- A laptop caught fire on a Dallas-bound American Airlines flight injuring several passengers
- Lithium battery incidents are rising due to increased volume of devices carried
- Thermal runaway releases toxic gases and causes intense flames
- The FAA verified 93 lithium battery incidents in the US in 2025
- England’s CAA reports show device overheating reports nearly doubled from 2024 to 2025
A laptop caught fire on a Dallas-bound American Airlines flight last week, injuring several passengers before the crew contained it. These incidents form part of a marked rise in devices overheating or emitting smoke on planes. Battery-related incidents are becoming one of aviation’s most persistent safety concerns.
If a battery is overcharged, crushed or heated, various chemical reactions start and generate heat and huge amounts of gas. This can cause the battery to enter thermal runaway: a self-feeding reaction where heat and pressure build faster than they can escape, releasing a toxic mix of gases. Paul Christensen, professor of electrochemistry at Newcastle University, noted that in recent years battery incidents have caused fatalities in residential settings, mainly from e-bike batteries, and that responders and bystanders have faced long-term health complications from gas exposure.
Battery technology itself is not more dangerous than before. What has changed is the volume in circulation. Commercial airlines flew approximately five billion passengers last year according to IATA, who carried an estimated 20 to 25bn portable electronic devices between them. In the US, the FAA verified 93 lithium battery incidents in 2025, up 4.5pc on the year before. England’s CAA figures show reports of overheating or malfunctioning passenger devices nearly doubled from 56 in 2024 to 111 in 2025.
Paul Christensen, professor of electrochemistry at Newcastle University, shared if a battery is overcharged, crushed or heated, various chemical reactions start and these generate heat and huge amounts of gas. Mats Fortuin, founder and technical director of LithiumSafe, shared the simplest explanation is that we are carrying far more lithium-ion batteries with us than ever before.
