A passenger’s portable charger caught fire aboard an Alaska Airlines flight en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Seattle on February 22, 2026. As a result, the aircraft had to return to Kansas shortly after takeoff.
The incident is one of a growing number involving lithium-ion batteries on airplanes, and it comes as airlines around the world tighten rules on how travelers can store and use power banks and other rechargeable devices in flight.
While such events remain relatively rare, aviation regulators and airlines say they are becoming more common as travelers carry more lithium-powered electronics. Portable chargers, laptops, cell phones, e-cigarettes, and other rechargeable devices all rely on lithium-ion batteries, which can overheat or short-circuit, according to University of Michigan aerospace engineering professor Venkat Viswanathan, an expert in batteries for aviation. This, in turn, can lead to a process called thermal runaway, resulting in smoke, fire, and, in some cases, explosions.
“If one of them catches fire, then very quickly, the entire cargo hold could be in flames,” Viswanathan said.
What are airline rules for rechargeable batteries and power banks?
Airlines have tightened their own rules around lithium-ion batteries in response to a rise in overheating incidents. In the United States, Southwest Airlines now requires passengers to keep portable chargers visible while they are in use, rather than inside a bag or overhead bin, so flight attendants can respond quickly if one overheats. Similarly, United Airlines now asks passengers to keep portable chargers and vapes within reach during flights, either on their person or in a personal item, but not in the overhead bin.
Meanwhile, several international carriers have introduced a variety of rules about power bank usage. Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, China Airlines, Thai Airways, and others prohibit passengers from using portable batteries to charge their devices during the flight. And Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia don’t let passengers use the seatback power or electric ports to charge power banks.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not introduced new rules specifically governing in-flight use of portable chargers on U.S.-owned airlines, but it continues to require that spare lithium batteries be carried in the cabin rather than checked luggage.
Why do lithium-ion batteries overheat or catch fire?
On the FAA’s website, the agency says, “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. Thermal runaway can also occur on its own due to manufacturing defects.”
However, John Cox, CEO of aviation consulting firm Safety Operating Systems and a former pilot, says, “Airplanes are no more likely to have a lithium battery fire [than elsewhere], but it is more likely to be reported.”
The FAA has recorded hundreds of incidents involving lithium batteries on aircraft over the past two decades, with the number climbing steadily in recent years.
According to the FAA, there have been 701 verified incidents in the United States involving lithium batteries between March 3, 2006, and February 13, 2026. Of those, at least 535 incidents happened in the cabin and 140 in the cargo hold (the remaining were not classified).
The most common issue involved battery packs (272 incidents), followed by e-cigarettes (149), cellular phones (106), other electronic devices (90), laptop computers (81), and medical devices (3).
The number of incidents has trended upward every year since 2014, with the exception of 2019 and 2020.
Between January 1 and February 13, 2026 (when the FAA most recently updated its online incident report), there were seven verified incidents (and an additional seven pending verification). New FAA data shows it happens on an average of two flights each week.
What to do if your battery or power bank overheats or catches fire?
Cox says that while thermal runaway can be dangerous no matter where it happens, flight attendants can respond more quickly if it’s in the cabin, since cargo holds are generally inaccessible during the flight. He adds that he expects “the number of lithium battery fires, on airplanes and elsewhere, will continue to increase. This is due to the increase of lithium batteries in our society.”
To help reduce the risk of these incidents, the FAA encourages fliers to check for recalls or damages to their devices, as they’re more “likely to create sparks or generate a dangerous evolution of heat.”
Passengers can also protect themselves and others by keeping electronics in a sleeve or case. If a device is squeezed too hard, it could damage the battery, which could cause thermal runaway—a little cushion from protective casing helps prevent that from happening.
That’s why, if your cell phone falls between the seats, it’s important not to try to retrieve it yourself—if it gets damaged, the battery might smoke or catch fire. Flight attendants are trained to retrieve phones safely.
Furthermore, passengers can prevent thermal runaway on planes by turning devices completely off when not in use.
If your device should overheat, smoke, or ignite midflight, contact a crew member immediately. They have fire extinguishers and thermal containment bags, which restrict oxygen to the device and prevent the spread of fire, to help neutralize the danger.
This article was originally published in October 2023, and was updated on March 11, 2026, to include current information.
