over the same period. While most of these malfunctions happened in the cabin where trained crew could intervene, regulators are sounding the alarm over what happens when a device is trapped beneath the passenger deck.

If a battery ignites deep within the cargo hold, the problem may not be discovered until it is far too late to control. Currently, the CAA warns that lithium battery incidents are occurring at a rate of about two per week.

Beyond the catastrophic safety risks, these devices are a logistical nightmare for airlines. Finding and removing packed bags from the hold incorrectly causes massive flight delays, and in severe cases, forces emergency landings. Just last month, an EasyJet flight was forced to divert to Rome after it was discovered that a power bank had been mistakenly packed in the cargo hold. The reality of the danger was caught on camera last October, when widely shared video footage showed flames belching from the overhead compartment of an Air China flight, an emergency reportedly sparked by a lithium battery.

The danger of ‘substandard’ tech

Experts point out that while mainstream electronics are heavily regulated, the booming market for cheap, unverified gadgets has exacerbated the danger.

Giuseppe Capanna, a product safety engineer at the charity Electrical Safety First, explained that the massive amount of energy stored in lithium batteries is highly convenient for recharging, but it acts as a double-edged sword. When things go wrong, they can cause ferocious fires that are difficult to extinguish.

“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,” Capanna warned.

While the vast majority of consumer batteries are perfectly stable, Capanna noted that it is usually substandard versions bought through third-party online sellers that cause these terrifying mid-air scares.

“It is really important that we make sure that we only bring safe, tested products with us on holiday,” he added.

A growing challenge for cabin crew

The biggest hurdle facing aviation safety right now is a lack of public awareness. The CAA believes many passengers still aren’t fully aware of the restrictions regarding portable tech, making basic education the industry’s first line of defense.

Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of Airlines UK, emphasized that the rising frequency of these close calls is directly tied to our modern travel habits.

“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,” Alderslade said/

To keep flights safe, the aviation industry is urging travelers to take a moment to double-check their luggage before zipping it up.

How to pack your tech

To ensure a safe flight, aviation regulators remind all passengers to memorize these baseline rules before heading to the airport:

  1. Keep them close: Devices like mobile phones, vapes, and power banks must always travel with you in the cabin, never in the hold.
  2. Know your limits: Passengers are strictly limited to a maximum of two power banks per person, and charging them onboard the aircraft is entirely forbidden.
  3. Power down completely: If you must pack a laptop inside a checked bag, ensure it is turned entirely off, rather than left in sleep or standby mode.

Source:
BBC