A plane recently had to be diverted after a passenger forget their electronics in their hold luggage
Ash Bhardwaj recalled almost being caught out by this important rule himself(Image: BBC)
Air travel comes with a long list of things people can and can’t take with them depending on how it’s packed. However, one travel expert is urging people to pay more attention to an often overlooked electronic that can’t be packed into your big suitcases going in the hold of the plane.
Travel journalist Ash Bhardwaj warned people to take any electronics with lithium batteries into the cabin in their hand luggage and not to stow it away in the hold. He explained that this is due to a serious fire risk and while fires in the cabin can be handled, fires in the luggage hold could prove to be a far greater issue.
Ash joined Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones on the rooftop of BBC’s Morning Live studio to soak in some sunshine as the hot temperatures continuing rolling out across the country.
He highlighted one recent easyJet flight bound for the UK actually had to be diverted to Rome because a passenger realised they had left one of their lithium batteries in the hold.
Ash revealed he’d had to make this lithium battery check himself at the airport once: “We were in Vietnam, flying back home, and I saw these signs about not being allowed lithium batteries in your hold luggage. I was checking everything; ‘Is this one a lithium battery, like the fan for the baby carrier’.”
To be sure, Ash opted to put everything he suspected of maybe having a lithium battery into his hand luggage.
He continued: “Basically, it’s a fear of the batteries catching fire. If you’ve got it on you, in the cabin, in your hand luggage, that’s fine because if anything does happen the crew can deal with it.
“The key thing don’t put power banks in your checked luggage they need to come with you.”
Each airline may have different rules around what batteries and electronics must be kept in the cabin with you so it’s best to check with your airline before flying.
In general, spare batteries and power banks should only go into carry-on baggage. You may need to carefully pack these to prevent the circuit from shorting out, for example by putting it back in the retail packaging or placing each battery into a separate protective pouch according to the Civil Aviation Authority.
This protection must also prevent the item from being accidentally turned on or damaged during the flight. Some power banks may also require approval from the airline operator to be taken onboard.
Other items that may contain lithium batteries:
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Smartphones
- Smart watches
- Cameras
- Music players
- Smart baggage tags
- Electronic cigarettes