Complain about a product or service

Feds Consider New Lithium Battery Restrictions on Airplanes

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

March 6, 2007

Related Stories • Experts Tackle Hot Laptop Problem • Feds Warn of Fire Hazard in Remote-Controlled Airplanes, Helicopters • New Rule Limits Lithium Batteries in Baggage • Georgia Man's Dell Laptop Bursts into Flames • Nokia Joins Battery Recall • Acer Recalls Notebook Computer Batteries • Batteries Could Run on Sugar • MacBook Battery Suspected in Australian Fire • Feds Consider New Lithium Battery Restrictions on Airplanes • Lenovo Recalls ThinkPad Extended-Life Batteries • Dell Sued in Canada Over Exploding Batteries • Sony Battery Recalls Continue • Add Hitachi to Battery Recall List • Sony Battery Recall Tops 10 Million • Lenovo, IBM Recall ThinkPad Notebook Batteries • Toshiba Recalls Sony Laptop Batteries • Laptop Fires Speed Development of Safer Batteries • Panasonic Recalls Laptop Batteries • High Tech Summit To Address Hot Battery Problem • Sony: No More Battery Recalls Expected • Dell Laptop Blamed for House Fire • Dell Battery Recall May Not Be the Answer • Insider: Dell Knew of Battery Problem for Years • Dell Plans Huge Recall of Troubled Batteries • Laptop Fires Worry Airline Safety Regulators • "Exploding" Dell Laptop Destroys Truck, Imperils Outsdoorsmen • Dell Denies It Knew of Overheating Battery Problem for Years • Dell Notebook Batteries Recall Notice --- Earlier Recalls ... • Dell Recalls Laptop Batteries • Dell Recalls Notebook Power Adapters • Dell Recalls Notebook AC Adapters (#2) • Dell Recalls Laptop Batteries

The Department of Transportation is looking at new restrictions for transporting lithium batteries on airplanes but there are no plans to ban the batteries from carry-on luggage and it's like that only checked baggage would be affected.

Battery industry representatives have acknowledged that some restrictions may be needed, but insist that there is no need to ban laptops, cell phones or other devices from airplanes.

Federal reports indicat at least nine fires involving lithium batteries have happened on airplanes or in cargo destined for planes since 2005.

The Federal Aviation Administration is asking companies that make and ship the batteries to take voluntary steps to ease fire risks. The agencies also will launch a safety awareness campaign for passengers.

Lithium batteries come in two forms. The lithium metal batteries are single-use and the lithium-ion can be recharged. Both store energy that generates intense heat in the event of a short circuit, if metal touches both terminals or if internal seals fail.

In many cases, low-cost or counterfeit batteries lack safeguards against short circuits.

In the last year, more than 4 million lithium batteries or all sorts have been recalled.

Bulk shipments of lithium metal batteries were banned on passenger flights in 2004, in part because fires in those batteries are especially hard to extinguish.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.

Back to the top |