After briefly banning laptops in passenger cabins on some flights, the U.S. government is now urging international regulators to consider banning them from checked bags, but for a different reason: fire hazards.
The FAA has filed a proposal with the International Civil Aviation Organization, saying that it is too dangerous to allow the laptops, with their lithium-ion batteries, to travel in the hold, where they could overheat, go into ‘thermal runaway’ and cause an undetected but disastrous fire.
The FAA recently conducted a series of controlled experiments with lithium batteries near cans of dry shampoo, nail polish, hand sanitizer and other items permitted in luggage. One reaction was violent enough to disable the fire protection system.
Bulk shipments of lithium batteries are already banned from the cargo holds of passenger planes. When they fly on cargo planes, they must be less than 30% charged, and there are limits on how many can go in one package.
For a fuller description of the experiments and more information on the background of the proposal, click HERE.
