Airlines are escalating warnings over lithium-ion batteries after a passenger's battery pack burst into flames on a Las Vegas-bound flight in June and an Air Busan aircraft was destroyed on the tarmac at South Korea's Gimhae Airport in January 2025, according to BBC News. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ranks lithium-ion batteries as "if not number one, within the top three risks for a good few years now," according to Jonathan Nicholson at the CAA.
Incident report: Las Vegas
BBC News reported that technology journalist Ben Wodecki was flying into Las Vegas in June when the flight crew "dashed to the rear of the plane." He described the crew's reaction: "There was a glint of fear. They were dour."
"There was a glint of fear. They were dour."
As smoke spread, distressed passengers emerged from the rear of the aircraft. A passenger had been using a battery pack during the flight; it overheated, burst into flames, and a seat caught fire, according to BBC News. Crew members dropped the device into a container of water, and the plane landed "fast and aggressively" at Harry Reid International Airport, where fire crews met the aircraft on the runway.
Regulatory response: Air Busan and IATA
The Las Vegas incident illustrates why flyers are hearing more frequent and more insistent warnings about battery-powered devices on flights, including warnings about retrieving devices that slip into seats and pleas not to put lithium-ion devices in checked luggage, according to BBC News. The stakes were demonstrated in January 2025, when an Air Busan plane was destroyed on the tarmac at Gimhae Airport in South Korea; investigators concluded a power bank battery pack left in an overhead luggage compartment was the culprit, BBC News reported. That prompted the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to launch a global campaign encouraging passengers to "Travel Smart with Lithium Batteries."
What the numbers show
The CAA's Nicholson said a recent US study showed the airline industry was affected by two lithium-ion battery-related incidents a week worldwide. Those incidents can range from passengers realising they left a device in checked baggage to devices smoking or catching fire in airport baggage halls, or on flights, according to BBC News. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says battery safety is a priority, and its data "continues to show an increase in confirmed incidents," with 51 verified incidents for the year to July 15, according to BBC News.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium-ion incidents worldwide | Two per week | US study cited by the CAA, via BBC News |
| FAA confirmed incidents, year to July 15 | 51 | FAA, via BBC News |
| Air Busan aircraft destroyed | January 2025, Gimhae Airport, South Korea | BBC News |
| Battery fire temperature | More than 700 to 1000 degrees, "super fast" | Pierre Kubiak, National Physical Laboratory, via BBC News |
Pierre Kubiak, principal engineer specialising in battery technology at the UK's National Physical Laboratory, told BBC News that cell phones, power banks, tablets and laptops are the most obvious portable devices passengers bring on planes, but smart watches, smart glasses and vapes are increasingly common.
"The lithium by itself doesn't burn, it's more all the organic material and plastic. The point is that it gets very, very hot, very fast. I mean, more than 700 to 1000 degrees super fast."
What this means for air freight shippers
For freight forwarders and logistics managers, the CAA's top-three risk ranking means lithium-ion battery incidents are a first-order threat to aviation operations, according to BBC News. Nicholson told BBC News there is nothing about flying that makes lithium-ion technology more dangerous; rather, "it's a lot harder to deal with at 32,000 feet in an aircraft cabin." He attributes the prevalence of related incidents to "more people, more flights, more devices."
The operational picture, based on the BBC report, is one of rising frequency: two incidents per week globally, 51 confirmed FAA incidents in less than a year, and one aircraft written off. Given Kubiak's description of battery temperatures above 700 degrees, any device shipped by air — power banks, laptops, smart watches, smart glasses, vapes — demands careful handling and accurate declarations.
Watch list
According to BBC News, the FAA's data continues to show an increase in confirmed battery incidents. IATA's "Travel Smart with Lithium Batteries" campaign is now encouraging passengers to change how they pack and carry battery devices. Kubiak noted the device mix is broadening — smart watches, smart glasses and vapes are increasingly common on flights, meaning the range of potential battery ignition sources is expanding, according to BBC News.
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