The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a stark warning to holidaymakers as the summer travel season begins: never pack lithium batteries in checked luggage. The warning comes as 675,000 passengers are expected to pass through Newcastle and Teesside Airports in July and August alone.
Shocking Footage Shows Battery Explosion Risk
The CAA released footage of a lithium battery exploding into flames after a nail was driven into it in a controlled environment. The video demonstrates the intense heat and fire that can result from damaged or faulty batteries, which pose the greatest singular threat to aircraft safety today.
According to the CAA, around two lithium battery incidents occur each week, and cases of devices being incorrectly packed rose by 91 percent last year. Despite the risks, 36 percent of travellers are unaware of the dangers of packing batteries into checked luggage, meaning hundreds of batteries may incorrectly enter the cargo bay on a typical flight.
Why Checked Luggage Is More Dangerous
Jonathan Nicholson, head of strategic projects at the CAA, explained: "If a blaze breaks out in the hold it's much harder to deal with than in the cabin. Cabin crew are trained to deal with fires, they have buckets of water, and they know what to do to extinguish them."
"Lithium batteries can catch fire anywhere, but if you're in the cabin of an aircraft at 30,000 feet, you can't dial 999 and get the fire brigade out to extinguish it. It's an intense heat, and it's difficult to put out, so it really is a significant danger."
Nicholson added that passengers should take power banks, vapes, mobile phones, and any devices containing a lithium battery into the cabin with them.
Real-World Consequences: Delays and Diversions
In addition to the fire risk, packing lithium batteries in checked luggage can lead to flight delays or diversions. In May, an Easyjet flight from Hurghada, Egypt, to London Luton was diverted to Rome after a passenger realised a power bank was left connected to a phone in a buggy placed in the hold. The pilot diverted the plane to a different airport, inconveniencing hundreds of travellers and costing the airline hundreds of thousands of pounds.
"You really don't want to be that one person who is responsible for sending hundreds of people to the wrong city and costing the airline hundreds of thousands of pounds," Nicholson said. He urged passengers who remember they have left a lithium battery in the hold to alert cabin crew immediately.
In November 2025, a man caught fire at Melbourne International Airport after a lithium power bank in his pocket ignited, leaving him with burns to his leg and fingers.
Safety Advice for Passengers
The CAA advises all passengers to carry devices containing lithium batteries in their cabin baggage, not in checked luggage. If a battery is damaged or appears swollen, it should not be taken on the flight at all. Passengers should also ensure devices are switched off or in sleep mode and protected from accidental activation.
By following these simple steps, travellers can help prevent fires, avoid flight disruptions, and keep themselves and fellow passengers safe this summer.
