Battery-powered devices are overheating more often on planes and raising alarm

AP Airlines Writer

Battery-powered devices are overheating more often on planes, and that is raising safety concerns because of the fire danger. The risk is coming from lithium-ion batteries that power all kinds of portable electronics. Safety-science group UL Standards said Monday that overheating incidents rose 28% from 2019 to 2023, although such events remain relatively rare overall. E-cigarettes and power banks overheated most often. That’s significant because about a quarter of passengers surveyed say they put those devices in checked baggage. TSA rules say vaping cigarettes and power banks using lithium-ion batteries can only go in carry-on bags.