The U.S.
Department of Transportation has banned electronic smoking devices from checked
baggage and prohibited the charging of those devices on the aircraft.
“We know from
recent incidents that e-cigarettes in checked bags can catch fire during
transport,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Fire hazards in flight
are particularly dangerous. Banning e-cigarettes from checked bags is a prudent
safety measure.”
Prior incidents
have shown that e-cigarettes can overheat and cause fires when the heating element
is accidentally turned on, the DOT said.
On Aug. 9, 2014,
at Boston's Logan Airport, an e-cigarette contained in a passenger's checked
bag in the cargo hold of an aircraft caused a fire that forced an evacuation of
the aircraft. On Jan. 4, 2015, at Los Angeles Airport, a checked bag that
arrived late and missed its connecting flight was found to be on fire in a
baggage area. Emergency responders attributed the fire to an overheated
e-cigarette inside the bag.
Passengers may
continue to carry e-cigarettes for personal use in carry-on baggage or on their
person but may not use them on flights.
The rule does not
prohibit a passenger from carrying other devices containing batteries for
personal use (such as laptop computers and cell phones) in checked or carry-on
baggage, nor does it restrict a passenger from transporting batteries for
personal use in carry-on baggage.