Li-Ion battery safety requires that passengers cooperate with the airlines to ensure their batteries are in excellent condition with no obvious failures such as excessive heat, swelling, emitting odors or fumes, or making unusual sounds.
On August 23, American Airlines flight 357 from Philadelphia to Phoenix was diverted to Washington Dulles International following reports of smoke from a passenger’s electronic device. The flight crew was able to handle the incident by placing the smoking device in a fire containment bag. Neither American Airlines nor the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has revealed the type of device involved.
The cause of the incident isn’t yet verified, but it’s highly likely it involved a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery either in use or stowed by a passenger.
Li-Ion batteries are a serious fire and toxic smoke concern despite the batteries generally being safe.
Li-Ion battery fires are a serious concern for airlines and airline passengers, despite being generally safe. The problem is that if an Li-Ion battery fire from thermal runaway occurs, it’s hard to extinguish and emits toxic smoke. Li-Ion battery fires spew out a cocktail of toxic matter in the smoke, including substances like hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and heavy metals including cobalt, nickel and manganese. Inhaling these emissions can lead to respiratory distress, ocular and dermal irritation, as well as neurological effects.
On KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight 792 from São Paulo to Amsterdam on August 5, a fire from of an Li-Ion battery-based powerpack could have been deadly. A flight over land can divert quickly to an airport if a Li-Ion battery fire can’t be immediately contained, but a flight from São Paulo to Amsterdam spends considerable time over the ocean. If the fire occurred well past São Paulo, over the Atlantic, instead of shortly after takeoff, with smoke filling the cabin as shown on passenger videos, the fire could have been deadly. Fortunately, it was not.
As can be seen from the examples above and below, while Li-Ion battery fires are still relatively rare, they are a serious problem when they occur and can possibly have serious consequences.
In July, Delta Airlines flight 1334 was flying from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale. A lithium ion battery-powered personal electronic device caught fire and generated considerable smoke in the cabin. Flight attendants quickly extinguished the flames and placed the device in a fire containment bag. Due to the smoke in the cabin, the captain declared an emergency and diverted the flight to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. Fortunately, none of the 191 aboard the plane were injured.
The sheer number of Li-Ion batteries flying daily separately or in electronic devices is staggering.
How many Li-Ion batteries do you think will be in your plane on your upcoming flight? You can start by counting the devices you take with you when you travel. When my wife and I take a trip, our technology typically includes nine devices each, including laptops, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, cameras, hearing aids, etc.
According to Underwriter Laboratories, the average air traveler brings four Li-Ion powered devices with them. On an American Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8, that adds up to 688 such devices and on an American Boeing 777–300ER, the Li-Ion power device count jumps to 1,216.
According to the FAA there have already been 46 Li-Ion battery incidents this year involving fire and/or toxic smoke.
According to the FAA’s records, so far in 2025 there have been 46 verified incidents in aircraft involving Li-Ion batteries. In addition, five more incidents are pending verification. Of the incidents, 10 were on cargo planes while 36 occurred on passenger flights. Sixteen of the incidents were due to battery power packs, 11 from cellular phones, another 11 from e-cigarettes and vaping devices, four from laptops and another four from other electronic devices.
Powerpack batteries have been the source of almost 39 percent of all Li-Ion battery fire/smoke incidents on airplanes over the last 10 years.
Looking at data from the last 10 years we see that powerpack batteries for recharging electronic devices are the source of almost 39 percent of all Li-Ion battery fire/smoke incidents on airplanes. Powerpack batteries are a problem because they are manufactured to pack a lot of power in them, so their fires can be particularly potent. My powerpack, for example, contains a whopping 98.01Wh, just under the maximum permitted without specific airline approval. It can charge four power-hungry devices simultaneously. It can charge a dead iPhone 16 about 4.5 times.
Why do I carry a large powerpack? On most planes, even in first class, the USB ports are only USB A, not the latest standard, USB C. Most of our devices require USB C outlets. On longer flights we often need to recharge more than one or two devices. On our flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, my wife and I needed to recharge our hearing aids, iPhones, and iPads. Otherwise, they would’ve been dead long before we would be able to recharge them in our hotel.
Airlines can reduce the need for passengers’ powerpacks by installing power outlets, plus USB A and USB C outlets.
The airlines can help by reducing the need for passengers’ powerpacks’ in-flight use by installing power outlets, plus both USB A and USB C outlets at every seat without exception. While many new devices use USB C, there are still millions of existing devices that use USB A that will continue to be in use for years.
Some nations and airlines have adopted new rules for Li-Ion batteries and their powered devices.
Some nations and airlines have adopted new rules for Li-Ion batteries and their powered devices. Li-Ion batteries and powerpacks already have capacity limits and can’t be stowed in checked luggage world-wide. Some airlines no longer allow powerpacks in overhead bins. Some nations and airlines no longer permit powerpacks to be used while aloft. China is now requiring their own certification of powerpacks to be able to bring them on board planes in China.
Passengers must be responsible to ensure their Li-Ion batteries are in excellent physical condition.
Passengers can be of enormous help to reduce fire/smoke incidents from Li-Ion batteries on planes. Plane passengers must learn to recognize the warning signs that Li-Ion batteries display before catching fire.
While it’s normal for Li-Ion batteries to generate some heat while charging, if your battery feels extremely hot to the touch, it’s likely defective and risks starting a fire. When your device appears to be swollen or bulging, it’s indicating imminent battery failure. If you see a lump or breakage in a device, it’s likely being pushed out by a swollen, failing battery. Should your device make hissing, cracking, or popping sounds, its battery is likely failing. If your device is emitting a strong or unusual odor, it’s probably coming from the battery.
When Li-Ion batteries emit unusual odors, it means toxic fumes are likely being released and the battery is quickly failing. If any of these conditions occur, immediately stop using the device and turn it off. Unplug it from any charging source. Move it away from anything flammable. Send or take the battery to a specialized battery recycler. Never put it in the trash.
Passengers should only recharge Li-Ion batteries with the chargers that came with them or certified substitutes.
Travelers should only recharge Li-Ion battery-powered devices with the chargers that came with them. Certified chargers are designed to charge the devices with the electrical charging parameters specified by your device manufacturer. Many Li-Ion battery fires occur due to poor-quality chargers and mismatched chargers.
The danger of fire in aircraft from Li-Ion battery-powered devices and batteries is real. In the future, manufacturers of Li-Ion batteries and devices powered by them must substantially improve their safety. Moving forward, airlines must do more to lessen the need for passengers to use powerpacks by providing safe charging at all aircraft seats. For now, passengers must take it upon themselves to use the safest practices possible to prevent their devices and Li-Ion batteries from causing fires. It’s up to all of us to make air travel safer.
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After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
