Travelers Warned of ‘Potentially Deadly Threat’ After Over 100 Million Lithium Batteries Were Packed Incorrectly

A new campaign is warning travelers about a “potentially deadly threat” posed by a common item — if packed incorrectly.

On Friday, June 26, the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority announced its “Pack Right. Safe Flight.” campaign after it was discovered that over 100 million batteries have been packed incorrectly in checked luggage. 

The aviation regulator said that rechargeable lithium batteries, which include power banks and vapes, can cause an “uncontrollable” fire risk if they are packed in checked luggage.  

As over 60 million people are expected to be flying during the busy summer travel season this year, passengers are being advised to “pack right for a safe flight by taking their batteries in the cabin with them,” per the campaign.

In order to prevent a possible fire, travelers are asked to “take mobile phones, vapes and power banks on board with you, never charge a power bank on a flight and turn off laptops completely if they’re going to be put in check-in bags.”

If passengers fail to follow these rules, the aviation regulator warns that their bags could be removed from their flight, or “even worse, result in a fire that may be impossible to contain.”

Many U.S. airlines have also taken precautions when it comes to passengers traveling with portable chargers. 

In April, Southwest Airlines announced a new policy in which passengers would be limited to one lithium battery–powered portable charger or power bank on the plane, per an internal memo sent to Southwest employees from Dave Hunt, Vice President of Safety and Security, which the airline shared with PEOPLE at the time.

Passengers would also be prohibited from stowing them out of sight in overhead bins, per the memo. Instead, batteries will need to be stored in a passenger’s personal item underneath the seat in front of them or directly on their person. They will also not be permitted to use in-seat outlets to recharge their battery packs, the memo stated.

Lithium batteries are already banned in all checked bags, per the FAA and TSA, to prevent potential fires in a plane’s cargo area.

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Airlines have been seeing an increase in battery-related incidents on flights in the past few years. 

In the U.S. last year, there were 95 verified lithium battery incidents on flights involving smoke, fire or extreme heat, according to the FAA. The agency states these incidents can occur due to the overheating that power banks and similar devices experience as a result of a process called thermal runaway. 

“Thermal runaway can occur without warning as a result of various factors, including if the battery is damaged, overheated, exposed to water, overcharged, or improperly packed,” the FAA writes on its website. “Thermal runaway can also occur on its own due to manufacturing defects.”