The incidents have more than doubled since the pandemic-era low of 39 in 2020, and have climbed annually.
Compared to the roughly 180,000 flights U.S. airlines operate each week, the number of incidents is still relatively small and lithium batteries can overheat anywhere. However, this is a growing concern for the airlines.
In the Korean airline fire in January, all 176 people aboard the plane had to be evacuated because the blaze burned through the plane’s roof. The cause of that fire hasn’t been officially determined, but several airlines and Korean regulators took action against portable chargers afterward.
Korean airlines won’t allow the chargers to be stored in overhead bins anymore; they must either be packed in a plastic bag or have their ports covered with insulating tape to keep them from touching metal.
Southwest said that requiring these chargers to be kept out in the open when they are being used will help because “in the rare event a lithium battery overheats or catches fire, quick access is critical and keeping power banks in plain sight allow for faster intervention and helps protect everyone onboard.”
The airline will allow the chargers to be stored inside carry-on bags when they aren’t in use.
The FAA recommends passengers keep cell phones and other devices nearby on planes so they can access them quickly. The agency said flight crews are trained to recognize and respond to lithium battery fires. Passengers should notify the flight crew immediately if their lithium battery or device is overheating, expanding, smoking or burning.
UL Standards & Engagement, part of a safety-science company once known as Underwriters Laboratories, said it based its findings on data from 35 passenger and cargo airlines, including nine of the 10 leading U.S. passenger carriers.
