A possible 155,000 passengers are set to fly through Scottish airports this weekend as some schools start to break for the summer.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority is warning passengers that rechargeable lithium batteries, such as power banks and vapes, can bring a fire risk that could be uncontrollable if packed in checked baggage.
The advice is to passengers is to “pack right for a safe flight” by taking batteries into the cabin with them.
Passengers are being told to:
- Take items like mobile phones, vapes and power banks onboard with you
- Never charge a power bank on a flight
- Turn off laptops completely if they’re being checked in with baggage
Getting it wrong could lead to your bags being removed from the flight causing significant delays or even worse, result in a fire that may be impossible to contain.
Giancarlo Buono, Director of Aviation Safety at the UK Civil Aviation Authority said:
“Flying is by far the safest way to travel and we want to keep it that way.
“Scottish passengers must pack right for a safe flight, and that means don’t put your batteries in your checked bag. Take them onboard with you.
“This simple tip will make your flight safer for you, and the other passengers you’re flying with.”
The warning comes as new data reveals the scale of the risk, with lithium battery incidents now occurring at around two per week. Civil Aviation Authority figures show reports of overheating or malfunctioning passenger devices nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025, following a 98% year-on-year increase. Cases of lithium battery-powered devices being incorrectly packed in checked baggage also rose by 91% in 2025.
Despite this, passenger awareness remains low. Over a third (36%) of travellers are unaware of the dangers of packing batteries in checked baggage, even though 92% fly with a mobile phone, 55% with a laptop and 49% with a power bank – suggesting hundreds of batteries could be incorrectly packed on a typical flight.
Power banks and vapes are some of the highest risk items and must always be taken with you into the cabin. You cannot fly with more than two power banks. You must never charge the power bank itself onboard the aircraft but you may be able to charge other devices from the power bank – check with the airline beforehand or on our website caa.co.uk. You can also ask cabin crew on the flight.
Karen Dee, Chief Executive of AirportsUK, said:
“Everyone in aviation is working hard to ensure that passengers are aware of the rules around the packing of rechargeable batteries and that we can all fly off on our summer holidays safely.
“Through the AirportsUK health and safety working group and in our work with the CAA, we have developed a clear message: travellers must bring any rechargeable batteries they wish to take on their holidays with them into the cabin.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy their summer holidays and to do that, we should all pack right for a safe flight.”
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