Laptop Ban Raises Warning of Fire Risk on Planes
- Flight Safety Foundation raises safety questions on ban
- U.S., U.K. have barred electronics in cabin on some flights
Is the Laptop Ban About Terrorism or Protectionism?
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The U.S. order prohibiting passengers from carrying laptop computers and other electronics into the cabins of some overseas flights is raising concerns about a risk unrelated to terror: the potential for those devices’ lithium-based batteries to catch fire in the baggage hold.
The Flight Safety Foundation, a non-profit funded by airlines and other groups to reduce the risk of accidents, on Friday issued a press release urging the industry to take steps not to “introduce another risk” from the highly flammable batteries powering the electronics.