Laptops Could Be Banned From Checked Bags on Planes Due To Fire Risk (cnn.com)

Readers share a report: Laptops could be banned from checked baggage on planes due to a fire risk under a proposal being recommended by an international air safety panel. According to a report, an overheating laptop battery could cause a significant fire in a cargo hold that fire fighting equipment aboard the plane would not be able to extinguish. That could "lead to the loss of the aircraft," according to the proposal. The ban will be considered by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations organization, at its meeting this month. Even if the organization endorses the proposal from its Dangerous Goods Panel, which is making the recommendation, it would be up to regulators in individual nations to pass rules to enforce it. The U.S. FAA has no comment on the proposal. But it is represented on the panel that is supporting the ban, and its research on the risk of fires from laptops is included in the proposal.

Comments

TSA-certified fire containment bags

[kiehlster]

... are in our near future. I don't know why bans are the solution when we have fire containment bags on the markets. Why hasn't TSA decided to certify these things and require passengers to store their laptops in such bags? And if they don't have one, just sell them at the checkpoint for a premium? I'd rather have this than have the peace of mind of my laptop or tablet vanishing into oblivion in the checked luggage system.

Re:Aren't they already?

[Kjella]

And it stated that the batteries were not allowed in checked.

Loose Li-Ion batteries aren't allowed in checked luggage, but since laptop batteries are attached and below 100Wh they're okay.

A Li-Ion battery cannot be transported in the hold unless attached to a camera or the equipment it is intended to power. The attached battery must not exceed 100Wh in capacity. Spare Li-Ion batteries must be transported in your carry-on luggage. An individual may take on-board, in carry-on luggage, an unspecified number of Li-Ion batteries that have capacities of 100Wh or less (as the operator and state variations allow). Li-Ion batteries that have capacities greater than 100Wh, but less than 160Wh, are restricted to 2 items per person, in carry-on luggage. For example, a crew of 3 people can share the allowance between them and take a total 6 batteries (2 each) in this capacity range. Li-Ion batteries that have capacities greater than 160Wh are forbidden from civil aircraft, unless a state exemption has been obtained (i.e. CAA/FAA operator).

Now 100Wh is for big cinema rigs and such, a normal DSLR battery is maybe 10-15Wh. I suppose they could be a dick if you have a spare or two but really it would just be to be dicks.