E-cigarettes banned from checked baggage

Air passengers and crew are prohibited from carrying e-cigarettes and other battery-powered portable electronic smoking devices in checked baggage. This follows the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s amendment of the 2015-2016 edition of its Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Good by Air (Icao Doc 9284).

“Several incidents have been reported involving e-cigarette heating elements being accidentally activated and resulting in fires in checked baggage,” said Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, Icao council president. “We recommended that our member states take action on these concerns late last year but, after a further review by our Dangerous Goods Panel, it was determined that a formal amendment to the Icao Technical Instructions should also be undertaken.”

Icao first advised member states of electronic smoking device safety issues in December 2014 when they were encouraged to recommend to airlines that their passengers carry such devices in the cabin – and not in checked baggage – so that potential incidents could be immediately dealt with.

Source: etnw