FAA Warns E-Cigarettes Pose Potential Fire Hazard, Urge Ban From Checked Bags

The FAA is asking airlines to warn passengers not to carry e-cigarettes in checked bags, citing recent incidents of the devices overheating and catching fire.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) last week warning U.S. airlines of the potential fire risk posed by e-cigarettes in checked bags. The alert follows a bulletin from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) urging airlines to ban the nicotine delivery devices from checked bags.

The ICAO bulletin describes a number of recent incidents of e-cigarettes, which contain a small battery-operated heating element, overheating and in some cases causing fires. The bulletin warns that an e-cigarette could create a catastrophic situation if it malfunctions in the cargo hold of a passenger plane. ICAO cited an August incident in which a fire caused by an overheating device in the cargo hold of a commercial airliner forced passengers to evacuate.

The SAFO issued by the FAA notes that risk of an onboard incident is increasing as e-cigarettes grow in popularity. The alert recommends that U.S. airlines follow the ICAO’s suggestion to limit e-cigarettes to the cabin of aircraft, where a potentially hazardous overheating scenario is less likely to go unnoticed. The FAA is also asking carriers to use every tool at their disposal, including websites, press releases and pre-boarding warnings, to spread the word about the dangers posed by stowing e-cigarettes in checked bags.

[Photo: Lindsay Fox via Flickr]