The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) regarding the fire risk of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or e-cigs) in checked baggage.
RELATED:
GUIDE: Are You Allowed To Smoke E-Cigarettes On A Plane?
GUIDE: Are You Allowed To Bring Alcohol On A Plane?
GUIDE: Are Fireworks Allowed In Checked Baggage?
This communication (SAFO 15003, January 22, 2015) comes after at least two reported incidents involving e-cig fires:
- August 9, 2014, at Logan International Airport (BOS), in which an e-cigarette packed in a passenger’s checked baggage of a JetBlue Embraer 190 aircraft was determined to be the cause of a fire that forced an evacuation of the aircraft.
- January 4, 2015, at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), in which a checked bag that had missed its flight was found to be on fire in a baggage area. Emergency responders attributed the fire to an overheated e-cigarette inside the bag.
The safety alert confirms that U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations do not explicitly prohibit e-cigarettes in checked and carry-on baggage, however:
the transportation of battery-powered devices that are likely to create sparks or generate a dangerous evolution of heat is prohibited unless they are packaged in such a manner to preclude such an occurrence. Carriage of e-cigarettes in the passenger cabin addresses this safety risk by ensuring that if an incident does occur, it can be immediately identified and mitigated.
DOT does not explicitly prohibit e-cigarettes in checked and carry-on baggage.
If the passenger does not properly pack the battery operated device, it is considered an illegal transportation, as the transportation of “electrical devices, such as batteries and battery-powered devices, which are likely to create sparks or generate a dangerous evolution of heat, unless packaged in a manner which precludes such an occurrence,” are forbidden. 49 CFR 173.21(c).
Therefore, it is recommended to U.S. airlines that passengers be required to carry e-cigarettes and related devices solely in the aircraft cabin for fire safety reasons.
Operators are encouraged to communicate their e-cigarette policy to passengers as widely as possible to include their website, press releases, ticket purchase, the check-in process (on-line, kiosks, check-in agents, etc.), and through any other means already established to inform passengers of hazardous materials regulations and related company policies.
As for smoking (i.e. vaping) an e-cigarette during a flight, the current state of the law interprets it as illegal, and likely banned by the airline itself regardless. See GUIDE: Are You Allowed To Smoke E-Cigarettes On A Plane?
____
@travelblawg
facebook.com/travelblawg
Subscribe in the sidebar!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.
