How vaping is putting air passengers at risk

More and more people are using vaping devices. In October 2013, only 1.3 per cent of the UK population reported using them regularly; by 2023, the figure had risen to 10 per cent, according to a report in the British Medical Journal.

Increased use brings a fresh problem for aircraft passengers and personnel. Devices powered by lithium-ion batteries – including vapes, laptops and mobile phones – can overheat. In a worst-case scenario, this can cause fires or explosions, with vaping devices becoming particularly problematic – as evidenced on Tuesday, when a bag of vapes exploded, causing the evacuation of an easyJet flight from Crete to Gatwick.

A new report from UL Standards and Engagement (ULSE), an American non-profit organisation, suggests that vapes were responsible for 35 per cent of all overheating incidents on US routes reported through its voluntary system during 2023.

These incidents rose by 28 per cent between 2019 and 2023, according to the report. As e-smoking devices become ever-more popular, it follows that the chances of one overheating during a flight must also rise. But another contributory factor could be a lingering lack of awareness about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries, despite airline-issued information when purchasing tickets, at check-in and during onboard safety announcements.

“Passengers are often unaware that many devices they bring onboard are powered by lithium-ion batteries, let alone the risks they carry, and it’s much harder to solve a problem that they do not know exists,” said David Wroth, ULSE’s director of technology and systems.

Why do lithium-ion batteries overheat?

Failure in a lithium-ion cell can mean it overheats, triggering a process called thermal runaway, and causing adjacent ones to do the same. As the temperature of the battery rises during the process, it can release flammable gases, catch fire or explode – and because these batteries burn at such high temperatures (up to 900C), the resulting issues can be difficult to contain.

The risk increases with cheap, off-brand accessories because of lower manufacturing standards. “It’s always best to spend more and use the correct charger, and a trade-name brand that meets safety regulations, as recommended by the device manufacturer,” says Richard Bailey, the managing director of Environmental Defence Systems, who designed the fire containment bag AvSax, which is used by more than 100 airline companies.

Damaged products are also more dangerous. “Lithium batteries overheat if they become damaged, especially if dropped or punctured,” says Bailey.

“Correct handling reduces risk,” says Andrew McConnell, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). “Lithium batteries should be carried in your carry-on baggage. Power banks and spare batteries should also be in a cabin bag and should be completely turned off and not in standby mode.” The International Air Transport Association (IATA) states that they should be put in their original packaging or have their terminals insulated with tape or using a dedicated bag or pouch.

How frequent are these incidents?

The US’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) publishes a log of lithium-battery-related incidents, which shows their alarming frequency (the CAA doesn’t reveal statistics for UK flights). Between July 14 and August 14 2024, the FAA charted 10 passenger plane incidents caused by laptops, mobile phones, battery packs, e-smoking devices and other electronic devices. However, in all but one case (in which a flight was diverted), crew were able to take action and ensure the plane could continue to its destination, or depart with a brief delay.

More serious incidents can and do happen. On September 17, an easyJet flight due to leave Crete for Gatwick was evacuated after a woman’s handbag containing a vaping device and a power bank caught fire prior to take-off, causing panic in the cabin. In February, a Royal Air Philippines flight from Boracay to Shanghai was forced to make an emergency landing in Hong Kong after a power bank exploded and filled the cabin with smoke.

And, in 2023, a former firefighter suffered second-degree burns on a Spirit flight from Dallas to Orlando when he rushed to help put out a fire in an overhead locker that was thought to be caused by an e-cigarette charger. Ten people were taken to hospital after the flight.

Even in incidents that do not cause injury, they can still be terrifying – especially if they happen in the air. Viral video from an incident caused by a battery pack on a February 2024 AirAsia flight from Bangkok to Nakhon Si Thammarat, in southern Thailand, shows panic in the cabin as passengers struggled to move away from the fumes.

Are vapes particularly at risk from overheating?

“Vapes and e-cigarettes are second only to power chargers for causing lithium battery incidents on aircraft, even though people can’t use them on planes. We can only think this is because [some] vapes are disposable and powered by cheap batteries – but that’s only an assumption,” says Bailey.

“It’s possible that some people just throw their devices into their carry-on luggage,” says John Dunne, the director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association. “In doing so, they may engage the mechanism. We always recommend that people keep their devices in suitable hard cases, which are available from specialist shops, and that they remove batteries from the devices prior to travel where possible, so that the device cannot engage while in flight.”

Keep devices within easy reach, rather than at the bottom of a bag, in a footwell or overhead locker, where they could inadvertently be turned on. And, if a device seems abnormally hot on use, dispose of it safely before you go on holiday.

“Some users don’t understand that these batteries have a finite life,” says Dunne. “They need to make sure that they’re not damaged in any way and are changed on a regular basis. Check for external damage too, such as cracked or loose casings.”

Can’t I just put my devices in the hold?

IATA states that e-smoking devices, portable power banks and all spare batteries should be taken onto the plane. Laptops and mobile phones can be put in the hold on some airlines, as long as they are properly switched off, protected and kept away from perfumes and aerosols, though the European Union Aviation Safety Agency advises always taking them as carry-on luggage.

Sudden changes in air temperature in the hold could make lithium-ion batteries more susceptible to overheating. “Lithium battery fires burn with such extreme heat that if one caught fire in the hold, it would quickly spread to flammable material such as clothes inside that suitcase and then to other luggage,” says Bailey. “The automatic fire suppression system would struggle to cope with a fire of this kind of intensity.”

What should I do if my device overheats on a plane?

Seek help immediately. “If an electronic device becomes hot or is lost in the seat, people should alert the crew immediately. If passengers move their seat to try to retrieve it, they could crush it, sending it into thermal runaway,” says Bailey.

Cabin crew are trained in firefighting techniques related to these devices, and some use fire suppression bags such as the AvSax to contain devices and help batteries cool.

“All cabin staff have to do is pour at least two litres of water into an AvSax lithium battery containment bag and then drop the overheating device into it. The water activates the polymer gel inside the bag causing it to expand around the device. Should the device keep on venting, or even explode, then the AvSax fire mitigation bag is tough enough to absorb the force,” says Bailey.