Battery-powered devices are overheating more often on planes, raising alarm

Devices powered by lithium-ion batteries are overheating more often during airline flights and passengers often put them in checked bags that go into the cargo hold, where a fire might not be detected as quickly.

Overheating incidents rose 28 per cent from 2019 to 2023, although such events remain relatively rare, UL Standards said in a report released on Monday.

E-cigarettes overheated more often than any other device, based on reports from 35 airlines, according to the report.