Laptops pose fire hazard in checked baggage and should be banned: Report

A ban on laptops and tablets in checked baggage could be coming down the pipeline if civil aviation authorities agree with a proposal which claims that personal electronic devices pose a fire hazard in the cargo hold.

At a meeting organized by the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on dangerous goods in Montreal this week, the world airline community will be presented with the findings of a report from the US Federal Aviation Administration, which makes a case for restricting personal electronic devices to carry-on baggage.

The proposal marks a 180-degree turn from a recent ban on laptops, tablets, cameras and portable DVD players in carry-on bags for flights arriving to the US from destinations in the Middle East. The ban was implemented as a security measure earlier this year by the Department of Homeland Security.

For the report, the FAA conducted a series of tests packing a fully charged laptop computer in a suitcase under different scenarios — varying the type of suitcase used and the contents of the luggage.

A heater was placed against the lithium ion battery of the laptop, forcing it into “thermal runaway” — or to catch fire and explode. In one of the …read more