Brits warned of number one safety risk on flights as airlines back new campaign

Brits are being warned about what the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) calls the number one safety risk on flights: incorrectly packed lithium batteries in checked luggage. With more than 60 million people expected to fly through UK airports this summer, the CAA launched a seasonal campaign urging travellers not to put batteries in hold baggage. Mobile phones, vapes and power banks should be carried in hand luggage, and passengers are also reminded not to charge power banks during flights and to fully switch off laptops before placing them in checked bags. The CAA cites data that lithium-battery incidents are occurring about twice per week, with reports of overheating or malfunctioning devices nearly doubling between 2024 and 2025, including a 98% year-on-year increase. Cases of incorrectly packed lithium devices in checked baggage rose 91% in 2025. Virgin Atlantic backs the campaign.