The battery mistake almost a third of flyers still make, says CAA

Pack a bag for a half-term flight and you are probably carrying more batteries than you think. A phone. A tablet to keep the kids busy. A laptop, maybe a vape, and a power bank to top the lot up.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority wants you to know where each of those should go in your luggage. But this year it is also asking you to learn what to do if one of them starts to overheat on the plane.

The regulator has launched a new lithium battery safety checklist ahead of the October half-term, when almost three million passengers are expected to take to the skies across England and Wales. It warns that incidents involving lithium battery-powered devices remain highly likely during the busy half-term travel period. Cornwall’s schools are off from Monday 26 October.

The checklist is designed to help you spot the warning signs and respond quickly if a device overheats, starts smoking or catches fire onboard.

More flyers know the rules, but not all of them

Research commissioned by the Civil Aviation Authority suggests awareness has improved after a summer-long campaign by the regulator, airports and airlines across the UK.

Awareness of lithium battery travel rules has risen to 86% among recent flyers, up from 81% last year.

Yet almost one in three passengers (31%) still wrongly believe items containing lithium batteries should go in checked luggage. Awareness, in other words, does not always mean understanding.

And there are more batteries in the cabin than ever. More than half of air passengers (54%) now carry a power bank when they fly, up from 49% last year.

📷The Civil Aviation Authority's lithium battery safety checklist. Credit: UK Civil Aviation Authority

What the checklist asks you to do

The Civil Aviation Authority’s checklist covers what to do before and during a flight:

1. Always take power banks in the cabin, and check with your airline that they meet its size and quantity limits for carriage.
2. Do not charge your power bank on any flight.
3. If you want to use a power bank on a flight, first check that your airline allows it, and keep it easily accessible.
4. If a power bank, vape, phone or tablet starts to get hot, switch it off, stop charging and alert the cabin crew immediately.
5. If a power bank or device starts to smoke, alert the cabin crew immediately. They are trained to deal with the issue safely.
6. Always carry vapes inside the cabin with you, but never vape onboard an aircraft.

Why passengers are being handed a checklist

Glenn Bradley, Head of Flight Operations at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:

“Firstly, it’s great that more passengers know to take power banks and lithium batteries with them in the aircraft cabin where any issue can be dealt with. But the chance of devices overheating and catching fire still remains. That is why we are now also offering our checklist to people on how to deal with incidents.

“Knowing where to pack these devices is important, but passengers should also know what to do if one starts overheating during a flight. Spotting the warning signs and alerting cabin crew quickly can make an important difference.

“Pack right for a safe flight. Pilots use checklists every flight to remind themselves of safety procedures. We’re now asking passengers to use their own version so they can play a vital role in safety.”

Extra reminders at check-in

Toby Reakes, Airport Operations Manager at Bristol Airport, said:

“We have increased awareness at our check-in areas to reinforce this important guidance and help support the Civil Aviation Authority’s safety campaign.

“It’s encouraging to see more people are heeding the advice and remembering to put power banks and devices powered by lithium batteries, such as mobile phones, vapes, laptops and tablets in their hand luggage.”

The Civil Aviation Authority says it is continuing to work with airports and airlines across the UK to reduce the risk of onboard incidents. Its full guidance on travelling with lithium batteries is on the CAA Pack Right page.