One of the last places you want a fire to break out is in an airliner’s cargo hold, which is why the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is expanding its restrictions on devices containing lithium batteries that can overheat and undergo “thermal runaway” and start fires.
In July, a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale was diverted to Fort Myers after a lithium battery caught fire; fortunately, the incident occurred in the cabin, and flight attendants were able to put out the blaze with fire extinguishers. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there has been an average of at least one lithium battery incident on a passenger plane in the U.S. every week since 2021.
In recently updated guidance for travelers, TSA emphasized that spare lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries, power banks and cell phone battery charging cases must be in carry-on baggage only, not checked luggage.
“When a carry-on bag is checked at the gate or at planeside, all spare lithium batteries and power banks must be removed from the bag and kept with the passenger in the aircraft cabin,” TSA noted, adding that battery terminals must be protected from short circuit such as by covering them with tape, using a battery case, or putting them “snugly in a plastic bag or protective pouch.”
The restriction “covers spare lithium metal and spare rechargeable lithium ion batteries for personal electronics such as cameras, cell phones, laptop computers, tablets, watches, calculators, etc. This also includes external battery chargers (portable rechargers) containing a lithium-ion battery,” according to TSA.
Separately, TSA said cordless curling irons powered by gas cartridges or butane likewise belong in carry-on luggage only. Travelers are limited to one cordless curling iron each; the device must have a safety cover fitted over the heating element, and spare fuel cartridges are prohibited, TSA said.
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TSA rules can change at any time, so for the most up-to-date information on what you can bring, check tsa.gov.
