You’re more likely to die from a lithium fire at 35,000 feet than from a terrorist hijacking. The data is clear. Power banks and vapes have become the most dangerous items in passenger luggage, and regulators are only now beginning to respond.
New figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) show that the number of portable electronic devices found in checked baggage has nearly doubled in the past year. That’s terrifying, because those devices are packed with lithium-ion batteries — and when they go into thermal runaway, there’s no way to stop them inside a cargo hold. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recorded over 450 battery-related incidents on aircraft in 2024, up 30% from 2023. And these numbers are only climbing.
Why Power Banks and Vapes Are the Perfect Storm
Think about the typical power bank in your pocket. It’s a dense block of lithium cells with no internal thermal management. Now imagine that same battery jostling against a metal water bottle in a cargo hold. A short circuit. A spark. And you’ve got a fire that burns at over 1,000°F — hot enough to melt through an aluminum fuselage.
Vapes are even worse. They often contain unprotected lithium cells, and the devices can be accidentally activated by pressure changes or vibration. In 2023, a vape fire forced an emergency landing on a Ryanair flight from Barcelona to London. The crew had to use fire containment bags, but the smoke still filled the cabin. Passengers were panicking. That’s not an isolated event.
“The industry has been kicking the can down the runway for years,” says Mark Thompson, a former NTSB investigator and aviation safety consultant. “We know lithium batteries are the number one fire risk. But airlines still allow power banks in carry-ons and vapes in pockets. It’s a regulatory gap that’s going to cause a catastrophic loss of life soon.”
The FAA’s own research shows that a lithium battery fire in a cargo hold cannot be suppressed by existing halon systems. The only solution? Get the devices out of the hold entirely. But that’s easier said than done when passengers stuff power banks into suitcases without thinking.
The Numbers Are Staggering
IATA’s 2024 baggage report reveals that the proportion of checked bags containing lithium-powered devices rose from 8% in 2023 to 15% in 2024. That’s nearly 1 in 7 bags. Considering global air traffic is back to pre-pandemic levels — about 4.5 billion passengers annually — we’re talking about hundreds of millions of potential firebombs sliding into the cargo hold every year.
And it’s not just passengers. The cargo industry is flooded with unlabeled shipments of power banks and e-cigarettes. In 2023, a Hong Kong-bound cargo flight caught fire after pallets of lithium batteries ignited. The crew barely managed to land safely. Investigators later found that the batteries were declared as “electronic accessories” to bypass regulations.
This is a massive supply chain problem. But for travelers, the immediate risk is personal. If a fire starts in the cabin, you have seconds to react. If it starts in the hold, you might not even know until the smoke alarms go off — and by then it’s often too late. The only reason we haven’t seen a major passenger airline disaster yet is luck.
“We’re playing Russian roulette with every flight,” warns Dr. Sarah Chen, a fire safety engineer at MIT’s Laboratory for Aviation Safety. “The energy density of these batteries has tripled in the last decade, but the containment technology hasn’t kept up. It’s like putting gasoline in a paper bag and calling it safe.”
This battery boom is also disrupting other markets, as seen in the recent plunge in Asia tech stocks, where supply chain fears for battery components sent Korea’s Kospi into its third trading halt this week. The lithium frenzy is creating both opportunity and danger — and aviation is feeling the heat.
At the same time, alternative energy sources like geothermal are getting renewed attention. As noted in Geothermal’s Big Bet, the push for abundant, non-flammable energy is partly driven by the same safety concerns that plague lithium. But for now, batteries are here to stay — and they’re on every plane.
What Airlines and Regulators Are (Finally) Doing
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is set to vote in 2025 on a global ban of all spare lithium batteries and vapes from checked baggage. Some countries like Singapore, Australia, and the UK already have strict rules. But enforcement is a mess. Screening technology can’t reliably distinguish a power bank from a phone in an X-ray. Passengers sometimes hide devices. And cabin crew often lack training to handle battery fires.
Airlines are rolling out new fire containment bags — big, heat-resistant pouches that can smother a burning device. But these are only effective if the fire is detected early and the device can be retrieved. In a packed overhead bin, that’s not always possible. Delta, United, and British Airways have all started requiring passengers to declare any power banks over 100 watt-hours (Wh). But 100 Wh is huge — that’s enough to power a laptop for two days. Most vape batteries are under 10 Wh, but they’re still risky.
The real solution, according to battery experts, is to redesign the devices themselves. “We need batteries that don’t catch fire, period,” says Chen. “That means solid-state or ceramic electrolytes. The technology exists, but it’s not in the mass market yet.”
Until then, travelers need to take responsibility. Don’t put power banks or vapes in checked luggage. Keep them in your carry-on, ideally in a fireproof pouch. And if you see smoke or smell burning electronics on a flight, tell the crew immediately. Every second counts.
What’s Next: The 2025 Regulatory Crackdown
Expect stricter rules by early 2026. ICAO’s new standards will likely require all lithium-powered devices to be carried by passengers — and limit the total watt-hours per passenger. Airlines may also ban the sale of power banks in airport shops after security. And we could see a new class of “flight-safe” batteries coming to market, along with mandatory fire-resistant packaging.
But the clock is ticking. As more passengers fly with more devices, the odds of a fatal fire increase. The aviation industry has been lucky so far. But luck doesn’t last. The question isn’t if a major lithium battery disaster will happen — it’s when. And whether we’ll have done enough to prevent it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are vapes more dangerous than other lithium devices?
Vapes often have unprotected lithium cells, meaning they lack the built-in circuit breakers that phones and laptops have. Additionally, the atomizer coil can overheat if the device is accidentally activated in a bag, leading to thermal runaway even without a short circuit. Their cylindrical shape also makes them prone to rolling and impacting metal objects during turbulence.
Can I bring a power bank in my checked luggage?
No. Most airlines strictly forbid spare lithium-ion batteries and power banks in checked baggage because a fire in the cargo hold is extremely difficult to detect and extinguish. You must carry them in your hand luggage. Some airlines also require devices over 100 watt-hours to be declared at check-in.
What should I do if my vape or power bank catches fire on a plane?
Immediately notify a flight attendant. Do not try to extinguish the fire yourself unless you have immediate access to a fire containment bag or the device is small enough to be smothered. Do not pour water on a lithium fire — it can make it worse. The crew will follow the airline’s emergency procedures, which may include dousing the device with a specialized extinguisher or transferring it to a fireproof pouch.
