The Transportation Security Administration has banned lithium-ion batteries in checked luggage, meaning that passengers can't pack that laptop, tablet, power bank, or cellphone.
These rechargeable batteries are sensitive to heat and cold. If a battery gets too hot, if it is damaged, or exposed to water, it can overheat and go into thermal runaway. A fire in a cargo hold is probably impossible to put out at 30,000 feet.
According to CBS News, there was a 42 percent rise in incidents involving lithium batteries between 2018 and 2023.
Passengers can still carry devices with the batteries. Flight crews are trained to respond to lithium battery fires in the cabin, according to Daily Passport.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
