The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States issued a warning on Tuesday (September 9) that passengers carrying lithium batteries may increase the risk of onboard fires and called for airlines to strengthen their responses. According to the agency’s statistics, there have been dozens of related incidents reported in the United States this year.
FAA released an aviation safety alert called SAFO 25002, pointing out the potential risks of lithium-ion batteries in the aircraft cabin and recommending airlines to take risk mitigation measures. The alert mentioned that as of 2025, there have been up to 50 incidents of lithium battery smoking, catching fire, or overheating in the United States, some of which resulted in flight diversions, passenger injuries, or aircraft damage.
The FAA advised airlines to immediately review and strengthen the following measures to reduce related risks:
• Clearly inform passengers and crew members of the risks of using and carrying lithium batteries onboard, including pre-boarding instructions, cabin announcements, and website information;
• Check firefighting equipment and crew training to ensure effective response to lithium battery fires, especially in “thermal runaway” situations;
• Update internal operating manuals and educational resources, including instructional videos and safety operation guidelines;
• Emphasize that spare lithium batteries stored in the cabin luggage must be properly packaged and isolated, and are strictly prohibited from being checked.
According to FAA records, recent incidents have shown that the risks of lithium batteries are rapidly increasing:
• On August 5, a passenger’s cellphone overheated and smoked on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Madrid, causing passenger injuries and damage to the cabin floor, resulting in flight delays;
• On July 12, on a flight from Chicago to Portland, a passenger’s laptop overheated and smoked, despite emergency isolation in a lavatory bag, the flight still had to divert to Casper, Wyoming;
• Several cargo flights have also reported incidents of laptops or batteries igniting. Last week, the FAA proposed a $60,000 fine against LG Energy Solution for a batch of lithium batteries shipped from Seoul to Los Angeles that were not declared and improperly packaged, causing a fire at FedEx’s sorting facility in Irvine, California.
The FAA emphasized that while most cell phones and laptops carried by passengers comply with regulations, improper use, damaged batteries, or high environmental temperatures can all pose risks. Therefore, both airlines and passengers need to remain highly vigilant.