FAA To Airlines: Ban Lithium Batteries In Checked Bags

When it comes to recharging gadgets, sometimes your only option is spare pre-charged batteries. That's all fine and well, only now the FAA doesn't want you checking them into your checked baggage, citing concerns about security and safety. According to a new report, the FAA has advised airlines to ban lithium bags from checked luggage, something that will force passengers to put them in carry-ons instead.

According to CNBC, the Federal Aviation Administration sent a safety warning to airlines that says lithium batteries — the type of batteries commonly used in all sorts of consumer devices — "present a risk of both igniting and fueling fires in aircraft cargo/baggage compartments."

It doesn't appear there has been an outright ban on packing batteries into your checked luggage; rather, airlines are being strongly encouraged to prevent passengers from doing so, and to give passengers an extra warning about it when they arrived at check-in and ticket purchase.

This doesn't mean you won't be able to travel with the batteries. According to the TSA website, all sorts of batteries are allowed in carry-on baggage, including lithium batteries. Whether airlines will proceed to ban the batteries in checked baggage isn't clear at this point, though it does seem likely.

SOURCE: CNBC