00:01If you're flying this summer or any when, take things like power banks, vapes, mobile phones with you on board
00:10the aircraft.
00:11Don't put them in your packed bag, take them with you.
00:14Air passengers are being reminded to take extra care when packing electronic devices,
00:19with new warnings focused on power banks and other lithium battery items.
00:24Aviation safety bodies say the way these products are stored
00:27can make a difference to how quickly crews are able to respond if something goes wrong in flight.
00:32With more people travelling and relying on portable charging,
00:35officials are highlighting risks that many passengers may not be fully aware of.
00:40Probably people might have seen tragic accidents with lithium batteries in things like e-bikes and scooters.
00:47They really, really catch fire when they go.
00:50So we need to make sure that we maintain the lowest possible risk when people fly.
00:55And that means taking lithium-powered things like power banks and vapes with you into the cabin,
01:02because then the cabin crew can deal with them if something goes wrong.
01:05Don't put them in your checked-in bag, because that's much more dangerous if something happens.
01:10Power banks and many common travel gadgets contain lithium-ion batteries,
01:15which store a large amount of energy in a compact space.
01:18If they're damaged, poorly made or short-circuited, they can overheat and in some cases ignite.
01:24Aviation rules are designed around the risk, which is why these devices are generally required in the cabin
01:30rather than the aircraft hold, where a fire would be harder to detect and contain quickly.
01:35Probably the scenario that happens the most is either the passenger remembers and tells someone,
01:41or they get discovered during scanning before the flight.
01:46And that normally means the flight's delayed.
01:49So they actually stop the flight, take all the bags off, find the one with the battery in, take it
01:54off.
01:55Or, as we saw with the EasyJet flight the other day, if someone remembers during the flight,
02:00the flight can be diverted and you can end up in the wrong place.
02:03So, you know, the message here is please just pack them, take them with you into the cabin.
02:08Safety agencies also advise against charging power banks during flights,
02:12particularly if they are in use or left unattended.
02:15The concern is not that incidents are common, but that when they do occur,
02:19they can escalate rapidly and require immediate response from cabin crew trained for onboard emergencies.
02:26Each one of us are the people packing our own bags and making sure we know what we're doing.
02:30Much as, you know, we're kind of used to security stuff about not taking scissors
02:34and that kind of thing with you in your carry-on bag,
02:37this is exactly the same kind of thing, but potentially even more dangerous.
02:41So we must have people take them with them in the cabin.
02:46The Civil Aviation Authority says reports of overheating or malfunctioning passenger devices
02:51have increased significantly over the past year,
02:54alongside a rise in cases where lithium batteries were incorrectly packed in checked luggage.
02:59A survey suggests a substantial number of travellers are unaware of the risks,
03:04despite taking multiple electronic devices on trips.
03:08So as people have more and more lithium batteries and take more and more with them,
03:11we're seeing it more often.
03:13So worldwide, we're probably seeing two incidents a week
03:16where lithium batteries are overheating or catching fire to do with aircraft and aviation.
03:22And, you know, we think the average person is probably taking four lithium things with them on a flight.
03:28So times that by a couple of hundred people on a flight, that's a lot of lithium batches.
03:33Industry groups say the growth in portable electronics is creating new safety challenges.
03:38Airlines stress that prevention remains the most effective measure,
03:41with training in place for cabin crew to manage onboard incidents.
03:45Safety charities add that damage, poor manufacturing standards or incorrect handling
03:50can all increase the likelihood of failure,
03:52reinforcing calls for passengers to follow packing guidance carefully.
03:56Well, talking to you today is hoping to close that sort of education gap, if you like.
04:01I think lots of people just don't know what lithium batteries are and lots of people don't know the risk.
04:06And actually, it's an everyday life thing.
04:08It's not just about flying.
04:10The flying aspect is it makes it more difficult to deal with it because you're at 32,000 feet.
04:14You know, you can't throw a lithium battery out the house and dial 999.
04:18But this is something that people kind of need to know generally through everyday life.
04:24We use power banks all the time.
04:26We use phones all the time.
04:27We use tablets all the time, vapes.
04:29They all have lithium batteries in them that can go wrong.
04:32So it's kind of something people need to think about all the time.
04:35Passengers should expect to continue hearing similar reminders as airlines and regulators
04:40try to reduce risk through clearer guidance and more consistent compliance across the aviation sector.
04:47You have to own up.
04:48So, you know, please, if you do remember, do the right thing and tell somebody.
04:53But yes, absolutely.
04:54You don't want to be the person that means 200 people sitting around you in close proximity
04:59are going to somewhere they didn't want to go.
05:01Authorities said the focus now is on improving awareness.
05:04While incidents remain relatively rare, officials warn the consequences of lithium battery fires
05:10can be serious if they do occur in flight.
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