FAA to Airlines: E-cigs in Checked Bags are Fire Risk

As the popularity of e-cigarettes increases, the FAA wants airlines to ensure passengers don’t put their e-cigarettes in checked baggage, when they can pose a fire hazard in the cargo compartment. The FAA has released a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) making US air carriers aware of a recent bulletin from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that described several incidents associated with e-cigarettes, as well as ICAO’s recommendation to ban the devices in checked baggage. ICAO is the arm of the United Nations that develops and disseminates suggested standards for the international aviation community. In several incidents both inside